In 1998, the World Transhumanist Association was founded as a 501 nonprofit organization by Nick Bostrom and David Pearce. It began working toward the recognition of transhumanism as a legitimate subject of scientific inquiry and public policy. At its inception, WTA officials considered that social forces could undermine their futurist visions and needed to be addressed. A particular concern is the equal access to human enhancement technologies across classes and borders. In 2006, William Saletan reported a political struggle within the transhumanist movement between the libertarian right and the liberal left resulting in a more centre-leftward positioning of Humanity+ under its former executive director James Hughes. In 1998, the WTA established the Journal of Transhumanism. In 2004, it renamed its journal the Journal of Evolution and Technology and transferred it to the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies and launched a webzine/blog called Transhumanity. The WTA also held an annual conference called TransVision. Past conferences include:
TransVision98, June 5–7: Weesp, The Netherlands, Europe
TransVision99, June 4–6: Stockholm, Sweden, Europe
TransVisionMM, July 15–16: London, England, Europe
TransVision06, August 17–19: University of Helsinki, Finland, Europe, with a simultaneous virtual online conference. The theme of the conference was Emerging Technologies of Human Enhancement.
TransVision07, July 24–26: Chicago, USA, North America. The theme of the conference was Transforming Humanity: Innerspace to Outerspace.
In 2006, the WTA adopted the following programs of activity:
Campaign for Future Friendly Culture: A campaign to encourage balanced and constructive portrayals of longevity, human enhancement and emerging technologies in popular culture.
In 2008, as part of a rebranding effort, the WTA changed its name to "Humanity+" in order to project a more humane image.. Its Articles of Incorporation were amended in 2011. Humanity+ has become less focused on politics and more focused on life extension, and has developed conferences under the title of H+ Summit and Humanity+ @ Beijing, Harvard, Parsons The New School of Design and CalTech.
Objectives
The objectives of Humanity+ are:
to support discussion and public awareness of emerging technologies;
to actively encourage and support the development of emerging technologies judged to have sufficiently probable positive benefit.
Programs and activities
Humanity+ have organised a series of conferences. The most recent Humanity+ conference was on December 1–2, 2012, at the Seven Hills Conference Center at San Francisco State University, in California. Humanity+ has dozens of formed or forming local groups—one on virtually every continent. A dozen transhumanist groups in the United States, London Futurists in the United Kingdom, Europe, South America, Australia and Asia have also formally affiliated with Humanity+. Humanity+ also administers the $20,000 Gada Prize, which will be awarded to the team which can design, build and demonstrate a more advanced 3D printer on the base of RepRap by the end of 2012.
''H+ Magazine''
"Humanity+", as a newly branded organization, it launched H+ Magazine, a quarterly magazine on transhumanist news and ideas that has since changed its organization, leadership, and format several times. The magazine produced five issues from 2008 through 2009, each released as PDF-based digital editions, and one released also as a print edition available in retail stores. The publisher changed from Humanity+ to Betterhumans LLC beginning with the second issue, with R. U. Sirius the editor of all five issues. In 2010, with R. U. Sirius continuing as editor, the magazine transitioned into a web-only publication not based around complete issues, and its publisher was switched back to Humanity+. The website is currently managed by Peter Rothman. Notable contributors include Michael Moorcock, Rudy Rucker, Woody Evans, John Shirley, James Hughes, and Douglas Rushkoff.
