Lincoln Cannon

Recent Articles

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  Vazza Overstates Constraints on the Simulation

  Most of us first encounter the Simulation Hypothesis through science fiction, often experienced as something of a metaphysical thrill-ride. But as computational theory and cosmology advance, serious thinkers – philosophers like Nick Bostrom, physicists, computer scientists, and even theologians – have begun analyzing the feasibility of computed worlds. Recently, Franco ... Read the article →
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  Technological Uniformity Saves the Simulation

  Nick Bostrom’s formulation of the Simulation Argument is a rigorous reworking of what is, at its heart, an ancient question. Are we living in a created world? He distills the answer into three stark possibilities, a trilemma: Doom: Almost all civilizations destroy themselves or otherwise fail before developing the capacity ... Read the article →
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  Distorting Transhumanism at Meridian Magazine

  Meridian Magazine positions itself as a publication for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the largest Mormon denomination. I don’t know much about Meridian or the people behind it. But today I learned that they’re willing to publish a fear-mongering distortion of Transhumanism, “Human 2.0 Is ... Read the article →
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  Marek Wójtowicz on the New God Argument

  Philosopher Marek Wójtowicz recently published a paper in Roczniki Filozoficzne titled “Lincoln Cannon’s Transhumanist Argument for Faith in God,” offering a formal critique of the New God Argument. While the paper identifies some valuable opportunities for elaboration, it also affirms key strengths of the argument and mischaracterizes others. This article ... Read the article →
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  Ordaining Priesthood for Resurrection

  Occasionally, I receive questions about the relationship between Mormon Transhumanism and priesthood. Generally, the questions come from members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in which we esteem priesthood as the authority of God. Implicit in the questions, or sometimes explicit, is concern that our esteem for ... Read the article →
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  Finding Transhumanism in the Scriptures

  The Mormon Transhumanist Association in Africa recently invited me to speak. Because of their strong motivation and inspiring work, their membership has been growing rapidly. My understanding is that, since inception about a year ago, the African area of the association has grown to around 200 members. Below is a ... Read the article →
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  Don't Die Can Be Good But Thriving Is Always Better

  Celebrity biohacker Bryan Johnson recently sent a provocative email to his followers. “I am the healthiest person on the planet,” he claims. True or not, he probably has your attention. I don’t have concerns with the sensationalism, at least not in itself. Hopefully Bryan is every bit as healthy as ... Read the article →
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  God the Cosmic Host, and AI Creation

  It’s getting harder to be an atheist. A quarter century ago, it wasn’t so hard. But things have changed – quite dramatically. It’s become increasingly difficult to remain an atheist while coherently aspiring to a thriving future for humanity. Now keep in mind that I’m not talking about atheism toward ... Read the article →
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  Blockchain Defenses Against the Singleton

  Singletons — centralized powers — are the greatest threat to the future of humanity. You think hacking of U.S. telecommunications by China is bad now? Next time it may be a superintelligent A.I. And it will use everything it knows to manipulate, control, and enslave you. Think the U.S. Government ... Read the article →
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  A False Account of Transhumanism

  Physicist and neuroscientist Àlex Gómez-Marín has a beef with “the false religion of transhumanism.” Interesting title. It seems to suggest that he thinks there’s a true religion. I wonder what he thinks that is. His subtitle claims that Transhumanism is an “AI death cult.” Heard that before, about every religion ... Read the article →
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  The Original Sin of Christian Fundamentalism

  Christian fundamentalists can be obtuse, particularly when expressing their opinions about Transhumanism. Shocker, I know. The latest to catch my attention is Matija Štahan, who writes about “The Original Sin of Transhumanism: The Desire to Be Like God.” Ah, Matija, how carefully have you read your Bible? According to the ... Read the article →
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  From Atheism to Religious Transhumanism

  As popularly understood, Transhumanism is deeply entangled with narratives of atheism. While secular Transhumanists champion radical transformation, they tend to lack the rich esthetic grounding that many inherit or receive from religion. Religious Transhumanism, and particularly Mormon Transhumanism, provides a compelling alternative, syncretizing contemporary science and emerging technological trends with ... Read the article →