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NFT Memorial to Mormon Transhumanist Leaders

Lincoln Cannon

13 July 2021 (updated 27 February 2023)

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"The Computation of Humanity" by Lincoln Cannon

In April of this year, I completed my fifth and final term as a board member of the Mormon Transhumanist Association. During those fifteen years, it was my privilege and pleasure to share in service on the board with 24 of the finest people that I know personally:

  • Andrew West
  • Ben Blair
  • Blaire Ostler
  • Brad Carmack
  • Brent Allsop
  • Bryant Smith
  • Caleb Jones
  • Carl Youngblood
  • Christopher Bradford
  • Connie Packer
  • Cory Funk
  • David Foster
  • Don Bradley
  • Dorothy Deasy
  • James Carroll
  • Jon Ogden
  • Joseph West
  • Karl Hale
  • Leonard Reil
  • Marcus Flinders
  • Michael Ferguson
  • Nathan Hadfield
  • Pace Ellsworth
  • Wendy Smith

Each of them, without exception, has inspired and educated and helped me in unique ways that I revere.

Reflecting on the time and experiences that we shared, I wished to find some durable way to help me remember and to help us all commemorate. To that end, I minted a limited edition of “The Computation of Humanity,” a work of digital art that I created in 2018 with help from Michelangelo and artificial intelligence. The mint consists of 51 non-fungible tokens (NFTs) on the Ethereum blockchain. And they will persist in space through time, at least by reference, for at least as long as that blockchain survives.

The limited edition mint of “The Computation of Humanity” is dedicated to the leaders of the Mormon Transhumanist Association. The association is the world’s leading advocacy network for ethical use of technology and religion to enhance human abilities. Each NFT is dedicated to a particular board member of the association, past or present, as well as a particular three-year term for which that board member was elected. Here are the specific dedications, each linked to its representation on the OpenSea website:

The mint order of the NFTs represents two variables. First, the order ascends with the initial year of the term of service. And second, where the initial year of the term of service is the same, the order ascends from highest to lowest total number of years of service. You may view all 51 NFTs in the limited edition mint of “The Computation of Humanity” at OpenSea.

Although they look similar, each NFT is unique. Each has unique visual and metadata characteristics. With careful inspection, you may observe most of these unique characteristics. To observe them all, you must own or otherwise have ownership-level access to the NFT.

As I minted the NFTs, I offered each as a gift to the person for whom it serves as a dedication. I’m keeping two of five NFTs that represent my terms of service. And I offered the other three as gifts to some people who, although they did not serve as board members of the association, were particularly important leaders in the religious Transhumanist community during these years. Those people are Giulio Prisco (founder of Turing Church), Micah Redding (executive director of the Christian Transhumanist Association), and Michaelann Gardner (a former CEO of the Mormon Transhumanist Association).

Mormon Transhumanism is still a very young movement with far more potential than achievement. But the creation of that potential is itself an achievement. And, with much help from others, these people led the association to that achievement. May you live forever.

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