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Transhumanism is a commitment to overcoming human limits in all their forms including extending lifespan, augmenting intelligence, perpetually increasing knowledge, achieving complete control over our personalities and identities and gaining the ability to leave the planet. Transhumanists seek to achieve these goals through reason, science and technology. [Natasha V. More]

`Within thirty years, we will have the technological means to create superhuman intelligence. Shortly after, the human era will be ended.'
(Vernor Vinge, NASA VISION-21 Symposium, 1993)

• Creating an autonomous island nation based on an adapted version of transhumanist philosophy. This plan has two phases: 1) an experimental community on a natural island in the Bahamas or a like place, with obviously restricted autonomy. 2) If all goes well a truly autonomous artificial island will be constructed somewhere on the high seas after a couple of years (or whenever the financial means become available).
  
  
• Finding [other] ways to increase our wealth and independence, this includes preparing for Y2K (a potential source of considerable financial loss as well as gain).
  
  
• Setting up a "Singularity club" for people that want to maximise their chances to survive this event, and profit (greatly) from it. Activities of this group could include things like identifying the places/institutions where research into technologies like AI, nanotech, genetic enhancement, computer-human interfaces etc. is done, and keeping a close eye on them. Also, starting one or more companies that specifally aim to create SI (by integrating people and computers, possibly by uploading) would be a major step in the right direction. Since there are still very few people that see the enormous potential of linking various seemingly unrelated technologies, this would give the project's members a real and possibly crucial edge. Of course, as always, money is a key issue. That's why the second goal (seeking ways to increase wealth) is so important.

Disclaimer: although at first glance it may look like one, this is not (just) another one of the many (pseudo-religious) millennium-craze survivalists groups that have popped up in recent years. It is merely a coincidence that the Y2K glitch happens around the same date that all kinds of outrageous "ancient" prophecies are to be fulfilled, and we regard it as a purely practical problem/ opportunity, not something "mystical". As for the Singularity: it has nothing to do with the year 2000. The event, a logical consequence of advances in various fields of technology (see also above), will probably take place somewhere between 2005 and 2100. Unless of course some world-wide disaster takes place before this time (interestingly, Y2K could, in a very extreme scenario of accidental nuclear strikes etc. due to computer failure, prevent or at least delay the Singularity. In fact, a delay is almost certain because of the expected global recession that will follow Y2K, which means less funding for all kinds of scientific research). Other events that could stop or delay the Singularity are for example a massive meteorite impact, WW3, a naturally occurring or man-made killer virus etc, obviously "cures" that are at least as bad as the "disease".

Of course both the millennium bug and the Singularity may turn out to be relatively minor problems, or in the case of the latter, an even completely positive or mild event. However, in these cases, where there is so much at stake, it's much better to be safe than sorry. Besides, the autonomous island project is useful now matter what happens; whether the world remains its overregulated self, or lapses into complete chaos, we can always use a save haven. The usefulness of the "

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