Welcome to SL4!
The SL4 mailing list is a refuge for discussion of advanced topics in transhumanism and the Singularity, including but not limited to
topics such as Friendly AI, strategies
for handling the emergence of ultra-powerful technologies, handling existential risks
(planetary risks), strategies to accelerate the Singularity or protect its
integrity, avoiding the military use of nanotechnology and grey goo accidents,
methods of human intelligence enhancement, self-improving Artificial Intelligence,
contemporary AI projects that are explicitly trying for genuine Artificial
Intelligence or even a Singularity, rapid Singularities versus slow Singularities,
Singularitarian activism,
and more.
The SL4 list is moderated to maintain list quality (moderation takes place
on a poster-by-poster basis, rather than post-by-post). As SL4 is intended
to cover new territory in advanced topics, new posters may wish to browse
the archives before making their first posts. We explicitly aim to
avoid endlessly rehashing the basics. We realize the importance of
having forums where newcomers can ask basic questions, but SL4 is not
such a forum; some transhumanist lists that are more newcomer-friendly
include wta-talk and
Extropians. However,
all list readers are welcome (you don't have to be familiar with the
topics to subscribe - just to post).
The SL4 list maintains online archives, an IRC chat room, and a Wiki.
The phrase SL4 stands for "Shock Level Four", referring to a set of categories
for grouping technologies and ideas according to the amount of future shock
they generate. (See the original essay on
levels of future shock.)
The list moderator is Eliezer
Yudkowsky. The SL4 list is owned and moderated by Eliezer Yudkowsky
in his capacity as a private individual, and no other person or organization
should be held responsible for his actions in that capacity.
People interested in subscribing to SL4 may also be interested in subscribing
to wta-talk, Extropians, transhumantech,
the Singularitarian list,
or the Posthuman
Lounge. (This is especially true since some topics are more appropriate
to these lists than SL4. Political discussion is more appropriate to
the Extropians
or wta-talk lists;
the transhumantech
list is more appropriate for posting technology news articles; et cetera.)
The SL4 list currently has around 200 members. Usual volume is five
to ten messages per day, with occasional intervals of pleasant silence, and
flurries of high activity.
For more information, including directions on how to subscribe, please continue
to "An Introduction to SL4".