What questions arise, now that creating life (once believed to be the role of immortal beings) is in the hands of modern science?
From Subtle Technologies:
- Location: Toronto, Canada
- Festival dates: June 8 & 9, 2013
- Submission deadline: February 25, 2013
“In 2013, Subtle Technologies will be holding its 16th Annual Festival in Toronto.
Our symposium, performances, workshops, screenings, exhibitions and networking sessions provide a forum to explore ideas and pose questions at the intersection of art, science and technology. Subtle Technologies is known internationally for presenting artists and scientists whose work is at the leading edge of their respective disciplines and creating a space for dialogue that will lead to future discussions and collaborations.
Our 2013 festival takes place on June 8th and 9th at various venues throughout Toronto. In 2013 we will be exploring the theme of Immortality. Through history, concepts of immortality have had an important place in virtually all spiritual and philosophical traditions. As we have with past festival themes, we will be exploring this year’s theme from a broad perspective bridging art, science and society. We encourage and welcome submissions that explore ideas of immortality that arise from outside the Western framework. There are a number of areas related to immortality that we would like to probe during this year’s festival.
The average life expectancy continues to climb in many parts of the world and there are those who believe we can and should push this threshold ever higher. While many see physical life extension as the route to immortality, there are others who believe immortality can be achieved by merely preserving an individual’s consciousness, through either biological or digital means. If consciousness could be digitally represented, could a person “live” forever in a virtual world? We want to look at the science behind life extension as well as the numerous philosophical, ethical, practical and social questions that arise. These sciences include the realms of cyborgs, life extension through pharmacological means, cryogenic preservation and ideas surrounding the collection of an individual’s connectome – the complete mapping and re-creation of a brain’s electrical structure…”
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