The Lifeboat Foundation is a nonprofit organization devoted to researching the possibilities of existential risk from powerful modern technologies, such as those based on genetics, nanotechnology, and robotics/AI, and proposing policy options to avert or minimize the risks. We pursue a variety of options focused on the effort to accelerate development of defensive technologies — including anti-biological virus technologies, nanotechnological defensive strategies, and self-sustaining space colonies in case all else fails.
We believe that, in some situations, it might be feasible to relinquish technological capacity in the public interest (for example, we are against the U.S. government posting the recipe for the 1918 flu virus on the internet).
Our work is supported by a scientific advisory board , which contains a large number of notable scientists, futurists, philosophers and other thinkers who are concerned about the possibilities and risks of advanced technologies. We have many of the best minds on the planet working on our "Project of Hope for the 21st Century"!
Click on the links below for more details!
CURRENT PROGRAMS
AsteroidShieldTo protect against devastating asteroid strikes.
BioShield
To protect against bioweapons and pandemics.
InternetShield
As the Internet grows in importance, an attack on it could cause physical as well as informational damage. An attack today on hospital systems or electric utilities could lead to deaths. In the future an attack could be used to alter the output that is produced by nanofactories worldwide leading to massive deaths.
NanoShield
To protect against ecophages and nonreplicating nanoweapons.
SecurityPreserver
To prevent nuclear, biological, and nanotechnological attacks from occurring by using surveillance andsousveillance to identify terrorists before they are able to launch their attacks.
Space Habitats
To build fail-safes against global existential risks by encouraging the spread of sustainable human civilization beyond Earth.
FUTURE PROGRAMS
BioPreserverTo preserve animal life and diversity on the planet.
ClimateShield
To protect against global warming and other unwanted climate changes.
CommPreserver
Explores new communication technology for surviving existential events.
EnergyPreserver
If our civilization ran out of energy, it would grind to a halt, so Lifeboat Foundation is looking for solutions.
InfoPreserver
To preserve the information created by our civilization, including technology as well as art and culture.
LifePreserver
The program explores new life-extension methods, such as the work of Aubrey de Grey and Robert A. Freitas, Jr.
NeuroethicsShield
To prevent abuse in the areas of neuropharmaceuticals, neurodevices, and neurodiagnostics. Worst cases include enslaving the world's population or causing everyone to commit suicide.
NuclearShield
To prevent nuclear holocaust including destruction of entire cities.
ParticleAcceleratorShield
To prevent, and also make plans on surviving when possible, particle accelerator mishaps including quantum vacuum collapse, mining the quantum vacuum, formation of a stable strangelet, and the creation of artificial mini-black holes.
PersonalityPreserver
Methods of preserving persons — or just their personalities — include cryopreservation and uploading .
SeedPreserver
To preserve plant life and diversity on the planet by storing seeds in a safe location and other methods.
UFAI-Shield
To protect against unfriendly AI (Artificial Intelligence).
LONG RANGE PROGRAMS
AlienShieldTo prevent annihilation by an alien race (biological or otherwise).
AntimatterShield
To prevent antimatter-based annihilation.
BlackHoleShield
To protect against black holes that are not manmade. This would include an "eye to the sky" program that would scan for signs of them.
GammaRayShield
To protect against gamma ray bursts.
SunShield
To protect against and/or cope with our sun becoming a red giant and other harmful fluctuations in its output.
If you support our project, please be our friend! Better yet, join us. Or you can make a one-time donation — no amount is too small!
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