On Friday, June 27, 2008 from 4:00 PM through 8:00 PM PDT at UCLA, scientists and other anti-aging luminaries will discuss “Aging: the Disease, the Cure, the Implications,” a Methuselah Foundation co-sponsored event. The ADCI event is open to the public and presents an opportunity for you to hear about the current state of radical life extension research. How close are we? What obstacles remain? What particular approaches are being taken?

While the event is free, registration is required. Simply click on the image above to register on the ADCI website. For $30.00, you can also attend a dinner that begins at 8:00 PM.

This free event is followed on Saturday, June 28 and Sunday, June 29 by a paid and technically focused Understanding Aging conference.

The sidebar list of upcoming events has been moved to a new website:  h+ Events

This new site is part of a collection of sites and services related to transhumanism under the h+ banner.   All future science and technology event listings will become part of h+ Events.

[DISCLOSURE: Richard Leis, Jr. is an adviser of a transhumanist club at the University of Arizona and has donated US$150 to the World Transhumanist Association for this fundraising campaign.]

The World Transhumanist Association (WTA) announced yesterday the launch of a fundraising campaign to raise $25,000 by January 31, 2008.  All funds donated will be matched dollar-for-dollar by sponsors Bill Faloon, co-founder of the Life Extension Foundation and editor of the Life Extension magazine, and Brian Cartmell, serial internet entrepreneur and founder of Cartmell Holdings, LLC.  The WTA hopes to raise up to US$50,000 to support their identity and website redesign, an upcoming digital magazine entitled “H+”, student outreach programs, and their next Transvision Conference.

Transhumanism is the global social movement and philosophy that embraces the ethical use of current and expected technology advances to enhance human capabilities and mitigate human suffering.  Rapid technological progress suggests individuals will soon enjoy “longer, healthier, smarter, and happier lives” as described in the WTA’s press release for the campaign.

As of this evening the campaign has raised over $2000.

With the moon visible overhead, Armadillo Aerospace unsuccessfully attempted to win the Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge at the Wirefly X PRIZE Cup this weekend at Holloman Air Force Base. The only competitor of nine ready to go for the event, Armadillo Aerospace, led by John Carmack of Doom and Quake fame, experienced both successes and failures during multiple launch attempts. While able to rise 50 meters from the launch pad, move laterally 50 meters, and land after staying aloft at least 90 seconds, the teams vehicle was not able to repeat this feat to return to the launch pad within two and a half hours as required by competition rules. Earlier failures included thrust vectoring problems due to a crack in the vehicle’s engine and an aborted launch soon after liftoff. The team was able to repair some damage rapidly to try again later, but their final attempt on Sunday ended in disaster, with flames engulfing the vehicle immediately after the launch sequence began.

Armadillo Aerospace, a private company started by Doom and Quake game developer John Carmack, has been the leading contender for the prize that is intended to accelerate techniques and innovations for future lunar landers. The other eight registrants were not ready by the time of the event to compete. At stake is $350,000 in prize money for first place in level one of the competition. Level two will award a larger prize but requires 180 seconds aloft over rough terrain. Peter Diamandis, Chairman and CEO of the X PRIZE Foundation, explained to the audience that the competition’s return flight requirement is meant to demonstrate reusability of the vehicle within a short amount of time by a small team of technicians. This contrasts with shuttle launches that require many people, several months, and approximately US$1,000,000,000 in costs for turnaround.

The failure by Armadillo Aerospace to walk away with the prize opens up the competition to other teams during the 2008 X PRIZE Cup. According to a representative for the Speed Up team, they only need a few more months to make “Laramie Rose,” their entry vehicle, ready for competition.

A race to space is shaping up in the private industry and once a year the public is invited to see the latest breakthroughs, vehicles, and competitions intended to accelerate this progress. The Wirefly X PRIZE Cup was held October 26 through 28 at the Holloman Air Force Base near Alamogordo, New Mexico, USA. Combined with the annual Holloman Air and Space Expo, the event featured a single competitor attempt to win the Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge, exhibits, flyovers, and, perhaps, a brief lull in space enthusiasm.

• Event Announcement
• Armadillo Aerospace’s Latest Competition Attempt Fails

• 2008 International CES
• Las Vegas, NV, USA
• January 7-10, 2008

• CTIA Wireless 2008
• Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV, USA
• April 1-3, 2008
• Description:
  

  CTIA WIRELESS® is traditionally held in the spring and is the largest and most comprehensive trade show in the wireless industry. It is the premier venue to exchange ideas, create partnerships and collaborate to bring wireless telecommunications to new heights.

  CTIA WIRELESS® draws ten of thousands attendees from dozens of different industries from more than 100 countries around the world, serving every aspect of wireless - providers, users, developers, buyers and manufacturers in more than 400,000 square feet of exhibits representing a $500 billion global industry.

• CTIA Wireless I.T. & Entertainment 2007
• Moscone Center, San Francisco, CA, USA
• October 23-25, 2007
• Description:
  

  Our fall trade show is billed as “One Show, Two Personalities,” as it focuses on the emerging role wireless is playing in the enterprise and entertainment worlds.

  The show focuses on the integration of wireless data technologies into the enterprise through vertical business markets such as healthcare, government, automotive, retail etc. as well as the explosive growth in wireless entertainment—encompassing everything from music downloads to digital cameras to interactive games.

  CTIA WIRELESS I.T. & Entertainment® is the most well-attended mobile data convention in the industry, attracting more than 15,000 attendees, 300 exhibitors and more than 600 members of the media and analyst communities.

• 2007 Space Elevator Games
• Davis County Event Center, Greater Salt Lake City Area, USA
• October 19-21, 2007
• Description:
  

  • What: Space Elevator extravaganza, including:
    • Space Elevator Power Beaming Competition
    • Space Elevator Tether Strength Competition
    • Space Elevator Multimedia Special
    • Space Elevator Models
    • NEW! Light Racing - (details) - K-12, families, and Grown-ups ($10,000 in prizes)
  • Why: Because the future is a lot closer than it appears!

• W3C TPAC 2007: World Wide Web Consortium Technical Plenary / Advisory Committee Meetings Week
• Hyatt Regency Cambridge, Cambridge, MA, USA
• November 5-10, 2007
• Description:
  

  TPAC 2007: the Combined Technical Plenary / Advisory Committee meetings week brings together W3C Working and Interest Groups, the Advisory Board, the TAG and the Advisory Committee for an exciting week of coordinated work. The highlight of the week is the Plenary Day, Wednesday, 7 November, for all to attend.