ImmInst.Org  ٭  Newsletter 
November 2009

Message from the Executive Director:

After several years of successful advocacy for unlimited lifespans and indirect support of research (through the F@H prize and student scholarships), the Immortality Institute finally began direct funding of life extension research in 2009 (Laser Ablation of Lipofuscin).
In addition to this, a long-time Institute member recently donated $5,000 dollars for the establishment of an Imminst research endowment. Lastly, the constitutional revisions being contemplated (see below) might include a clause to spend a specific percentage of yearly revenue on life extension research.

Undoubtedly, these moves will lead to numerous grant requests arriving at the Imminst doorstep. This represents a great opportunity for Imminst members and forum participants to shape progress of life extension efforts in years to come. Great care must be taken to evaluate which research ideas offer the most to gain in the battle against aging and disease and I invite all members to participate in this process.
Stay tuned.

Justin 'Mind' Loew

NEWS

COMMUNITY FUNDING


Laser Ablation of Lipofuscin Research has begun! Nason Schooler has the equipment set up and will be testing laser effectiveness on worms during the month of November and beyond. Follow the latest research developments here

CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM

Imminst is governed by a constitution that defines our common mission and lays out the ways decisions are made. When the constitution was drafted in 2002, it was a surprisingly ambitious document and –with some minor additions and amendments– it has provided ImmInst with a robust framework for growth and development.
Now, the time has come to review the constitution – to incorporate lessons learned and to adjust it to the changed requirements of a bigger and more mature organisation. Changes could extend to the way decisions are made, the roles and responsibilities of leadership and rules guiding conduct in the forums.
For some months, the proposed changes have been discussed in the member’s forums. Now, all members are invited to comment on an advanced draft. At the end of this process, there will be a full referendum on the changes.

VOLUNTEER PRIZE WINNERS  


Late this Summer Imminst created an incentive program for volunteers. Each month a top volunteer will be chosen to receive a prize valued at approximately $20.00. Prizes range from an Imminst t-shirt to any recommended book at the Imminst store to a donation in their name to a life extension-related charity.
  • August Winner: b0gger
    B0gger has been tremendous in helping the Digg.com section of the internetworking team. He finds articles about life extension and enters them in Digg. He then lists them all in a sub-forum of Imminst so that more people can easily “Digg” them. He has been the main force in building the current list to over 70. By getting these articles into Digg and organizing them in an easy to use list, b0gger is bringing exposure to the cause by helping to create more visibility for these positive articles.
     
  • September Winner: Cyberbrain
    Cyberbrain has recently helped manage the front page of the Institute website. By posting interesting, relevant, and up-to-date content to the front page, Cyberbrain ensures that visitors get a good first impression of Imminst. Cyberbrain posts headlines, forum discussions, and announcements to the front page and coordinates these items with the recommended topics section of the forums.
     
  • October Winner: Dfowler
    Long time member Dfowler leads the VIP outreach team. The team was created to contact various notable people who are interested in life extension. Recently, Dfowler arranged the appearance of Dr. Felicia Nimue Ackerman for an ImmInst Interview (see below).
See all the latest team and volunteer efforts in the Action Forum.

ACTIVITIES


Bioethics Interview: Tune in to the Sunday Evening Update program on November 29th for a discussion about life, death, and bioethics in the 21st century with Brown University Professor of Philosophy Felicia Nimue Ackerman. Professor Ackerman specializes in end of life issues and thus should have some interesting perspectives on the Immortality Institute mission. How to join the interview live.

Design your own supplement: Join the latest innovative member effort to design the “perfect multivitamin”.  This isn’t just another idle discussion and debate about what should be in a multivitamin. Members fully intend to create a formula and have it produced by a leading manufacturer before the end of the year. If you have ever wanted a say in the design of your supplements, here is your chance.  Participate here.

JOB OPPORTUNITIES


Take look at the Careers Forum for the latest job openings and volunteer openings in life extension related fields.

On a related note, Imminst is currently seeking to employ a Membership Secretary. See details here.

Imminst.org -Advocacy and Research for Unlimited Lifespans