Robin Hanson, George Mason University | Deflecting The Sacred

Robin Dale Hanson is an associate professor of economics at George Mason University and a research associate at the Future of Humanity Institute of Oxford University. He is known as an expert on idea futures and markets, and he was involved in the creation of the Foresight Exchange and DARPA’s FutureMAP project. He invented market scoring rules like LMSR (Logarithmic Market Scoring Rule) used by prediction markets such as Consensus Point (where Hanson is Chief Scientist), and has conducted research on signaling.

When attempting to affect change in the world, you will inevitably run up against concepts that others consider sacred. This creates a very tough barrier to change, especially if you are trying to change something like democracy, family, or religion. The essence of sacred is the bond shared between those who consider a particular idea sacred. It’s difficult to see things the same when seeing them in high resolution, so sacred things tend to be seen in abstract detail, even when looking at them up close, to allow for concensus.


Session Summary: Robin Hanson, George Mason University | Deflecting The Sacred - Foresight Institute

The Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann is the president and CEO of Foresight Institute. She directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees, and shares this work with the public. She founded Existentialhope.com, co-edited Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy, co-authored Gaming the Future, and co-initiated The Longevity Prize. 

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