CALOUSIA PROGRAMS

Section Summary
(1) Establish a Center
(2) Improve the Calousian Concept
(3) What is Calousia Like?
(4) How Best Advance to Calousia
(5) 500 Most Needed Inventions & Discoveries
(6) Awards and Prizes
(7) Research Grants
(8) Publishing

Potential Future Programs:
(9) Calousia Day
(10) International Research Coordination Center

(1) Establish a Center
Establish a world center, a focal point, where information relative to humanity’s evolutionary advance can be developed, promoted, and exchanged. This means an address or PO Box Number, a telephone number, an Internet address, and a small staff.

What is the value of a center? It is too early to know all the potential benefits. But an answer is suggested by the early scientific societies - e.g., the Accademia dei Lincei, to which Gallileo belonged, and the Royal Society of London. These societies were most significant for they transformed science from a haphazard, individual, occasional endeavor into a persistent social endeavor. They did this primarily through the regular publishing of their journals. This persistent attack upon a problem is exactly what humanity requires if it is to be successful in its special kind of progression.

The creation of a center to promote humanity’s maturational advance would be an historic step. The first in human history. It would be the first institutional center specifically designed to help humanity succeed in this process. It would also be an important sign of humanity’s increasing maturity, for it is evidence of our species at last beginning to take charge of our own future development. The existence of a center would assert the developmental reality of our position, and would improve considerably the chances of our species eventually fulfilling our potential.

Why is it appropriate to start the center now? Because the process we’re in keeps accelerating us ever nearer Calousia. Our torrid speed now makes what we do (or fail to do) ever more influential, toward Calousia or away from it.

The main purpose of the center is to (a) received, (b) accumulate, (c) develop, (d) promote and (e) distribute the information humanity needs to succeed in its maturational process.

Note: This is already being done.

The next four programs involve public participation. Each has a website (P. O. Box, etc.), and we encourage experts and laypersons alike to improve these programs and get credit for their contribution. The managing director of each program, in consultation with a panel of experts, determines what appears on the program site. Note: these are persistent studies, with the current text always available on the Internet, and the results periodically published in book form.

(2) Improve the Calousian Concept
Although Warren Musser has labored over the Calousian concept for over 45 years, there is always room for improvement. We have already begun asking experts in various relevant fields for their suggestions on how the material on this site might be improved. We welcome advice from all who feel they can make a contribution.

Improvements needed in two areas:
(A) Improvements among the six fundamental powers,
i.e., expanding powers or finding limits in communication, transportation, energy, engines, synthesis & reduction.
(B) Improvements elsewhere.

Contact us for more information.

We’ve identified Calousia’s technical base, but what of the other aspects: their society, economy, environment, ideologies, etc? And since it’s our responsibility to
create this future, what kind of future do you think best?

So this program seeks to answer the question: When our powers have grown to reach all of that great, defining cluster of universal limits, what will this future be like? In other words, what conditions would beings with these enormous powers most likely establish for themselves?

Note: the Foundation seeks to impose no particular kind of future. Indeed, since Calousia will be the creation of our descendants after we are gone, we can force upon them nothing

What method will we use to get this knowledge?

The following general method is suggested:

First, attempt to foresee Calousian sci-tech, particularly that technical base of their culture that cannot thereafter be increased.

Second, estimate the influence of this sci-tech on their society, economy, environment, on their ideologies and attitudes, and on the Calousian herself.

Third, estimate the influence of each of these categories on all the others and strike a balance.

We must expect many errors on our first attempts. But this shouldn’t trouble us, because the general picture of Calousia will still be better than what we had before. And as our knowledge grows, we expect the accuracy to keep improving .

Foreseeing Calousia is not easy. But, except for the period immediately ahead, it is one of the easiest futures to see.

Benefits of this program:
It has great value as an educational device.
(1) It spreads awareness that Calousia exists,
(2) that we are in a natural process of moving toward it, and
(3) that this progressive motion is, ultimately, the most important thing that we do.
(4) It also helps us become aware of many different possibilities;
(5) consequently, this program helps prepare us to choose more wisely among them. This should help us reach Calousia sooner and with fewer problems.
(6) Also, if the major objective of humanity is to reach Calousia, it’s important to begin to form some idea of what this state is. And finally, remember that the better we understand our potential Calousian future, the better we understand ourselves.

(1) How Best Advance to Calousia?

This program seeks to answer this question: To reach Calousia as soon as possible, what actions should we take now and in the near future?

What is the social utility of this program? Since we are in this maturational game anyway, and since we have decided to move toward its best possible ending, to take the best option open to us, we should give some organized, persistent thought as to the best way to proceed.

No organization presently does this. Many organizations look to the future. But no organization currently looks at it from the point of view of our ultimate maturational destination.

What we seek in this program is the gradual formation of an international consensus as to the major steps which are most important to take.

We harbor no illusions that such a consensus will be quickly or easily won. There will always be differences in goals and means. But what we can do is clarify the argument, to present clearly the strongest points on each side, or on all sides if there are more than two, and to encourage as many to participate. We hope to be the world forum and center for consideration of this most important problem.

True, this is only a paper plan, but it is our belief that in those areas where evidence and reasoning make one course of action compelling, compared with other possibilities, and the full nature of this case becomes widely known, then we believe this evident truth will call forth appropriate action. And this action will not only help humanity advance faster toward Calousia but should save humanity considerable pain and expense.

In brief, it’s useful to think about this problem thoughtfully and persistently.

(2) Alternative Program: 10 Most Important Near-Term Tasks to Reach Calousia:

This program boils down all the necessary steps to reach Calousia to the 10 most crucial ones.

Benefits: (a) advertises Calousia, (b) focuses on the most crucial tasks in the hope of their being better remembered and agreed to and so more readily accomplished.

We would certainly included among the ten certain research in the six fundamental powers, and possibly also such items as population reduction, a sustainable environment, easier access to education, extraterrestrial colonization, etc. What tasks would you list?

This participation program differs from the other three because it’s more technical and therefore will rely more on experts, although input from others is still desired.

The growth of scientific and technological knowledge faces two basic problems:
(a) making discoveries and (b) getting them known and used.

As for discovery, the number of potential inventors is enormous. But many direct their efforts toward other tasks, or toward comparatively trivial goals. Moreover, even those who succeed in important discoveries encounter great difficulties getting their ideas understood and used. For example, Smithsonian Magazine [1] writes: “Inventions, especially visionary ones that disturb established patterns, rarely diffuse rapidly and successfully of their own accord.” They face not just discouragement and “an atmosphere of indifference” but “active resistance.” In this program we hope to advertise the most important goals. And advertise also when they have been met. [1][July issue, p12, jet engine paper]

First, we list each item, and so identify it, highlight it and advertise it. Note that these items are chosen from a pro-Calousian point of view, rather than, e.g., from an economic or military point of view. We should focus on two areas: (1) endeavors that expand or test limits among the six fundamental powers: energy, engines, communication, etc. (2) Inventions and discoveries likely to open up important new areas for investigation. Examples include: new tools and techniques, better microscopes, telescopes, etc.
.
Second, under each item we tell why it was chosen, how it benefits sci-tech knowledge growth, humanity, and potentially to the inventor.

Third, below this we give the invention’s current status. For example, we identify the key problems, the approaches being taken, and, where possible, who is working on
various aspects. The potential discoverer therefore won’t waste time redoing what is
already done, and he/she learns at once which approaches have been considered. And, equally important, which have not.

Fourth, for as many items as possible, we would raise funds so we could offer prizes. In other words, we create a contest over each item on the list, a contest to see who can meet the goal first, a contest to help all humanity. So, after the current status for each item we would show the prize money offered. Prizes would vary in amounts: a million, 10 million, etc. See Prizes

Fifth, in addition, at regular intervals, say every four years, we should hold an awards and prizes ceremony. This should be done as conspicuously as possible. We will attempt to sign a cooperative arrangement with a TV network to create a TV (video) program for this purpose. Re content, viewers might meet inventors and scientists in their homes and laboratories, see what they achieved and learn how they did it.

In other words, we accomplish several important goals here: (i) We advertise the
prize program to encourage more participants, (ii) we advertise and commend and reward the prize winner which increases the prestige of the prizes, (iii) we advertise the new ideas and inventions to help hasten their use.

Done well, such a program could be quite interesting, informative and entertaining. And since we would get corporations to sponsor the program, it should cost the CF little or nothing. .

Summary This is a key program, for here the CF would be directly encouraging and promoting the growth of the specific knowledge upon which our evolutionary advance depends.

What is the social value of these three publishing programs? It is profound. The first program clarifies where humanity is going; the second explores the best means of getting there; the third directly and efficiently promotes the growth of the knowledge we need to advance

(6) Awards and Prizes
As noted above, the Calousian Foundation would offer monetary prizes for specific, needed advances. It could also make honorary awards to those who have made significant advances.

Benefits: Prizes exert a tremendous influence. The Wright Bros, for example, invented the airplane under the influence of one prize, and Lindberg proved the utility of their contraption under the influence of another prize.

Prizes are very efficient. On the one hand, they advertise the goal and can stimulate a zesty, highly beneficial competition. They are good motivators. And yet out of all those whom the prize motivates, only the one who succeeds need be paid.

Science is in no little part a money and prestige contest. And this program can increase both the money and prestige for advances in a pro-Calousian direction.

Fund Raising. As for fund raising, we would, for example, ask Mr. George C. Smith, or Microsoft, to consider contributing a million dollar prize. We would then create the Calousian Foundation-George C. Smith Prize, or the Calousian Foundation - Microsoft Prize. The winner of this prize would get the million dollars at $50 thousand per year for 20 years., i.e. 5%. Most important: The CF would retain the endowment so twenty years after it was won, the prize could be offered again for another discovery or invention, and so on in perpetuity.

Why might Mr. Smith or Microsoft consider such an endowment seriously?
Remember, the knowledge whose growth we promote is a major key to humanity’s advance. If these potential donors want to place some wealth where it can most help humanity, and help it in perpetuity, there is no better place than in these prizes.

We would concentrate these prize offerings to create significant advances among the six fundamental powers.

(7) Research Grants
The Foundation would promote especially important sci-tech knowledge growth through research grants. These would go to institutions or individuals, again, for potential breakthrough knowledge among the six fundamental powers.

Benefit: the growth of sci-tech knowledge is the key factor in humanity’s evolutionary advance.

The acquisition of funds for this purpose must be a primary activity of the Foundation and Society.

(8) Publishing
(A) The Association should publish periodically, perhaps every two or four years, The State of the Advance on our road to Calousia. It should show how we’ve done since the last report, note our successes and failures, and suggest the most needed near-term goals.

(B) As indicated above, the Association should also periodically publish the results of each of the four participatory programs.

(C) And for members, the Association should publish and distribute a letter. See below.

Potential Future Programs:
(9) Calousia Day

Establish one day a year as Calousia Day, to celebrate our advance, and to review and recommit to crucial near-term tasks.

(10) International Research Coordination Center
Numerous national and international institutions already exist to coordinate research, but the potential for cooperation is much broader and richer than is presently reached by these institutions. And of course this effort would have a pro-Calousian focus.

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© Warren A. Musser 2005