Videos

Matthew Lehmitz presents his astrobotany research using Tillandsia ionantha , an air plant that requires no soil or root system, making it ideal for space cultivation. His CubeSat project aims to keep these plants alive in orbit for up to a year under artificial gravity simulating lunar or Martian conditions—all without human intervention. Beyond proof of concept, these plants offer practical benefits: oxygen production, psychological comfort through greenery, biomass for soil building, and food for insects in future closed ecosystems. The discussion extends to seeding other worlds with microorganisms, exploring how biological systems could begin transforming Martian soil chemistry and producing capturable gases long before technological terraforming becomes feasible.

Rio Harvey surveys genetic technologies from present capabilities to far-future possibilities, covering gene editing, personalized medicine, GMOs, and de-extinction. She raises ethical concerns about the concentration of genetic technology ownership, the mixed blessing of genetic diagnoses like Huntington’s disease, and the potential for personalized pathogens. Looking further ahead, Harvey explores how biodiversification could become a manufacturable resource and how our expanding powers will require new ethical frameworks—suggesting that religious transhumanism, with its tradition of contemplating human-like gods, offers valuable insights for thinking about the ethics of beings who can rewrite entire ecologies.

Alexei Turchin presents a framework for technological resurrection through computer simulation of the past. Drawing on the ideas of Russian cosmist Nikolai Fedorov, Turchin argues that death can be understood as loss of information—specifically the connectome of the human brain—and resurrection as the reconstruction of that information. He proposes that a future superintelligent AI could run a detailed simulation of all human history, using DNA samples, written records, archaeological data, and memories to recreate every person who ever lived. The simulated individuals would then be transferred to a personalized afterlife matching their expectations. Turchin addresses ethical concerns including unnecessary suffering and consent, while suggesting that benevolent AIs would far outnumber malevolent ones across the universe.

The speaker reexamines the biblical phrase “but if not” from the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, cautioning against interpretations that slide from steadfast faith into complacent inaction. While praising the unconditional commitment expressed by the three Hebrews, he argues that faith should not be indifferent to outcomes—particularly concerning justice, immortality, and the redemption of the dead. Rather than passive waiting for divine intervention, he calls for practical action as a sacred expression of worship, concluding: “Our God will deliver us. But if not, know this—we will.”

The speaker shares two harrowing encounters with death: the near-death of her newborn son, who was resuscitated after five minutes without breathing, and her own close call during a third cesarean section when she felt drawn toward a “dark paradise” of unconsciousness. Her son’s view that he was literally resurrected—and that this must therefore be heaven—frames her argument that transhumanism must address quality of life alongside quantity. She challenges critics who dismiss her social justice work as tangential, insisting that oppression based on race, gender, and sexuality are transhumanist concerns because death comes unequally to marginalized bodies.

A high school history teacher examines how genealogical record-keeping reflects the priorities and narratives of different societies. Comparing Hawaiian tattooing traditions, European royal lineages, biblical genealogies, and Chinese clan records, the presentation shows how each culture has shaped its family records to serve particular purposes—from community bonding to political legitimacy. Within Mormonism, genealogy evolved from dynastic polygamous structures to today’s emphasis on universal salvation. The speaker argues that modern technology’s capacity for accurate, transparent record-keeping will increasingly force religious institutions to accommodate more complex and diverse family structures.

Caleb Jones examines the Spirit of Elijah as a call for intergenerational reconciliation, arguing that turning hearts between parents and children must extend beyond temple work to address the living. Drawing on G. K. Chesterton’s “democracy of the dead,” Abraham Heschel’s critique of stale religion, and Book of Mormon narratives, he explores how religious traditions can become burdensome when preserved rigidly rather than renewed for each generation. Jones highlights research showing rising disaffiliation among young Latter-day Saints and urges a model where parents turn their hearts to children—trusting them to gather fresh spiritual “manna” and adapt faith to contemporary challenges.

Carl Youngblood draws on the philosophy of Walter Benjamin to explore how transhumanists can engage responsibly with history rather than viewing it as an “inexorable upward march.” Benjamin’s concept of “messianic time” offers a framework for retroactively reconfiguring our understanding of the past by attending to previously overlooked suffering and injustice. Youngblood connects this to the Mormon concept of “saviors on Mount Zion,” calling on transhumanists to become historians who redeem humanity’s past—not just through genealogical research, but by confronting the cultures, communities, and lives that have been subjugated and repressed.

Chris Benek argues that Christian transhumanists are focusing on the wrong problems by failing to articulate a systematic theology for stewarding technology. He presents a hermeneutic in which humanity functions as God’s “alternative intelligence,” called to be caretakers and co-creators over all matter—which he frames as divine technology. Drawing on concepts from quantum mechanics, Benek suggests that Jesus saw the world in “superposition,” observing godly possibilities into reality, and that believers are called to do the same through faith. He concludes by urging Christian transhumanists to prioritize virtue formation, prepare for the coming automation crisis, and practice humility in bridging theological divides.

Chris Bradford delivers the opening address for the 2019 MTA conference, reflecting on the theme “Redeeming Our Dead.” Drawing from his background in genealogy, he explores multiple dimensions of redemption—the Apostle Paul’s teaching of dying to sin and rising to new life, Heber C. Kimball’s vision of daily death and resurrection through sleep, and Joseph Smith’s grand vision of welding together all dispensations. Bradford provocatively compares history to blockchain technology: genetically and culturally, we carry information forward in ways inextricable from where we stand, yet redemption suggests we can somehow modify the blockchain of the past. He concludes that redeeming our dead selves, ancestors, and communities is humanity’s only hope for building a divine future.