The term extropy, as defined by Max More, is "The extent of a living or organizational system’s intelligence, functional order, vitality, and capacity and drive for improvement".5 It means the opposite of entropy, metaphorically interpreted as the tendency to degenerate and die out. Extropianism is "the philosophy that seeks to increase extropy".6
In 1986, More joined Alcor, a cryonics company, and helped establish (along with Michael Price, Garret Smyth and Luigi Warren) the first European cryonics organization, Mizar Limited (later Alcor UK).7 In 1987, More moved to Los Angeles from Oxford University in England to work on his Ph.D. in philosophy at the University of Southern California.8
In 1988, Extropy: The Journal of Transhumanist Thought was first published. (For the first few issues, it was "Extropy: Vaccine for Future Shock".) This brought together thinkers with interests in artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, genetic engineering, life extension, mind uploading, idea futures, robotics, space exploration, memetics, and the politics and economics of transhumanism. Alternative media organizations soon began reviewing the magazine, and it attracted interest from like-minded thinkers. Later, More and Tom Bell co-founded the Extropy Institute (ExI), a non-profit 501(c)(3) educational organization.910 The institute was formed as a transhumanist networking and information center to use current scientific understanding along with critical and creative thinking to define a small set of principles or values that could help make sense of new capabilities opening up to humanity.
In 2006, the board of directors of the Extropy Institute made a decision to close the organisation, stating that its mission was "essentially completed."11
Max More (2003). "Principles of Extropy (Version 3.11) : An evolving framework of values and standards for continuously improving the human condition". Extropy Institute. Archived from the original on 2013-10-15. https://web.archive.org/web/20131015142449/http://extropy.org/principles.htm ↩
Regis, Ed (October 1, 1994). "Meet the Extropians". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved 2024-10-24. https://www.wired.com/1994/10/extropians/ ↩
Prisco, Giulio (March 4, 2021). "The Extropian Roots of Bitcoin". CCN. https://www.ccn.com/extropian-roots-bitcoin/ ↩
More, Max (2003). "Principles of Extropy | Version 3.1". Extropy Institute. Archived from the original on 2003-09-19. http://web.archive.org/web/20030919194923/http://extropy.org/principles.htm ↩
"The Alcor Team". Retrieved 26 May 2016. http://www.alcor.org/AboutAlcor/meetalcorstaff.html ↩
"Extropianism". www.mit.edu. January 5, 1996. Retrieved 2024-10-24. https://www.mit.edu/people/jpbonsen/extropianism.html ↩
"Next Steps". Extropy Institute. 2006. Archived from the original on 2011-02-25. Retrieved 2006-05-05. https://web.archive.org/web/20110225075011/http://www.extropy.org/future.htm ↩