h+

Read Richard’s current thoughts about transhumanism and related fringe topics here.


h+ is now defunct.

h+ began as a life extension and transhumanist club cofounded by Richard Leis at the University of Arizona. The branding with the lower case “h” indicated the members’ inclusive local grassroots effort within the larger global Transhumanist movement.

Richard designed, developed, and maintained the original h+ Tucson website as well as the expanded h+ website for multiple chapters and new transhumanist-related content, including a gallery of transhumanist art, links, and other resources.

Logo Evolution

2006

h+ Tucson h logo blur white blurred h+ on black background
h+ Tucson butterfly logo 2006

2007

h+ Tucson butterfly logo 2007

2008

h+ Tucson butterfly logo with text on reflecting round surface
h+ Tucson leaves logo 2008

Website Screen Shots

2007

January 15 2007 screen shot of website version 1_3

2008

h+ Tucson Menu screen shot 2008 within larger h+ Global website

History

h+ was founded by University of Arizona students, staff members, and Tucson residents in the summer of 2006 to provide a forum for the presentation and discussion of innovative ideas about transhumanism and related topics such as radical life extension, Artificial General Intelligence, and the Technological Singularity. It quickly became an official University of Arizona-recognized club and was affiliated with the Transhumanist Student Network (TSN) and the World Transhumanist Association (WTA).

Richard and the other founding members organized and led meetings, invited guest speakers, and raised club funds. Member drives included creative flyers and posters that drew positive attention and new members to the club.

h+ Tucson members at UArizona Club fair on campus mall talking to interested student
h+ Tucson Do You Want To Die flyer with information and graves and clockwork butterfly logo

This attention and increasing interaction by h+ Tucson members with other transhumanist and emerging technology enthusiasts and organizations around the world led to expansion beyond the initial Tucson group. Richard launched an “h+ Chapters” initiative in 2007—”Local transhumanist clubs. Global participation.”—that led to the founding of the Life Extension Club in Phoenix and Scottsdale, Arizona and Neosapiens in Visalia, California.

h+ local global header with orange and violet painted butterflies next to h+ reflecting on round surface
h+ Gallery header with violet butterfly being painted by blue paintbrush with violet paint next to reflecting h+ gallery text on round surface

In 2008, h+ and the TSN proposed a merger “to create a single unified resource for local transhumanist and related clubs, their leaders, and their club members, with oversight by the WTA.” The new organization would be called h+. This evolved quickly into a larger and very successful fundraising and organizational effort that rebranded the World Transhumanist Association as Humanity+. Richard was elected as the Executive Director of the Humanity+ organization and held the position for a short time before resigning to continue his education.

As club members left Tucson to pursue their education and careers elsewhere, the original h+ Tucson club began to shrink. It continued fitfully throughout 2009 and 2010 before it finally closed, but its legacy lives on in the rebranded transhumanist movement that continues to this day as well as the ongoing efforts and technological inventions by many club members in emerging technology fields and the sciences.

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