X-Message-Number: 10389
From: 
Date: Sat, 5 Sep 1998 21:50:26 EDT
Subject: Bova's book etc.

Congratulations to Marty Nemko on his new book, Cool Careers for Dummies,
which mentions cryonics (what could be cooler?). It is one of a steadily
increasing trickle, building into a stream, of publications and media events
related to life extension, immortalism, and cryonics.

Edgar Swank has mentioned Ben Bova's new book, "IMMORTALITY: How Science Is
Extending Your Life Span--And Changing The World." (Avon, 1998) I have had a
chance to glance through it now; the focus is mostly on anti-senescence and
the consequences of success, but there are a couple of friendly pages on
cryonics, including mention of Cryonics Institute and Alcor. I was also
surprised to see my name on a short list of acknowledgments.

Dr. Bova (not a scientist by formal education, but a journalist and writer) is
President Emeritus of the National Space Society. He has over 90 books to his
credit, mostly science journalism and science fiction. His writing style is
clear and crisp, and the book should help advance our interests.

(One of his little reminders is that, in 1933, Rutherford said that practical
atomic energy was "moonshine," and Einstein agreed there was not the
"slightest indication" that nuclear energy could have practical use. (Later,
of course, Einstein wrote Roosevelt to support what became the Manhattan
Project.)

There are also several more television specials in the planning stages by well
known producers, with the focus on life extension but including cryonics.

If 21 CM research advances prove as remarkable as Saul Kent hints, public
reorientation should accelerate even more.

Robert Ettinger
Cryonics Institute
Immortalist Society
http://www.cryonics.org 

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