X-Message-Number: 13111 From: Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 20:27:54 EST Subject: freezing the aborted Freezing aborted fetuses is an old idea, discussed and abandoned several times. It has obvious potential attractions, but, in the opinion of most who have considered it, the downside dominates. Here are some of the risks: 1. It would be seen by some as encouraging abortion, and arouse active opposition not only against the practice but against cryonics generally. (It might also arouse more sympathy in some quarters, but that would be less important.) 2. "Right to life" people are unlikely to become more sympathetic, partly for the reason mentioned above, and partly because, for many of them, the issue is not really "right to life" but opposition to interference with "nature." Some of the churches oppose freezing sperm, eggs, or embryos, even though this tends to save or increase life. 3. Although it is cheap to store a small piece of tissue, it would not be cheap to deal with the prospective clients; and those clients would tend to be unstable and unreliable people. A large investment of time and effort in each potential client would be required, and those turned down might complain loudly. Lawsuits are guaranteed, with guaranteed losses in some jurisdictions. Sad, but best forget it. Let's keep on trying to save ourselves and the people we know. Robert Ettinger Cryonics Institute Immortalist Society http://www.cryonics.org Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=13111