X-Message-Number: 1555
From:  (Thomas Donaldson)
Subject: CRYONICS:replies
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 93 22:21:58 PST

Some short replies to comments and questions:

To Edgar Swank, re splitting off the storage function of Alcor:
Clearly I did not make my point clear, although I recall trying to explain it
in a previous message. When I argue that Alcor should not give up its
storage function, I am talking about Alcor's RESPONSIBILITY for storage, not
the form by which it is implemented. Legal responsibility involves, for
instance, legal responsibility for managing the money supporting storage 
(which continues, even if Alcor looks at various investment houses and hires
one to do the immediate investing involved) and responsibility for managing
storage (which is perfectly consistent with hiring or subcontracting some 
other company to do the actual physical storage). Mike Perry actually does
these functions now as an Alcor employee, but no one would argue that he 
will or should ALWAYS do them. He was chosen by Alcor for that task at this
time. Alcor, the society, remains responsible for storage.

In this sense its quite possible that Alcor may someday choose some other 
agency to carry out storage. But Alcor would still retain responsibility for
that choice and for oversight of that agency.

I hope that my opinion on the question of splitting off storage to another
organization has been made clearer by this explanation.

On nanotechnology and Nanotechnology:
I made this distinction because I've come to notice some people, consciously
or not, talking of nanotechnology in a way that strongly resembles the way
a devout Christian might talk about the Millenium. One of the key phrases to
watch for is "When Nanotechnology comes....", but there are others. The 
arrival of Nanotechnology, as seen by these people, will be sudden (like the
Christian millenium) and instantly transform us all... presumably into much
better versions of ourselves.

One of the more pernicious effects of this RELIGIOUS attitude is that it 
seems to go with a belief that all the problems involved in suspending and
reviving people will be trivially solved "when Nanotechnology comes". It is 
a magic wand which will make all our problems disappear. Even the notion of
providing us with new and more perfect bodies, when they come with Nanotech-
nology, resembles the Christian notion. And along with it, just as with 
the Millenium and the fate of Believers who will become angels in Heaven,
is a lack of analysis of just exactly what these Angels will DO once they
have ascended from this vale of tears. Will we all sit around with our music
synthesizers and sing the praises of Nanotechnology?

These attitudes aren't universal, but I've noticed them and they BOTHER me
a great deal. Some people may have actually joined Alcor because they 
believed that Nanotechnology will solve all the problems of revival ---
which in fact cannot be true, as even a little study of the effects of current
suspension technology on our brains will tell us. For even if cryonicists
have good reason to believe that the information is still there, better
freezing techniques will make that belief much more solid; and no amount of
nanotechnology can resurrect us if somehow we were destroyed in the first
place. And if Nanotechnology is your only reason for membership in Alcor,
I feel compelled to suggest that you should rethink your membership. 

The road to immortality goes not by faith but by OUR own study, actions, and 
donations. And like all human achievements, it cannot be guaranteed.

					Best to everyone, and long life,
						Thomas Donaldson

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