X-Message-Number: 1578
Subject: CRYONICS Re: Need a Sound Bite, and Neurosuspension
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 93 09:52:57 EST
From: 

Here's my attempt at a pro-life-extension sound bite.  Note that the
key sentence is composed of words with one syllable.  The grammar is a
little crooked, but that's normal for spoken English.  

Q: Why do you want to live forever?

A: I don't want to live forever, I just want to live for a very long
time.  [Begin using tone of voice appropriate for explaining the
blindingly obvious.]  I have lots of fun things I want to do, and I
can't do them if I'm dead.  [Return to matter-of-fact tone.]  Same
reason I wear a seatbelt when I drive.

Q: What are those "interesting things"?

A: [You'll have to come up with this yourself.]

And to Platt about neurosuspension:  (I hope you get this in time!)

If you're right about the people on the air wanting to maximize their
ratings, they can do so by asking you about neurosuspension despite
what you've told them so far, and letting people watch you squirm.
The audience will think you are dishonest and that you have something
to hide, which is very entertaining to watch and excellent for their
ratings (and horrible for the public perception of cryonics, of
course).  I think the best option is to answer questions about
neurosuspension honestly and let those who are turned off by the idea
be turned off.  Natural selection in action.  After all, we don't
expect to attract Joe Sixpack or Jane Housewife to the movement.  How
about this:

Q: So, did you see anyone chop off anyone else's head?

A: Yes, but only because the person we were suspending asked for it in
advance.  Many people want to have their whole bodies frozen instead
for various reasons, and if you buy life insurance when you aren't at
death's door, it's affordable.  Other people are most concerned about
saving the information up here [pointing at the skull] and are willing
to take replacement parts for the rest.  The best guess is that
replacing a body will be easier than repairing it, anyway.

Q: Is there any advantage to just freezing the head?  These replacement
parts seem hard to come by.

A: If only the head is frozen, then the procedure that is done is the
best we can do to preserve the brain.  If the whole body is frozen,
then the procedure is a compromise that's supposed to do a reasonable
jobs of preserving the whole body, so the brain isn't preserved as
well.  Replacement parts could come from a clone, or could be
fabricated by other means we don't know about yet.

Of course, it's also okay for you to refuse to talk about
neurosuspension if you wish.  I hope you report back and tell us how
it went.

Tim Freeman <>    CompuServe ID 71045,2267 checked occasionally.
When they took the fourth amendment, I was silent because I don't deal drugs.
When they took the sixth amendment, I kept quiet because I know I'm innocent.
When they took the second amendment, I said nothing because I don't own a gun.
Now they've come for the first amendment, and I can't say anything at all.

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