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. Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=1578