X-Message-Number: 1649
From:	Ralph Merkle <>
Subject: Re: Immortality
Date:	Tue, 19 Jan 1993 18:17:49 PST

I've given many talks on nanotechnology, and often discuss cryonics
in the context of the future medical capabilities that nanotechnology
should make feasible.  When presented in this context, people usually
do not ask about immortality any more than they would ask about
immortality if the presentation were on (say) how advances in
biochemistry should help us cure cancer.

The following contribution is in keeping with the current trend towards
fables:

Once upon a time there was a small town which had no hospital.  When
this was pointed out to the residents of the town, most just shrugged
their shoulders and said (somewhat inaccurately) "That's life!"

But some of the townspeople got together and set up an ambulance service.

Now, the local doctor was a fine fellow and many of the townspeople liked
him very much, but he was rather old and both his training and his equipment
were badly out of date.  So when any of the members of the Ambulance Society
got very ill they were very glad that they could take the ambulance to
the big city (which was rather a long ride) which had a fine and modern
hospital.

But many of the townspeople weren't convinced the ambulance ride was worth
it.  "The ride is long and bumpy: what can the hospital do if you don't
survive the trip?  Our local doctor is really quite good, and we don't
think that the hospital is all that much better, and the whole thing is
a lot of bother!"  But the members of the Ambulance Society explained:
"The hospital is really quite good, much MUCH better than our local
doctor (even though he's very good for cuts and bruises).  And
though the ride is bumpy, it's not THAT bumpy!"

Some members of the Ambulance Society were rather more impassioned and
explained that the ambulance service was really the path to immortality.
"The real reason for the Ambulance Society is immortality!  It's the real
reason we've done all this!"  Which rather nettled many of the local
townspeople, who already suspected these "Ambulance Society" members were
all stuck up folks who fancied themselves a cut above the rest of the people
in the world.  And those townspeople who thought the hospital in the big
city wasn't much better than the local doctor smiled with tolerant
amusement.  "Immortality!  What nonsense!  The hospital in the big city
might be a little bit better than our local doctor, but not THAT much
better!" they said, and turned to the business section.

And the local doctor (who was already annoyed because the people in the
Ambulance Society were always belittling his training and equipment,
even if they did explain that they liked him and thought he was good
for cuts and bruises) said:  "These people are deluded frauds!
Immortality!  That's God's province, not man's!"

Which was a shame, because the members of the Ambulance Society were
always eager to recruit new members to help cover the costs and keep
the ambulance running properly.

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