X-Message-Number: 17595 Date: Mon, 17 Sep 2001 08:05:31 -0700 (PDT) From: Driven FromThePack <> Subject: L'Affaire Rosewater , or, The Problem with Undertakers I don't think an undertaker would make a very good cryopreservationist, despite the fact that they probably would possess greater knowledge of the basics of the type of surgery required than would the average cryonics standby team volunteer. L'Affaire Rosewater confirms my thinking in this area. So, therefore, when I go, I plan to be in the geographical area of the standby team, and not have to rely upon an undertaker to cryopreserve me. That's my *plan*, anyway... The undertaker is just out to make a buck. The problem is that there are no controls or feedback on what the undertaker does with respect to the cryopreservation. I can just see some undertaker who finally gets the body of a cryonicist and has to finally earn his retainer fee: He grumbles about it a bit, wonders where he put that packet containing the cryopreservation protocols, searches about for it a bit, and finally just gives the cryonicist corpse the "standard treatment." The standard treament being in large part what has been the standard practice for undertakers for thousands of years, maybe, a witches brew containing rosewater and lanolin, etc, etc. The undertaker is in a hurry; he has customers waiting...and so when he has to fill out the report for the cryonics org, he just writes in something about how he followed the "standard protocol I received from the cryonics org..." Totally "unexceptionable." I suspect that this has happened several times, especially in, ahem, "remote locations." Cryonics might be something that takes some passion. I know that I would much prefer having someone with some passion (and a little training, at least) cryopreserving me... However, I know that I would rather be cryopreserved by an undertaker, than to not be cryopreserved at all. Hell, it just MIGHT work. I really do suspect that even brains poorly cryopreserved will one day be resurrected in some form. Why not--if it is information, in whatever form, then at some point in time, it is likely that that information will be "read". And after that, who knows what might happen...some grad student might get it as a thesis project.... P.S. Re: Platt and Skrecky--tone it down a little, please. Both of you should apologize. Remember, people are watching...."lone eccentric" and "psychopath" indeed.... __________________________________________________ Terrorist Attacks on U.S. - How can you help? Donate cash, emergency relief information http://dailynews.yahoo.com/fc/US/Emergency_Information/ Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=17595