X-Message-Number: 19113
Date: Sun, 19 May 2002 02:31:25 +0800 (CST)
From: =?big5?q?kurt2100kimo?= <>
Subject: About SF Writers and Cryonics

The boorish bahavior that Charles Platt received from
Jerry Pournelle does not supprise me in the least.
When I knew Jerry in the late 80's, I found him to be
one of the most boorish, abnoxious persons that I have
ever met. I have no desire to meet him in person ever
again. Larry Niven, on the other hand, is a kind,
decent human being. How Larry and Jerry are friends, I
will never understand. One thing to keep in mind about
both Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle is that they are
both Catholics. They do not talk about it much and you
find little reference to it in their writings, but the
fact is that they are both Catholics and that this is
part (not all) of the reason why they are not
personally interested in cryonics.

Charles, you are the only SF writer that I know of who
is personally interested in cryonics. Why other are
not is something I have no explaination for. On the
day that Robert Heinlein died (yes, died), the owner
of a TV shop was cryonically suspended by Alcor. Why
some people sign up and others do not is something I
cannot guess at. Personally I don't care if alot of SF
writers sign up or not. Many of them, like Jerry
Pournelle, are boorish and I can't stand to be around
them. Besides, I think there is a much better market
for cryonics than the SF or sci-tech people. 

The best market are people who seek adventure and are
willing to create who new lives for themselves
completely away from thier friends and families that
they grew up with, like reanimation from cryonics will
be like. These people are the American expats living
abroad, particularly in Asia. I have talked to many
people in Japan and Taiwan and many of them think that
cryonics is an interesting idea. Also, the Japan group
is led by Douglas Berger, who I met on many IAC
(international outdoor club) outings, not knowing that
he was interested in cryonics. He is definitely not an
SF or sci-tech person, but he loves international
travel and outdoor adventure. He especially likes the
"Lonely Planet" travel life-style (just like me) and
especially likes S.E. Asia (again, just like me). When
you move and live internationally for many years, its
alot like coming out of cryonic suspension because you
live a whole new life, totally removed from the people
you grew up with. Also, the expats have the lust for
adventure which, at least in me, is a major driving
force behind my desire for immortality.

Our biggest problem, as Charles Platt and Saul Kent
have pointed out, is that we really do not have a
"product" yet. We need a decent neuro-preservation
technology so that I can say as a sales/marketing
person that "yes, we can preserve your brain, and that
stem-cell regeneration will do the rest once we get a
cure for aging". I can't say that right now, because
we still don't have a decent neuro-preservation
technology. This lack of "product" must be overcome
before we can sell effectively into the expat market.

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