X-Message-Number: 19238 From: Date: Sun, 9 Jun 2002 02:20:00 EDT Subject: If man were meant to fly... CryoNet, Hal Tindale writes: "I am trying to convince NASA to consider conducting some research into suspended animation (and maybe assist our own efforts along the way). How can we (or should we?) impress upon NASA the validity of conducting such research?" It would be nice to see NASA take on this project. Certainly it would be another goal worthy of their ingenuity and scientific expertise -- easily as difficult and challenging as a walk on the Moon. It would also be interesting to see what would happen with "cryonics acceptance" as measured by increased sign-ups once the first mammal was retrieved safe and sound from LN2 temperatures. Amazingly, it still might still be considerably less than most anyone might predict. Flying back from New Orleans this afternoon, watching the sunset from about 7 miles over the surface of the planet, I read a review of a recent study regarding levels of science knowledge and the typical American. Only a little over half knew that the Earth circles the Sun on a yearly basis (and since it was likely a multiple choice test, one has to wonder *how sure* all the "right ones" were!). About 40 percent believe there is at least some scientific basis for Astrology (on the other hand, to be fair, no way, say, Nancy Reagan and friends could be all wrong, right?). I don't know about science in the rest of the "modern" world, but the more I think about it, the more I can see that current numbers for cryonics may be about right. ____________ Most science fiction authors write fiction, not prescience -- the mindset, the attraction, the gift... is the unreal, not the "prereal." Regards, DC Johnson, Raleigh, NC Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=19238