X-Message-Number: 1964
From: 
Subject: Dewar Construction // Sci.Cryonics posts
Date: Sun, 14 Mar 93 10:56:34 PST

Regarding recent posts indicating LN2 boiloff rates of 3L/day/patient:

I have a few questions.  Firstly, do LN2 costs make up a significant fraction
of Alcor's operating expenses?  If so, does the 3 litre figure represent
a high degree of thermal isolation?  (For comparison, what is the boiloff
rate of LN2 from a typical styrofoam coffee cup scaled to the dewar volume
size?)  Are Alcor's dewars constructed like large thermoses (sp?)?  That is,
two concentric shells with the inner one thermally isolated from the outer
protective shell by means of a partial vacuum.

------------------------------------

This second note is addressed mainly to Kevin but I'm also soliciting comments
from other people who read sci.cryonics. 

Kevin is currently forwarding a selection of CryoNet postings to the usenet
group sci.cryonics.  Unfortunately these posts all show up attributed
to Kevin Q. Brown rather than the person who actually wrote them.  I know
that when I'm browsing a new group, I typically don't read a slew of
postings from the same author.  Even if someone does read a KQB posting,
are they likely to reply to a post that's been sent along from a 
mailing list?  Personally, I think it's highly unlikely. 

Kevin, would it be possible to implement the following?

In the short term, have the forwarded CryoNet posts show up belonging to
their respective authors.  As a long term project, set up a link
between sci.cryonics and the cryonet.  That is, replies to sci.cryonics
postings that originated from cryonet would get forwarded via email
to the proper person who could then choose to re-reply.

This is probably a lot of work (albeit a neat project) but would likely
pay off with good growth in sci.cryonics.
 
 
Darran Edmundson


[ Darran, I don't know how to forge email addresses on USENET, although
  I hear that "real hackers" can do it. :-)  Seriously, if I was moderator
  of the sci.cryonics news group, then I would expect to be able to do
  exactly what you recommend.  The sci.cryonics news group is unmoderated,
  though, so that doesn't seem to be an option.  (I wouldn't be able to
  be a USENET news group moderator anyway, because, as I found out, that
  is against the policies of my employer.)

  Your point about a new user not wanting to read a lot of messages by
  the same author is one I had not thought about before.  I had thought
  that since I forward just the "technical" CryoNet messages to sci.cryonics,
  I must be getting quite a good reputation as a poster of worthwhile
  messages!  (And I don't even have to write them!!!)  Of course, the
  forwarded messages clearly show "Forwarded Message" and give the
  author's name, email address, etc., so the true authors do get credit,
  but you have to read the messages to see that.  On the other hand, to
  a *new* reader of sci.cryonics who is just skimming the author/subject
  lines, it might appear that the news group is dominated by some "kqb"
  who is carrying on an extended conversation with himself. :-(
  Nevertheless, there has been some cross-fertilization between Cryonet
  and sci.cryonics, so not everyone ignores the multiple "kqb" postings
  there.  If you are right, though, fixing the user id of forwarded
  postings would improve the cross-fertilization even more.

  Automating the forwarding between CryoNet and sci.cryonics sounds
  appealing, but I don't know a good way to pick out the "technical"
  articles automatically.  Another possibility is that someone else
  could do the forwarding for me.  (On sci.cryonics I am just another
  poster, without any special privileges.)  Volunteers? - KQB ]

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