X-Message-Number: 21491
From: 
Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2003 12:58:26 EST
Subject: sharing & disclosure

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1. Thomas Donaldson thinks CI and Alcor should share information, with 
"confidentiality agreements worked out beforehand."

Ufortunately, as far as I know, this is impossible--in part because of other 
parties involved, especially 21 CM, which, we are told, licenses products and 
procedures to Alcor and to Suspended Animation Inc. (in the latter case, we 
were told last May, without SAI even knowing what was in the solutions!). 
21CM has said in the past that it will work with any cryonics organization, 
but in practice its policies have been unclear and changeable--I have never 
been able to pin them down. 

2. As for spin on Cryonet, it's not too difficult, for a reader willing to 
invest some time, to decide who is telling it straighter. Just go to the 
respective web sites and read, slowly and thoughtfully. 

For example, on Alcor's site we are shown a microphoto--"brain tissue 
preserved with a modern vitrification solution shows virtually no ice 
damage." This conveys, and in line with Platt's mendacity is no doubt 
intended to convey, the impression that the photo was from an Alcor test 
animal, whole brain vitrified by the current Alcor procedure or one very 
similar. To the best of my knowledge, once again, this is not the case, and 
in fact there has never been a whole animal brain subjected to Alcor's 
current vitrification procedure and then evaluated after rewarming from 
liquid nitrogen temperature. CI's  site, on the other hand, shows photos of 
actual whole-head test animal brain tissue after rewarming from liquid 
nitrogen temperature, using older and newer CI procedures. There are no 
grandiose claims, express or implied.

The Alcor site also includes the following:

>if a patient has opted for neuropreservation (best possible preservation of 
the brain), >the brain within the cephalon (head) is placed inside a chamber 
that circulates high >velocity nitrogen gas at a temperature of -135 degrees 
Celsius.  This cools the >patient at a rate of approximately 0.4 degrees per 
minute, which is sufficient to >achieve vitrification if earlier 
cryoprotectant perfusion went well.  After rapid cooling >to approximately 
-125 degrees, the patient is then slowly cooled to the temperature >of liquid 
nitrogen over several days.
    
Taken by itself, this is O.K., although it sweeps a lot under the rug. But it 
doesn't stand by itself--it stands in the context of the Alcor home page, 
which says that Alcor provides the
    
>very best, state-of-the-art cryonic suspension services, with unparalleled 
customer >service, attention to detail, and expertise.  Alcor is celebrating 
its 30th year as the >unparalleled leader in the industry.  

I won't go into all the ramifications of that, but it is amusing to recall 
that, not so long ago, Platt was head of a different organization, CryoCare, 
which roundly proclaimed that IT was the unparalleled leader, having skimmed 
the cream off Alcor. At another point in Platt's career, he expounded in 
public his belief that NO available procedure offered an appreciable chance 
of success. (Incidentally, Suspended Animation Inc. calls itself the Premier 
Cryopreservation Service Provider, offering state-of-the-art etc. In 
advertising, there's plenty of room at the top.)

Well, anybody can change his mind, and any organization can blow its horn as 
shrilly as it pleases, but there is always a price to be paid.

It's really a tempest in a teapot, and if I had any sense I would just ignore 
it all, but irritation sometimes makes itself felt. 

"Leadership" or the perception of leadership will change over the years. 
Later this year, with luck, Dr. Pichugin's developing work will make CI at 
least temporarily the clear technical leader. Further in the future, when 
some catalyst triggers a massive change in public psychology, maybe General 
Electric will become the leader. The main thing for the individual remains to 
save himself and his family, if he can, under conditions now existing.

Robert Ettinger
Cryonics Institute
Immortalist Society
www.cryonics.org    







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