X-Message-Number: 24877
Date: Wed, 20 Oct 2004 08:04:14 -0400
From: Thomas Donaldson <>
Subject: CryoNet #24865 - #24874

For Ben Best:

First of all, just where did I say that living a finite lifespan is
valueless? It's not that I personally think that a finite lifespan
is without value, but that the value of a lifespan of N years is
less than that of exp(N) years.

Basically I was trying to understand your own position and why you
hold it. We find ourselves in the midst of cosmological questions
(as I said, currently unanswered) if we ask whether or not an 
infinite lifespan will be possible. And I would certainly agree that
the best way to prolong our lifespans is not to cease, ever, to work
on the problem of increasing them. (For that matter, if we lived in
a civilization in which lifespans of 10,000 years is entirely accepted,
then everyone would have a time perspective that takes in 10,000
years, and consider it a very deep injury if their own lifespan turns
out to be only 8000 years). AS for the problem of increasing our 
lifespans, again the best strategy is to work on more immediate
problems. Presently aging constitutes the most immediate problem
to increasing our lifespan (yes, I'm prepared to argue that with
anyone who says it's cancer, heart disease, etc etc etc). As for 
cryonics, it will not alone do anything to increase our lifespans,
but as individuals it may bring us to a time in which the problems
which caused our "death" today will have become totally fixable...
due, of course, to the work of others on the problem of aging.

I will also add here that it's a consequence of my viewpoint that
cryonics, or some more advanced technology with replaces it, will
never be discontinued. When everyone comes to live for 200 years,
then they will think of 500 years as desirable, and want some
form of suspension to take them to such a time if their own lives
ever need it. And the same if we live for 1000 years, and want to
live for 2000 years. 

                Best wishes and long long life for all,

                      Thomas Donaldson

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