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 Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=24877