X-Message-Number: 2532
From:  (Thomas Donaldson)
Subject: CRYONICS Longevity of Organizations
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 1994 23:56:05 -0800 (PST)


One small comment on longevity of organizations: one reason I feel a BIT more
optimistic than Mike about prospects for revival is simply that, historically,
it does not take an overwhelming majority support for an organization to
survive far longer than individuals. (It would be worth looking more deeply
into this phenomenon, of course). Look at small towns, for instance: many
in the US have existed for more than 100 years, and in Europe for over 1000.
There are also businesses which have lasted over 300 years.

Furthermore, insurance companies have spontaneously developed arrangements so
that if one goes down, those people with life insurance underwritten by that
company will have their insurance transferred to another viable company.
Recently my bank (Security Pacific) was bought by another bank (because it
had ceased to be viable). I did not lose the money I had deposited with 
them: instead I ended up with an account with Bank of America. In all of
these cases, of course, the banks or insurance companies had a solid interest
in seeing that customers of one didn't lose everything when it went down. 
(yes, cryonics societies should definitely take note!). 

Finally, it seems very likely that one successful revival of a cryonics 
patient, even if it happened long after everyone reading this had been 
suspended, would strongly reinforce the whole idea. And then you really could
have majority support. It's not that these same techniques could also revive
US: a more profound thing would have been established, that it is a good
idea to keep and store ANYONE who suffers from an "incurable"  condition.
(Note that I say "cryonics" deliberately here: it takes not just suspended
animation, but someone suspended at a time when they were thought "dead"
and totally beyond repair, who then is revived and repaired).

		Best and long long lives to all,
			Thomas Donaldson

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