X-Message-Number: 26628
Date: Fri, 15 Jul 2005 18:10:27 -0400 (EDT)
From: Charles Platt <>
Subject: Story in Miami Herald

A story about Suspended Animation appeared in the Miami
Herald today, written by Ashley Fantz.

Two days ago I spent 45 minutes explaining to Ms. Fantz very
patiently in very small steps the purpose of SA, its
function, and its affiliations. Today the newspaper published
an amazingly inaccurate version of what I said. It is
probably the most inaccurate news report on cryonics I have
ever seen. It then became an Associated Press story which has
been picked up and reprinted around the country and has even
made its way into radio news.

Alcor has expressed concern that the story refers to a
relationship between Alcor and Suspended Animation. For the
record I stated very clearly that SA has no relationship with
Alcor whatsoever. I said we are hoping we *may* have some
kind of business relationship at some time in the future.
That was all. I said nothing about Alcor itself (such as its
funding requirements, which are quoted inaccurately in the
story) and referred Ms. Fantz repeatedly to the Alcor web
site. She asked me no questions about Ted Williams and I said
nothing about Ted Williams.

The Herald report says that we are "associated" with Alcor in
its lead paragraph, and seems to base this claim on the fact
that Saul Kent is a director of both companies. However the
Kent connection was in the third or fourth para, which never
made it into the AP version. AP simply took the first para as
it stood. We are now "associated" in 50 newspapers across the
country. But it gets worse:

In one newspaper that ran the AP story I am listed as being
"CEO of Alcor." In another story I am listed as being "The
man who froze Ted Williams's head."

The Herald also stated that we ship bodies to Arizona in a
portable ice bath after perfusing them with liquid nitrogen.
Seriously, this is what it said.

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