X-Message-Number: 27486
From: 
Subject: Apology to David Verbecke
Date: Mon, 16 Jan 2006 18:18:11 US/Eastern

    I apologize to David Verbecke for deleting his message
containing his question about animal experiments. We at CI
are doing nothing illegal, but even in being legal there is 
much to worry about concerning animal rights activists. I 
experienced first-hand the animal rights activists inside
and outside the courtroom at Boca Raton, Florida and the 
terrible effect it had on Suspended Animation.  For this
reason CI has its research lab in a separate building from
our cryonics facilities. I worry that this may not be 
enough and I worry about calling attention to this worry.
But this has blown-up in my face and I am forced to call
attention to our worry. 

  Our research has utilized rats and sheep heads procured
from a slaughterhouse. We would not work on fresh large animals 
because we are not licensed to do so and we would not want
to risk the adverse publicity. We believe that brain tissue in
rats is the same as brain tissue in humans and that full 
perfusion of rat brain tissue with vitrification solution
vitrifies the same as fully perfused human brain tissue. Full
saturation of brain tissue is our end-point for perfusion. 
We have perfused dogs of our Members, but we cannot do 
destructive testing on their brain tissue because the 
perpose is cryopreservation for long-term storage. 

  John de Rivaz and I created the Cryonics Institute Forum 
as a place for open dialog between CI Members. It would be
hypocritical to not permit open dialog. This is the most gross
act of censorship I have exercised as moderator of this forum.
I apologize deeply for this. As I said, it blew-up in my 
face. I saw the message, wanted to discuss it with David and
deleted it because I feared John de Rivaz might release it
before I could discuss the matter with David. I sent a 
message to David, but instead of replying to me he posted
to CryoNet. 

  Although I value openness, I also believe that openness is
a luxury of peace, liberty and trust. I am privy to innumerable
confidences that I cannot divulge. In a state of war, providing
information to the enemy concerning vulnerabilities is 
tantamount to suicide. Cryonics is in a fight for its 
survival, and animal rights activists aren't the only ones
who seek to destroy us. Survival is a higher priority than
openness. I wish it were otherwise. As this example has shown,
however, attempts to prevent exposure of vulnerabilities often
lead to even greater exposures. I will attempt to be
forthright in answering questions about animal experiments.

               -- Ben Best, President, Cryonics Institute

Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=27486