X-Message-Number: 3011
Date: 22 Aug 94 17:32:28 EDT
From: John de Rivaz <>
Subject: CRYONICS: West Country television transcript.

Following the Radio Cornwall broadcast, there was a recording for and an
appearance by Chrissie Loveday (Member, Cryonics Institute) on West Country
television. I made the decision, for the good of cryonics, not to participate.

The video has been translated to NTSC and sent to the Cryonics Institute, and no
doubt will be available to any member wishing to view it. On the video there is
a recording after the program, which lasted just over four minutes, of the
making of the television programme, in which all the questions and answers are
recorded.

First trailer announcement:
Gavin Grey:
(over pictures of Chrissie Loveday exercising her dogs in one of the clifftop
fields)

We'll be talking to a Cornish woman who wants her body frozen in liquid nitrogen
when she dies. Her story later in the program.
...
Second trailer announcement:
Gavin Grey:
(over mist scenes)

The Mystery of life. Most of us expect to be buried or cremated when we die, but
have you ever though of having your body frozen after you die. 
(over picture of Chrissie Loveday)
We'll be meeting a Cornish woman who plans to do just that.

Chrissie Loveday:
I think I am basically a very curious person. I am interested in people in
things and technology. I think I'll carry on if possible.

Linda Ward:
That's life after death in a few minutes.
...
Main Programme:
Gavin Grey:
Americans have paid ten thousand dollars to be buried near the grave of their
idol Marilyn Munroe. An even more eccentric few have put aside 80,000 pounds to
be frozen rock solid in a vat of liquid nitrogen. They hope that one day we'll

have the technology to defrost them and bring them back to life. A Cornish woman

has joined the bandwagon and is saving her pennies so that on the instant of her
death she can be despatched in a frozen coffin to America. Tonight we ask "Is
there life in the freezer".
(Over scenes of misty trees)
Facing up to the inevitability of death means that each of us to decide in what
manner we wish to be "laid to rest". For most of us this means burial or
cremation, but in Britain 113 people have opted for a third choice. On
pronouncement of death they wish to be frozen. Some people believe that if a
body is frozen to about 200 degrees below zero, at some stage in the future
we'll have the technology to bring people back to life. This process is called
cryonics. It is a science that effectively strives to make humans immortal.

(Scenes of dog walking in fields)
Chrissie Loveday is one of only two people in the west country who have signed
up to a cryonics programme.

22,000 pounds has bought her a frozen coffin and a one way ticket to a vat of
liquid nitrogen in America.

Chrissie Loveday:
I have always rather fancied the idea of time travel, and I think this is
possibly one of the nearest things that could ever happen, at least in my
lifetime. I am a bit of a sci-fi freak I suppose, so I quite like the idea of

seeing what is going on then. I think I am basically a very curious person. I am
interested in people, in things, in technology and I think I'll probably carry
on in my next life as well if possible.

Then they played the Alcor film that has been sold to many broadcasters making
similar programs. That was followed by some scenes from recent science fiction
films such as Demolition Man.

Gavin Grey finished by saying:
But sceptics believe that the idea of reanimating dead bodies is simply
ludicrous.

Doctor Bill Morgan, of Exeter, was hired as an "expert opinion" and he started
by laughing, saying:
Well I have to say that I consider it to be the best con that I wish I had
invented, because I would become exceptionally rich in circumstances where I
knew there would be no comeback whatsoever, because its nonsense.
(over more film scenes)
Mammoths were frozen, and have been frozen at temperatures that were pretty low
and have been removed from the Siberian deserts and they have been eaten. But
then that's just deep freezing, isn't it. If you want to deep freeze your head,
then you are perfectly entitled to. But it will be a dead head.
Gavin Grey: (Over more cliff side field dog walks)
Chrissie realises that the chances of another life are fairly slim. She has

taken a gamble that might make her the only Cornish woman able to tell her great
great great grandchildren what Cornwall was like in the good old days.

Chrissie Loveday:
When I am reanimated, I think it would be rather nice to wake up in a world
quite similar to my bit of the world in which I live at the moment. I love

living in Cornwall, and I'd probably want to return to Cornwall and I would like
to be able to travel around more easily. We all know the hassle of today's
travel. I don't mind driving, but it would be quite nice to have some means of
teleporting to different places. It would be great to go to different countries

for breakfast and teleport back for lunch. (Over trick photography showing this)

But basically it would be nice to have some sunny little spot of Cornwall that I
can call my own.

                                    ***

During the filming of the interview, some 45 minutes of recording were made,
about half of this of the outside scenes.

The following subjects were covered, Chrissie's answers being recorded on the
tape that has been sent to the Cryonics Institute. It started with a brief
description of what cryonics is to the uninitiated. The question of wishful
thinking was considered, and Chrissie raised the matter of how in the past
professional experts had ridiculed the telephone and flying, for example. The
time travel conversation followed this. She said that science fiction gives a
bad view of the future, but really when you look at the "good old days" things

are better now. Therefore in the future things should be better. The morality of
this was discussed, with mention that life expectation changes and increases.
All the time people try for longer life. Even in pre-history, people were
looking for the elixir of life. An now we are achieving it. Fear of death as a
reason for cryonics was dismissed, and cryonics shows the way to continue life
and build on existing experience seeing new things. She didn't see why it
shouldn't be possible, raising and commenting on the beefburger/cow argument
used by the establishment. The brain as the most important part followed, and

mention was made of the poor chance of a further life after burial or cremation.

Neuro vs whole body was mentioned, and the cost, which was compared to every day
acceptable activities such as smoking. Here the figure of 22,000 pounds for the
CI was brought up.

The interview was finished by the sound byte on living in Cornwall and
teleporting elsewhere, that was televised.

                                    ***

I do not suppose that this publicity will bring masses of people out into the

open who say they are keen on the idea of cryonics. In fact I would be surprised

if it produced even one. But what it will do is to sow seeds of discontent about
the present views of life and death, and maybe some time in the future some of
these people who have seen or heard these programs will come forward and join
the cryonics movement. However I have taken out a three week display
advertisement in the local paper - The West Briton - offering cryonics
information without cost or obligation, stating that no salesmen will call and
no telephone call follow-up will be made.

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