X-Message-Number: 3029
From: Ralph Merkle <>
Subject: CRYONICS: Merkle's Definition??
Date: 	Sat, 27 Aug 1994 18:28:19 PDT

Hi, Paul!

I assume "...chief apostle to the cryonics community from
the god Nanotechnology..." is meant as a compliment (though
it does seem overblown....)

Actually, Dave Krieger is giving the introduction and wrote the
abstract.  Dave is a better speaker than I am, and I'm certain
the people around here have heard me speak at least once too often....
Dave just has the talent for this kind of thing.  So come on
around to the introduction, folks!  Not only will you hear a
great speaker, you'll also have a chance to meet a bunch of
great people!  And you're welcome to come to the potluck at 6:00
and the Alcor North meeting at 4:00 as well.  Good food, good talk,
good people, can't beat it!

If we're going to try and extract meaning from every word in the
sentence

>Cryonic suspension is the technique of freezing the body of a
>legally-deceased person for storage until medical technology advances
>sufficiently to repair and revive them.

(which I don't think is actually the most profitable way to spend
an afternoon, but leaving that aside for the moment) then the phrase
"...until medical technology advances sufficiently to repair and
revive them..." doesn't specify how long this advance might take,
leaving open the possibility that it might take an indefinitely
extended period of time.  The phrase "repair and revive" is also
open to interpretation, and might well include the possibility of
being revived with some degree of amnesia (ranging from slight to
extensive).

Of course, if you want to find out the *real* interpretation of this
phrase you'll have to come to Dave's talk and *ask* him.

And if you'd like to read what *I* say about cryonics, you might
want to get a copy of "The Molecular Repair of the Brain" from Alcor,
published in two parts in the January and April 1994 editions of Cryonics
magazine.  We'll have copies at the meeting (another reason to come!).

That's Sunday, September 11 at 7:00 pm, 1134 Pimento Ave, Sunnyvale CA.
Call 408-730-5224 if you get lost.  Don't miss it!

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