X-Message-Number: 3035 Date: 29 Aug 94 00:46:41 EDT From: Paul Wakfer <> Subject: CRYONICS.SCI Apologies to Merkle Since I have now been told that the definition of cryonics that was posted by Ralph Merkle, with no indication that it was NOT his, was, in fact, not written by him, I extend to him my apologies for criticizing him for that definition. The fact remains, however, that too many postings, articles and other cryonics communication are being promulgated without very clearly stating the fact that while there is some reasonable evidence that the necessary mental information is being preserved, no PROOF of this exists, and thus, it is by no means certain that any of the memory and other mental faculties of a cryopreserved patient will ever be restored no matter how advanced the technology. The definition of cryonics which I quoted was one such example. If one wishes to continue life, it is clearly better to be cryopreserved than to be buried or burned. Furthermore, it is very probable (in my estimation) that given enough time, if technology (nano- or bio- or whatever) continues to advance (and I, for one, am very optimistic that it will), those cryopreserved today will be able to be brought back at least as healthy, young, tabula-rasa humans. In my desire to live, what I am frustrated by, are the numbers of cryonicists who are willing to put much time, money and thought toward the re-animation problem, when the necessary technology will come about anyway, if progress continues. Although it is true that there is some chance that their efforts may speed things up (very little chance in my estimation) and enable patient restoration sooner and thus reduce the uncertainties of lengthy patient storage, these efforts, at least for the patients who will be cryopreserved with current methods (maybe those cryonicists themselves), will have been a total waste of time if sufficient mental information is not being preserved. Instead, in my estimation, all logic and rationality, cries out that we should be putting major efforts into reducing the current preservation damage, by developing methods of preservation which will, by restoration of a fully functional mammalian brain, both prove that the cryonics idea can work, and provide the almost certain means for you and I to keep on living. A number of highly intelligent and knowledgeable scientists, including a leading organ-preservation cryobiologist, believe that this can be done within 5 years if funding of the amount of $5,000,000 can be obtained (a paltry sum when compared with the earth-shaking event which it can accomplish). There will be plenty of time to do reanimation research and other futurist endeavors, AFTER, we KNOW we HAVE an excellent chance at a vastly extended life. I, too, am very anxious to get on to other more interesting life pursuits. I have already taken 3 years out of my possibly short life to try to ensure that I have time for all the many, many things that I want to do. It was a gamble, but I saw no other choice if I wanted any real chance to ever do and accomplish all my desires. And besides, if I succeed (and cryonics succeeds), what is 3 years out of 1000 or more? I urge you all to join with me to ensure, not only that I and many others have not wasted a major portion of our lives, but most of all that you, and all other humans who wish to make the choice, can live vastly extended, enjoyable, and productive lives. -- Paul Wakfer -- Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=3035