X-Message-Number: 30680
From: David Stodolsky <>
Subject: Re: Barbara Walters aging program surprisingly good! Yippee!
Date: Fri, 4 Apr 2008 16:25:35 +0200
References: <>

On 3 Apr 2008, at 21:55, Tripper McCarthy wrote:
> The problem was only compounded by the fact that the piece that  
> actually did air mentions that both Venus and I spent $75k each for  
> our neuro option. No mention is made about how we are paying for it,  
> and with my response to that very question cut, it leaves an  
> inaccurate view to most viewers that we must have paid all that  
> money out of our own pocket upfront. And so the myth that cryonics  
> is only for the rich marches on. Uhhgg!
>
> I hope you have some luck with your book. Every person I talk to  
> about cryonics who has any interest in it always mentions the  
> expense of the procedure as something that holds them back. I wonder  
> how many people would actually get off the fence and do something if  
> this myth were eradicated.

It will not be eradicated anytime soon. It is one of a range of ways  
that Personal Emotional Reaction (PER) is expressed. That is, it is a  
way of not dealing with the issue at all. This (PER) will stop all,  
except atheists (maybe a few percent of the population), from seeking  
further information and therefore making any kind of rational decision.

However, once such a rational decision is contemplated, cost becomes a  
major consideration. (Thus far, I am discussing the results from the  
reanalysis of the Badger data presented earlier.) It is unlikely that  
eradication of the myth, by itself would have a dramatic effect, but  
it would definitely have an effect. It will not have a dramatic effect  
because for most people, cost will be an insurmountable barrier and  
for many others it is a sufficiently large consideration that it will  
be very important. Life insurance is not a solution for many, because  
even tho it is not be a major expense, it isn't a solution for those  
in the informal/part-time sector, where there is no job/income  
security. This is about 30% of the population in the USA and is much  
higher in many other countries. If the cost consideration was  
eliminated, however, then we could expect about a third of the  
population to choose cryonics (over a trip to Hawaii, as the Omni mag.  
contest showed).


dss


David Stodolsky    Skype: davidstodolsky

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