X-Message-Number: 32141
From: "John de Rivaz" <>
References: <>
Subject: Re: Cryonics and organ transplants
Date: Fri, 6 Nov 2009 10:46:10 -0000

Thanks, Steve, for giving all the details of why cryonics and organ 
transplants cannot be combined.

I do however see the organ transplant industry as being the greatest 
opponent of cryonics compared to others that are often suggested. If you 
consider the facts, religion and cryonics are actually on the same side - 
cryonics doesn't offer infinite life, merely life of indefinite duration. 
Religion tells is followers to respect their own life and that of others, 
(although a few of its adherents seem to lose this point at times.) Law may 
seem hostile at times, but in fact it is totally neutral. It is just a 
system for gathering money and treats all "customers" alike as long as they 
can pay. The only difference between it and other businesses is the degree 
of cooercion involved.

But the transplant industry and cryonics are competing for the same 
resource. At the moment, cryonics is not a significant consumer of the 
transplant industry's resources. But if 30% of the population ever did 
decide to be cryopreserved, then it could be seen differently. I feel 
confident that this fear is behind utterances such as "hamburger to cow". 
They are propaganda, not logical arguments, to stop a war that the 
transplant industry would probably lose, ever starting.

Of course within decades rather than centuries harvesting organs for 
transplant will not be necessary or desireable. Instead they will be grown 
from the patients' own cells. Once this happens, cryonics will seem more 
credible and will lose its real opponent. But maybe it will seldom be 
necessary for those living at the time.

-- 
Sincerely, John de Rivaz:  http://John.deRivaz.com for websites including
Cryonics Europe, Longevity Report, The Venturists, Porthtowan, Alec Harley
Reeves - inventor, Arthur Bowker - potter, de Rivaz genealogy,  Nomad .. and
more

Message #32140
Subject: Cryonics and organ transplants
Date: Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:49:01 -0500
From: 


OK, I don't usually jump in on these discussions, but I can see the 
enthusiasm building for what might sound like a reasonable idea.

Before you all waste many hours of your lives trying to persuade Alcor to 
donate the organs of neuropatients, let me dump some ice water reality on 
you. <del> 

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