X-Message-Number: 32336
From: David Stodolsky <>
Subject: Re: Stressing rejuvenation to promote cryonics
Date: Thu, 28 Jan 2010 10:46:15 +0100
References: <>

On 27 Jan 2010, at 11:00 AM, CryoNet wrote:
>>>
>>>  I suspect it has absolutely nothing to do with the logic of
>>> life and death and has everything to do with the sense of belonging.
>>
>> This view is supported by my reanalysis of the Badger data.
>>
>
> Badger data?  I've never heard of this before.  A quick Google search
> brings up this:
>
> http://www.jetpress.org/volume3/badger.htm
>
> If you're referring to something more, I'd much appreciate being
> pointed toward it.  Thanks!

The site also contains the data set and coding summary.

I have been posting my preliminary reanalysis results on Cryonet:
Message-Number: 30401
Message-Number: 30422
Message-Number: 30542
Message-Number: 30687

There are more, but this will give you an idea.

I am currently writing up a couple of papers for publication that puts  
this reanalysis together in a more readable form.


>
>  The two distinct (though not mutually exclusive)
> hypotheses as the driving explanations are:
>
> (1) Most people are more driven by a basic desire to be accepted than
> by a logical examination of what is needed for long-term survival.  In
> short, people are afraid of looking too weird as a result of signing
> up for cryonics.

There is support for this in the Badger data.


>
> (2) There's something different about cryonics-inclined people that
> starts very early in life, perhaps from birth as the result of some
> critical difference in their genome that's relatively rare.  (We
> certainly couldn't test the genotype, but a reasonably well-done study
> could detail the phenotype quite well if it exists.)

This seems unnecessary, given the psychological explanation. It  
certainly would require major funding to investigate.


>  If we know something about how people
> are actually motivated with respect to cryonics, we can present
> cryonics in a way that's compelling to that means of motivation.  That
> method of talking compellingly about cryonics probably isn't any
> version of a logical argument; I quite agree with you about that.
> Something else is needed.

But will any kind of talking be adequate or do we need social  
organization?



> Does that make more sense to you?

It makes sense, but it isn't clear whether any kind of marketing  
strategy can be formulated before the argument is tightened up.

The rage in marketing these days is social movement theory.  
Advertisers try to promote their product by creating the feeling that  
consumers can be part of a 'movement' by using that product. This  
seems to work fine for beer, etc., but when a long-term commitment is  
needed, as with cryonics, then it may be necessary to actually form a  
movement.



dss

David Stodolsky
  Skype: davidstodolsky

Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=32336