X-Message-Number: 32666
Date: Thu, 24 Jun 2010 09:39:17 -0700 (PDT)
From: Luke Parrish <>
Subject: Changing the metaphor

Message #32656
Subject: Re: Brain Preservation Petition
From: David Stodolsky 

> There is no evidence that people will remain rational on chemical 
> fixation. The reason it sells better is because of the difference in price.

> This proposal doesn't really change the metaphor.


On the contrary, the metaphor changes from "frozen caveman" to "brain
in a jar". When considering an uninformed public, the latter leaves less
room for error regarding the fact that advanced science is very much
anticipated as a part of the reanimation process.

Price is an important consideration too, of course. But trust -- the
knowledge that nobody is being scammed or bamboozled -- is far more
importan. In my experience this is the biggest hurdle that cryonics faces.
People immediately jump to the conclusion that we are trying to sell them
(and have sold ourselves) on the "frozen caveman" just so story they see
in science fiction movies which does not remotely match known science,
when in reality cryonics anticipates extreme advances in nanoscience. 

Once they make up their mind that cryonics is a scam or  on that basis,
they are reluctant to move away from the position. Plenty of people have
surface skepticism -- but most lack skepticism of their own skepticism.

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