X-Message-Number: 3325
Date:  Fri, 21 Oct 94 12:21:08 
From: Steve Bridge <>
Subject: CRYONICS CD-ROM History Proposal


To CryoNet
>From Steve Bridge, Alcor
October 21, 1994

Regarding Mike Perry's Message: #3304 - posting, proposal
                                Date:  Thu, 20 Oct 94 01:15:54 
                                From: 


     Mike Perry suggests an on-going history project to place documents 
from cryonics history on CD-ROM and offers a donation to help begin the 
project.  He suggests that making all of the CSNY documents available for 
open research would be the best start.

     I completely agree with Mike's proposal.  Alcor has been looking 
into putting CRYONICS magazine on CD-ROM, too; and there may be other 
items from the past that could be recorded.  However, 22 years of Alcor 
history (some of which must remain confidential) will be a monstrous 
project to sort out.

     An easier project, or at least more direct one, would be to put the 
entire history of all major cryonics newsletters and other publications on 
CD ROM.  There is a huge reservoir of cryonics history right there.

     And I have most of the records from the Institute for Advanced 
Biological Studies (IABS), the cryonics organization that Mike Darwin and 
I (with several other people) began in Indianapolis in 1977.

     Mike Perry cannot do this alone, of course.  We estimate the CSNY 
archives alone contain at least 30,000 items.  Each has to be handled to 
make a copy (and very carefully, since most are over 25 years old), and a 
fair amount of re-organizing would have to be done to make the material 
accessible.

     Alcor will be willing to contribute some of the cost of this, and we 
can help supply some volunteer labor (assuming I am persuasive enough to 
talk volunteers into it).  One problem yet to be solved is determining 
what the actual cost will be.  

     A collection of source materials for cryonics history has long been 
needed, and I hope many others out there will wish to contribute to this 
project with ideas, labor, and funds.  In addition, since this is an 
historical project, rather than an experimental research project, there 
well may be some grant funds available from historical, publishing, or 
library sources.

Steve Bridge

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