X-Message-Number: 5230 From: (Thomas Donaldson) Subject: Re: CryoNet #5212 - #5225 Date: Tue, 21 Nov 1995 11:59:11 -0800 (PST) Hi again! About Stodolsky's recent posting which dealt with a poll on feelings re death: Apparently, if we are to believe the poll, women are bothered by fear of death more than men. Yet more men than women become cryonicists. Assuming this poll is correct and relevant (perhaps both are large assumptions) it may tell us something very interesting: most cryonicists have not become cryonicists because they fear death. And given that most are men, there may be a good explanation for why they join: cryonics is a means to CONTROL death, as we have tried through history to control many other events and things. It no more implies a fear of death than having a smallpox vaccination implies a fear of smallpox. Yes, it may be less effective than the smallpox vaccination,but we understand that, too. After all, not even all vaccinations are totally effective. Some of the flu vaccines reduce the number of those catching it but don't guarantee protection to any individual. As for Stodolsky's most recent posting, almost all of it is crud. Yet one more THEORY of how we came to walk upright, and a discussion of history with no references or justification other than (perhaps) that of a political diatribe. (Not that it's relevant for Cryonet, but I will say that if Dr. Stodolsky really wishes to support his historical theory about developments re nuclear weapons in the US and Russia, he would do well to produce more supporting evidence. We get enough of such crap from the press and press releases by Republicans and Democrats right now: each side casts the actions of the other in the worst possible light. Getting it on Cryonet is a bit much....). Finally: if Mr. Skrecky has written a "funny piece" about cryonics, why isn't he brave enough to post it here? Best and long long life, Thomas Donaldson Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=5230