X-Message-Number: 5564
Date: Thu, 11 Jan 1996 17:58:00 -0800
From:  (American Cryonics Society)
Subject: Data Storage

Re: Data Storage (latest message on topic from Joseph Strout, #5558)


The subject of data storage is by no means a new topic or a new concern for
cryonicists.  Many articles have appeared on this subject, just in the past
few years, in "American Cryonics Society News and Views" published in The
Immortalist magazine.

The material which the we frequently get requests to store, or which is
left to us by members who deanimate, falls into several categories:

1.      Information which might be of value in identity restoration or
reconstruction: anything and everything which might tell us something about
the nature, character, memories, etc. of the individual.   I would add two
subs under this "information" heading:

        A.      Biological information: such as medical history, genotype
(a small tissue sample stored in a different location than where your body
is stored).

        B.      Life information:  pertinent facts, personal writings,
videotapes, audio tapes, letters, baby book, published material, etc.

2.      Material of sentimental value.  The first dime you ever earned.
Your first valentine, family pictures, etc.

3.      Material of real (intrinsic) value: Gold, jewelry, diamonds, etc.

4.      Things with relatively low real value and some intrinsic value but
which are large or bulky or for other reasons would be expensive or
impractical to store.

We provide for storage of some of the above.  Here is how:

1A.      Medical History is kept in a dedicated "patient" file in at least
two locations.  At least one of these locations is separate from where the
person's body (or head or brain) is kept.

1A, 1B, 2,      Currently a couple of storage boxes or so of personal
writings, letters, yearbooks, photos, etc. is kept if such items are made
available to us.  Currently these items are kept securely, but not in
vaults.  This form of storage is intended as temporary as we develop and
test our "time vault" storage (see below).

1A, 1B, 2,      Several years ago we undertook a study of archiving and use
of time capsules or time vaults (including their construction) and
brainstormed the subject considerably.  We implemented a plan to store a
small amount of biological and life information for members in "time
vaults."  Materials are placed into sealed containers with a desiccant
(Drierite indicating 8 mesh, anhydrous CaSO4) added to take up any
remaining moisture; air in the container is displaced by an inert gas.
Containers, within containers, within containers is used for additional
protection.  We prepared several such containers several years ago along
with dummy "control" containers.  The dummy containers will be opened and
evaluated before the "payload" is encased in cement in its permanent
location.

We have one U.S. location which has been made available to us for long term
storage.  We have been promised a non U.S. site as well, but it has not yet
been procured.

Any information which can be easily duplicated should be stored in multiple
locations.  As we have repeatedly pointed out, this exchange of suspended
member information for long-term non liquid nitrogen storage is an area
where cooperation between societies should obviously be uncontroversial,
and in everyone's interest.  We also encourage storage by family members,
though such archiving is obviously very hit and miss.

The questions which Joseph raises on the form the information should take
are very pertinent.  We are well aware that the ability to read some
information formats will change.  For example, wire recorders (popular 50
years ago) are not readily available now and anyone who recorded on wire
then stored the wire might find that there was no machine around on which
they could be played.  One solution might have been to not only archive the
wires but a wire recorder-player as well.

Because of the uncertainty concerning future reading of information, we
recommend that some "hard copy" versions of the most important items be
saved.  We also are willing to store tapes, disks, etc. in the hopes and
reasonable expectations that the means to read them will be available or
can be re-invented.  As has been pointed out, methods will probably also be
employed to transfer information from one format to another as one becomes
outmoded.  However we don't now have a program to routinely do this.  Our
concern is what we can do RIGHT NOW to ensure that a reasonable amount of
information has a good chance to make it through to a time when it might be
used beneficially and to implement that program.  No doubt storage methods
will be improved upon as time goes by.

We do not store, nor would we accept, anything which has more than nominal
market value.  We don't want to make the mistake of the Egyptians and have
our "mummies" destroyed because of the jewels which adorn them.  The
American Cryonics Society follows this policy very strictly.  Not only are
valuable items not kept at any patient storage location, we don't keep
valuables at all.  If you leave us diamonds and gold bars, we will sell
them and invest in assets which can be tracked by accountants, not kept in
safe deposit boxes.

We don't have a program for storing large items, though we occasionally get
requests for such saving.  One of our members has an antique player piano
which he wants us to keep for him and has offered to fund a substantial
trust for that purpose.  We have even had a request to store several
roomfuls of household furniture.  Besides member requests, relatives of
cryonicists often try to retain (or expect us to keep) far too much of the
suspended person's personal property.  The cost for storing large item over
a long period of time, be it by a society, relatives, or a commercial
storage company, must be weighed against their POSSIBLE value to the person
in the future.

Several of our members have donated books to ACS. An out-right donation of
books can benefit our members now and may be available for reading by the
member upon his reanimation. Because of space limitations we have had to
pass on the bulk of such donations to other charities (some of our members'
personal collections exceeded those of small public libraries).  We
retained the books we thought would be of most interest to ACS members.  We
discourage saving of magazines, newspapers, or other printed material which
might be used to jog memory.  All but the most obscure publications will be
saved by others in several places.  The cryonics societies are archiving
cryonics magazines and information.  After you are reanimated you can order
as many back-copies as you want.

One way to save some material about yourself is to publish.  Published
material is widely disseminated.  There is a good chance that at least one
copy will survive.  Which brings us to CryoNet Digest.  What is published
on  CryoNet Digest is certainly stored in a many places (at least for a
while), but is there a plan for systematically archiving the pearls of
information, wit, and wisdom we see everyday on the net?

Long life,


Jim Yount


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American Cryonics Society                 (408)734-4200
                   FAX (408)734-4441
P.O. Box 1509
Cupertino, CA 95015
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