X-Message-Number: 5747
From: Owen Lewis <>
Newsgroups: sci.cryonics,sci.life-extension,uk.legal
Subject: Re: Death (was Donaldson MR and Miss Hindley)
Date: Fri, 16 Feb 96 11:23:47 GMT
Message-ID: <>
References: <>

In article <>  "Brian Wowk" writes:

>The money of cryonics patients is not kept in mattresses.  It is invested
>in stocks, bonds, and other instruments that drive the world economy.
>Having large amounts of wealth "tied up indeterminately in cryonics linked
>trusts" would be an economic boon!  Instead of being spent on frivolous
>short-term consumption, this wealth would be invested by money managers in
>companies providing jobs and long-term economic growth.

I see. It would not then be invested to maximise a return to the cryonic 
'patient'?

To take your general point without quibble, I still cannot agree. It is 
already a major and not entirely heathly distortion of a free market 
economy that the majority of investment capital is now controlled by
pension and life funds. Yet, in respect of individual contributions, these 
funds retain control of the capital accrued for only 20-60 years.

But you propose a new type of fund, by your own admission invested to meet
other criteria other than the best return, and to retain all capital invested
for even a thousand years?

Or do I misunderstand? Is the capital and income to be gradually consumed by
the costs of management and cryonic preservation? And, being prepared to take 
a thousand year view, how say you on the effects of monetary inflation over 
such a period? What happens when the fund no longer retains sufficient value 
to maintain the inflated costs of preservation? Have you prepared a 
sensitivity analysis? Have you published it? From your preoccupation in 
investing others' money in good works one might assume not.  

However, you are right in that the monetary concerns are, for me, only 
secondary to the objection that there is no evidence that cryonic 
preservation will now or ever allow a human to be resuscitated after years 
of being frozen.

Forgive me, but I am as once was Thomas, who had to put his fingers into the 
wound in Christ's side before he could believe.

Owen 


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