X-Message-Number: 6434
Date: 03 Jul 96 12:10:16 EDT
From: "Kent, Saul" <>
Subject: Commitment

	Thomas Donaldson is less optimistic about our ability to
stimulate the growth of the cryonics movement with perfected
brain cryopreservation than I am. However, this difference of
opinion is of little importance, while the areas that we *are* 
in agreement over are of *great* importance.
	
	The major area of agreement is his statement that:
	"Our lives...depend on our efforts alone."

	In my opinion, it is time to focus our efforts on the 
achievement of brain cryopreservation to a far greater degree
than ever before. I agree with Thomas that "money is the only
SIGNIFICANT obstacle to the attainment" of perfected brain cryo-
preservation. Dr. Gregory M. Fahy, who has worked in the field
of organ cryopreservation for 24 years, and is the world's foremost
expert in organ vitrification, agrees as well. Dr. Fahy has told me 
that he believes *strongly* that we can perfect brain cryopreservation
within the next 10 years if there is adequate funding for the project.

	Whatever the precise number of cryonicists in the world today,
there is no doubt whatever that we have the financial resources to fund
this project right now! All that's needed is the commitment to do so,
especially on the part of those of us who can afford to invest
substantial amounts of money in the research.

	For those of you who may consider investing your money in
brain cryopreservation a risky proposition, I call your attention to
the far greater risk of *not* making such an investment. Today's
cryonics methods are crude and damaging. They place a great burden
on future technology. The more we improve our ability to preserve
ourselves, the more we lessen the burden on future technology,  
and the greater our chances of survival.

	Of course, it will be necessary to do more than collect money
for brain cryopreservation research in order to succeed. The project 
will have to be well planned and we will need the participation of top
scientists if we are to succeed. Commitment is the key to success here
as well. We must not only be willing to invest our money in the
research, we must also be willing to invest our time and expertise in
the project to make sure our money is well spent.

	If we do all this WE WILL SUCCEED!, If we do not, WE WILL FAIL!
	It's as simple as that!

---Saul Kent 


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