X-Message-Number: 6478 Date: 08 Jul 96 13:07:11 EDT From: "Kent, Saul" <> Subject: Coming Together I'm very happy to see the support of Carlos Mondragon and Dave Consenza for The Prometheus Project. This is one area in which we not only *can* come together, but, I believe, we *must* come together in order to improve our chances of survival. Carlos has raised some important issues that need to be addressed in terms of the business plan for The Project. He is also correct, I believe, in his opinion that "the most critical part of the scientific plan is recruitment of personnel." I want to report that efforts have already been made (and are continuing to be made) to recruit both a cryobiologist and a neurobiologist for The Project. Carlos is correct when he says that the usual procedure is to recruit your personnel first and then seek to raise money, but as he points out, this is an extraordinary situation in which we have chosen to do the reverse of the usual process, in large part because the recruitment of the cryobiologist we are seeking involves some sensitive legal and political issues. I am also happy to see the comments and questions raised by Bob Ettinger about which I'd like to comment. In my opinion, the cryonics organizations should proceed as follows vis-a-vis The Prometheus Project. If the organization is already funding brain cryopreservation research (as CI is), I think that program should continue, but that there should be an attempt to coordinate it with the scientific plan being formulated for The Prometheus Project. Once The Prometheus Project begins, I believe every effort should be made to integrate ongoing brain cryopreservation research into The Project so that there is as little wasted effort (and money) as possible. If the cryonics organization is *planning* brain cryopreservation research, I think every effort should be made to integrate these plans with the scientific plan being formulated for The Project. If the organization wants to begin funding research before The Project is ready to be launched, I believe, again, that it should be coordinated with The Project's plan as much as possible. If the cryonics organization is funding, conducting, or planning cryonics research of another kind, I believe it should continue to do so. Some may feel that funding for one type of research is likely to take away funding for another, but I think the opposite is true. I believe one of the keys to generating funding for cryonics research is the psychological environment regarding research in the cryonics community as a whole. I believe that if the enthusiasm and spirit of cooperation generated by the intial steps taken to put together The Prometheus Project continues, it will lead to greater funding for *all* cryonics research. I strongly believe that *right now* we have all the resources we need (and can spare) within the cryonics community to achieve perfected Suspended Animation within the lifespan of most cryonicists. It's just a matter of whether we have the *will* to succeed. In short, I do *not* believe we should put all our eggs in one basket, but that cooperation among everyone attempting to fill our baskets with eggs will lead to a greater number of eggs in *every* basket. I believe there will be room for various research approaches within The Prometheus Project based upon the advice of experts in cryobiology (including, but not restricted to Greg Fahy) as well as neurobiologists, biochemists, and so on. I believe that the ideas of many will be called upon to determine the direction in which we plan to go, and that any changes in direction will depend upon the results we get from the research. As far as "proprietary information" goes, I believe that any advances that are likely to help patients "today" should be made available to them as quickly as possible. Cryonics, as you all know, is, by definition, a practice that utilizes unperfected technology in the attempt to save patients' lives. Thus, I find it hard to imagine denying the members of our organizations access to new methods for proprietary reasons. I think we will be able to protect the rights of the company doing the research through the filing of patents and the publication of scientific papers and *still* make advances (as they come about) available to patients as quickly as possible. In fact, I believe that the *combination* of preserving patients with improved methods, getting patents, and publishing scientific papers is the best bet by far to spur the growth of the cryonics movement and to stimulate further funding for research. Those are my opinions on these issues. I look forward to the opinions of others. ---Saul Kent Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=6478