X-Message-Number: 6571 Date: Sat, 20 Jul 1996 23:04:21 -0400 (EDT) From: Ben Best <> Subject: 1996 Canadian Cryonics Pool Party Report We had 13 people come to this summer's Canadian cryonics pool party. Although the numbers were modest (as compared with some previous years), the quality was high. Unfortunately, all but one participant was male. A high proportion of the participants were involved in computer-work. In this case, however, the computer connection had a special relevance since two of the attendees learned of our group through the Internet. In fact, one had learned about cryonics from the Web, met cryonicists for the first time in his life at this party and is ready to sign-up! Chris Dewdney had appeared on the Canadian TV show "Future World" speaking about cryonics -- and he brought a video of the show to watch on Bruce Waugh's VCR. Chris teaches at York University, his brother has written for the SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN math games section and Chris himself has had a book published entitled THE SECULAR GRAIL. Paul Wakfer was on hand to discuss The Prometheus Project. When it was made clear to me that the payment stream of money pledged was not expected to begin until January 1998 I immediately agreed to a $1,000 per year pledge -- bringing The Prometheus Project pledge total to $150,000 per year. I already spend many thousands of dollars per year on cryonics, and I simply felt that I do not want to threaten my financial position by committing more money right now -- especially right after committing another $1,000 to Mike Darwin's Cryonics Transport Course (to be given immediately after Labour Day Weekend). Now that kidney's have been cryopreserved essentially without damage to viability (the primary problems being with re-warming), I think it would be tragic not to see the same technology applied to brains. But I know only too well that no one has much interest in applying this technology to brains except cryonicists. Therefore -- like it or not -- the money for this research must come from people like me. Meaning, people who care about life enough to resort to strange & unusual practices to preserve it -- whatever it takes! I ardently wish that I had more money to contribute to brain vitrification research. -- Ben Best () Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=6571