X-Message-Number: 6852
From:  (Thomas Donaldson)
Subject: To Brian Wowk
Date: Sat, 7 Sep 1996 13:55:37 -0700 (PDT)

Hi Brian!

Yes, we need the technology Prometheus is likely to produce, and it will have
tremendous value to US regardless of any other side effects of the project.

HOWEVER I also think that these side effects should be examined very carefully
to see whether they will turn out to happen, or they are just illusions. Sure,
it would be very nice if they happened too, but we should not get our hopes
up, only  to be dashed when they do not.

As for "scientific respectability" of cryonics, here are my reasons why 
Prometheus MIGHT not do what some hope. First of all, we already know of 
several scientists who don't like cryonics from the start: the Cryobiology
Society and its Ruling Committee. Quite obviously they are trying to prevent
any such thing as Prometheus from happening; this alone suggests that they
would not be moved at all if Prometheus succeeds. An unknown number of other
scientists would presently agree that cryonics is immoral, whether or not it
can or should work. They may put their objections in scientific terms, but
if Prometheus succeeds we won't see them stop objecting: they will just be
shown to have other, nonscientific, objections.

At a minimum, the ability to vitrify and revive brains will seem to lots of
people to be a bizarre experiment of no interest to life or death. There are
several assumptions which go into our own attitude to such an experiment: our
belief that we, our Selves, lie in our brain, and our belief that someday
it will become possible, even easy, to provide those brains with bodies as
good or better than the ones they inhabited before. To many both beliefs will
look very doubtful at best, and yes, convincing them will take much "talk" ie
rational argument, if they can be convinced at all.

And on this train of thought, I vividly recall Bob Ettinger telling me about
one scientist who would state his criteria for cryonics to be scientifically
acceptable: that someone must first be frozen and revived, and after that
be made immortal. (Bob pointed out, and I agree, that such an attitude comes
close to pathological, but that is what this guy believed).

I would certainly agree that SOME proportion of those who now watch on the
sidelines will decide to join after (or even during) Prometheus. What 
proportion?

Perhaps you are not like me. But if anything I'd prefer to proceed on the
most pessimistic assumptions, and be happily surprised if my pessimism did
not work out, than to proceed on optimistic assumptions and find that 
optimism continually broken on the wheel of Reality.

			Long long life,

				Thomas Donaldson


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