X-Message-Number: 6886 Date: 12 Sep 96 14:25:30 EDT From: Paul Wakfer <> Subject: Prometheus Project Start Date It has been stated by others in several messages now that the Prometheus Project will not be ready to do any research "until 1998" or "for one and a half years". This is a misunderstanding of the stated method of operation of the Prometheus pledge campaign. It is also rather amusing that a delay of one year in the start of a project which has an excellent chance to MAKE CRYONICS CREDIBLE after 30 years of doing nothing, is now being construed as one of its disadvantages. When I began the Project, I set a target goal of the end of 1997 by which to raise sufficient committed pledges to begin the Project research. This was done because nothing of anywhere near this magnitude had been accomplished among cryonicists before, and I did not want to seem too outrageously optimistic, even though 10% of the goal had already been pledged in *ten days* on CryoCare Forum. In addition, it can be demoralizing to everyone if goals are set too unrealistically, and as a consequence, are far underachieved. Cryonics leaders have been guilty of this all too often in the past and I did *not* want it to happen again. Since the Project came to the Internet its pledge total has been accumulating more slowly. It is clear now this has been caused, at least in part, by the distraction of Alcor/CI leadership with other plans and their delay in deciding not to support the Prometheus Project. The Prometheus Project has reached over 30% of its target pledge (before beginning the approval process) in less than 3 months. This means that with broader off-net marketing, which will soon be underway, and continued support from cryonics individuals, we could easily start the approval process as early as May of 1997 (earlier if the pledges accumulate faster than the average rate so far). There may have been a misunderstanding because I used January 1998 as the date on which pledgers should expect that their pledges will become due if they are happy with the plans. However, I believe that most pledgers will be ready and wanting to start sooner if we can. (I know of only one who would not have the financial ability for his full pledge until 1998.) In fact, I have stated several times that the Project will start the approval process as soon as the $1 million per year target is achieved. As a consequence of that, the actual research may begin well before 1998. If good scientific evidence is produced that the "Visser method" is likely superior for *brain cryopreservation purposes* to the vitrification method, which is our current best candidate, then our scientific and business plan will use that method. When the pledge total required to develop fully reversible brain cryopreservation including the convincing demonstration of the recovery of mental faculties, and with fully publishable results using the method then considered currently best reached, we will begin the approval process and soon afterwards, the research and development. Furthermore, if at any time during the Project research program, another method than what we are using should be shown to have more promise for our purposes, we will soon switch to use that method. It should be clear to all that there is no "competition" possible between the Prometheus Project and the Alcor/CI/Visser collaboration. -- Paul -- !!!!! REVERSIBLE BRAIN CRYOPRESERVATION *CAN* BE ACHIEVED IN 10 YEARS !!!!! Paul Wakfer email: Voice/Fax: Pager: US: 1220 E Washington St #24, Colton, CA 92324 909-481-9620 800-805-2870 Canada: 238 Davenport Rd #240, Toronto, ON M5R 1J6 416-968-6291 416-446-9461 (Currently in California) Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=6886