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)


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