X-Message-Number: 8733
Date: Fri, 7 Nov 1997 10:53:34 -0500 (EST)
From: Charles Platt <>
Subject: Doing something wrong?

On Fri, 7 Nov 1997, Linda Chamberlain wrote:

> After almost 30 years of promoting cryonics, Alcor still has less
> than 500 members.  That is telling us that we've been doing something
> wrong.

I disagree. I think that Alcor has done everything a small organization 
with a small budget CAN do to expose itself to the media, especially 
under the Steve Bridge presidency, where countless news teams were 
allowed access to the facility.

And before Alcor, let us not forget the HUGE amount of publicity 
generated by Robert Ettinger and other cryonics pioneers. They appeared 
on nationally networked talk shows. They received major coverage in 
national magazines. And they found VERY few people willing to sign up.

Real growth in cryonics began coincidentally with the publication of
ENGINES OF CREATION. I don't think this was really a coincidence at all. 
Suddenly there was a seemingly rational plan for repairing freezing
damage. As a result, a lot of people who had been hesitating finally
decided to give it a try. (I believe Alcor director Keith Henson wasa
among them. I know many others.)

Surely the lesson is clear by now. Cryonics as it is practiced today 
requires a huge speculative leap. If you want more people to take it 
seriously, it has to show a better chance of actually working. You may 
attract some members by trying to CONVINCE them that the chances are 
better, but the real growth will occur when the chances ARE better.

Speaking personally, I hesitated for a couple of years before signing up, 
because I thought it was such a longshot. If the chances had seemed 
better, I would have signed immediately.

> We can't grow if we continue to cater only to one minority
> viewpoint. 

Currently, cryonics as it is practiced today *is* a very small minority
viewpoint! 

--Charles Platt

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