X-Message-Number: 8788
From: Thomas Donaldson <>
Subject: Re: CryoNet #8780 - #8784
Date: Sat, 15 Nov 1997 11:27:19 -0800 (PST)

Again!

Charles Platt says something interesting when he says that in HIS experience
skepticism about whether or not cryonics will work has been most prominent. 
I say this because that's definitely NOT been my experience, and apparently
not that of Steve Harris or Marty either. 

No, I believe what Charles says. But it does raise the issue of whether or
not we talk to the same people in the same circumstances.

Charles, have you ever been interviewed about cryonics? and if so, what did
the interviewers ask you?

Although when I was younger I read lots of SF, and still feel some of it is
worth reading, I don't read nearly as much as I used to. As some people here
know, for a while I published factual article in ANALOG (the main reason I
stopped doing that is that things like PERIASTRON took up lots of time). I
also sent, once, a few stories I'd written to Stan Schmidt. (I sent them for
his interest, not necessarily for publication). He felt that they ought to
be published but would not fit in ANALOG at all (I wasn't surprised at all,
either).

So: Charles, do you associate a lot with science fiction people? Can you
characterize in any way those you've spoken to who give doubts about whether
or not cryonics will work as their reason for joining?

I will give a bit of an answer for my own experiences. First, I've had lots
of interviews with newsmen and newswomen. This was mostly in Australia, but
I've had interviews in the US too, with people asking very similar questions.
Second, I've had discussions with a number of colleagues who are, one way or
another, technically sophisticated --- though not specifically in cryobiology
or neurobiology or any of the areas which pertain closely to cryonics. These
were the people who had no doubt that long term suspension would eventually
work, in most cases, but who still would not join for themselves.

Then there are members of my family. It's just possible that toward the end
of his life my father may have worked out the advantages of suspension, but
nothing came of it (that's a long story, and not a nice one). My mother, before
she got Alzheimer's, had no trouble believing it would work but still refused
to join or have anything other than normal polite relations with other 
cryonicists. I have 3 sisters, 2 of whom show no inclination to join though
I've told them a good deal. My 3rd sister, the middle one, is a nurse and 
has shown a LITTLE interest, particularly when I told her of the Indiana 
group (where she might attend meetings). However so far she hasn't actually
gone to any meeting or taken any special steps. (That she is a nurse may
have something to do with her interest). The various children (nieces and
nephews) in my family are too young to take much practical interest, although
one of them did a term paper on cryonics (and asked me for lots of material).
In 1975 I went back to the US on sabbatical with one aim of discussing 
cryonics with a grandfather, who had gotten his first heart attack at over
80 years old. He didn't live long enough for any discussion, though. No
one else in the family has shown any interest BUT NONE OF THEM SHOW ANY
DOUBT ABOUT CRYONICS WORKING, either. But maybe they're just being polite.
 
I'll also say that this is just my personal experience. I haven't tried to
do any poll, or choose people to question so as to get a good cross-section
of the population, or anything of that sort. I'm sure we all have such
experiences, though not necessarily with the same classes of people.

			Best and long long life,

				Thomas Donaldson

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