X-Message-Number: 8826
From: Thomas Donaldson <>
Subject: Re: CryoNet #8821 - #8824
Date: Sun, 23 Nov 1997 13:47:34 -0800 (PST)

Hi again!

Haven't had time to sort out the different new reasons. When I do I will post
them on Cryonet for all to see & maybe come up with different and new ones.

David Brandt-Erickson deserves a lot of praise for his postings.

As for reasons for not signing up, given that we get something close to a 
complete set, the next step is to find out how important each one is to those
who don't sign up. That will be hard. 

The origin of this interest of mine came from discussions with both Saul
Kent and Paul Wakfer, who believe that if they can put cryonics on a better
biological foundation (otherwise known as suspended animation, preceded by
provable good preservation of brains) then we'll get lots of people wanting
to join. "Lots" here hasn't been specified. 

I am very interested in cryonics research and in Prometheus because of what
such research does to MY chances. I think that cryonics will certainly grow,
but more slowly than many people would want. But if some measure: research,
publicity, any kind of outreach to try to recruit more people -- is to be
suggested, I believe it behooves us to get some idea on just how well it
will do. Empirically, if at all possible (yes, I know very well that may
be hard, but I'm not happy just with individual impressions about this issue).

I do think that we'll get more recruits if cryonic suspension looks less
damaging. I just don't think we'll get a flood of them. (Note: "flood" here
hasn't been specified, either). And I will say frankly that the best of 
all reasons concerns OUR OWN CHANCES. It should not be necessary for anyone
to argue that such research will increase our recruitment, or make us look
more respectable, or get more scientists interested, or any other side
benefit. And hey, I'm not even a Randian. Sure, if some or all of these
things happen, that's fine --- but as reasons to do the research they just
aren't very good. And I speak as someone who has now made his $1000 donation
to Paul's Prometheus project --- or whatever else it may end up being called.

Why aren't they very good? Because we are playing for an audience instead of
playing for ourselves, and it is for ourselves that we should be playing
here. And it is just that interest in the audience that may get in the
way of at least some people when they think of signing up: they're afraid 
of what others will think. Let the others be damned if they wish.

			Best and long long life,

				Thomas Donaldson

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