X-Message-Number: 9083
Date: Mon, 02 Feb 1998 01:02:44 -0800
From: Paul Wakfer <>
Subject: Re: probability of revival
References: <>

In Cryomsg #9077,  wrote:

> It's probably wasting everbody's time--especially mine--but I can't resist a
> small lecture.

"Lecturing" is the last thing I need right now, from you or anyone else. :-)

> Paul says he has not read my booklet on this topic, but then
> proceeds to explain why it must be wrong anyway.

This is a distortion of what I wrote. Specifically, I stated:

>for the sake of argument I will completely accept whatever estimates of
>revival of the 'corpus' of a currently frozen person are contained therein.

Perhaps Bob is objecting to my use of the word "corpus".
I used that word because unless Bob is now prepared to tell
us that he understands how memories and the other essential attributes
which define an individual's mind are encoded in the corpus of the brain
better than do the "giants" of current neuroscience, then he can have no
basis to estimate whether the information which constitutes the mind is
being saved and certainly no basis to estimate whether it can ever be
restored.

This difference between us is rather ironic, because I have always been
accused of being a starry-eyed optimist regarding cryonics and most
other things. With regard to cryonics:

1. I am very optimistic about the resolve and the ability of cryonicists
and most of the current organizations to keep their patients safely in
storage for as long as necessary.

2. I am very optimistic about the future stability of our civilization and
the future enlargement of our personal choices and freedoms.

3. I am very optimistic about the continued advance of science and
technology, and specifically about the development of technologies
which will enable restoration of even the most badly damaged patients
(not nearly as early as some expect, but eventually for certain).

4. I am also totally optimistic that there will be people in the future who
will apply those technologies to achieve the restoration of cryonics patients.

What I am not optimistic about, however, because I see no basis upon
which to make a judgment (which is what rational optimism is, IMO),
is whether any of the patients that are being restored by current methods
will, when revived, have any remembrance of what or who they were. I
am also concerned that major areas of their personality and the modes
of thinking and behaving learned throughout their lives may also be not
restorable.

This is why I have been beseeching cryonicists for the last 18 months that
we desperately need to begin and carry forth a scientific effort to develop
methods which we are sure *is* preserving those mental attributes.
And, in the end, the only way to be sure they such methods work is to
apply them to someone and then restore him.

That has been the goal of the Prometheus Project. I believe that is now
the long-term goal of 21CM's human cryopreservation effort.


-- Paul --

 Voice/Fax: 909-481-9620 Page: 800-805-2870
The Prometheus Project -- http://prometheus.morelife.org
Perfected Suspended Animation for Patient Stabilization
until Cures for Their Terminal Diseases are Available

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