X-Message-Number: 9438
Date: Fri, 10 Apr 1998 11:21:10 -0400 (EDT)
From: Charles Platt <>
Subject: CryoCare

I've said my piece about CI's protocol and I still believe the facts 
speak for themselves. 

I will now deal only with the issues that Bob has raised referring
specifically to my own organization, CryoCare. 

CryoCare's growth initially exceeded the growth rate of any cryonics
organization at any time since cryonics came into being. I believe this is
because we offered a well-documented, better service, and because Brenda
Peters did excellent work in outreach. After she decided to quit I argued
strongly that we should direct our limited resources to other priorities.
Subsequently, we have all agreed that research is a more important goal
than growth at this time. I believe that when the research provides better
proof of the feasibility of cryonics, it will be far easier to sign up new
members. It's much easier to sell a service that is proven than a service
that has unknown results. 

Also I believe that even with state-of-the-art techniques, we are
inflicting unacceptable damage on patients--far less than I believe is
occurring with simpler techniques, but still unacceptable. I have ethical
reservations about "selling" cryonics on this basis.

As for the wisdom of admitting that cryonics has a small chance of working
in its current state, I believe honesty is essential in this field. While
CryoCare was in its growth phase, we made no secret of the general
inadequacies in cryonics. Likewise, Alcor enjoyed an exponential growth
rate while its PR was handled by Mike Darwin, who has always gone out of
his way to emphasize risks and difficulties. I reiterate that
unsubstantiated optimism has, in my opinion, been a constant problem, not
a benefit, through the history of cryonics. 

Bob Ettinger asks, skeptically, if we turn people away. Yes, we do. We 
frequently refer people to Alcor, and we are not looking for new members 
at this time.

--Charles Platt
President, CryoCare

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
       Charles Platt * P.O.Box 36 * Jerome, AZ 86331
           phone 520 634 5800 * fax 520 634 5533

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