X-Message-Number: 9477
Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1998 17:13:12 -0400
From: Saul Kent <>
Subject: Cooperation and Confusion

        Olaf Henny's message (#9466) charges
that Charles Platt has "inflicted severe harm" (on
the cryonics movement I presume) and that he
judges Mr. Platt's bottom line as "'red'".

        As an insider in the cryonics movement,
I know that Charles has made major positive
contributions to the cryonics movement. 

        Further, I disagree that flaming between
cryonicists on the Internet has inflicted severe harm
on the cryonics movement at any time.  

        First, I believe that the effects on the 
movement of discussions on the Internet (both good
and bad) are relatively small because relatively
few cryonicists and potential cryonicists are privy
to these discussions. 

        Morever, I am not aware of any attempt
to measure scientifically the effect of discussions
on the Internet on anything in the cryonics 
movement.

        Your reference to James Halperin as
an "insider" in the cryonics movement is not accurate.
He is not.  Moreover, he did not assert that there has
been "poor cooperation" among cryonics organizations
in the past.  In fact, Mr. Halperin has written a novel. It is
you who suggested that such poor cooperation may
have occurred by quoting a passage from his book in
your message.

        It is true that there has been less cooperation
among cryonics organizations in the past than there is
today, but not with regard to human cases, where there
has always been cooperation.

        However, the cooperation today is truly
unprecedented.  Right now, Alcor and CryoCare are
working closely to develop BioTransport, a new
company that we hope will be able to offer cryonics
services to *all* cryonics organizations.  CryoCare
and ACS (the American Cryonics Society) have
recently also been working together well.

        In recent years, there has also been 
more cooperation between CI and other cryonics
organizations as well. CI and Alcor have
worked together on some projects.  For a while,
CI was offering storage as as option to CryoCare
members.  CI has had good relations with ACS
for quite a while.  Currently, CryoCare (and, I
believe, Alcor) are regularly referring potential
cryonics patients to CI.

        In recent years, Trans Time and Cryo-
Span (a storage company that does business with
CryoCare) have been conducting business together,
and believe relations between Trans Time and
Alcor are generally good.

        I believe the cooperation among cryonics
organizations will continue to improve as time goes
on.  If BioTransport develops as planned, I believe 
that, within the next few years, truly advanced, scien-
tifically proven new methods of cryopreservation will
be available to *all* cryonics organizations at 
reasonable prices.

        In message #9467, Peter Merel speculates
about some of the changes that are occuring in the
cryonics community, and raises some questions about
these changes.

        Merel's reading of the signals he is monitoring 
on Cryonet is that the CC group of companies (including
21CM and BPI) are "effectively getting out of the cryo-org
business in favour of doing the real work required to
achieve real vitrification technology."  I'd like to clarify 
this statement.

        CryoCare is *not* getting out of the cryo-org
business, but is, rather, doing little to promote growth, and
as much as possible to foster research and improved
cryonics services (through BioTransport).

        BPI will be getting out of the cryonic services
business, but is attempting to do so in as responsible a
manner as possible.  The development of BioTransport
is a key factor in this process.

        21CM never was (and is not now) in the cryonics
services business.  It is a research company.  However,
some of its staff members are also BPI staff members. The
speed at which BPI can "get out" of the cryonics
services business (as BioTransport develops) will help
these staff members devote more time to research.

        The BPI and 21CM staff now involved in delivering
cryonics services intend to continue to contribute to the
development of better cryonics services, but expect to do so
as consultants to BioTransport rather than through BPI.

        In Bob Ettinger's message #9471, he states that
"Platt has thrown a monkey wrench into the gears" (of cooper-
ation among cryonics organizations). I believe that is overstating
the effects of Charles' exchanges with Bob on the Internet.
Nothing that Charles has posted on the Internet has affected
the ongoing cooperation between any of the cryonics organi-
zations, except, perhaps, between CI and CryoCare. 

        Moreover, I do not believe any serious harm has
been done regarding relations with CI.  CryoCare intends to
continue to refer potential cryonics cases and potential members
to CI.  I am confident that, when 21CM develops its Business
Plan and Prospectus, CI will review it and seriously consider
investing in 21CM and informing its members about the opportunity
to invest in 21CM  I am also confident that, when scientifically 
proven, advanced methods of cryopreservation are available
to the cryonics community, CI will offer these methods to its
members..

---Saul Kent, CEO
21st Century Medicine

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