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 Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=9477