X-Message-Number: 9525
Date: Mon, 20 Apr 1998 02:23:57 -0400
From: Paul Wakfer <>
Subject: Status/Future of PP and related ideas/organizations

Prometheus Project (PP)

After surging ahead and generating a lot of enthusiasm, optimism and
effort by others, this particular approach to the perfection of
suspended animation is stalled and its future is doubtful for many
reasons, particularly the well funded entrance of 21st Century Medicine
(21CM) into the same field.

It certainly would be *nice* to have a second effort funded and staffed
independent to 21CM. However, funding PP from the cryonics community
before 21CM was a difficulty enough task, but with 21CM having taken the
limelight (justifiably so) and preparing to accept investments from the
public (including cryonicists), it now seems truly impossible and
certainly not worth the enormous effort that it would take. I am no
longer counting or depending on it.

This is why I have attempted to enlarge the appeal of perfected
vitrification, in various ways, to extend outside the cryonics
community. This enlargement effort through the Full Length Life Society
and The Institute for Neural Cryobiology (see below) will continue and
be pushed harder. Whether PP has any future as originally conceived or
even in modified form will depend upon events which unfold during the
remainder of this year and next. It is still possible that a for-profit
operation related to PP and separate from 21CM will be created. Whether
it makes sense to do this and whether it will be done, remains to be
seen.

The PP web site is at: http://prometheus-project.org or
http://prometheus.morelife.org


Full Length Life Society (FLLS)

This organization is still in existence and will grow and attempt to
appeal to a broader range of those who *should* be interested in the
uses of vitrification technology. Some such groups are not related, and
even possibly antithetical to the cryonics idea. Therefore, I will not
be stressing cryonics in much of this organization's promotion nor will
I be particularly attempting to attract cryonicists to it. All that I
will expect is that cryonicists will be interested spectators.

The FLLS web site is at: http://morelife.org


The Institute for Neural Cryobiology

This organization is the one which is currently about to execute a
project which has great importance for cryonics. The organization and
its project are completely in the mainstream of neuroscience and
cryobiology research and will not be related to cryonics or suspended
animation until solid research results are obtained and its credibility
is greatly enhanced. Once research is underway and proceeding, it is my
plan to attempt to attract funding from various mainstream agencies to
support neurocryobiological research. I am hopeful that your donations
will be "seed" funds with which to start an effort that will then
attract funding from outside the cryonics community. At the same time I
will be encouraging the more wealthy cryonicists to more strongly
support INC's ongoing efforts. If sufficient donations are available
during the course of the project, it will be expanded to include
additional valuable work of the same type as in the current project.

The INC web site is now open and I invite all cryonicists to peruse it
at: http://neurocryo.org  It is not fancy, however, it will be enhanced
and enlarged with new material as time goes by and such relevant
material is produced. If anyone has any ideas or comments to contribute
please send them to me. If someone wishes to assume design/maintenance
of the web site, that too can be arranged.

The hippocampal slice vitrification project, which is described at the
web site, will be partly funded by INC which needs a minimum of $48,000
additional donations to achieve its commitment. Over $35,000 in
donations have already been receive from either PP pledgers or new
donors who were not pledgers. I now ask all PP pledgers to seriously
consider directing your pledge, or a significant portion of it, to INC
for use in funding this project. Since 21CM investing will not likely be
open to "small" investors (possibly not anything under $10,000, that's
what they did before), this may be the only chance you get to contribute
funding to research intended to achieve the damage-free cryopreservation
of extended brain structures.

I remind you that INC is both a federal and California state Nonprofit
Public Benefit Corporation. As such all contributions are unconditioned
donations which, depending on your tax situation, are likely deductible
from your federal taxable income, and your California taxable income, if
any.

Donations, of any amount, to the hippocampal slice vitrification project
should be made out and sent to:

The Institute for Neural Cryobiology
8439 White Oak Ave. Suite 110
Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730-3860

All donors will receive a "thank-you note on receipt of their donations
and an "official" receipt for tax purposes shortly after the end of
1998.

I am currently in Toronto, but I will be back in Rancho Cucamonga on May
7. The phone/fax number of INC in Rancho Cucamonga is: 909-481-9620 and
I have recently accepted an installment-charge-free 888 number from GTE.
So you can also call INC in Rancho Cucamonga (when I am there) by
dialing toll free: 888-819-4888.

-- Paul --

 Voice/Fax: 416-968-6291 Page: 800-805-2870
The Institute for Neural Cryobiology - http://neurocryo.org
Perfected cryopreservation of Central Nervous System tissue
for neuroscience research and medical repair of brain diseases

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