X-Message-Number: 9569 Date: Thu, 30 Apr 1998 12:05:26 -0400 (EDT) From: "Henry R. Hirsch" <> Subject: Future of Cryonics I believe that Bob Ettinger and Saul Kent are both right about what we should do to improve the chance that cryonics will thrive. Very briefly Bob points out that we must continue to offer and promote service for those who die right now. Our techniques cannot be demonstrated to work, but they surely offer the best chance of eventual reanimation for the time being. Although one provider may be better than another, any of the methods currently in use is far superior to burial or cremation. Saul is correct in stating that cryonics would gather a tremendous amount of support from a demonstration that it works. In my opinion, if rats could be revived from one month's storage in liquid nitrogen, the line to sign up for cryonic suspension would stretch from Ranch Cucamonga to Clinton Township by way of Scottsdale. Finally, my personal experience indicates that lack of support from the academic establishment is a very serious handicap to the research that needs to be done to show that cryonics works. Last summer I had to turn down an attractive offer from 21CM to work on cryonics research during my sabbatical leave because a university department could not be found to sponsor the work. No financial or other contribution would have been required from the sponsor, but it would have been necessary for a faculty member and his chairperson to have their names and reputations associated with cryonics research. This could not be done. Eventually a noted gerontologist at UC Berkeley sponsored my sabbatical, and arrangements were made for me to do a small amount of cryonics-related research. However most of my time was devoted to more "respectable" research on the demographics of aging. It was a useful experience, but did not benefit cryonics as much as I would have liked. If we had the support of mainstream cryobiogists, we would be able to get a lot more done. Hank Hirsch --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Henry R. Hirsch Department of Physiology Phone: (606)323-5438 MS508 Chandler Medical Center Fax: (606)323-1070 University of Kentucky E-Mail: Lexington, KY 40536-0084 USA Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=9569