X-Message-Number: 9703 Date: Wed, 13 May 1998 07:09:38 -0400 From: Thomas Donaldson <> Subject: CryoNet #9694 - #9702 Hi again! Sorry, Paul, that you don't see the advantages of remaining signed up. Naturally I hope that you won't get into trouble. I would also like to here just what's happening with the Prometheus Project and its preparatory project (Greg's work with hippocampal slices). As for research, one side of it may actually cause a decrease in recruitment. Up to very recently, we had very little idea just what damage cryonic suspension by present methods caused to patient's brains. One thing research is going to do is tell us quite explicitly just what that damage is. And some people are going to be put off by that damage, I guarantee it. At the same time, I believe we should not hide such revelations from anyone. I myself am ultimately optimistic, in that I strongly suspect that many more people, even with present techniques (we have to talk in percentages here, since there are hardly very many patients in suspension) will ultimately be revived. Basically the wild card is that suspension of ANY kind, unlike any other medical procedure, does not require revival at any special time. If we can't fix someone by 2050, we can just keep them in suspension for another 50 years. Sure, working out just how their brains were BEFORE their suspension would be a complex job of detection, not simple at all. But then there is lots of time to do that detection. Though I am optimistic, I will also point out that really long term suspensions involve complete helplessness for centuries: lots of things can go WRONG, not necessarily to cryonics in general but to YOU while suspended. (Sure, they saved most patients from the fire but there were a few they could not reach, burned up completely...). It's much safer to be revived after a short suspension than a long one. Ultimately, I don't believe we can really put any figures on the probability of such revival. Best and long long life, Thomas Donaldson Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=9703