X-Message-Number: 9902
Date: Tue, 16 Jun 1998 07:05:51 -0400
From: Thomas Donaldson <>
Subject: CryoNet #9897 - #9900

Hi everyone!

To Saul Kent:
When I said that "affordability" should be part of the problem,
I did NOT mean that we should choose poorer but affordable methods
over better but more expensive ones. I meant that we should look for
means to make the better and more expensive ones at least as good
but less expensive.

While an expensive method, if used, would show the possibility of
doing what we want, and therefore have some effect, it will not
cause much increase in the numbers of cryonicists and may, if it
were allowed to do so, cause a backlash. Just what to do if we
had such a method is a political/economic question which I was
not trying to answer. However if the only method which assured
revival, say, cost $100 million 1998 dollars, then there will be
an obvious problem. Neither of us have that much, and we would be
forced, if we needed suspension, to use other methods which were
proven to be worse. In cases like that, I think that the rational
response is to use the method first on animals, and then work hard
to bring down its cost. I'd actually EXPECT that the first efforts
would be expensive (though probably not $100 million worth). That's
one of their defects. 

The obvious response is that the first efforts aren't intended for
use but done as an experiment. Should we use such methods to 
suspend those who can come up with the required money? Doing so,
of course, would justify all those who claim that cryonics is for
only the rich... politically unwise (I think). My own best suggestion
for such a case would be to ask twice the required amount from
anyone who can afford it, and then use half that sum for research
aimed at lowering the cost. Given that cryonics gives a chance at
immortality, I personally doubt very much that we'd do very well 
politically if we let the cost remain high.





			Best and long long life,

				Thomas Donaldson

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