X-Message-Number: 10106
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 1998 09:09:28 -0400
From: Thomas Donaldson <>
Subject: CryoNet #10098 - #10103

Hi everyone!

This is an addendum to what I said about signing up even if you're young,
in the previous Cryonet.

Even now the time of death is movable to some extent. Many people remember
the deaths of both Franco (Dictator of Spain, perhaps the last Fascist)
and Tito (Dictator of Yugoslavia, and we know what's happened to 
Yugoslavia since then). If you followed the paper you would have noticed
that each man was taking an incredibly long time on dying.

That was not accidental. There are ways to keep people alive now even 
if they lack a heart. Not comfortable or happy, but alive. There are
ways to prevent people from dying even if virtually all their body
organs have ceased to work. These methods don't work indefinitely, and
they are a kind of caricature of immortality, but if you suffered an 
accident and had cooperating physicians, it would very likely prove 
easy to arrange that you remain alive until a rescue team reaches 
you (that is, if your accident is in a city or nearby --- if you go 
off to the middle of the Sahara and THEN suffer an accident, sorry).

The one case in which we lack the technology to keep you alive would
be that in which somehow, by accident, your brain was destroyed. But
then no amount of technology could help you. You are then DEAD --- even
by the tests of 2500 AD. Or 3000 AD. (yes, some cryonicists want 
preservation of whatever remains; others believe that something can be
created from the collective memories of those who knew you. No doubt
both can be done, but I myself have serious problems with whether 
this would be at all close enough to you to be you, which is what 
you probably want).

So when someone asks about sudden "death", point out what could be
done if necessary to keep you around for long enough. Of course, you'd
have to make those arrangements in advance, or set things up so 
that someone can do so FOR you. None of this would be at all 
automatic. But it is still simply false that sudden accidents will
necessarily prevent a good suspension.

So this is an addendum to what I have to say for those who are
young, and blithely believe they are immune (at least for now) from
any kind of death for which cryonics will help.

			Best and long long life,

				Thomas Donaldson

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