X-Message-Number: 11459
Date: Wed, 24 Mar 1999 21:39:55 -0800
From: Olaf Henny <>
Subject: Re: CryoNet #11450 - #11451

While browsing through German language web-sites on the subject of
cryonics, I ran into the following quotation, which I re-translated into
English below the quote of the German text (it would be interesting to see
how much the text differed from the original, after these two
translations)   :)  

It would be even more interesting to know, if Arthur C. Clarke has made
arrangements for suspension.  I believe, that there was some speculation
on that subject on Cryonet.  

"Soweit es den wissenschaftlichen Standpunkt betrifft, sind die
Behauptungen a) Kryonik hat keine Chance zu funktionieren und b) Kryonik
fördert nicht den Fortschritt des medizinischen oder wissenschaftlichen
Wissens beide offensichtlich falsch, was völlig bewiesen ist durch die
Aussagen von Experten." "Obwohl niemand die Wahrscheinlichkeit, daß
Kryonik funktioniert, berechnen kann schätze ich sie auf mindestens 90 %
und gewiß kann niemand behaupten, sie wäre Null! Die Behauptung, Kryonik
fördere nicht den Fortschritt der Wissenschaft, ist vollkommen absurd,
denn unabhängig davon, ob es funktioniert oder nicht, wird die Forschung
auf diesem Gebiet unverkennbar von großem medizinischen Nutzen sein." "Ich
würde so weit gehen zu sagen, daß jemand, der an den Positioen a) und b)
festhält, nicht nur inkompetent ist, sondern auch schuldig, der
Gesellschaft ernsten Schaden zuzufügen - ähnlich wie die Doktoren, die im
letzten Jahrhundert Narkose und sogar keimfreie Behandlung bekämpften,
weil sie angeblich 'gegen die Natur' waren!" Arthur C. Clarke, Science
fiction- und Wissenschaftsautor, Sri Lanka    Translation:
------------------------------------------------ "From a science point of
view the claims that a) Cryonics has no chance of being functional and b)
cryonics does not promote the advance of medical and scientific knowledge,
are obviously wrong, as has been completely proven through expert
testimony.                "Although nobody can calculate the probability
of success, I estimate it to be at least 90%.  Certainly nobody can claim,
that it is zero.  The assertion, that Cryonics did not promote the advance
in science is completely absurd, for apart from the question if it
succeeds, the research in this field will without doubt be of great
medical benefit."  

"I would go so far as to say, that anybody who maintains positions a) and
b), is not only incompetent, but also guilty of inflicting serious harm on
society. - similar to the doctors, who in the last century fought against
anesthetics and germ free treatment, because they were supposedly against
nature"  

Arthur C. Clarke, author of science fiction and non-fiction science books,
Sri Lanka  ------------------------------------------------------ I
apologize for including the German language quotation, but I thought it
prudent, just in case the German text deviated too much from the original.


Best, Olaf  

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