X-Message-Number: 12665 From: "John de Rivaz" <> References: <> Subject: Re: funding cryonics work from a publically traded company Date: Thu, 28 Oct 1999 17:31:53 +0100 It seems to me that the most relevant reason I have read as to why cryonics research should not be funded from a publicly traded company is that shareholders and their advisors will expect a rake off when the results of that research start being sold on a commercial basis. This could push the cost of cryopreservation outside the reach of most people. A possible solution is as follows: The publicly traded company makes its money from infrastructure work - cryopreservation of kidneys etc as suggested by many posters here. It has its own charitable foundation (like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, or the Wellcome Trust) which it funds and uses for the cryonics research. By buying and holding onto the shares of the public company, cryonicists can still support it and indirectly the offshoot foundation. It can also be argued that if the company were able to demonstrate that its trust or foundation had produced remarkable breakthroughs in cryonics, using work done based on the general cryopreservation work of the company, this would have substantial publicity value for the company. So shareholders would benefit indirectly. The infrastructure work need not exclude work on brains. Already Alexion Pharmaceuticals has reported that it is working on brain cell transplants for Parkinson's disease and other affliction. As long as the cryonic work can legitimately have some other tag applied to it (which I wouldn't have thought to be particularly difficult) it could be taken to a point where it would be easy for the trust or foundation to produce the cryonics-specific result. Just some suggestions for discussion - the subject needs further debate. I would just love to see the concept of donations and begging disappear from this otherwise individualistic movement. We are individuals and should be proud of it. -- Sincerely, John de Rivaz my homepage links to Longevity Report, Fractal Report, my singles club for people in Cornwall, music, Inventors' report, an autobio and various other projects: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/JohndeR Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=12665