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

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