X-Message-Number: 12875 From: "John de Rivaz" <> References: <> Subject: Reorganising other people's money and lives Date: Mon, 29 Nov 1999 11:45:34 -0000 Two children on the playgound: "I've got a penny" "I've got a penny too" "Give me yours, and we'll have two pennies *won't I?*" Most cryonicists have ideas, plans and so on. Many rely on money, and those whose originators give away their money to help someone else's plans won't come to fruition. We have been offered programs for various research projects. We have now been offered what seems an excellent and well argued project from the Venturists. We gave even been offered bank rate interest. But we "know" (see note) the future, and that knowledge means that we can get 20% and sometimes 50% return on money. That knowledge means that lending money at bank rate is tantamount to giving more than 17% to 47% a year of it away. It is just another form of giving it away really. Investing with hindsight is a dubious activity I know, but I wonder how far the Venturists would have got had they invested their assets in a technology mutual fund since the year they started, adding as and when available. Probably they never had any so the answer would be zero - I don't know. - But I suspect there is a finite number as I think this sort of venture was tried before despite a lot of worries that lawyers could close it down by taking its money by using conflict of interest arguments in court. But it could be possible if there are enough younger people living in Arizona (or who plan to retire there) who may benefit from the proposed facility to contribute a small amount now and use technology growth to provide the relevant funds in a few decades time. Not much help to those older people amongst us I know, but this is the real world and realities may not always be as we want it, to coin a phrase. note: "know" - if technology does not grow, reanimation of what could under those circumstances legitimately be called cryopreserved "Remains" will not happen. So the only world we can ultimately know is one containing technology growth. -- 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://geocities.yahoo.com/longevityrpt Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=12875