X-Message-Number: 13120
From: Thomas Donaldson <>
Subject: A hard comment for those who want to freeze embryos
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 100 00:23:52 +1100 (EST)

Hi everyone --- here I am again!

I note the interest in suspending embryos (aborted ones, especially) by 
several cryonicists. The strongest reason given for such activity is that
our doing so may help recruitment, though one cryonicist does openly admit
a bias toward "pro-life" ideas as pro-life is understood outside
immortalism and cryonics (We are ALL pro-life here, though perhaps not as
most people mean it!).

This is all very well, but so far the main means to increase the number of
cryonicists consists of talking to those you know. And yes, that is slow,
not least because most people arent really all that talkative about their
deepest feelings. This raises a question in my own mind about just why
the idea of suspending aborted embryos has become so popular on Cryonet.
I personally doubt very much that it will get us any more cryonicists than
any other idea for rapid promotion has done so far. That is, only a very
small number, even relative to the present number of cryonicists.

OK guys, we lack numbers even though we dont lack intelligence. And at
the same time, the number of cryonicists IS growing --- not so fast that
we can win the next (or even the one after that) election with a
cryonicist candidate, but IN PROPORTION TO OUR NUMBERS. It is very hard
indeed to convince people of an important idea fundamental to their
personal world-view. The best we can expect is exponential growth, with a
relatively high (compared to most) exponential factor. And our success
depends not on majority vote but on our own activities: supporting
research, increasing the number of sites able to accomplish complete
suspensions, and all that other dogwork that is needed.

And if you want to consider using a presently out-of-style version of
history, just recall that Toynbee found that the longest-lived changes
took generations to become dominant. Christianity did not convert
everyone in the Roman Empire 5 years after Christ was crucified.

			Best wishes and long long life to all,

				Thomas Donaldson

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