X-Message-Number: 14304
Date: Sun, 13 Aug 2000 04:59:47 -0400
From: Paul Wakfer <>
Subject: Re: CryoNet #14296 - more on INC etc.
References: <>

> Message #14296
> From: 
> Date: Fri, 11 Aug 2000 23:01:22 EDT
> Subject: more on INC etc.
> 
> Last night I decided I would personally contribute $10k to the INC
> immediately, if that were needed to prevent collapse of the hippocampal
> project.

And I wish to thank Bob again, publicly, for that offer, made when he
thought the project's situation and Yuri's tenure in the US was
desperate.
The immanent "collapse" was recently averted by the donation by CryoCare
of half its bank account in the name of Roy Yowell from whence the money
originally came.

> This may seem strange to some people, in view of my frequent questioning and
> criticism, but there is nothing inconsistent. I still have large reservations
> and deep misgivings about the INC, but there is also a possible upside, and
> as usual the information is incomplete and any decision chancy. One answer is
> to compromise, as most of us do in most cases. Spread a little here and a
> little there.

I have striven to make it as complete as *I* possibly can and I have
agreed with you that the INC/21CM situation is not optimal wrt
separation and awarding of costs and benefits. However, all life
decisions are of necessity made with incomplete information, often with
"reservations and deep misgivings", and thus, are always "chancy".
Personally, I don't see this as any "compromise".
 
> One who has done the most recently to keep the project in business is Ben
> Best. Ben is a CI member (as well as a CryoCare member, CC being now
> inactive), and he stands to gain nothing in immediate personal payoff,
> because 21CM has contractual rights to the marketing and 21CM is apparently
> working now mainly with Alcor and BioTransport. But Ben is convinced the
> project is important for the longer term and in the larger picture, and this
> outweighs any quibbling about who gets the profits etc. I have already said
> repeatedly that this is one respectable approach.

In fact several of the major donors to the HSCP are not members of Alcor
and for the same reason stand to make no immediate gain from their
generosity. 
 
> There will be a much longer discussion of these matters in the next issue of
> THE IMMORTALIST. I am MUCH less sanguine about the INC and the hippocampal
> project than Best and Wakfer and others, for several very specific reasons
> which I will detail. I may also make further comments on Cryonet.

I hope that you will see fit to make the same comments on Cryonet which
you make in the Immortalist so that these can be fairly discussed in an
open forum. 

> Fortunately, according to a recent message from Wakfer, there is no urgency
> to rescue the project, which is (probably, depending on certain
> contingencies) funded through the end of this year 2000. If and when there is
> an urgent need, then, in the absence of any important new information, I will
> make a personal donation and ask the CI directors about a CI and IS donation.

While there *appears* to be no urgency at the moment (funds are now
available to cover bare costs at the current "burn" rate until the end
of the year), this could change due to two factors.
1) Yuri is now efficiently doing such valuable work under Greg's
guidance that he make run out of useful things to do with the limited
equipment available at his location, before that end of the year or
before his new visa status comes through. If this happens then INC will
need additional funds to purchase the additional equipment necessary to
keep Yuri gainfully occupied.
2) Yuri visa status and the project's location apart from 21CM may have
to be maintained past the end of 2000 and INC has no funds for this
purpose.

In addition, as I have detailed to Bob in private correspondence and he
agreed, it would be useful to have a small independent source of funding
for Dr Fahy to allow him to have more leverage in determining exactly
what research is done at 21CM.
Finally, while Bob, Greg, Ben and I all agree the Yuri has at last shown
himself to be a very valuable investigator who we all wish to have
remain working on brain cryopreservation, 21CM does not yet appear to be
of the same opinion and may not wish to employ Yuri even after his visa
status allows that. In that case, his work for Greg will need to be
funded from outside sources of which INC appears to be the logical
choice, especially since there is still a major portion of the HSCP
plans which is yet to be accomplished.

Therefore, I believe that it is still necessary for those wishing to
support these objectives to think in terms of doing so before the end of
this year.

Paul Wakfer

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