X-Message-Number: 15341
Date: Sun, 14 Jan 2001 23:35:20 -0500
From: Paul Antonik Wakfer <>
Subject: Ettinger's Mischievous Associational Remarks - CryoNet #15333
References: <>

> Message #15333
> From: 
> Date: Sat, 13 Jan 2001 11:49:50 EST
> Subject: Fahy
> 
> Cryonet message # 15324 from Paul Wakfer, appearing on 1/12/01, carried
> embedded in it a message from Gregory M. Fahy, Ph.D., director of research
> for the INC (Institute for Neural Cryobiology), titled "HSCP Progress Report
> and Plans." (HSCP is the hippocampal slice cryopreservation project.) I
> believe Dr. Fahy is also lead scientist at 21CM. He is a veteran
> cryobiologist with many published papers as well as patents to his credit, a
> vitrification pioneer, and has also been associated with cryonics since he
> was a teen ager. We raised him from a pup, in a manner of speaking.

The report in question was from a research organization which, despite
the fact that its results might be usable for cryonics, with respect to
its research purposes, has no connection whatever with cryonics. Dr Fahy
is Director of Research of that organization, the Institute for Neural
Cryobiology. The posted report made no mention of cryonics and was
posted to CryoNet merely for informative and fund raising purposes as
cryobiological research which might be of interest to cryonicists. By
trotting out and publicizing ancient history, Mr Ettinger may have
caused grievous harm to Dr Fahy wrt his professional connections in
cryobiology, and may have heavily damaged the future possibilities of
the publication of vitrification research.
The rest of Mr Ettinger's post only made things worse. Does he not
realize that all CryoNet posts are *publicly* accessible on the
Internet, and that ones with the title "Fahy" will be especially
noticeable and may be noticed.
Dr Fahy has already suffered enormously over the years in lack of honors
and privileges from those in his own profession. I cannot fathom why Mr
Ettinger is continuing to help the "enemy" further crucify this
brilliant scientist for his past "sins", and to prevent him from
obtaining the stature which he deserves. Frankly, it is hard to believe
that Mr Ettinger's purpose is not to ruin all involved with 21CM and, in
general, anyone doing anything which he feels might threaten CI. The
fact that there was no comment regarding the substance of the report but
only homilies about the history of the man who wrote it, only
strengthens this conclusion.

[snip]

> As another sidelight, in my amateur opinion, if any scientist were to be
> expelled from the Society for Cryobiology, or refused membership, because his
> scientific opinion tended to favor cryonics, the Society would be in big
> trouble. Its tax exemption would be in jeopardy, not to mention its
> scientific reputation and its legal liability for damages.

If Mr Ettinger and CI are willing to provide for legal expenses, I
expect it would not be hard to find a cryonicist who would be willing to
attempt to join the Society for Cryobiology while openly and blatantly
espousing cryonics. 

> Now, there have been requests--including relatively recent ones--that Fahy's
> name not appear on Cryonet, still for fear of damaging his career in some
> way. I made no promise to honor such requests, but nevertheless have not
> mentioned his name on Cryonet recently, as far as I can recall. With Wakfer's
> post, containing the message signed by Fahy, things have changed a bit.

It changed nothing. The post was a report from a non-cryonics
organization which is pursuing cryopreservation research on neural
tissue. This work has no direct orientation to cryonics. It is hard for
me to believe that Mr Ettinger does not understand the distinction.


-- Paul --

The Institute for Neural Cryobiology - http://neurocryo.org
A California charitable corporation funding research to
perfect cryopreservation of central nervous system tissue
for neuroscience research & medical repair of the brain.
Voice-mail: 416-968-6291  Fax: 559-663-5511

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