X-Message-Number: 15854
Date: Tue, 13 Mar 2001 11:42:15 -0500
From: "Henry R. Hirsch" <>
Subject: Motivation for reanimation

David King asks why future generations will want to reanimate us. There are 
two possibilities:

1.	THERE ARE VERY FEW OF US. At present this seems likely. If so, people 
will want to get from us, first hand, knowledge of how life back was in the 
primitive times back in the 20'th century. They will reanimate everyone 
they can for this purpose, not just a sample. My intention is to make a 
living on the lecture circuit. Maybe I'll write books, electronic or otherwise.

2.	THERE ARE MANY OF US. In that case our organizations, such as Cryonics 
Institute and Alcor, will be large and correspondingly powerful 
politically. Then we have no problem.

In my opinion, it is likely that the main risk for today's cryonics 
patients is the chance that  they will not remain in suspension long enough 
to be reanimated. Reanimation should be possible in fifty to one hundred 
years, given the astonishing rate of progress in the biological sciences 
that we see today. The main risk is that those currently in suspension will 
be destroyed in that length of time by war, natural disaster, or technical 
or financial mismanagement of cryonics facilities.

If it were not for the expense, I would favor locating such facilities 
underground in geologically stable areas remote from population centers. 
These would contain their own power and liquid nitrogen sources. 
Unfortunately we can't afford this and will have to take our chances.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Henry R. Hirsch
Department of Physiology                   Phone: (859)323-5438
MS508 Chandler Medical Center              Fax:   (859)323-1070
University of Kentucky                     E-Mail: 
Lexington, KY 40536-0298
USA

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