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 Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=15854