X-Message-Number: 1740
Date: Fri, 12 Feb 93 11:05:31 -0700
From:  (Kenneth Tolman)
Subject: Re:  cryonics: #1734-#1736

   It seems to me that marketing cryonics in competition with religion is
a poor idea, unless some religion takes cryonics up as a flag.  Marketing
cryonics as a supplement to religion is more workable.

  Cryonics can never claim to bring immortality... even if cryonics has a
100% chance of success, there will be a finite probability of destruction
during every time interval and this will bring on ultimate death.  The sum
of any finite probability of destruction going to infinity of time yields
a probability of 1.0.  (Much like flipping a die with any number of sides
forever will eventually bring up a 1 with a prob of 1.0)
  If one reduces the probability every time interval, (adds another face
to the die) then the probability of destruction falls below 1.0, but still
does not ensure immortality.

  I think cryonicists should face that they will probably die forever at
some point, and that cryonics is really a fantastic life extension 
mechanism.  To assume otherwise is self deluding and leads to discussion and
advertising which will turn possible prospects off.

  Cryonics <> immortality
  Cryonics == expanded experience

[ Kenneth, concerning religion I think that we actually agree
  (or nearly agree) but you don't realize it yet.  My suggestion
  is that we have several competing resolutions for the same
  "root meme": outrage against death.  Cryonics provides one
  resolution and some religions provide other resolutions.
  In that sense they are competitors.  Recognizing religious
  resolutions as competitors in our marketing strategy is not
  at all the same as deciding to market cryonics head-to-head
  against them.  As I pointed out several times, competing
  head-to-head against an established competitor does not work.
  That is why my religion-related marketing proposals did NOT
  market cryonics in competition with religion.  In one case
  the proposal was to market cryonics strictly as a health
  preservation service and in the other case as an enhanced way
  to *practice* the religion rather than as a competitor to it.
  Oh, by the way, when I say "resolution" I do not necessarily
  mean a solution that really works.  I just mean that it
  satisfies the person enough that he/she does not go looking
  for another resolution. - KQB ]

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