X-Message-Number: 19461 Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 12:12:35 -0700 From: Olaf Henny <> Subject: Not a disaster, but an oportunity! References: <> In Message #19446 Colin Jacobs <> wrote in part: Subject: CNN discussion of cryonics... ouch. "Hi, I'm a long-time lurker (and Alcor member). Man oh man, cryonics is sure in the news these last few days - and what a disaster!" I disagree. I never bothered to remember the name of the politician, who coined the phrase: "I don't care what you write about me, just spell my name right". But according to my observances he was dead right. There is no such thing as bad publicity for any group as obscure as cryonics. Take my own route toward it: Sometime in the seventies or early eighties I read of the concept of suspended animation due to cryogenic cooling (during extended space voyages). I found the concept intriguing, but did not think much about it. Then about seven or eight years I read in a local (Vancouver) paper about a group of 'wackos' in Ontario, who suspended their deceased members in liquid nitrogen in the hope of reviving them later, when their diseases can be cured. I went to my computer and searched 'cryogenic suspension' and the rest is history. The 'wacky' bit did not bother me in the slightest. As most on this forum I looked at the facts with an open mind and decided on my own terms, what *I* should accept as reasonable, not on the basis of a half cocked opinion of a reporter, who formed it on the fly-by. If cryonicists have anything in common, it is that we form our own opinions apart from the drift of the herd. Until our membership increases by two or three orders of magnitude, the only viable candidates will have to come from people of the same ilk. Even though this breed constitutes only one or two of the general population, there are _millions_ of them out there. The Williams case has two sides to it: First the potentially very tragic human side, if his suspension should be interrupted by order of the courts, and he effectively be sentenced to die. Secondly the for us brighter result, that we gain a lot of publicity. Here is why I am optimistic about this aspect: While our publicity has in the past been in form of presentations by distinguished members of our community, i.e. 'we' were talking *at* the public, this new controversy has the aspects of a discussion. Pro and contra arguments are flung about, stimulating thought and forming of opinions. Thus engraining the whole issue much more deeply in the public's minds, then addressing a passive audience could achieve. Even if the opinion pronounce cryonics 100:1 as flaky, the 1% of 'pros' might be enough to flood cryonic organizations with requests for information and membership. Remember: We do not want to win an election, - just new members! And 1000 new members out of a population of 300 to 500 million potentials would double our strength. Best, Olaf Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=19461