X-Message-Number: 19893 From: "George Smith" <> References: <> Subject: Are "cheaper" approaches really cheaper? Date: Sat, 24 Aug 2002 16:48:54 -0700 In Message #19880 on "Subject: Re: Cheaper Attempted Identity Conservation" D. den Otter offered some alternative sugestion to current cryonics which I have edited and summarized below: "Option #1) PLASTINATION "A 'neuroplastination', using the standard S-10 silicone procedure, would probably cost somewhere between $2,000 and $5,000" My thoughts: (1) With PLASTINATION you need at least $2000. Let's compare that to the Option Two at CI which is $120 per year for membership and around $110 per year for a 21 year old for around $40,000 life insurance (that's $35,000 for the suspension and $5000 for shipping the body). That would be under $250 per year for most people in their 20s to spend. That would mean that you could be signed up with CI for 8 full years (until 2010) for the $2000 you would spend on plastination if the $2000 figure proved correct. Change that to 20 years (until 2022) if you are closer to the higher suggested figure of $5000. The advantage to the CI Option Two approach is that you would not have to come up with the lump sum of $2000 to $5000 now. If you were going to fund this with insurance I understand it is hard to even find a term life insurance policy much under $25,000 anywhere anyway. So I can't see any major advantage money wise to following this option over the CI Option Two program. "Option #2) CRYOGENIC FREEZERS "Now, the basic idea is that 10-20 people, according to the freezer's capacity, would collectively buy the freezer, which costs something like $12,000 + transportation costs." My thoughts: If the lowest fee worked out that would work out to about $600 per person to buy the freezer (wth 20 people) but there would remain the costs for electricity and storage to add. Again, from an individual standpoint $600 would buy a younger adult more than two years with Option Two full body CI suspension. Time to make more money and trade up to a full membership it seems to me. "Option #3): PLASTINATION - CRYOFREEZER COMBO. The poor man's vitrification equivalent. "Superb" protection, but twice (well, not quite) as expensive. " My thoughts: Or have ten years at the Option Two Level at CI. In all this I am not really seeing a huge difference in the costs. It might be nice to have an even lesser expensive option available. That part of the picture makes sense to me. The only question I have is if it is really all that much different. $2000 sounds like a lot less than $35,000 until you look at how to fund that via life insurance. Then the differences shrink considerably. Additionally, in the meantime UNTIL and UNLESS such alternatives ARE available, the Option Two CI membership is in place and available NOW. Don't leave life without it! Just my opinion, George Smith CI Member Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=19893