X-Message-Number: 2300 Date: 06 Jun 93 12:59:27 EDT From: Charles Platt <> Subject: CRYONICS Openness and Honesty To: Cryonet June 6, 1993 Preliminary note: Once again I have been having trouble with my e-mail provider. Some messages have not reached me. Anyone who receives no reply from me at can try me at CompuServe, 71042.3557. MindVox is still being built, which leads to glitches now and then. --- I agree entirely with Steve Bridge, about the desirability of openness, here, so long as it doesn't turn into a self- destructive exercise. Okay, Steve, if you want to reinstate openness, let's begin with the audit that was done of Alcor finances. CRYONICS magazine published that audit. However, as I understand it, there was an additional letter from the auditors, addressed to Alcor management, spelling out some recommendations, and mentioning some problems. This letter was NOT published in CRYONICS, presumably because it was unflattering. How about letting us see it, here on the net? After all, the audit was largely paid for by people like me. Shouldn't we have a chance to read the full story, not just the nice part? Needless to say, Alcor has no moral or legal obligation to make that letter public. But, if we're going for more openness, I guess my question is, what are the limits, here? --- Re the "stablization team member who was sent home for not shaving": the complete story, beginning with a standby in Boston and ending with Stanley Gerber deciding not to go through paramedic school, is a whole lot more complicated than this. Please note that Stanley still works as an EMT, so far as I know, and is still the most active member of Alcor New York's stabilization team. If anyone really cares about all the personal details, they can send me e-mail and I will put them in touch with Stanley direct. --- To Ben Best: You suggest it's natural to be more open with a close friend than with a stranger. True. And this does explain to some extent why we emphasize problems with our fellow cryonicists, while de-emphasizing them to the outside world. On the other hand, cryonics is (supposed to be) a SCIENCE. And so far as I know, scientists don't generally cover up inconvenient facts (such as cracking) when they are discussing their experiments. The real problem is that we're trying to sell something which doesn't work yet. We think it WILL work, and we feel justified in selling it because it's potentially a life- saving procedure. But judged by the standards which apply to any other "normal" enterprise, cryonics is hopelessly under- developed and not at all ready for marketing. That, I think, is why we find ourselves hesitating, not sure how open to be. Seems to me, the only answer to this problem is to do the research which will make cryonics more functional. That's why I feel it is worth putting money into the current research effort being promoted by Saul Kent. Incidentally, a tentative plan has been made for Mike Darwin, Saul, and perhaps Steve Harris to come to New York on July 25 and give a presentation regarding the research which their company, 21st Century Medicine, wants to accomplish. I do not yet have precise details, but anyone on the East Coast who is interested might want to make a note of that date. --Charles Platt Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=2300