X-Message-Number: 24755
From: 
Date: Mon, 4 Oct 2004 09:05:38 EDT
Subject: Re: Shermer and Cryonics

In a message dated 10/4/2004 5:00:29 AM Eastern Daylight Time,  
 writes:


Message #24752
From: "Tripper McCarthy"  <>
Subject: The Skeptic One of Us?
Date: Sun,  03 Oct 2004 20:08:46 +0000

An article in Scientific American I think  might be of interest to us. See 
the discussion  here:

http://www.universalimmortalism.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=8

Tripper

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Hello, Tripper, and fellow cryoneters,
 
This is Rudi Hoffman, back from the greatest trip I have ever enjoyed, two  
weeks in England and UK.  We saw and thoroughly examined some 40 points of  
interest, which I will elucidate later on an "off topic" post.
 
But I wanted to briefly respond to Shermer and cryonics issue, since I was  
personally involved in trying to sign Michael Shermer up.  

Perhaps  4 or 5 years ago I attended a fabulous "Skeptics" conference, 

sponsored by James  Randi in Ft. Lauderdale, FL.  Shermer was one of the 
speakers.
 
Michael was/is a fitness buff (He was involved with the Bicycle Race Across  
America for a time) and would swim in the pool in the mornings.  Thinking  it 
would be a real "coup" for cryonics I arranged to be in the pool with him, we  
were the only swimmers there.  

We talked about cryonics, and the  funding of same through life insurance.  

He was very aware of the concepts  and ideas, and had enjoyed some considerable
contact with Dr. Steven Harris,  evidently.
 
He was not particularly negative.  He even seemed interested. 
 
Which is why I was so ticked when he disparaged cryonics in his skeptic  
column in SA, and especially because he wrote that it was a hugely costly and  

unlikely bet.  He KNOWS most folks fund with life insurance as a VERY  
affordable 
choice!

I wrote a succinct and crisp letter to the editor of  SA, sending it both in 
electronic and snail mailed form.  But letter was  never printed or responded 
to.
 
Yes, I agree Shermer would be a reasonable prospect, given his  materialistic 
and atomistic outlook on brain patterns and sense of self in the  articles 
you reference above.  So would James Randi, who I also talked with  about 

cryonics.  So would have been Francis Crick, who, sadly, is now  permanently 
dead as 
of July of cancer.
 
We will eventually additional high profile thought leaders and scientists  as 
rational cryonicists.  Although Joe Waynick made it clear that everybody  

must pay their own freight, closing the door on PR based signups discounted for
good publicity value.
 
Must go for now, have 364 emails and a stack of mail a meter high, with  
cryonics sales to process and wonderful people to serve.  Great to be  back!
 
Warm greetings to all,
 
Rudi Hoffman


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