X-Message-Number: 26789 Date: Tue, 9 Aug 2005 09:37:37 -0400 From: Thomas Donaldson <> Subject: comments on 9 Aug issue Cryonet Hi Cryonetters! As for the words "cryoneer" and "suicide", those suggesting them (or objecting to them) have nothing to say with which I disagree, though by now the current language looks quite fixed and changing the words even a small community such as that of cryonics uses looks like it will be hard. As for David Stodolsky's calculations, they tell me that cryonics will remain quite small even by 2040, big in terms of present size but still quite small compared to almost any other group in the world (and for 2040, perhaps even the Solar System). The day may someday come when the rate of growth of cryonics becomes, at least for a while, far greater, so much that cryonicists become the vast majority and those who aren't become almost as rare as cryonicists do now. That would require, of course, a rate of growth much higher than any present cryonics society. As a matter of planning, it's probably best to plan on our societies remaining small. I also note one more proposal for how we can commit suicide if necessary (note that conditions such as Alzheimer's or brain tumors may require us to do just that if we want to be suspended while REALLY alive, rather than just "alive" in the belief of those who are not cryonicists). I say of this proposal and others that they do not look like methods which would prevent police and others from wondering whether we were murdered, and therefore require an autopsy. Starvation will prevent such a judgement. Finally, even though Basie does not subscribe to PERIASTRON, I will point out that scientific work on behavior of our brain cells (including our neurons) forms one of the main subjects of my newsletter. Yes, it has its own technicalities, but with patience anyone reading Cryonet will come to understand it. I will also add that there's lots of other work worth reporting, too, all of it relevant to brains, brain damage, and cryonics, and too much for me alone to handle. But within these limits PERIASTRON is a good way to keep in touch with what's happening. And I will say this not just to Basie but to any subscriber to Cryonet. Best wishes and long long life to all, Thomas Donaldson Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=26789