X-Message-Number: 26873
Date: Tue, 23 Aug 2005 09:30:30 -0400
From: Thomas Donaldson <>
Subject: my corrections were correct + comments

Hi everyone!

I went to the ANU library to photocopy relevant papers for PERIASTRON
today, and also looked at the book reviews in NATURE. The reviewer
was Tom Kirkwood, and the book is the one I gave in my correction
message on 22 August, Msg# 26869.

Despite what some people think (and perhaps many more think but 
aren't brave enough to publicly claim) I doubt very much that we'll
get much lifespan increase near term. I say this by observing how
fast medicine has progressed in the past and progresses now: slowly,
very slowly. Even getting most doctors interested in therapies for
aging rather than cancers and heart disease looks like a very slow
process; and if someone comes up with a treatment which slows
human aging, it could take a human lifespan for its effect to be
generally accepted. Just not the best conditions for rapid increases
in lifespan.

I will add that cryonics, even though unpopular, doesn't suffer from
the same problems that medicine suffers. Success of a method for
prolonged suspended animation, or even successful preservation of
brains, can be verified far more quickly than any antiaging treatment
for humans, and research in vitrification is far enough along that
we may work out preservation methods far sooner.

           Best wishes and long long life for all,

               Thomas Donaldson

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