X-Message-Number: 2977
Date: 11 Aug 94 17:04:15 EDT
From: John de Rivaz <>
Subject: CRYONICS: Radio Cornwall Transcript

>From John de Rivaz,
Member Cryonics Institute
CompuServe 100431,3127

Here is the transcript of the Radio Cornwall programme. Eventually I went on it
myself as well, and it can be seen that this was not a good idea. The programme
follows:

The presenter was Sarah Maunder

Sarah Maunder
A Cornish couple are spending (pause) about 40,000 in an attempt to live again
after they die. Chrissie Loveday and John de Rivaz who live in Portreath (SIC,
note-1) are investing in cryonic suspension. This is a process where people are
frozen when declared dead with a view to being brought back to life again at a
later date.

Chrissie Loveday (against computer noises)
... That article is alright in that particular issue?

John de Rivaz

It adds a human touch to what otherwise is a fairly heavy magazine about cryonic
suspension and life extension...

Chrissie Loveday
Well, I don't know many long words do I ...

Sarah Maunder
Chrissie and John met just over two years ago when she applied to advert in a
dating magazine. It read "Man interested in using technology to prolong life
seeks mate." In the ad, John is referring to cryonic suspension. This process

involves freezing the body the moment death is declared with a view to restoring

it again to an active healthy life in the future, when science has advanced to a
stage when freezing and ageing damage and the cause of death can be rectified.
The Cornish couple have signed up with the Cryonics Institute in Michigan.
Chrissie describes what will be done with her body when she dies.

Chrissie Loveday
When a person dies - ceases to live - the body is placed in a Dewar, a sort of
enormous tank, which contains liquid nitrogen and is frozen. The body obviously
has to be cooled down first and there are various processes that take place to
actually make sure that the body isn't going to be damaged, or at least to
minimalise the damage, should I say. It is stored until such time as anyone
decides to thaw us.

Sarah Maunder
Within hours of death they will be flown to America to rest in tanks until such
time as the Cryonics Institute has developed and perfected the technology of
revival. John de Rivaz says there is no reason to believe this won't be
achieved.

John de Rivaz
I think it will work, yes. Obviously in this world nothing is perfectly safe. I
think the main objections to cryonics working are organisational, political or
legal or something like that. One has to look at other scientific things that
were never supposed to work, like powered flight for example. Somebody said it
wouldn't work because of calculations based on steam engines. They ignored the
possibility of internal combustion engines.

Sarah Maunder
As for how it will work, Chrissie describes the reanimation process.

Chrissie Loveday

Its a sort of technology called nanotechnology. Basically it is something like a
machine the size of a cell that will be put into the body and will cause cells
to reproduce (note 2)

Sarah Maunder
To enure that her body and brain will be fit to go through the process of
freezing and reanimation, Chrissie carries a special whole body donor card. But
the price of preparing for this life after death isn't cheap.

Chrissie Loveday
First of all you have to sign up, and that is $1250, probably about 800. The
actual suspension fee is $28,000, and then the transport fees - they are going
to be on top of that, as we have to get to America obviously; and because the
process relies on fairly swift action, we have even organised an undertaker who
has prepared to prepare the body, chill it and so on and carry that out.

Sarah Maunder
But as John says, if all this doesn't work, they won't have lost a thing.

John de Rivaz
Cryonics may not work, but if it doesn't work you have not really lost anything
by using it, as you can't take the money with you and the alternatives of
rotting or burning (burial or cremation in polite society) offer nothing in
return except total annihilation.

Sarah Maunder
The couple are convinced this is the best way to go. As Chrissie says, it will
save the grief and expense of a funeral.

Tamsin Thomas (main presenter)

I wonder whether you would chose their option after having heard their arguments
for going for it and deciding to be frozen after death. Perhaps you would like
to talk about it with Jo Hallam. The lines are open on 0872 222222.

************

We listened to the afternoon phone in, and the subject was not raised. This was

probably just as well, as the way the programme was presented opened us to abuse
over matters such as "Why are you spending all that money like this when you
could give it to the poor, or starving people in Africa etc., (or even to me. I
have 27 children and I can't afford ...)" In fact when interviewed Chrissie had
gone to a great deal of trouble to counter this possible objection, and drew

comparison between the modest costs of the Cryonics Institute when compared to a
lifetime spent smoking, eating out, holidaying, or other general and acceptable
hobbies.

Note one:

We live in Porthtowan, not Portreath. Whether Sarah realised that we didn't want
an exact location given  (I had given the address the post man can find but
which is virtually unlocatable for anyone else) or whether it was a mistake -
her next job was interviewing holidaymakers on Portreath beach.

Note two:
I know this a bit wrong, but I think it gives the idea possibly better than
attempting a detailed exposition that may have been cut.


The interviewer spent some hours recording things, yet the completed program was
only three minutes long.

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