X-Message-Number: 30315
From: 
Date: Mon, 14 Jan 2008 13:16:55 EST
Subject: "Investing" in cryonics

David Pizer confirms that he (sometimes?) has the ear of wealthy people  
interested in cryonics, presumably mostly Alcor members. He also says that  

attempts to get them to "invest" in cryonics or to back a new cryonics  
organization 
have not been successful. Let me see if I can offer anything  constructive.
 
First, if "investing" means for profit, it is difficult to see how a  

prospect of profit can be made credible, and also difficult to see why the rest
of 
us should be interested. So that leaves "investing" in the sense of improving  
our own chances and those of our families and friends, as well as the general  
public.
 
The outstanding fact is that most people, including the wealthy members, do  
not have a clear idea of what they can do and why they should do it. They do 

not  contribute, either in time and effort or in money, nearly as much as they
readily could. Our major PR effort probably should be addressed here. All of 
the  "charitable" organizations recognize that the best source of new money is 
old  money, i.e. the best prospects for donations are those who have already 
donated. 
 
CI's strength has several sources. First, the low price means that  many can 
afford quality cryopreservation only at CI. Second, CI is now #1  in patient 
population, 85 to 78, and apparently growing faster. Third, by some  measures, 
CI's vitrification procedure gets results that have not been matched,  as far 
as I know, by Alcor (although there are several caveats and uncertainties  

here). Fourth, in the opinion of some, CI's corporate structure seems better for
the likelihood of long term survival.
 
Alcor has its own strengths, including the conveyed impression or  perception 
in many minds  that it is the "leader." It has more  higher-profile members 
and more wealthy members, as well as more total  membership. It has more 
financial assets (although also much higher expenses). 
 
My point is that those interested in advancing cryonics would probably do  

better to help the existing organizations rather than try to start a new one. If
 Alcor picks up steam, that will not bother us at CI. We would welcome it,  
because a rising tide lifts all boats. If Alcor did not exist, CI would 
probably  be smaller. Ben Best has given practical assistance to Alcor.
 
As to precisely how to get more help from existing members, I have no magic  
mantras. Our Ph.D. psychologist members, and our professional marketer  

members, don't either. But I have one small repeated suggestion with the  merit 
of 
explicitness, as follows. Try to get the members to promise, on a  periodic 

basis (for CI members I suggest 6 times a year, when our magazine, Long  Life, 
is 
delivered) that they make a specified contrilbution, and report it. The  
promise and report make it more likely they will do it. (Each issue of the  

magazine should contain the reminder.) The contribution could be money, even a

modest amount--everybody can afford something. Or/and it could be a discussion
with a family member or friend, of a non-confrontational nature. It could be  

messages to newspapers or web sites. The important thing is the habit of doing
something, not just once but regularly.
 
Robert Ettinger



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