X-Message-Number: 31624
References: <>
Subject: Re: CryoNet #31623
Date: Mon, 20 Apr 2009 12:43:27 -0400
From: 

I have listened carefully to this NPR broadcast twice now, and I think 
it is important for everyone involved in cryonics to also listen 
carefully and absorb the many lessons that it teaches.  First of all, I 
think we should absolve Nelson of blame for what happened. This poor 
man was struggling with a task which was way over his head. He deceived 
himself, as others have before and since, with the notion that many 
people would flock to cryonics once they realized that it had a real 
possibility of working. he greatly underestimated the length of time it 
woulod take for cryonics to become popular. We are still waiting.
More importantly, he also greatly underestimated the basic requirements 
for making it work, the first of which is to have an adequately funded 
and competently staffed facility with the ability to maintain itself 
over long periods. I think he gambled that, something like that 
mythical ballfield, if he started it and had real capsules filled with 
liquid nitrogen, they would come.  Those who actually came, including 
the famous Dr Bedford, came with hope and desperation in their hearts 
but they came empty-handed. How could they imagine that this service 
would be free?   Simply put, they took advantage of this man, and he 
returned the favor by promising much more than he could possibly 
deliver.
Fast forward 30 years and what do we have? Just two organizations, both 
small, understaffed, and growing only slowly. Does either of these 
organizations really have the staying power to remain in business for 
another two hundred years or thereabouts, protecting the remains of 
those who put their trust in them?  Is ALCOR  protected from yet 
another hired CEO who will raid their treasury and betray their trust 
for fun and profit?  Does CI have a plan for who will eventually take 
the place of the highly estimable Ben Best and the doggedly loyal and 
hardworking Andy? Can either organization be shielded from lawsuits and 
predators coming at them from left and right?
Finally, we need to think about our charity cases. I note that ALCOR 
doesn't take them so their appeals are all directed to CI, making CI 
even more vulnerable. Our discreditors frequently raise the question of 
the expense of cryonics. Can we really be honest about this? ALCOR's 
$150K for a full body suspension is five times as much as CI. What is 
going on here?

Ron Havelock

-----Original Message-----
From: CryoNet <>
To: 
Sent: Mon, 20 Apr 2009 5:00 am
Subject: CryoNet #31623

CryoNet - Mon 20 Apr 2009

    #31623: Re: radio program [David Wallace Croft]

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Message #31623
Date: Sun, 19 Apr 2009 13:14:05 -0700 (PDT)
From: David Wallace Croft <>
Subject: Re: radio program

> Message #31622
> Date: Sat, 18 Apr 2009 22:58:35 -0700
> Subject: radio program
> From: Keith Henson <>
>
> I didn't hear it all, but there was a program on NPR
> tonight, This
> American life by Ira Glass, that discussed the Chatsworth
> disaster and
> interviewed Nelson.
>
> It seemed reasonably sympathetic to cryonics.


Here is the URL:
http://www.thislife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?episode=354


--
David Wallace Croft / (214) 636-3790 m
http://www.CroftSoft.com/people/david/

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