X-Message-Number: 32365
Date: Sat, 6 Feb 2010 09:43:58 -0800 (PST)
From: 
Subject: cryonics terminology

Message #32363
>From: 
>Subject: Re: CI growth rate decreasing?

>>David Stodolsky wrote:
>> 163 suspendees predicted by 2010.1.1
>> 85 suspendees actual by 2010.1.1

>  Also, why do you insist on
>using the term "suspendees" rather
>than patients? Even if you do not believe
>that they are patients, or that it is not
>scientific to call them patients, "suspension"
>is (obsolete) non-scientific cryonics jargon.
>"Cryopreserved persons", or even "cryonically
>preserved persons" would be more scientific
>terminology.
>
I'll have to support David's terminology here.
In the eyes of the law, all "suspendees" are corpses.
In BC, any reference to them that implies they  are not dead bodies would
risk the intervention by law inforcement officers. Terms such as patients
or persons can not be applied to corpses. By definition, a patient is a
live human being who is currently under medical treatment. Not only is a
"suspendee" not a live human being, but cryonics itself can not be
refered to as a medical treatment. since these procedures are only applied
to live human being. Aside from the legal risk, referring to
"suspendees" as either persons or patients constitutes fraud by any
definition of the word. There is no single word to decribe the frozen
corpses stored by CI and Alcor, so one has to be invented. I'll assume
"corpsicle" is a termininology that although legal, would not prove to be
popular with people who have spent good money to make cryonics
arrangemnts. "Suspended animation" is also not acceptible in the eyes of
the law, since this implies the "suspendees" are not dead. Using words in
the dictionary, the closest description of corpses stored by cryonics
societies would be frozen corpse. Although in BC "suspendee" would be
suspect due to the resemblance to the terms "suspended animation", one
could likely "get away with it" because this term is not in (at least
my) dictionary. My own current preference is for the most accurate and
honest description: "frozen corpse". Once full vitrification is an option,
I would use the term "vitrified corpse". However for PR purposes, I am
quite sure these terms will never see common usage.

Perhaps members on this list can suggest a new term to replace
"suspendee" that is both fully legal, and yet is still a good PR term?

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