X-Message-Number: 32620
Date: Sun, 13 Jun 2010 13:24:41 +0000 (UTC)
From: Melody Maxim <>
Subject: Promotional Fixes / Public Relations


Charles Platt chides David Stodolsky for imagining a "quick fix." The 
suggestions I made, which Mr. Stodolsky was supporting, had nothing to do with a
"quick fix." With the damage that has been done to the public image of 
cryonics, over the years, it would take a significant amount of effort to 
convert the entire industry to professionals using state-of-the art equipment.


In regard to the Omni contest, I would assume most of the readers were 
unfamiliar with existing medical procedures upon which cryonics should be based.
If I were to walk out in a public place, today, and tell strangers I have 
cooled dozens of people to a state of death, (some of them "dead," with most of 
the blood drained from their bodies, for more than an hour), so that surgeons 
could perform repairs on their ascending aortas, and that many of these patients
survived, most people would probably not believe me. Yet, this type of 
procedure has been successfully performed, for more than half a century. Throw 
in the many accusations of alleged unethical, unprofessional, and illegal 
activities, related to cryonics, coupled with the fact that most of the key 
players remain the same, no matter how many times they are publicly exposed, and
is it any wonder most people won't take cryonics seriously? The public needs to
be educated about cryonics, but this is unlikely to be accomplished by the 
people currently in positions of power, in cryonics, because many of them are 
seriously lacking in credibility.
 

I can't believe Mr. Platt would even comment on "(f)inding stable, trustworthy 
people to perform field work (being) very difficult." Do Mr. Platt's definitions
of "stable" and "trustworthy" fit the conventional definitions of those terms, 
or do the mean someone who is willing to go along with, and cover up for, 
questionable cryonics activities? Does "stable" mean someone who will "go along 
to get along," no matter how ridiculous a company's projects might be? Does 
"trustworthy" mean people who will shred documents and delete computer files, 
hide projects someone might have valid objections to, or allow their superior to
use their email address for his political agendas?


Mr. Platt also writes that "...promoting cryonics is extremely difficult, mainly
because, almost anyone can see that cryonics doesn't work yet." The real 
problem is that anyone familiar with existing equipment and procedures, related 
to hypothermic procedures, can see that it's unlikely to EVER work, given the 
amateur nature of the equipment and personnel. By comparison, "suspending" 
someone for a period of an hour, should be relatively simple, shouldn't it? By 
that, I mean a company trying to suspend people for decades, or centuries, 
should certainly be capable of performing hypothermic procedures, which were 
perfected decades ago, should they not? Yet, what would happen, if we were to 
substitute Alcor and/or SA staff members and equipment for what would normally 
be found in open-heart procedures? Would approximately 96% of their patients 
survive, as in conventional medicine? Given what I've seen, my bet would be 100%
would die. It's absurd to think people who can't even begin to match given 
technology, which has existed for decades, can surpass it.


In regard to Mr. Platt's remarks on Mr. Ettinger "(being) said to have wasted 
$25,000 on Olga Visser, the lady who

claimed to be able to revive a frozen rat heart," I can honestly say I have 
never seen anyone waste more money on foolishness, than Mr. Platt, himself. The 
projects he was leading, at SA, (vehicle ramps, perfusion level detectors, 
Autopulse modification, cooldown box, etc.), combined, certainly ran into seven 
figures over the years, (mostly man-hours), and were all ridiculous, in my 
opinion, as a medical professional very familiar with hypothermic procedures. 
$25K is but a drop in the bucket, compared to the millions that have been spent 
at CCR, Alcor and SA, on some very questionable, and often fruitless, projects.


As Mr. Stodolsky writes, "Without integrity, there is no trust and confidence. 
Expecting people to hand over a large sum of cash for many tens of years of 
suspension will be impeded by any lack of this type." There is never going to be
progress, in the technology, or the marketing, of cryonics, for so long as the 
key players remain the same.

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