X-Message-Number: 33276
From: David Stodolsky <>
Subject: Re: Two professors
Date: Wed, 26 Jan 2011 13:04:26 +0100

 wrote:


> David S. Stodolsky. the former previously at the University of Michigan and 
the 
> latter presently at the University of Copenhagen. 

My official association to U. CPH ended 1998.


> 
> Dr. Stodolsky's main thrust seems to be that cryonics is doomed to slow 

> growth until we can effect a basic change in public attitudes, which might be
> done with a couple of million dollars worth of public relations efforts.


My proposal is not to change public attitudes, but to identify or create a 
subculture with more positive attitudes. I also assume a repackaging of cryonics
to make it more attractive and less economically demanding. 


> He 
> also, it appears to me, puts misleading emphasis on the role of religion. 


All surveys show that religiosity is inversely related to positive views toward 
cryonics / life-extension.


> He emphasizes "terror management," the terror in question being related to 
> attacks on one's world view. 

Terror management theory concerns the terror of death.



<http://cosmism.blogspot.com/2010/05/existentialism-today-terror-management.html>


> 
> Dr. Havelock's views are given in his recent book, ACCELERATION, which I am 
> in the process of reading and will review in due course. The thrust is 
> that basic historical forces are at work putting the wind at our backs, and 
> improving in recent decades and years. 


This doesn't contradict my view. My analysis is more short-term and more limited
to socio-political dynamics. Just guessing here, since I haven't read the book.



dss


David Stodolsky
  Skype: davidstodolsky

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