X-Message-Number: 485
From att!compuserve.com!73647.1215 Wed Oct  2 00:20:13 EDT 1991
Date: 01 Oct 91 02:27:49 EDT
From: Thomas Donaldson <>
Subject: Part II: Funding Cryonics Research

Greg's second report was:
2. Very significant success in his work on vitrification of kidneys.
Greg reported that he had developed an apparatus, and a system for infus-
ing enough glycerol and propylene glycol (from memory I believe that was
his formula) to vitrify rabbit kidneys and most important, recover about
33% of them enough that they could support life as the only kidney of the
rabbit. This is a BIG milestone.

Here is the issue. Greg wants very badly to use his technique on brains.
Among its advantages will be that the massive destruction he found and
reported at this meeting >>> would not occur at all <<<. However, there
is a serious problem. No one else in the Red Cross, where he works, has
anything but hostility to cryonics and its ideas. To do brain experiments
he requires materials with which to work, not only the solutions of special
cryoprotectant (designed for vitrification, not freezing) but also chemi-
cals such as osmium tetroxide, to stain the resulting tissue and examine
its structure after it has been vitrified and then rewarmed to living
temperature. But they watch him closely to see that all the material he
draws from the Red Cross Labs is used solely and purely on the vitrific-
ation of RABBIT KIDNEYS.

Greg believes that with $15000 he could work out a method to vitrify 
brains and verify its success. He was asking for contributions.

Unfortunately there is a disgraceful problem. Attendance at this dinner
was far below what we had expected. No more than 15 people showed up;  
Carlos, who was doing the accounting of contributions, said that the 
dinner had only raised about $2000. If that accounting was gross rather 
than net, the actual sum for research would be even less.

I know that members may have had many reasons not to attend or contribute
and find it difficult to criticise any INDIVIDUAL member. But if we really
expect any progress toward true, reversible cryonics suspension, WE MUST
MAKE THAT PROGRESS OURSELVES. Who else is willing to donate? This is a
general problem, and an important one. "Science" in the abstract is not
going to produce successful suspenison methods or successful revivals.
Even Eric Drexler, in his latest book, shies away from cryonics; I per-
sonally promise that without any work by cryonicists, themselves, even
nanotechnology will give us marvellous electronics but not one repair
machine.

I think I was not the only person attending who did not feel happy with
the level of contribution. Yes, someday, someday, someday we may very 
likely find a way even to revive the brains we freeze today. But it'd
be a whole lot better, and we'd be a whole lot better off, if we work out
how to >>> PREVENT <<< that problem. Where are the contributions?
"Science" or "Nanotechnology" will never save us. WE must do that
ourselves.
				Thomas Donaldson

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