X-Message-Number: 6526
Date: 14 Jul 96 21:10:10 EDT
From: "Kent, Saul" <>
Subject: Should Prometheus Be A "Vital Concern" To Cryonics Organizations

	In today's Cryonet, Steve Bridge, President of Alcor, argues
that there are "many possible legitimate reasons why an organization
might not make the Prometheus Project a 'vital concern'"
	
	Here are my comments on several of the statements Steve
made in expressing his reasons: 
	
	Steve says that: "Many people...seem confident that somebody out
there *knows* what lines of research will work and that money is the
only barrier to the success of cryonics. That assumption is purely 
wrong."
	
	Certainly, no one can say that they *know* what line of research
will work, but it is quite reasonable to say that they *know* what the
most *promising* line of research is.
	
	Steve says that "there are some interesting directions for
research" and that "the vitrification research of Greg Fahy is one of
these directions". I think this statement is misleading. I think Greg
Fahy's "direction" is by far the best documented and most promising
approach to brain cryopreservation at this time. Of course, what seems
promising today might not seem so promising after a couple of years of
research. As I see it, the purpose of The Prometheus Project is to follow
the most promising lines of research leading to perfected brain cryo-
preservation based on the best available evidence and the advice of the
best available scientists.
	
	Steve says: "It is possible that the Prometheus managers will
chose a dead-end research path with a giant money sink-hole by its side."

	Yes, Steve, that is possible. It is true that a project that
relies on the best available evidence and the best available advice from
the best available scientists to decide on the direction of its research
might fail. What's your alternative?
	
	I disagree with Steve that "anyone who invests in any cryonics-
oriented research in the anticipation of 'a tremendous future source
of funds' is a fool of the worst kind." 

	On the contrary, I believe that investing in cryonics research 
in search of financial profit is not only legitimate, but necessary. In
my opinion, if the company that arises from The Prometheus Project does
*not* aim at tremendous future profits, it will be making a serious
mistake. Of course, any investment in cryonics research is risky, but is
it *more* risky than *not* investing in cryonics research?  

	For me, the prospect of growing old and dying is not a "risk", it
is a *certainty* unless I take action to prevent it. As a result, there
is no "risk" I would rather take than investing in the best possible
cryonics (and anti-aging) research. 
	
	Steve says that "solving the question of suspended animation
does not assure profits."  

	I disagree. I think a company that owned the rights to perfected
suspended animation technology would be as close to a sure bet to be
profitable as I can think of. Unless, it was a company that owned the
only technology capable of controlling the aging process. Is there anyone
on Cryonet who would *not* be willing to invest in a company that owned
the rights to perfected suspended animation technology?

	I think it is useful to visualize the possibility of increasing
our chances of survival and the possibility of making money from The
Project as two sides of the same coin. As we demonstrate that we
can improve our chances of survival by improving our cryonics methods,
we will increase our chance of financial profit. This increased chance
of financial profit should then motivate us to invest more money in The
Project and to help persuade others to invest more money in The Project.
This kind of "profit-oriented" thinking will help push us towards our
goal as quickly as possible. When we finally achieve perfected brain
cryopreservation and are moving to perfect whole-body suspended ani-
mation, we will have a realistic chance of being able to enjoy our
financial profits from The Project for centuries.

	That's why I *strongly* urge all cryonics organizations and all
cryonicists who can possibly afford to do so to join The Project by
sending in your pledge right now!

---Saul Kent


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