X-Message-Number: 6531
Date: 15 Jul 96 04:31:49 EDT
From: Paul Wakfer <>
Subject: Prometheus Project - Policy Statement

Cryonics Organizations

     Steve Bridge, Dave Pizer and Bob Ettinger are addressing the existence
of the Prometheus Project almost entirely with their own organizations in
mind. That is as it should be. They are the leaders of those organizations,
they have assumed the duty of being responsible for those organizations, they
have put years of work into them, and possibly they see their cryonics lives
as meaningful largely through those organizations.
     However, while I am *not* saying anyone could have done any better, it
is my contention that the cryonics organizations are all largely failures.
They have failed to promote the cryonics idea well enough to obtain enough
members and patients to reach viable financial and influential mass, and they
have failed to arouse in those who they have attracted, sufficient passion to
give of themselves until it hurts if necessary, to accomplish this Herculean
task of ending the inevitability of Death.
     Five years ago, I went to Southern California with a background of
experience and the intelligent ability to learn a new area and to succeed in
it, *and* a fervent desire to spend all my money and all my time doing
whatever was necessary to thrust cryonics into mainstream science and
medicine, which in my judgement *must* be done for any of us to have a
reasonable chance at living vastly extended lives. Frankly, cryonics
organization people were like a wet blanket on my fire. Now, by *seeing* a
clear path to accomplish what I know *must* be done, I have managed to
rekindle the fires within me. I have started the Prometheus Project. And *my
fire* (coupled with my experience, intelligence and rationality too) was what
enabled me capture the imaginations of 15 people from a small group of 22 to
pledge over $1,000,000.00 to the goal I have set. Yes, those people too are a
visionary group of ardent cryonicists, but I believe that there are many more
which we haven't heard from, and even more which haven't yet heard of the
Prometheus Project.
     As I have stated before, I want the technology from this project to be
easily available for all who want to use it. I want every *individual* to be
impassioned by the project and to do all that *they* possibly can to make its
earthshattering goal a reality. I want every cryonics newsletter or
publication to publish information about the project. What I don't need or
want is a lot of organizations who wouldn't and couldn't do anything like
this themselves telling me how I should run my project, even *before* they
have pledged a dime to its cause.
     I and others have stated that for several reasons, we believe that it
would be in the best interests of the cryonics organizations to strongly
support this project. I did not begin this project with the expectation nor
requirement of strong support from the cryonics organizations. There are lots
of 501(c)3 foundations which would accept directed donations for this
project. If I need to I can easily start one myself for this sole purpose.
501(c)3 status is *not* hard to get, if the non-profit is *truly and only* a
scientific research funding organization. And I believe that Steve Bridge is
wrong about the IRS not allowing the holding of a proxy for the share by the
donor of the money which buys those shares. I am currently seeking other
legal opinions to strengthen the favorable one I already have, but the logic
of this is two-fold:
a)   the IRS only cares that a tax exempt donation not generate for the donor
     any monetary gain; they don't care about an intangible like "control".
     And in point of fact, holding a proxy for the cryonics organization's
     share is going to *cost* the holder considerable time and effort while
     generating for the holder no tangible gain (to the IRS, that is, since
     *they* give no value whatsoever to that person's chances for extended
     life. Actually, they should value it highly since there will be that may
     more years during which he or she will be a tax payer :).
b)   all state corporate law grants the holder of shares the right to give
     proxy power over those shares to whomever they wish. If the IRS tried to
     limit this right they would be in violation of state law. I don't see
     any possible reason why a share holder, be it a 501(c)3 organization or
     not, should not be able to let whomever they wish be the proxy for those
     shares at shareholder's meetings.

     In addition, I am not at all certain that this project will be supported
strongly enough by signed up cryonicists inside or outside of organizations
to fully fund it. They have been notorious in the past at *not* supporting
research projects, although I don't believe that they have ever had a project
as grand in scope and scientifically accomplishable as the Prometheus
Project. But we have at lot of unenrolled cryonics sympathizers now and even
more life extensionists who truly do want to live much longer, but totally
dismiss cryonics, with justification, for its extremely slim chances and its
lack of effort to effect the fundamental research needed to prove itself.
Already, from those on the Net I have received more in pledges from the
unenrolled than from those signed up. So I believe that I *will* find enough
support to fund the project when I include those not signed up and those
outside the cryonics movement in the vastly larger group of life
extensionists, in general. I have started among cryonicists because I knew
the group best, it was the easiest place to begin and I *did* know that I
would get *some* relatively quick and enthusiastic support. But I am here for
the long haul. I don't expect to have the whole $1M per year until the end of
1997 at the earliest. I am prepared to go as far afield as necessary and work
as long and hard as necessary in order to see this project funded and
executed.


Suggestions and Debate

     I did *not* begin this project to start another discussion and debate
among the professional talkers which are dominant in this forum. Anyone
reading this list or news-group will realize that *I* have not been a great
contributor to the many largely vacuous discussions which are held here. So
it will be my policy to mainly reply to questions and suggestions from those
who pledge monetary support for the Prometheus Project. Of course, I will
read and consider the reasonableness of *all* suggestions concerning the
Prometheus Project and incorporate those which I find valuable from whatever
source. It's just that unless they are from a pledger, they won't carry much
weight with me and I probably won't take time to reply. I have no time for
debates and I have little use for those who don't consider this Project and
their lives valuable enough to pledge at least $1000.00 a year, especially
when they will later have the full ability to argue modifications and to
rescind their pledge if everything is not to their liking. What I am saying
in effect is, "Put up or shut up!".


Choice of Research Method

     If we had enough money for everything, then of course many different
cryonics research projects with different goals and using different methods
would be better than any one. Hell, we don't know for *certain* that
reversible whole body suspended animation using *freeze-drying* is not
possible. However, I believe that the scientific credentials and state of
progress in vitrification make it far and away the method of choice for this
project. Furthermore, the cryobiologists and other scientist who will be
executing the project are not fools who will not be open to other avenues if
solid walls appear to be in front of them. Many such solid walls have been
scaled or gone around in the vitrification research to date. With the brain,
it may be possible that a small amount of ice formation will be acceptable
without doing damage. If that is the way to proceed to accomplish the
Prometheus Project goal, they will find it.
     The cryonics organizations are all welcome to do whatever research they
wish, but I believe that vitrification of the brain gives us our best chance
for a gigantic boost in our chances for potential immortality and that's what
this project is all about. I invite others to show that they also believe
this, by making large pledges to the Prometheus Project.


Project Funding Methods

     This project was not started by a "committee" and it will not be
distorted into oblivion by a committee approach. If someone else wants to
start his or her own project on his or her pet research, then fine go ahead
and do so. Those who know me will verify that I am a good listener and give
good consideration to the ideas and opinions of others. However, it is *my*
project and *I* am going to make the decisions with regard to its pledge
gathering operation. That is, up until either the full $1M per year of
pledges is collected and the process of approval of the project scientific
and business plans by the pledgers is begun, or *I* decide that I cannot make
the funding goal necessary to start the project.


-- Paul --

!!!!! REVERSIBLE BRAIN CRYOPRESERVATION *CAN* BE ACHIEVED IN 10 YEARS !!!!!

Paul Wakfer  email:        Voice/Fax:     Pager:
US:     1220 E Washington St #24, Colton, CA 92324 909-481-4433 800-805-2870
Canada: 238 Davenport Rd #240, Toronto, ON M5R 1J6 416-968-6291 416-446-9461
(currently in Canada)


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