X-Message-Number: 655 Date: 16 Feb 92 16:21:48 EST From: Michael Clive Price <> Subject: CRYONICS CryoNet readers may interested to know what I meant by my statement (quoted by Russell Whitaker, with my permission, in #618) that I regarded ACS/Trans-Time as publicity-driven and Alcor as technology-driven. Well, perhaps you're not interested, but here goes. I was thinking about ACS/TT's philosophy in general and of neuro-suspensions in particular. ACS/TT (and CI) don't offer neuro-suspensions, or are less than forthcoming about their stance, for publicity reasons. One day they're offering neuro-suspension. Next day they're not. Day after they are offering neuro only to existing members. Alcor has always offered the neuro option to its members. This always weighed heavily in my mind when I compared the different organisations in the early 1980s and was the main reason why I selected Alcor. A related episode which turned me right off CI was when Ettinger criticised Alcor for publicising possible fracturing damage to brains in storage. Ettinger was not disputing the scientific status of the subject but thought that Alcor shouldn't scare people. Since Ettinger exerts strong editorial control over CI's publications this renders them virtually useless as a source of unbiased data on cryonics. My concern with any organisation running scared of the press/publicity is that it may choose to suppress negative data from its members. ACS/TT's attitude towards neuro-suspensions and publicity seems to be uncomfortably *close* to this position. CI has stated (see above) that this *is* their position. Alcor has always demonstrated a publish-and-be-damned attitude which I find reassuring. That's what I meant by technology- versus publicity-driven. Of course I should add that I'm also strongly attracted by the neuro-preservation option, irrespective of what an organisation's stance on the matter reveals about their ethics. As for the Ali affair I shall be content to wait and see if Ali does sign up. There are two types of people in the world. Those that talk and those that do. I shall be more impressed by the news that Ali *has* signed up than the news that he *might*. To end on a cordial note, I share Edgar's hope that Mike Darwin's departure will lead to a more constructive dialogue between CI/TT/ACS. The last decade has seen a lot of unnecessary acrimony between cryonics organisations. Why we can't be grown-up and civilised in our discourses, no matter what differences we may have in procedures. Mike Price Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=655