X-Message-Number: 6691
From: Brian Wowk <>
Date: Mon, 5 Aug 1996 16:21:52 -0500
Subject: Reply to Olga Visser

        First, let me thank Ms. Visser for expressing her public support
of cryonics.  This addresses critics, such as Steve Farmer, who do not
believe there are real scientists who believe that brains can be 
cryopreserved.
 
        Second, let me apologize for any misunderstandings about the
nature of Ms. Visser's technology.  The only information available about 
the technology has been newspaper articles and a few brief sci.cryonics  
posts.  All these reports indicated that only rat hearts had been
preserved, and at very high cooling rates ("flash freezing").  This
information was confirmed by Ms. Visser's colleague, Dr. du Plessis.  
If the technology has since been verified on other organs, and larger
organs at slow cooling rates, I am delighted, and eagerly await the
report.
 
        I strongly encourage Ms. Visser to publish on the Internet.
Publishing preprints on the Internet is common practice in sciences
like physics, and need not preclude publication in journals if the
text is re-written so as to avoid copyright infringement.  Ms. Visser,
your patent protection is in place, your research is apparently highly 
advanced, so please tell us exactly what you have done!  Until your
message attacking me this weekend, there was no reason for me 
to believe that your work was applicable to brains because of
the cooling rate issue.
 
        Paul Wakfer's Prometheus Project does not seek to re-invent
what you have already accomplished.  The Project seeks to adapt the   
best organ cryopreservation technologies available to the problem
of brain cryopreservation.  The only "bias" in the Project is a bias
toward the most promising technologies, as selected by available
experts.  (And, no, there is not only one expert available.)
 
        If your technology will work on brains, then that's wonderful.
But the Prometheus Project will still be necessary to do the neuroscience
experiments necessary to VERIFY that your technology works on brains.
The Project is anticipated to start in 1998, so that is more than
enough time for you to make the case that your technology should 
be investigated.
 
        If your technology does prove to be a breakthrough for brain 
preservation, and you choose not to make it available to CryoCare because 
of your dislike of me, I'll resign as leader of CryoCare!  My most sincere 
interest *is* to advance cryonics technology as rapidly as possible.
 
---Brian Wowk
 
P.S. When you say Steve Farmer is "a man after your own heart", I hope
     you are only refering to your shared dislike of Brian Wowk.  Steve
     Farmer is a bitter opponent of cryonics.
 
***************************************************************************
Brian Wowk          CryoCare Foundation               1-800-TOP-CARE
President           Human Cryopreservation Services   
   http://www.cryocare.org/cryocare/

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