X-Message-Number: 6918
Date: Mon, 16 Sep 96 18:13:58
From: Steve Bridge <>
Subject: Research rivalries
To CryoNet
>From Steve Bridge, Alcor
September 16, 1996
First, to Paul Wakfer's concerns about whether or not Alcor will be
mentioning Prometheus Project in its publications:
Derek Ryan and Ralph Whelan did not answer that message, because they
were waiting for me to decide finally how we will handle it. I do
think that the Prometheus Project is news worth reporting on and
discussing. However, attorneys have cautioned us that we should not
be accidentally part of what might be seen as a solicitation for
investment before a full prospectus exists; so we will tread
carefully and make no recommendation at this time.
The September *Phoenix* (going to press in a day or two) will
have a short summary of PP and the meeting dates and places from
Paul's message, with the caution that Alcor is taking no position on
the Prometheus Project and that these details are only given as a
service to our readers. The 4th Quarter *Cryonics* will be too late
to carry those meeting dates; but it will have a more full article on
PP.
In general, I hate to see everyone's tempers heating up again,
especially over research. We all agree we need this; but there is so
much left over from previous rivalries that it is difficult to
discuss it publicly. We all have these images to uphold, I suppose,
as men (sorry, guys, it's not the women who are causing the problems)
who won't let "those other tribes" get away with anything.
I have been trying to do more discussion privately to avoid the
chest pounding; I hope other cryonics leaders will try to do that, as
well. For me personally, I can have pretty reasonable conversations
with Brian Wowk, Charles Platt, and Paul Wakfer in person and
one-on-one in private e-mail messages. I still consider them all
friends, though rivals in other ways. It is much harder to have a
reasonable conversation on CryoNet.
I do agree that Bob Ettinger is perhaps premature in some of his
statements which suggest that the Visser technology will be used on
patients soon. I am cautiously optimistic about the Visser research;
but I've been around long enough to know that the seemingly obvious
breakthrough is not always real and that subtleties can make a lot of
difference. We want to test this solution and procedure in many of
the ways that individuals here have suggested and we will do so
extensively before Alcor will use the new technology on its patients.
Hugh Hixon has been very busy in reproducing the Visser
technology here; so I haven't gotten him to answer some basic
questions yet for posting, especially on the rat brain we examined.
I thought we could do it today; but tomorrow looks more realistic
now.
As to the moral question of asking for donations based on few
details: that bothers me somewhat also. I like seeing plans.
However, even the basics of getting equipment and hiring an assistant
so we can do the most basic confirmations of the technology require
some money up front. Please realize that the Vissers only
demonstrated this technology to us about September 2-4. There are so
many possibilities to cut through to come up with a detailed plan.
We need some additional funding to narrow down the focus right at the
beginning. Unlike Bob Ettinger, I do not expect non-Alcor, non-CI
members to support this stage of the research. But CryoNet is a good
way to get to many Alcor members, as well as others.
I hope that within a few weeks we WILL have some basics out of
the way and can give you all an acceptable amount of information so
that non-Alcor, non-CI members can evaluate if they want to donate
for some part of this research.
Someone asked if Alcor leaders like me were donating their own
funds to this. Personally, I have a lot more debts already than
funds; but I hope that will improve in the next year as I go back to
a better-funded sector of the economy. I will be donating money in
the future to Alcor for research, as well as other needs. If I had
the money available, I (personally of course) would want to be
involved in the research funding of Alcor, CI, the Prometheus
Project, and as many other for-profit and non-profit organizations as
I could find.
There are several readers here who could afford to assist in
the support of many kinds of research. I do not consider that
support of the Prometheus Project means someone is anti-Alcor, nor
vice versa. We need as much research as we can get. We cannot know
yet which programs will produce the best results; but several
research programs are almost sure to produce more than one program.
Steve Bridge
Stephen Bridge, President ()
Alcor Life Extension Foundation
Non-profit cryonic suspension services since 1972.
7895 E. Acoma Dr., Suite 110, Scottsdale AZ 85260-6916
Phone (602) 922-9013 (800) 367-2228 FAX (602) 922-9027
for general requests
http://www.alcor.org
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