X-Message-Number: 7486 Date: 11 Jan 97 21:13:45 EST From: "Kent, Saul" <> Subject: SCI.CRYONICS -- Cryonics Research & PR In defending the value of public relations (PR) in cryonics, Steve Bridge states that: < Adding more members increases the number of people willing < to donation funds and energy. < More members increases the likelihood that *other* people with < the funds and commitment of Saul Kent and Bill Faloon will < become involved -- leading to more research. By the way, it is pretty < clear that Saul and Bill would not HAVE any money themselves < without the ability to advertise and do public relations. I believe it is inappropriate and misleading for Steve Bridge to use his interpretation of our (Saul Kent and Bill Faloon) ability to fund research in disagreeing with Mike Darwin's opinion that "...altogether too much attention has been paid to the public relations aspect of cryonics, and far too little to the harder and far more important problem of achieving reversible brain cryopreservation" for the following reasons: 1) Relatively few of the members who have joined The Life Extension Foundation have come as a result of advertising or public relations. While it is true that much of our business comes from advertising to our members and customers through our magazine and newsletters, most of this business is the repetitive sale of nutrient products to long-term members, a practice that is very different from the business carried out by cryonics organizations. 2) A significant part of the advertising we do to our members (and others) involves the publsihing of scientific references and abstracts to support our advertising claims. It would be difficult for us to sell our products if there wasn't a great deal of solid scientific evidence to support their use to improve health and fight off diseases. 3) History shows that before the scientific evidence to support the health value of nutrient supplements emerged in the last 40-50 years, the dietary supplement industry was a very small industry. Before there was sold scientific evidence for the use of supplements, virtually all doctors said they were "useless" and the media and general public believed that only "health nuts" took them. Today, the common perception is that only "cryonics nuts" believe in cryonics. The only way to change this perception for the vast majority of people, I believe, is by publishing scientific advances in cryonics. 4) In commenting on Mike's remark, Steve ignored my response to Mike that, in my opinion, the most effective PR we could possibly do would be to announce and publish scientific advances to improve cryonics methods and a systematic plan to achieve suspended animation. Not only do I believe that this would be the best PR for cryonics, but also that it is the most likely type of PR to attact new members willing to fund research on a large scale, and to convince our wealthier current members to support such research. Steve's indirect allusion to my statement was that cryonics organizations should continue to focus on PR rather than research because they don't have the "MONEY" to do research. That statement rings hollow when you consider that cryonics organizations have been in existence for more than 40 years now. You can only base your actions on a position for so long before it begins to lose credibility. Steve argues that "cryonics progress is moving at a glacially slow pace" and that even the money going into 21st Century Medicine and BioPreservation "is incredibly small for serious research." I believe Steve is wrong here. I think the "glacially slow pace" of cryonics research that characterized the past 40 years is over. 21st had made signficant scientific advances, which are now in patent, is working on a plan for the achieve- ment of suspended animation, and has expectations for increased funding in the future. One possible source of additional funding is The Prometheus Project (PP), which has demonstrated that a good number of cryonicists are willing to pledge money for research. Right now, I advise anyone who wants to support suspended animation research to pledge or increase their pledge to The Prometheus Project. PP is committed to use its resources for suspended animation research and will base its decision about what to do with its funds, in large part, on which company or organization comes up with the best, long-term scientific research plan to be carried out by established researchers with a good track record. That's what cryonics needs and that's what cryonics is in the process of getting. Saul Kent, CEO 21st Century Medicine And President Life Extension Foundation Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=7486