X-Message-Number: 8507
Date: Sat, 30 Aug 1997 08:08:30 -0800
From: "Joseph J. Strout" <>
Subject: Re: uploading as a copout

In Message #8503, Thomas Donaldson writes, in response to comments from Yvan:

>Basically I think "uploading" is too often just a copout, and would challenge
>anyone who proposes it to explain just how to do it. NOW. We do have ideas on
>how to improve our freezing methods. Those who favor uploading as a strategy
>for 1997 should provide their own ideas as to how to do it.

I must second Thomas's opinion on this point.  I have occasionally run into
someone who thinks uploading will save their lives, and they need do
nothing more than wait for it.  The fact that it will not be developed by
next Tuesday, yet they might get hit by a bus on Monday, makes no impact on
them.

I've said it before, but it merits saying again: uploading is no excuse for
not making cryonics arrangements.  On the contrary, it is a convincing (to
me, the most convincing) reason why cryonics might actually work.  It was
after the notion of uploading had developed fairly clearly in my head that
I said to myself, "I'll be darned, maybe these cryonics nuts aren't so
nutty after all..."

FWIW, I'm preparing a book proposal this weekend to send to John Wiley &
Sons.  Its focus is on mind uploading.  But Cryonet readers will be pleased
to note that it discusses cryonics as a likely way to save those living in
the 20th century.  And the timeline -- which I consider most plausible --
has uploading developed sometime around 2100.  Thomas is right: anyone who
says that they're banking on uploading *instead of* cryonics is just using
that as an excuse.

Warn regards,
-- Joe Strout


,------------------------------------------------------------------.
|    Joseph J. Strout           Department of Neuroscience, UCSD   |
|               http://www-acs.ucsd.edu/~jstrout/  |
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