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/ | `------------------------------------------------------------------' Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=8507