X-Message-Number: 9056
From: Thomas Donaldson <>
Subject: Re: CryoNet #9048 - #9050
Date: Mon, 26 Jan 1998 22:20:16 -0800 (PST)

To Doug Skrecky:


Your humble opinion was correct, and possibly if you had been following 
cryonicsfor some time it would not have been just an opinion.

Alcor has as part of its agreement that if it stores you as a whole body 
patient, then it may if it decides it is necessary convert you to a 
neuropreservation patient (ie store only your head). The cost of storage of 
neuropreservation patients is much less than that of a whole body. Not only 
that, but Dora Kent (in the Dora Kent Case famous among cryonicists) was stored
as a neuropreservation patient, and in that form you are highly mobile ---
the vacuum flask holding you can be picked up easily by 2 guys and moved 
anywhere in the world. (If mobs or governments want to thaw you out, then
you can be moved easily). Trans Time at one point moved all its patients to
another site: since most of them were whole-body patients, this became a 
complex and difficult operation involving lots of planning. They were moved
in the very early morning, NOT on any major highways --- not for secrecy, but
to avoid possible accidents. And as you'd guess, lots of equipment was needed
to do this movement.

As for what might happen to you if your society goes bankrupt and you are
ALREADY a neuropreservation case, no agreements on what to do exist at present
between the different societies. Such agreements would still be quite useful,
since they would mean that ALL of the societies would have to go down to 
cause a problem. Alcor's patient trust funds are kept separate from its normal
operating funds (and I hope similar things are done in other groups). One 
advantage a neuropreservation case has, if funded with the same amount of
funds as a whole body case, is that there is much more leeway for possible
losses.

If you want to be stored a long time there are lots of advantages to neuro-
preservation, both in cost and in safety. Moreover for the times likely to
be required, it's unlikely that they will be able to revive you and 
rejuvenate you without also providing you with a body. I personally think
that you will be (biochemically) forced to grow a new body before you
even become awake, but body transplants aren't out of the question either.

And yes, if astronauts ever use such a system, it won't be like in SF 
novels or films. They will be stored as heads only, and provided with bodies
at their destination. Just another small application of biotech, not in the
ken of most SF authors. (After all, a head is so much lighter, and the
materials to make bodies are all over the universe...).

			Best and long long life,

				Thomas Donaldson

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