X-Message-Number: 9456 Date: Sat, 11 Apr 1998 17:37:35 -0400 From: Saul Kent <> Subject: Cooperation Olaf Henny's (message #9447) includes a quote from James Halperin's book "The First Immortal", which states that: "...planning and teamwork between competing organizations, was a rare luxury in twentieth century cryonic suspensions." By doing so, Henny suggests that cooperation between cryonics organizations on human cases has been rare. This is untrue. Actually, cooperation between cryonics organizations on human cases has been the rule rather than the exception. Even at the time of greatest conflict within Alcor, shortly before a number of Alcor members joined the newly formed CryoCare, there was close cooperation in a human case among several of those most deeply involved in the conflict. Today, there is more cooperation among cryonics organizations, and less competition, than ever before in cryonics history. As someone who has been personally involved in several of the most serious conflicts in cryonics history, I can state with authority that this is a time of unprecedented cooperation among cryonics organizations. It is also a time of unprecedented scientific research in cryonics. As the CEO of 21st Century Medicine, which is devoted entirely to research, I can state (again with authority) that FAR more and FAR better research is being conducted in cryonics and related fields today than ever before in history. I can also tell you that far more money is needed to speed the course of this research, especially for those of us who are getting on in years. I will be 59 years of age in July. I first became involved in cryonics in early 1965, when I was 25. At that time, there were a number of research teams at mainstream institutions doing organ cryopreservation research. Today, there are none. Today, the funding of organ cryo- preservation research, which is the key to the development of suspended animation, appears to be completely dependent on cryonicists. In the 1960s, when important organ cryopreservation research was being funded by the government and major corporations, and I was a comparative youngster with very little money, I never imagined (in my wildest dreams) that, in 1998, there would be no money for this kind of research coming from the establishment, and that research funding related to cryonics would be so heavily dependent on me personally. In 1998, I find the truth about funding for cryonics research both flattering and frightening. Although I'm happy to be in a situation where I can be responsible for substantial funding for research, I'm unhappy about the fact that so few others are contributing to that research. I'm investing time and money in research because my life and the lives of my loved ones and friends are at stake. I believe everyone in the cryonics community understands this kind of motivation because it applies to them as well as to me. It's time more of us acted in our own interests to improve our own chances of survival by increasing our funding for research. ---Saul Kent, CEO 21st Century Medicine Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=9456