X-Message-Number: 9525 Date: Mon, 20 Apr 1998 02:23:57 -0400 From: Paul Wakfer <> Subject: Status/Future of PP and related ideas/organizations Prometheus Project (PP) After surging ahead and generating a lot of enthusiasm, optimism and effort by others, this particular approach to the perfection of suspended animation is stalled and its future is doubtful for many reasons, particularly the well funded entrance of 21st Century Medicine (21CM) into the same field. It certainly would be *nice* to have a second effort funded and staffed independent to 21CM. However, funding PP from the cryonics community before 21CM was a difficulty enough task, but with 21CM having taken the limelight (justifiably so) and preparing to accept investments from the public (including cryonicists), it now seems truly impossible and certainly not worth the enormous effort that it would take. I am no longer counting or depending on it. This is why I have attempted to enlarge the appeal of perfected vitrification, in various ways, to extend outside the cryonics community. This enlargement effort through the Full Length Life Society and The Institute for Neural Cryobiology (see below) will continue and be pushed harder. Whether PP has any future as originally conceived or even in modified form will depend upon events which unfold during the remainder of this year and next. It is still possible that a for-profit operation related to PP and separate from 21CM will be created. Whether it makes sense to do this and whether it will be done, remains to be seen. The PP web site is at: http://prometheus-project.org or http://prometheus.morelife.org Full Length Life Society (FLLS) This organization is still in existence and will grow and attempt to appeal to a broader range of those who *should* be interested in the uses of vitrification technology. Some such groups are not related, and even possibly antithetical to the cryonics idea. Therefore, I will not be stressing cryonics in much of this organization's promotion nor will I be particularly attempting to attract cryonicists to it. All that I will expect is that cryonicists will be interested spectators. The FLLS web site is at: http://morelife.org The Institute for Neural Cryobiology This organization is the one which is currently about to execute a project which has great importance for cryonics. The organization and its project are completely in the mainstream of neuroscience and cryobiology research and will not be related to cryonics or suspended animation until solid research results are obtained and its credibility is greatly enhanced. Once research is underway and proceeding, it is my plan to attempt to attract funding from various mainstream agencies to support neurocryobiological research. I am hopeful that your donations will be "seed" funds with which to start an effort that will then attract funding from outside the cryonics community. At the same time I will be encouraging the more wealthy cryonicists to more strongly support INC's ongoing efforts. If sufficient donations are available during the course of the project, it will be expanded to include additional valuable work of the same type as in the current project. The INC web site is now open and I invite all cryonicists to peruse it at: http://neurocryo.org It is not fancy, however, it will be enhanced and enlarged with new material as time goes by and such relevant material is produced. If anyone has any ideas or comments to contribute please send them to me. If someone wishes to assume design/maintenance of the web site, that too can be arranged. The hippocampal slice vitrification project, which is described at the web site, will be partly funded by INC which needs a minimum of $48,000 additional donations to achieve its commitment. Over $35,000 in donations have already been receive from either PP pledgers or new donors who were not pledgers. I now ask all PP pledgers to seriously consider directing your pledge, or a significant portion of it, to INC for use in funding this project. Since 21CM investing will not likely be open to "small" investors (possibly not anything under $10,000, that's what they did before), this may be the only chance you get to contribute funding to research intended to achieve the damage-free cryopreservation of extended brain structures. I remind you that INC is both a federal and California state Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation. As such all contributions are unconditioned donations which, depending on your tax situation, are likely deductible from your federal taxable income, and your California taxable income, if any. Donations, of any amount, to the hippocampal slice vitrification project should be made out and sent to: The Institute for Neural Cryobiology 8439 White Oak Ave. Suite 110 Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730-3860 All donors will receive a "thank-you note on receipt of their donations and an "official" receipt for tax purposes shortly after the end of 1998. I am currently in Toronto, but I will be back in Rancho Cucamonga on May 7. The phone/fax number of INC in Rancho Cucamonga is: 909-481-9620 and I have recently accepted an installment-charge-free 888 number from GTE. So you can also call INC in Rancho Cucamonga (when I am there) by dialing toll free: 888-819-4888. -- Paul -- Voice/Fax: 416-968-6291 Page: 800-805-2870 The Institute for Neural Cryobiology - http://neurocryo.org Perfected cryopreservation of Central Nervous System tissue for neuroscience research and medical repair of brain diseases Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=9525