X-Message-Number: 9568
Date: Thu, 30 Apr 1998 16:35:38 +0100
From: John de Rivaz <>
Subject: Re: The Failure of the Cryonics Movement

I would suspect that the vast majority of people who don't sign up are 
totally unaware of the scientific issues, and probably beleive that people 
are being suspended and revived routinely. They see it enough times on films 
and television, and the general understanding of what is fantasy and what is 
reality is very poor indeed, even amongst those in authority.

Consider how ignorant people are of science, and how people en masse behave 
quite irrationally. They stand more chance of being killed driving to buy 
lottery tickets than they do of winning the lottery, yet they still buy 
tickets. Many beleive fictional characters on television are real people. In 
the UK, questions were asked in Parliament about a fictional scene on 
television as though it were a real event. The following of astrology, ESP 
and religion is unabated, even amongst those who purport to lead us, despite 
much learned argument on popular science shows that they are groundless. 
There is plenty of sensible learned debate and argument about the treatment 
of criminals and the causes of crime, but still witch hunts persist amongst 
the masses using all the technology of television mass media publication and 
the Internet. The top story on the news here for the last three or four days 
was about some woman who commited a murder 30 years ago whilst a young 
child. I am sure more globally important things have been happening. 

It is possible to go on and on about the general state of ignorance. 

I recommend a reading of Carl Sagan's The Demon Haunted World. There is a 
link to it off 
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/JohndeR/booklist.htm 
where you can read many reader criticisms of the book.

But whatever the scientific rights and wrongs of cryonics, at least it is 
doing something - making a statement to the universe - rather than just 
being rotted or burned thereby acquiescing to the status quo. Although many 
would argue, it seems to me more of a rational statement than building a 
pyramid or expensive mausoleum, however small the chances of a successful 
reanimation.


-- 
Sincerely,     * Longevity Report:  http://www.longevb.demon.co.uk/lr.htm
John de Rivaz  * Fractal Report:    http://www.longevb.demon.co.uk/fr.htm
**************** Homepage:http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/JohndeR
    In the information age, sharing can increase world wealth enormously,
        because giving information does not decrease your information.

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