X-Message-Number: 9641 Date: Thu, 7 May 1998 03:45:29 -0400 From: Saul Kent <> Subject: ResponsesTo My Essay I wrote my essay about the failure of the cryonics movement and its possible extinction as an (attempted) antidote to the complacency and evasion of reality I've been seeing in many cryonicists. My purpose was to shake up people and motivate them to take action. The primary action I advocate at this time is the support of scientific research to improve our methods of cryopreservation, but *any* positive action by cryonicists would be more than welcome! To some extent I believe I've succeeded, based upon the majority of the public and private responses I've stimulated with my essay. However, a few people have responded to my essay by mischaracterizing and misrep- resenting my (and others) opinions on several issues, and by overreacting to what I said...or at least to what they think I said. When I say that the cryonics movement has failed, for example, I don't mean (and I haven't said) that there hasn't been significant progress over the past 33 years, only that it's been so disappointing that I consider it a failure. When I say that cryonics activists are aging and dying at a faster rate than they're being replaced by young activists, and that, as a result, the movement is faced with the possibility of extinction, I'm not saying that we're anywhere near extinction right now, only that I believe I've identified a dangerous trend that needs to be reversed. When I say that cryonics is a poor product, I say so based upon the evidence I've seen of the severe damage inflicted on cryonics patients by today's methods, by our failure to persuade mainstream scientists about the value of cryonics, and by the overwhelming failure of the public to buy into cryonics. That doesn't mean I don't think cryonics is a wonderful concept, or that today's product doesn't have value, only that, after 33 years, I'm disappointed at our failure to improve the product more, and disillusioned at the assumptions of many cryonicists that we have a *good* product. When I say that I believe our best strategy at this time should be to focus primarily on research to improve our product, and that selling our current product should take a back seat to the research, I'm not say- ing that we should *cease* marketing and recruitment, only that I believe such efforts will prove to be more fruitful when we have a better product. The latest misreading of my ideas comes from Thomas Donaldson (9622), who says: "As for ceasing our attempts to acquire new members, that seems to me one of the worst strategies available for working towards our eventual success." I agree completely, Thomas, but no one has said we should cease our attempts to acquire new members. The cryonics societies should *certainly* continue their efforts to grow while research to improve our product moves forward. I've merely recommended that we tie our recruiting efforts as much as possible to our research efforts and to hard evidence of the quality of our product. Three people who have put considerable effort into marketing and recruitment for cryonics in the past---Mike Darwin, Charles Platt and Paul Wakfer--all agree with me. We (and others) are now putting most of our efforts into funding, conducting and promoting research. Those who disagree with us should put their money and efforts into marketing, sales and recruitment. I welcome their actions in this regard, especially in the recruitment of young activists. Thomas says: "We do not improve our present methods by denigrating the honest attempts of those who tried their best in the past=2E" I've not denigrated the efforts of cryonicists in the past, I've only assessed them in light of what *could* have been done. When I say we've failed in the past, I say that about myself as much as anyone. At the same time, I'm grateful for the progress that *has* been made, and want to push forward as quickly and purposefully as possible. Thomas says that cryonics is "a very long-term project" and that we should "all learn PATIENCE". Well, that's just not my nature, Thomas. I'll have plenty of time to be patient after I've been frozen. But while I'm still alive and kicking, I have no intention of being patient, and I'm going to push those who think as I do to move forward as quickly as possible. I think we can accomplish great things in the next 5-to-10 years. Let me put it another way. I think we *MUST* accomplish great things in the next 5-to-10 years and I *refuse* to consider *NOT* doing so! ---Saul Kent, CEO 21st Century Medicine Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=9641