X-Message-Number: 9799 From: Subject: Reply to Tom Donaldson References: <> Date: Thu, 28 May 1998 13:57:34 EDT I contribute what little I can to nanotechnology because I believe nanotechnology can bring vast benefit to humanity even if cryonic revival turns out to be impossible. Nanomedicine will allow cures for a vast number of "incurable" diseases, each of which is *far* less challenging than disease+death+postmortem delay in suspending+ suspending+damage during suspension. It will also allow cleaning of our environment, feeding the Third World, *real* space exploration, a greatly raised standard of living, etc. You say it is fear of thinking of death that stops people from signing up for cryonics. This does not seem to make life insurance companies struggle to get a score of customers. How about the medical treatments given to cancer patients? They are often uncertain, expensive and painful, and also involve facing the fact death is certain without them. But people use them because they believe they *might* save their life. Just invoking long periods of time does not change the fact that what is impossible is impossible. I _know_ revival is impossible *now*. I am leaning toward it being forever impossible, like FTL (any trekkies out there, just take this assertion as an example for the sake of argument, OK?). I am not quite *sure* of this (or else I would not waste my time with cryonet) but that is my inclination. The people I have discussed cryonics with (sans cryonet) do not consider this impossibility to be an opinion, but a fact. Tom Mazanec _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=9799