From: John Grigg (starman2100@lycos.com)
Date: Thu Jul 11 2002 - 21:54:45 MDT
Art Caplan, a medical ethicist, was quoted by Elizabeth Cohen of CNN as having stated:
We asked medical ethicist Art Caplan, and he's published on this issue many times, ... what are the chances that this would work, that you'd be able to cure the person and revive them? And he said zero percent, this is a scam.
(end)
http://www.cnn.com/2002/HEALTH/07/09/cohen.otsc/index.html
Caplan dared to say cryonics is a SCAM, not a gamble unlikely to pay off, but a SCAM. Considering his position in the world, Alcor, CI and others should not allow him to say such things and go unchallenged.
He should be put on notice that he must publicly recant his slanderous remark, or face litigation.
Perhaps this would be a job for David Ettinger or Greg Burch. : )
Colin Jacobs(coljac@coljac.cnchost.com) wrote:
To be honest, it's starting to make me wonder... is there something
I don't know? Did I read too little skeptical literature before
signing up? Basically, I figured that while the chances
were small, they were nonzero and thus worth the gamble, given the
essentially infinite payoff (not being dead and gone). This seems
like a sound proposition, but I'm really surprised at
the vehemence of the reaction in the press. As an avowed skeptic,
I wonder, did I let the coolness of the idea overwhelm my scientific
principles?
(end)
Colin, I think you have a very realistic view of cryonics. It's a gamble, but well worth it considering the technological progress we are currently having, and likely to see only increase in speed. Nanotech was seen as "cargo cult science" only a few years ago, but now look at its acceptance as legitimate science worthy of massive international funding!
Is it really any big surprise the mass media is going to be generally negative toward cryonics? lol They are often simply a mirror of common cultural attitudes and mores.
Most regular readers of Cryonet and Alcor Magazine would recognize what is going on here. A combination of scientific illiteracy, a lack of vision where technological progress is concerned, and a misguided notion that God does not want them to have extended lifespans via cryonics, is why so many people out there have negative attitudes about us.
Don't let it get to you.
you continue:
Maybe the vision I had of waking up
one day in a glowing white room, then being taken on a tour of "the
future" Futurama-style weakened my critical faculties. :)
(end)
Don't get down on yourself for having "vision". You realized cryonics was a big gamble to begin with, but with at least some chance of a truly amazing payoff in the end(or beginning!). : )
best wishes,
John
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