From: Anders Sandberg (asa@nada.kth.se)
Date: Fri May 01 1998 - 17:16:44 MDT
"Grant Sparks" <grant@sparks.to> writes:
> Another thing that I am wondering is if cryonics patients are wealthy ? Is
> there any data on this that can be released without jeopardizing doctor-patient
> confidentiality (which I believe should apply)
I don't think there is much data about it, but my overall impression
is that they in general are not very wealthy.
> If it turns out that the average cryonics patient could actually afford to pay a
> lot more, here is a strategy that might allow capitalism to give us a helping
> hand;
>
> 1) Instead of $100k for suspension, we make the client pay $1M.
> 2) Where possible, 9 other people who have medical similarities to the client
> but cannot afford suspension will be offered cryonic suspension for free.
Sounds dubious for several reasons. Cost doesn't seem to be a major
deterrent to cryonics (it is after all usually paid with an insurance
policy), the main problem is that most people are hesitant to take the
step and actually sign up (or go through with the process). Cryonics
also has a somewhat shaky reputation; the above scheme would also make
the claim that it is only the rich who are frozen appear more likely
("And they freeze poor people to use as test subjects!"), alienating
even more people.
-- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Anders Sandberg Towards Ascension! asa@nada.kth.se http://www.nada.kth.se/~asa/ GCS/M/S/O d++ -p+ c++++ !l u+ e++ m++ s+/+ n--- h+/* f+ g+ w++ t+ r+ !y
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