Asilomar Conference Center Monterey Peninsula, Northern California USA
On-site Lodging and Meals Package: To Register for Conference:
Includes three excellent cafeteria-style meals Includes Social on Friday evening, June 16, 2000, each day, maid service, and use of swimming after dinner Panel on Saturday evening, and pool. Prices ($70-$150/night) dictated presentations on Saturday and Sunday. The by accommodations selected. Conference will conclude with two tracks on Non-conference guest reservations accepted. Sunday afternoon, June 18.
Registration information for the Conference as well as the on-site lodging and meals pack- age at Asilomar will soon be available at www.alcor.org, or an information package can be requested by calling Alcor Life Extension Foundation at 480-905-1906.
2 Cryonics • 3rd Qtr, 1999 June 17-18, 2000: Mark Your Calendars Today! The Fourth Alcor Conference on Life Extension Technologies www.alcor.org
The world is changing rapidly. Only a few years ago, most people considered the cloning Preliminary of mammals to be no more than science fiction. Repeated successes in this area, List of Speakers: however, have made it a reality today. More importantly, medical technologies like cloning and the use ofembryonic Glenna Burmer, MD, PhD, stem cells to regenerate tissues, LifeSpan BioSciences promise to make it possible to reverse all the major degenerative diseases Fred Chamberlain, within our own lifetimes. Even aging BioTransport, Inc. itself is under very heavy attack K. Eric Drexler, PhD, by today’s biological and Foresight Institute medical technologies. Gregory Fahy, PhD., 21st Century Medicine The Fourth Alcor Conference on Life Extension Technologies James Hughes, PhD, is a meeting of scientists, technologists Univ. Chicago, Dept. Medicine and individuals who are working in Ralph Merkle, PhD, fields leading toward the expansion of Foresight Institute human health and longevity. Natasha Vita More, author, Panel Moderator This conference will cover Robert T. Newport, MD, Art by Tim Hubley topics relevant to these pursuits. BioTransport, Inc. Gregory Stock, PhD., UCLA, School of Medicine Brian Wowk, PhD., Register Early and Save! st 21 Century Medicine 30% Discount off any fee below for Alcor Life Members 10% Discount off any fee below for Regular Alcor Members
Preliminary Per Person If Registered: List of Sponsors: Super Early Bird Special $200 before December 1, 1999 Early Bird Special $250 before March 1, 1999 Primary Sponsor: General Registration $300 before June 1, 2000 Alcor Life Extension Foundation At The Door $400 after June 10, 2000 Principal Sponsors ($10,000 donation) Robert Miller Family Register on-line at: www.alcor.org General Sponsors ($1000 donation) BioTransport, Inc. Supporting Sponsors ($500 donation) NanoTechnology Magazine Basic Sponsors ($100 donation) Michael Riskin, PhD, CPA Life Extension Vitamins Fred and Linda Chamberlain Ravin Jain, MD Austin Tupler Family
3rd Qtr, 1999 • Cryonics 3 UP FRONT Announcement: BioTransport/CryoCare/Advanced BioSciences Agreement BY BRIAN SHOCK, EDITOR s of July 1st, 1999, principals of Medicine. 21st now conducts only cryo- ABioTransport, Inc., CryoCare Foun- biology research, having spun off its hy- dation, and Advanced BioSciences, Inc. pothermia and resuscitation projects into have signed a binding letter of intent af- a new, separate company named Critical ith a name like Cryonics, firming that Advanced BioSciences in- Care Research. 21st has no involvement Wyou’d expect this magazine tends to sublicense new cryopreservation in cryonics and will be launching sales of to reflect the opinions and direc- technology to BioTransport, and its first product this summer, the tion of the cryonics community as BioTransport intends to use this technol- SuperCool X-1000 Ice Blocker. a whole. For the last two years, ogy to provide enhanced service to Alcor CryoCare Foundation and the Alcor that’s exactly what I have been try- and CryoCare members. Foundation are cryonics organizations While a formal contract has not been whose needs are complementary. Alcor ing to bring our readers. True, this negotiated, principals at the three com- has expressed interest in results of recent is a publication of the Alcor Life panies are optimistic that such a contract research, while CryoCare wishes to re- Extension Foundation, but I have can exist by the end of this year. store its ability to deliver remote-standby always believed that an honest or- BioTransport was formed initially by service and enhance its cryopreservation ganization can never “shoot itself Fred Chamberlain, Linda Chamberlain, services. BioTransport should be able to in the foot” by presenting a broad Joe Hovey, and Michael Riskin, of Alcor, satisfy these needs on a basis that will be point of view. as an independent provider of human mutually beneficial. For instance, in this issue I’m cryopreservation services including re- In the future, BioTransport and/or grateful to many non-Alcor mem- mote standby, transport, perfusion, and Advanced BioSciences may negotiate bers for the contribution of their cooldown. Michael Riskin, who is now agreements with additional clients. Cur- views and voices: my own edito- CFO and Vice President of BioTransport, rently, however, Alcor and CryoCare are has taken a highly active role this year in the only cryonics organizations negotiat- rial offers a very cautious opinion developing the new company as an inde- ing to receive improved technology from of individuals performing volun- pendent provider of human Advanced BioSciences and teer work for cryonics groups, while cryopreservation services including re- cryopreservation service from Charles Platt’s column looks at this mote standby, transport, perfusion, and BioTransport. matter from the alternative stand- cooldown. It will first offer its services This announcement is made jointly point of a volunteer; Ben Best, of to CryoCare and Alcor members, with by Saul Kent, Chairman and CEO of Ad- CryoCare and the Cryonics Soci- others to follow if satisfactory contracts vanced BioSciences and 21st Century ety of Canada, offers a first-person can be negotiated. Medicine; Charles Platt, President of account of his visit to this year’s Advanced BioSciences was created CryoCare; and Michael Riskin, CFO and this year to develop cryonics applications Vice President for Business Development High Roller’s Conference; Jim from recent research at 21st Century at BioTransport. Yount, of the American Cryonics Society, discusses the possible role of term life insurance in funding cryonic suspensions; and transhumanist Anders Sandberg shares a number of the fascinating technical items he often posts to the Extropians Digest. Do you have something you believe the cryonics community should know? Whoever you are, by all means send it to Cryonics!
4 Cryonics • 3rd Qtr, 1999 The 1999 High-Roller’s Conference By Ben Best
n May 7-9, 1999 (Mother’s Day Don Laughlin, most of OWeekend) I attended the 5th the more recent attend- Annual High-Rollers’ Conference on ees have been “Low- Cryonics and Low Temperature Rollers or No-Rollers” Medicine in Laughlin, Nevada. The (as Saul Kent likes to Conferences are run by H. Jackson say), but Jack likes the Zinn, a lawyer who for 5 years was idea of having confer- President of the American Cryonics ences that are open to Society. Jack left ACS during one of everyone. The focus of the bitter intra-organizational feuds the presentations has and is now head of the International been toward scientific Cryonics Foundation, of Stockton, research that could California [(209) 463-0429]. Jack benefit from “High- has cryopreservation (“suspension”) Roller” financing, but arrangements with Alcor, whereas big money has not other ICF members have arrange- been raised thus far. ments with Trans Time or ACS. I’m For several years I still unclear as to the exact role of attended every cryon- ICF. ics conference held Several years ago Jack became anywhere, but the High Rollers’ con- $2.5 million in the late 1960s). But I extremely interested in the fact that ferences seemed too small to justify decided time was too precious to Don Laughlin, who is reputedly my expense and effort. (And I am not spend several hours traveling to Lon- worth hundreds of millions of dol- a “High Roller.”) Nonetheless, I have don Bridge and back, when I was lars, has made cryonics arrangements been curious about them — and very wanting to immerse myself deeply in with Alcor. Jack met with Don and curious about Don Laughlin, who is the ambience of Laughlin. arranged a “High Rollers’ Confer- a cryonicist, who is very wealthy, Laughlin, Nevada is located ence,” intended to be an elite con- who sponsors these conferences and across the Colorado River from Bull- ference for very rich cryonicists, and who never contributes much money head City, Arizona — near the focused on how that money could be for research. tristate border of California, Arizona used to further cryonics and, hence, I flew to Las Vegas from and Nevada. A few miles up the river their survival. Twelve people at- Toronto, Canada, where I live. I is Davis Dam which, when com- tended the first conference, includ- drove south, and arrived in Laughlin pleted in 1953, submerged Bull Head ing the screen writer for the film at 2:30am so that I could spend most Rock — the shape of which gave the Demolition Man and some other of Friday being a Laughlin tourist. I Arizona city its name. According to wealthy people. had thought of going to Lake Havasu the US Weather Service, Bullhead Jack continued to hold the con- City, where the old London Bridge City is the hottest town in the United ferences every year with only a few stands reconstructed in the desert States. An average January night in presenters and attendees. Aside from (imported from England at a cost of Laughlin is 44°F, whereas an aver-
3rd Qtr, 1999 • Cryonics 5 Don spent roughly a million dol- lars of his own money on road im- provement, $4 million for a bridge connecting Bullhead to Laughlin, and $6 million on expansion of the Laughlin/Bullhead airport. In 1995 Don completed the South Tower of his Riverside Resort, which added age July day is 113°F. On June 29, 1,000 new rooms and a non-smok- 1994, Laughlin broke Nevada’s high ing casino. The city of Laughlin has temperature record by hitting 125°F. a police & fire department, but no Lauglin Riverside Resort In 1966 Don Laughlin bought a city government or Mayor. bankrupt baitshop/motel and six THE LAUGHLIN NEVADA night) at the Riverside Resort, this is acres of land for $35,000 down. Hav- TIMES, the city’s weekly newspa- only a few dollars less than the go- ing acquired a gaming license in Las per is free of charge. On the front ing rate for hotel/casinos on The Vegas, he was able to open a gam- page of the issue I saw were stories Strip. But the attendees were given bling establishment and rent four of about a summer reading program for rooms on the top floor (mine faced the motel’s eight rooms, while his children at the Laughlin library and the river). family lived in the other half. Busi- a story of a Laughlin High School I began my day of tourism with ness grew, and two years later a US student who had won a state-wide the Riverside Resort’s boat tour of postal inspector named O’Reilly told competition for automobile repair. the Colorado River. The tour runs at Don that the emerging city needed a Page 10 contained a “Police Blotter” a leisurely pace to Davis Dam in the name for mail delivery. Don sug- feature that listed every recorded north to the bottom end of The Strip gested that “Laughlin” would be a police incident in and around on the south. Then I drove around good Irish name for the town. Don Laughlin for the April 23-29 period. Bullhead and Laughlin. I dropped has joked that the town was named Many of these incidents involved into the Colorado River museum in after his mother. consumption of alcohol by minors, Bullhead City, where I was the only By 1980 there were several casi- indecent exposure and disorderly visitor. The caretaker was a retired nos, and the population of Laughlin conduct. Real estate advertisements school teacher who seemed pleased had grown to 80, while Bullhead impressed me with the amazingly to have someone to talk to. He was City, where most of the hotel staff low prices for housed (by Toronto informative concerning the history of lived, had a population of 10,000. standards, certainly — see the area. During the 1980s there was a great www.aroundtheriver.com and judge The town of Laughlin is sepa- boom of hotel-casino construction so for yourself). rated from The Strip by quite a few that by 1990 Bullhead’s population Inexpensive food and hotel rates miles of desert road. The town is not was 25,000 and Laughlin’s was are part of Laughlin’s attraction. Al- old enough to have any run-down 4,791. Bullhead’s population is now though High Rollers’ Conference at- areas. The Shopping Centre was a nearly 40,000 and Laughlin is receiv- tendees were given special rates quiet place with the exception of the ing about 5 million visitors per year. (weekend $35/night, weekday $15/ supermarket, which was busy. I was
Ben Best is a Director of the Cryonics Society of Canada, editor of Cana- dian Cryonics News, Secretary of the CryoCare Foundation and a Contrib- uting Editor to Life Extension magazine. He has collected a large assort- ment of his writings on his website at www.benbest.com
6 Cryonics • 3rd Qtr, 1999 almost shocked by the size and col- would be able to go from any one part erty near the Arizona border that was lection of merchandise in the gun to any other part without getting lost. to make his fortune. On the video, shop — I’ve never seen anything like I can’t say I was completely success- Don described his efforts to build a it in Canada — and yet it sits innocu- ful. bridge across the Colorado river at ously amongst restaurants and gar- Throughout the casino there are his own expense, saying that it took ment shops. monitors where, at the press of a but- him four years to get approval from The Strip itself is a self-con- ton, you can watch a video of Don about 38 government agencies. sciously tiny Las Vegas, consisting Laughlin’s life story. It begins with Opened in June, 1987, the bridge was of ten large hotel/casinos, nine of Don’s birth in 1933 in the rural dis- constructed in only four months. I which are on the river side of the trict of Otatonna, Michigan. By age bought a copy of the video at the gift road. Ramada Express, the only ho- 11 he had saved enough money to shop. tel/casino on the west side of the buy his first slot machine and by age On the second floor of the Riv- road, is encircled by a miniature rail- 15 he had a business that was earn- erside is a huge 24-hour bowling al- road which goes round-and-round, ing him $500 per week. This was ley adjoined by some fast-food snack giving free rides to anyone who hops over twice the income of his high bars. Nearby is a room full of video aboard. The railroad has some util- school principal, who told Don to games and related computerized en- ity for those wanting to go to or from tertainment equipment. The movie the parking lot, but for riders like me theatre has six cinemas. There is a it was just a novelty. large museum of antique and unusual At the north end of The Strip is cars and vehicles. The antique slot Don’s Riverside Resort. At the south machine store sells several slot ma- end is Harrah’s, past which there is chines per week. an abrupt transition to stark desert. The Riverside watch store is re- The largest hotel, with 2,000 rooms, puted to be the largest in the world is Don’s neighbor the Flamingo (the — over 20,000 watches all selling for Riverside Resort has 1,450). The $20 or less. It has watches in rings, hotel/casinos have themes, but they in necklaces, in stones, in toys, in are not the fantasy-extravaganzas of chinaware — a mind-boggling as- the Las Vegas Strip. The most radi- sortment. I bought a talking watch cal transformation from the appear- for an uncle who is going blind, and ance of a hotel is the Colorado Bell, a watch-in-a-hat for myself. A which is built in the shape of a huge smaller luxury-watch store is located steamship, with paddlewheel. As elsewhere in the casino. with Las Vegas, although all hotel/ I made sure my explorations did casinos have special attractions, the not continue beyond 5pm, when the predominant feature is sprawling Don Laughlin 2-hour “Happy Hour” began in floors of slot machines. Don’s Hideaway Lounge. There I I had never driven a skidoo or “get out of slots or get out of school.” met Jack Zinn, who was surrounded seadoo before, but I took the oppor- Don dropped out of school and con- by Norm Lewis (of Trans Time), tunity to rent a seadoo for an hour at tinued his enterprise until 6 years Dave Greenstein (of Alcor) and a the Pioneer Hotel. I found it some- later when Michigan made the slot number of other cryonicists I did not what frightening and hard to control machine business a felony. know. I had stayed with Dave when at first, but soon I was zipping the Don moved to Las Vegas with I was in Boston, and he had been very length of the river from Davis Dam his wife and infant son, worked as a hospitable in driving me to MIT, to Harrah’s and pushing the limit of bartender and dealer for a few years, Harvard, the Boston computer mu- high-speed turns. and then bought a small bar, which seum and other local attractions. Don’s Riverside Resort is a city provided him with a gaming license. Jack said that his conferences unto itself, and I challenged myself Several years later, gaming license continue to get bigger, and that he to become so familiar with it that I in hand, he was able to buy the prop- was expecting 60 people to attend
3rd Qtr, 1999 • Cryonics 7 The author (center front, in t-shirt) during conference presentations. this one. Since the conference is free expects to live. He acknowledged and, in fact, he has established a trust and there is no formal registration, that this is an uncomfortable ques- there with Citibank. I had considered no one can say for sure how many tion to think about. He said that he Citibank in my research, but decided attended, but judging from what I did not know the answer, but that he it is too expensive. I have been saw Jack’s guess was probably close is currently 68. My question bears spending time and money develop- to the truth. crucially on the issue of how long ing “bullet-proof” cryonics trusts for At around 6:00 pm Don Laughlin Don can delay spending money on South Dakota. I would have liked to came into the Lounge. I joined the cryonics research if his wealth is to talk with him much more about this, group around him and I asked Don do him the most good to save his life. but he abruptly left the room. what his next large project would be. But I did not raise this question. One I saw Russell Cheney and asked He answered that he had no big thing I would hate about being rich him how the Technician Training had projects planned and that his main (and there aren’t many other reasons) gone. His original thought had been focus is to pay off his debts — a would be having people persistently that the team members would be at- project which he estimated could asking for money. tracted to the High Rollers’ Confer- take about 30 years. I asked him if I asked Don if any of his family ence and the recreational ambience he was overly leveraged (having too has taken an interest in cryonics (he of Laughlin, but as it turned out, there much debt in comparison to equity is divorced, but he has two sons and were only 2 others from Southern in his property), but he denied this, a daughter). He said no, but one son California (Dr. Robert Newport and saying that he simply didn’t want to has agreed to be the trustee of his Dr. Kat Cotter), plus one from North- have any debt. cryonics trust. Don agreed with me ern California (Bruce Cohen). Linda I pushed the envelope of risk by that South Dakota is the best state in Chamberlain had joined Russell and asking Don how many more years he which to establish cryonics trusts, the doctors in making it primarily a
8 Cryonics • 3rd Qtr, 1999 sive food means more than $30 — the all-you-can-eat buffet in the Riv- erside costs about $7. (Prices of res- taurants in Laughlin can be seen at www.visitlaughlin.com/visitor/ restaurants.html) Mary Margaret Glennie had some touching things to say about her relationship with her cryopreserved husband during his dying days. He was concerned about spending so much money on being cryopreserved rather than leaving the money to her. She ardently assured him that the hope of seeing him again in the fu- ture meant much more to her than any money he might leave her. She asked him what kind of wife would Hugh Hixon rather have her husband’s money Glenna Burmer, MD, PhD than his life. 350 are currently targeted by drugs. training session for Don’s team. Ini- The first speaker at the Confer- By implication, there is still a vast tially Don’s security people did not ence on Saturday morning was Dr. untapped potential for pharmaceuti- have a very high regard for cryonics, Glenna Burmer, MD, PhD, Chief cal intervention. She said that her but their perceptions have been be- Scientific Officer of LifeSpan Bio- organization is the only company in coming increasingly favorable (or sciences of Seattle, Washington the world producing molecular pa- less unfavorable). (www.lsbio.com). The scientific cali- thology data for large pharmaceuti- I was eager to meet Dr. Bob bre of her presentation, her work and cal companies — and they count vir- Newport because he is playing such her credentials knocked my socks tually every major pharmaceutical a crucial role in the negotiations be- off. She had become interested in company among their clients. tween CryoCare and BioTransport anti-aging research at the age of 16, Dr. Burmer said that telomeres — not least because of the and steadfastly pursued her MD and are only the first example of aging- physician’s expertise he is expected PhD with the goal of becoming a re- related genes. Using DNA chip tech- to lend. In light of that, I was sur- searcher against aging (for life). nology, with 1,000 genes on each prised to discover that he is a psy- She mentioned that only 10,000 chip array, they have been able to chiatrist. But when I spoke to him of the 100,000 genes in the human monitor whether genes are turned off about his role, he seemed confident genome have been mapped and only or turned on. Studying different tis- that the surgical skills would sues from different age groups, not be a problem for him to they found a kinase that in- master. creased expression in both heart The Alcor people headed & skin with advancing age. to The Gourmet Room for din- Their company is searching for ner, and I joined them, continu- genes that will either increase or ing my discussion with Bob. decrease in a variety of disease The Gourmet Room is one of conditions in more than one tis- the most expensive restaurants sue. One particularly exciting in Laughlin, and is the most discovery they had made was of expensive of the 6 restaurants a gene that is expressed in se- in the Riverside Resort. But nile plaques and pre-senile Laughlin standards of expen- Carol Shaw and Ralph Merkle, PhD plaques. This could lay the
3rd Qtr, 1999 • Cryonics 9 the last ten years. Ralph himself has Audrey Smith had shown that ham- told me that if I have already heard sters could be cooled until 55% of his presentation a few times, there is body water was frozen. But the ham- no need to hear it again. If Ralph was sters would die within 18 hours of planning to only give updates, I re-warming. Examination of hamster would have stayed. But he asked for brains shows widespread petechial a show of hands of people who had (pinhead-to-pinpoint size) hemor- not heard his basic talk before, and rhaging. Paul said that Dr. Mark decided the number was large Voelker had been employed with enough that he should deliver it. BioTime for a month, and would be I probably returned later than I doing research with high-pressure should have, because Ralph was talk- chambers which might alleviate this ing about a new topic — the upcom- problem. ing release of a book on Paul then introduced another new Nanomedicine. In this case, the tech- BioTime worker, Lee McCook, a nical book would be followed by a graduate student who had taken an popularizing book — and Ralph gave aging course at Berkeley with Dr. reasons why he thought this sequence Paola Timiras (Paul Segall’s “men- would have more impact than the tor,” and author of the 1983 book Paul Segall, PhD reverse sequence followed by Neuroendocrinology of Aging). groundwork for stopping senility in Drexler’s books. My own perception McCook took the stage and ex- its tracks. of the basis on which people accept plained that he wanted to continue Dr. Burmer mentioned that hair or reject ideas makes me doubtful the work Paul Segall had begun follicles from bald humans will grow that sequence makes any difference. based on the neuroendocrine theory hair when transplanted to the skin of Opening the afternoon sessions, of aging. Since McCook has not yet mice. She raised the possibility of a Dr. Paul Segall stated his thesis that had much time to do original work shampoo ingredient to reactivate fol- the Syrian golden hamster is the best of his own, most of his presentation licles. Hugh Hixon emphasized the model system for cryonics research. was a review of aging research ma- unimaginable wealth the implemen- He reviewed the protocol being used terial which would be familiar to any- tation of this idea would bring to Dr. for hamster cryopreservation experi- one who has studied the subject care- Burmer’s company. ments at BioTime. In the mid-1950s fully. I won’t attempt to repeat this During the question period I asked if any of their results had been published in peer-reviewed journals. She said that they weren’t ready to do that yet. I also asked, considering the focus on the genome, whether she thought mitochondrial DNA played a significant role in aging. She said that the fact that young nuclei can re- juvenate cells when substituted for old nuclei by transplant had made her doubtful that mitochondrial DNA is crucial, although she is now having second thoughts. Ralph Merkle the next speaker. I have listened to Ralph’s nanotechnology presentation ump- teen times at various conferences in Stephen “Tumbleweed” Kehrer and Mark Voelker, PhD
10 Cryonics • 3rd Qtr, 1999 Fred Chamberlain (center, in tie) material. Java course at George Brown Col- would have both plans in mind, with Lee argued that the signalling lege in the first quarter of 1999, be- increasing emphasis on “plan B” as environment of the genome is the cause he was interested in having they get older. But I see many life- “ultimate determinant” of gene ex- some of his code rewritten in Java. extensionists who have no interest in pression, rather than the genome it- He was also impressed when I told cryonics as well as a surprising num- self, that the endocrine profile is an him how much time I have spent in- ber of cryonicists who don’t pay important part of this environment, stalling and configuring Linux. He much attention to life-extension. and that the brain (under feedback thought we might be able to find a Dr. Mark Voelker had been in the control from the lower systems) con- way to work together, but was un- program to speak on Sunday morn- trols the endocrine profile. He able to come up with anything tan- ing, but he decided to take advantage showed the beginnings of his work gible. Steve invited me to visit his of the time available for BioTime. He done in collaboration with a com- lab in Waterloo, but I told him I don’t spoke of his plans for high pressure puter programmer named Steve have a car. His website is research, rather than about electron Garran to study samples of brain tis- www.arclab.org microscopes — his topic scheduled sue under a computer-controlled mi- When I asked Steve about cry- in the program. croscope. onics, he told me that he is too young Mark explained that different After the lecture I spoke with to be thinking along those lines. I told solutes depress the freezing point of Steve Garran who, it turns out, is a him that I too am hopeful that aging water to a different degree (sodium Canadian from Waterloo. He is ea- can be eliminated soon (“plan A”), chloride has a eutectic temperature ger to apply computer technology to but if that fails, I want to have cry- of -21.6°C, whereas for calcium the aging problem. He was impressed onics (“plan B”) in place. I would chloride the eutectic temperature is when I told him that I had taught a expect that serious life-extensionists -55°C). He said that both tempera-
3rd Qtr, 1999 • Cryonics 11 ture and pressure are independent under the South Tower (which has pressure work — and it would have variables which may independently the non-smoking casino area), but he been very helpful if Mark’s presen- govern the minimum amount of said ground-water would prohibit tation had included this information. cryoprotectant necessary to this. He told me that plans for a gym On my drive back to Las Vegas I cryopreserve. He suggested that were already underway, and that con- stopped by Hoover Dam, which has much can be learned from exploring struction would begin in the near fu- a large tourist centre. Hoover Dam the 3-dimensional space represented ture. I told him that another great appeals to my megalomania as a co- by a plot of temperature, pressure and addition would be facilities for guests lossal “concrete” tribute to human % cryoprotectant. Mark showed a to have Internet access — browse the engineering — set against a backdrop picture of the hamster-sized hyper- Web and get their e-mail while away of towering mountain rock. Unfor- baric chamber he said he built to ex- from home. He said that it should not tunately, it is also a tribute to central plore this 3-dimensional space. be too difficult to have computer ter- planning and public works projects. Since the afternoon had been minals set up in a room much like At the time of its construction it’s going so swiftly, Fred Chamberlain the one in which we had our confer- psychological impact was equivalent asked the participants if they would ence presentations. to a moon landing. It was the high- like to finish the entire conference I spent the rest of the evening tak- est dam in the world, and for ten that afternoon by having him give the ing a final look inside some of the years it was the world’s largest hy- BioTransport presentation originally other hotel/casinos on The Strip. droelectric installation. Lake Mead scheduled for Sunday. The attendees Sunday morning I ran into Paul is still the largest man-made reser- favored the idea. Segall and Dave Greenstein in the voir in the United States. Fred began by describing the na- lobby and we agreed to go to the Riv- Dams are currently very contro- ive approach he had toward cryon- erside buffet together for breakfast. versial among environmentalists. ics rescue when he first became in- Paul said that the FDA approval Although dams generate one-fifth of volved, over 25 years ago. Instead of had just been given for his Hextend the world’s electricity as a “renew- sending cards that said “Get Well blood-substitute and that the pharma- able” energy source, they impede fish Soon,” he said “Sorry you’re sick and ceutical company, Abbott Laborato- passage and destroy riparian flora going to die — you should make ar- ries, would be doing the marketing. and fauna in a number of ways. rangements to be frozen.” Fred was This should mean big money for I took the “hardhat” tour, which interrupted and given a note which BioTime. Paul described a few more went through some of the deeper pas- shocked him into stepping up his blood substitute products BioTime sageways of the dam. The tour guide pace and focusing on the current or- has developed — and the differing said that the entire electrical distri- ganization and plans for conditions under which they can be bution system for the dam is now BioTransport. used — but I have unfortunately for- controlled by only 3 PCs, which he But Fred was soon interrupted gotten the details. hopes are Y2K compliant. I am again. He announced that his presen- When I mentioned the poor re- thinking of going to next year’s High tation would have to be cut short be- sults Greg Fahy had with Rollers’ conference. If I do, I will cause an emergency cryonics case cryoprotectants at high pressure, Paul probably take the opportunity to see had come up and the team needed to told me that he figured Greg’s speci- the Grand Canyon. mobilize immediately. The timing of mens had suffered from nitrogen tox- this event was ironic, in light of the icity (“the bends”). At BioTime they fact that it had been 2 years since plan to used a helium atmosphere. He Alcor last cryopreserved anyone. In said that if fish can live in the short order the Alcor people were Marianas Trench, there is no reason packing-up and vacating. to believe that pressure itself is Mary Margaret, Kat Cotter, and “toxic.” Paul even suggested that I had all agreed the night before that high pressure may promote perfusion what the Riverside Resort needs is a in such difficult areas as eyeballs and good gym. I asked Don Laughlin if bones. His comments gave me a very it would be possible to build a gym different perspective on the high
12 Cryonics • 3rd Qtr, 1999 Cool Connections:
Cryonics on the World Wide Web
By Steve Bridge
hings are changing so rapidly in using the Internet. But maybe not. mark is Alcor’s own: Tthe world of the Internet that it After all, Alcor Membership Admin- http://www.alcor.org. seems anachronistic to be printing istrator Brian Shock has e-mail ad- Alcor’s home page opens with a this article on paper. You should be dresses for fewer than half our mem- cheerful photograph of some of reading this in your e-mail or an on- bers. Alcor’s staff and Transport Team line version of Cryonics so you could For those of you who already use volunteers. Click on “Photo Tour” immediately link to the web sites I the Internet and World Wide Web, I and you’ll see a series of pictures list. But we don’t have an on-line merely need to begin this article with which show Alcor’s building and version of Cryonics — yet. And then one address and tell you to look there: basic cryonics procedures. Click on there are those of you that aren’t us- http://dmoz.org/Science/Biol- “Membership” to get a copy of ing the Internet or even getting elec- ogy/Cryobiology/Cryonics/. Alcor’s Membership Application. If tronic mail — yet, and you need to You’ll have to type it in by hand, a reader has software allowing for know about these sites. of course, until we can convert pa- secure transmission of information, Actually, if you have resisted per images more easily into elec- he or she can apply on-line. “going on the Web” to this point in tronic ones. But I hope you’ll Book- Current or future Alcor members your life, my first paragraph already mark it for future use (or place it in might wish to click on “Library” for has you lost in a maze of unfamiliar “Favorites” if you use Internet Ex- many additional member forms, terminology. I suspect that most sub- plorer instead). The listings will be Alcor’s history, the full text of scribers to Cryonics are interested in changing constantly. Alcor’s book, Cryonics: Reaching future technology and are already The first site for you to Book- for Tomorrow, and interesting ar-
Steve Bridge was a co-founder of the Institute of Advanced Biological Studies, which merged with Alcor Life Extension Foundation in the early 1980s. He has been an Alcor Director since 1991, served as Alcor president/CEO from 1992 to 1996, and is currently Alcor’s Chairman of the Board. By profession, he is a librarian, and by personal preference, a dedicated family man.
3rd Qtr, 1999 • Cryonics 13 ticles from past issues of Cryonics. Click on “News/Events” to see the latest news or details on Alcor’s 2000 conference in California. Then click A few Internet terms: on “Who We Are” to see pictures and biographies of the staff, Board of Internet — the system of computers and soft- Directors, and advisors, including a very friendly picture of yours truly. ware that allow us to use telephone lines to David Cosenza started Alcor’s exchange written information all over the Web page back in 1995. Since then world. Brian Shock, Fred Chamberlain, and Derek Ryan have taken turns being World Wide Web — a particular use of the Webmaster. Alcor currently needs Internet that allows people to set up informa- some knowledgable, dependable, and energetic help to keep the Web tion files, pictures, computer programs, etc. on page up to date. Send a note to Brian computers that are always on. Outside users Shock
3rd Qtr, 1999 • Cryonics 15 (Quotes are from the on-line info ert C.W. Ettinger, and K. Eric Science/Technology/ at the Open Directory Project Drexler. Cryotechnology/), and Cryosurgery website. “Mozilla” is ODP’s symbol, Other links include such diverse (http://dmoz.org/Science/Technol- a green lizard.) sites as a place that discusses “Was ogy/Cryotechnology/Cryosurgery/). Several internet search engines Walt Disney Frozen?”, the home Each subject listing already has and indexes (at least 25 sites as of page for the documentary film Syn- links to enough internet material to the beginning of June, 1999) are now thetic Pleasures, Scott Badger’s Cry- keep you awake for many nights (I taking advantage of that free use li- onics Survey (see Cryonics, 2nd have added over 200 sites in these cense to include ODP listings as a Quarter, 1999), and articles by Ralph subjects plus Cryonics, and some major part of the indexing they offer Merkle, Steven Harris, and Ben Best. sites link with hundreds of other their own customers. Some of these I have not included most personal sites). Still, these other cryo-subjects companies include Hotbot, Lycos, web sites with brief or unoriginal are outside of my personal expertise. Aardvarks Metasearch, Dogpile, and mentions of cryonics. The goal of the I greatly desire help finding and or- MetaPro. But the simplest and most ODP is not “completeness.” ganizing more sites in each of these direct way to use the ODP listings is Don’t stop at the main entries. areas. If you would like to be a vol- to go to the source at http://dmoz.org. “Simple Introductions to Cryonics” unteer on this project, I would be Searching is exceptionally fast. includes the best short introductions happy to help you get started. You As editor for the Cryonics sub- I could find. Send your friends or do not need to know HTML (the ject heading (at http://dmoz.org/Sci- relatives there as a starting point or main Internet programming lan- ence/Biology/Cryobiology/Cryon- print out your favorites and pass them guage). The Open Directory Project ics/), my goal has been to create a around. That’s also a good starting uses simple software that makes add- listing of all sites which would be point for students working on reports. ing and editing sites very easy. useful to people searching for cry- “Cryonics Humor and Satire” is And if you just know a couple of onics information. Those “people” still a small group of sites. Some car- favorite sites you think I should add, could be students, reporters, novel- toons are included, as is Derek go to the ODP page in which you ists, cryonicist relatives, prospective Strong’s funny account of a think it fits, then click on “Add members, current members looking reporter’s hoax call (“Carla Cranks URL.” You will be prompted for the for more information, and more. Alcor”). If you know some more cry- address and any information you As a base, I have listed the web onics humor sites (just clean stuff, might want to add. I will look at them addresses for all cryonics groups for please), let me know. and see if they fit in my category or whom I can find a web page. These “Futuristic sites of interest to somewhere else. include many smaller groups outside Cryonicists” contains all those sites of the United States. The sites for the that don’t have much to do with cry- American Cryonics Society, onics directly, but which most of you CryoCare, Cryonics Institute, and would like if you just knew about Trans Time are just as loaded with them. They include information information as Alcor’s site. Each is about Extropianism, immortalism, unique, as you might expect from the and transhumanism, plus sites which different writers and philosophies index future speculation on the net. connected wth the groups. There is enough material for a thou- I added information sites like sand science fiction novels or future CryoNet and Timothy Freeman’s speculation books in those sites “Cryonics FAQ” (a bit dated now, alone. but still useful for many answers). I If you are wanting information have included some of the best per- about other “cryo” subjects, I also sonal sites of cryonicists, as long as edit the ODP subject areas on Cryo- they contain unique information. The biology (http://dmoz.org/Science/ list also has direct links to web sites Biology/Cryobiology/), for books by James Halperin, Rob- Cryotechnology (http://dmoz.org/
16 Cryonics • 3rd Qtr, 1999 Shock Treatments
Cryonics: the Scourge of Volunteers?
by Brian Shock
n my incarnation as Alcor’s Mem- foundly, constantly appreciate their At this point, libertarians and Ibership Manager, I really like vol- work, and I hope they continue help- other free-marketeers may feel an unteers, particularly regular volun- ing us until the day they take up urge to defend my proposition teers. permanent residence in Alcor’s Pa- (though most will assume I’m suffi- At the moment Alcor has two tient Care Bay. But as volunteers, ciently self-reliant to defend my own regulars at the office: Jerry Searcy, they have every right to come and ideas, if they’re worth anything at who answers the phones, performs go as they like. Jerry even refuses all). “There Ain’t No Such Thing data entry, and stuffs envelopes for any sort of payment just so he can As A Free Lunch.” If you want us; and Paul Garfield, who happily remain totally free to vacation or something, you work for it or pay takes care of grunt work such as travel. for it. From this philsophical stand- filing, copying, and collating. Jerry Therein lies one of the central point, volunteer labor must seem fun- works Monday through Friday and problems of volunteerism: the in- damentally suspicious. Paul works one day a week. Alcor ability to count on volunteers’ time. Perhaps so, but I believe the pays neither of them a cent. I can almost hear someone out problems run even deeper than that. These two retired Alcor mem- there muttering, “What’s he com- I’m reminded of an incident at bers are incredibly helpful to us. plaining about? Volunteers donate Alcor’s latest CryoTransport Tech- With Jerry answering the phones, I their valuable time, even if they do it nician training course a few weeks don’t have to interrupt my writing at their convenience. An irregular ago. One of our attendees was en- every five minutes to handle routine something for nothing is still some- thusing about the wonder, excite- information requests. With Paul col- thing for nothing.” ment, and challenge of working in lating information packets for me, I If you will, please forgive me cryonics. Having labored in this field have a few more hours to spend with the impulse to descend into apho- for a few years now, I could only Alcor sign-ups. When both of them rism for the beginning of my an- shrug, noting that, “It’s just a job, are on the job every week, the office swer: “We may not get what we pay like any other.” This observation runs with gratifying smoothness. for, but we never get anything more seemed to thoroughly scandalize the And when one or both of them than that.” volunteer CryoTransport Tech, still are gone, the office dissolves into a (On a slight tangent, I might also steeped in eagerness and novelty. slow chaos of diverted thought trains point out that slavery — another ap- But come the end of that train- and unproductive drudgery. parent “something for nothing” — ing course, the volunteer went home Please understand: I’m not blam- has always proven more expensive to his job, while I stayed here with ing Jerry or Paul. I honestly, pro- than it was worth.) mine. Since then, he’s probably con-
3rd Qtr, 1999 • Cryonics 17 templated working in cryonics once edge and experience with us directly. sons: or twice, while I remain immersed Either way, he begins with the con- A) Most of those “good ideas” in it on a daily basis. His eagerness viction that he knows how to correct (particularly the ones about promot- will burn brightly for a certain our “Something Wrong.” ing cryonics and increasing mem- amount of time, whether weeks, Whether volunteers begin by per- bership) just don’t work. We know months, or years, and then like all forming useful bottom-rung tasks or — we’ve tried them. Shock’s Law volunteers, he will go on to his next march into the CEO’s office with #1 states that, “Selling cryonics ar- avocation; meanwhile, I must per- their plans for world domination, rangements is more difficult than form consistently, Monday through they inevitably find a deplorable lack selling any beneficial product or ser- Friday, January through December, of excitement awaiting them. Some vice ever imagined.” Unfortunately with the knowledge that a burn-out take this as a snub, and immediately for volunteers (and probably many might spell disaster for me and for stomp off to some other pursuit, one readers out there as well) Shock’s Alcor. that will hopefully show more ap- Law #2 is, “No one believes Shock’s Consistency isn’t exciting, but preciation for their efforts. Others Law #1. . . until he or she learns it in cryonics, it is vital. Volunteers are simply disappointed, and remain for himself, through painful, frus- show consistency only in their pat- involved with cryonics, albeit with a trating experience.” tern of inconsistency. somewhat lower level of energy than B) Even for the best ideas, cry- The typical volunteer comes to before. onics lacks money and time. Just as us when cryonics still retains a shin- This always happens. There is an obvious example, your cryonics ing newness for him, usually before simply no way around it. Regard- organization would dearly love to he’s even completed his sign-up pro- less of how much a volunteer has to market itself as thoroughly as cess. He’s eager as heck to make offer — and almost directly propor- McDonald’s, but it doesn’t have the cryonics the biggest thing since tional to how much he does for us in funds and it doesn’t have the per- sliced bread. To him, cryonics seems the meantime — cryonics dampens sonnel. the most logical idea ever conceived, enthusiasm in short order. The more But don’t volunteers at least of- and so he’s amazed to discover that a cryonics organization depends on fer an extra set of hands for such everyone hasn’t signed up yet. As a volunteers, then, the more it will suf- tasks? corollary to this amazement, he be- fer when those volunteers shuffle That leads us to the next prob- comes convinced that Alcor and away in (perhaps justifiable) disgust, lem. other cryonics organizations have as they always do. been doing “Something Wrong.” Why do we seem to drive them 2) Long Term Projects — cry- Imagine: we hold the key to the most away? onics may be one of the few long- obviously desirable thing anyone term projects in the Western world. could ever want — the possibility of 1) Good Ideas — Our volunteers It demands that we actively main- extended life — and our sales are always have plenty of genuinely tain cryonics patients in a frozen state laughably poor. We must be idiots good, occasionally brilliant ideas. As over the course of decades or even and incompetents! newcomers, however, they haven’t centuries. It forces us to remain Our generous volunteer naturally had time to realize that cryonics has ready for a suspension day and night, has dozens of good ideas for pro- survived for over three decades and year after year, even though suspen- moting, marketing, or otherwise ad- involved hundreds of the most highly sion frequency is extremely low. It vancing cryonics. If he’s fairly intelligent people on the planet. The also involves permanently shifting young or not well established in any cryonics organization of your choice the mind-set of millions of people professional circles, he will usually may not have heard every good idea — entire societies! — which can understand that his volunteer efforts ever conceived, but its personnel only be accomplished with slow, must start out with simple rote work, have been subjected to 99.99% of grinding, unceasing effort. stuffing envelopes or pushing a them. Continuity (even mediocre con- broom. If he’s middle-aged or se- If cryonics has access to this vast tinuity) is the life-blood of cryonics. cure in his chosen career, he will memetic resource, then, why don’t Without that, no one would trust a prefer sharing his superior knowl- we take advantage of it? Two rea- cryonics organization, and probably
18 Cryonics • 3rd Qtr, 1999 shouldn’t. misinform countless people. be doing with our time. We are Completely aside from cryonics n A volunteer might take on a task sincerely interested in your feedback, volunteers’ disaffection curve, noth- for which he has more enthusiasm but please keep in mind that we’ve ing holds a volunteer to his organi- than competence or time, and so un- been around for many years and have zation. As a volunteer, he can come dermine important work. gradually allocated existing re- and go as he pleases, refuse any job, n A volunteer might be a patho- sources to do the best job within our or simply quit without significant logical liar, a con man, a thief. . . or limitations. consequences to his income or em- worse. ployment prospects. As much as As much as I’d like to discuss 4) Please don’t just tell us what cryonics organizations need and ap- specific cases, I fear this would dis- you can do for us — instead, show preciate volunteers, these wonderful tract from the general point: new- us what you can do for us. If you people potentially jeopardize conti- comers to cryonics must earn a mo- have a wonderful new idea for pro- nuity of every service a cryonics or- dicum of trust far out of proportion motional items, videos, ganization offers. If we put a volun- to that necessary in other fields. cryotransport equipment, etc., as- teer in charge of a vital project and semble something tangible that we he suddenly decides to fade (as has With this minor screed exhausted might examine and test. If you be- happened, more than once!), we have then, I cannot emphasize enough that lieve you can sign up hundreds of wasted time and money that may your cryonics organization still needs people, do so. weaken us to our foundations. volunteer help. How then can you (One important caveat: please do And this brings up a third and best avoid the pitfalls I’ve discussed? not refer to yourself as an Alcor rep- final volunteer issue. resentative, without specific written 1) Please try to understand the authorization.) 3) Honesty and Reliability — If basic trust issues involved. If you you’ve read this far, you are prob- volunteer for work with Alcor and 5) And finally, once again, it’s ably a very pleasant, rational, intel- you are not at least in the sign-up Cliché Time: please put your money ligent, well-informed individual. But process, our responsibility to patients where your mouth is. If you have if you show up on the doorstep of a and members alike will obligate us something specific you want to see cryonics organization or just call it to question your commitment. happen, donate the funds for it. on the phone, no one there can know (Though please keep in mind that this about you with absolute cer- 2) Please be as patient as pos- existing company strategies may pre- tainty. Considering that a cryonics sible when approaching us. We’ll vent us from acceding to every wish. organization may be responsible for fit you in wherever we can, but the For instance, you probably can’t do- the lives of hundreds of people, its farther away from us you are, the nate enough money to convince all personnel cannot afford to take more difficult this becomes. Re- of Alcor’s staff to wear office uni- chances. member that you may have to make forms that resemble costumes from Cryonics has experienced its yourself available for dull, thankless Star Trek: The Next Generation.) share of disappointments with indi- tasks over the course of years before viduals. Some of these disappoint- we can give you more responsibil- ments involved intentional dishon- ity. esty, some came from those with the (Remember also that most of best intentions but serious personal Alcor’s full-time staff worked as vol- flaws, and some very unfortunate unteers for quite some time, demon- experiences arose from gray areas strating their reliability and worth to that many of us still don’t under- the organization long before they stand. were hired.) What exactly do I mean? n A volunteer might believe he 3) Please don’t feel that your knows far more about cryonics than most useful volunteer work involves he actually does, and so accidentally educating us about what we should
3rd Qtr, 1999 • Cryonics 19 Reality Check
A Case Study in Promotion
by Charles Platt
uring the past thirty years, no than 1,000 information requests, Keith that Omni should co-sponsor Done has promoted cryonics suc- which I was told exceeded the num- an essay-writing contest in which the cessfully, if we measure success in ber of responses from the previous first prize would be a free thousands of new members rather best attempt at promoting cryonics, cryopreservation, he immediately than dozens. Build a better mouse- when it was featured on the Donahue saw that the resulting publicity could trap, and the world will beat a path show. One reason my single page benefit his magazine as well as our to your door; but where cryonics is was so effective was that it was a per- cryonics organization. He empha- concerned, we don’t actually have sonal testimonial, which is a power- sized, though, that Omni would not the mousetrap, merely some plans to ful tool in PR. Another reason may contribute to the cost of the prize. complete it when technology matures be that print is more effective than I proposed the idea to the Alcor sufficiently. Therefore, I see two ex- TV, for selling cryonics. A more board of directors, and pointed out planations for our lack of success: Ei- important reason may have been that that the contest wouldn’t actually ther our plans are insufficiently plau- Omni reached the ideal audience: cost much (an annual life insurance sible, or we need a more effective Readers who knew just enough about premium and a free membership) way to convince prospective custom- science to feel optimistic about it, but until the winner required cryopres- ers. weren’t well enough informed to per- ervation, which could be decades When I was relatively new to cry- ceive the practical difficulties. To put later. In fact this contest would be onics I tended to believe the second it bluntly, they were naive. unique in that the prize would not be possibility more than the first, be- I wondered how I could reach awarded until after the winner was cause I saw that cryonics never had this audience more effectively, while dead! been promoted on a very coordinated still working within ethical limits. It Carlos Mondragon (at that time, or professional basis. With arrogance occurred to me that one basic tool of the president of Alcor) was in favor typical of many cryonicists, I auto- PR had never been tried: A contest. of the plan, but later told me he had matically assumed that I could do If auto manufacturers routinely give a hard time selling it to some of the what other people had failed to do; away cars as a means to gain public- directors. In retrospect I sympathize so I set to work. ity, why shouldn’t a cryonics orga- with their point of view: Alcor would First I wrote a one-page column nization offer a “free freeze”? be accepting a long-term unfunded for Omni magazine, describing my The editor of Omni at that time obligation without any guarantee that decision to join Alcor and suggest- was Keith Ferrell, a very open- the contest would attract enough pay- ing that other people might do the minded man who happened to like ing new members to make it worth- same. This column generated more my writing. When I suggested to while. Still, ultimately the board did
20 Cryonics • 3rd Qtr, 1999 vote to go ahead, and they put Ralph unrealistic expectations. says: A tiny number, bearing in mind Whelan in charge of negotiating the After the contest was published, we were offering a free chance at details of the deal with Omni. Omni’s own PR department was able “immortality.” I felt unhappy about this. After to set up numerous telephone inter- The essays were interesting. all, I was the person who had cre- views with radio stations, plus an About one-quarter were from people ated the idea and enjoyed the work- appearance on a daytime TV talk who seemed dissatisfied with their ing relationship with Keith Ferrell. show. The people who participated lives and wanted a second chance to But Ralph was a director of Alcor, in this included (as I recall) Fred and start over. The general public often and his fellow directors preferred to Linda Chamberlain, Carlos assumes that cryonics appeals mainly trust him to represent Alcor’s inter- Mondragon, and myself, as well as to people who are wealthy or suc- ests. This was in keeping with a gen- Keith Ferrell. Carlos, who is always cessful, but more often, the reverse eral unwritten policy at Alcor in calm in front of TV cameras, gave turns out to be true. those days, which can be summa- by far the best, most convincing an- About a dozen essays were from rized as, “We’ll do it ourselves, swers. people with incurable diseases that thanks.” So far as I could see, the A month later, Omni estimated would cause death within a matter of organization generally preferred not that its promotional campaign had months. These essays were ex- to delegate responsibility to volun- reached about 7 million people — in tremely difficult for me to deal with. teers, and some volunteers became addition to the 500,000 regular read- Alcor could not influence the judg- discouraged as a result. ers of the magazine. ing in any way, but obviously would After several months Ralph and So, my idea worked. In fact it was be happier if the winner of the con- Keith Ferrell did reach an agreement, the biggest piece of promotion in the test was unlikely to die soon. I tried and to his great credit Ralph per- history of cryonics. The results, not to let this affect my decision. At suaded Omni to offer Alcor two free though, were not quite what I had the same time, how could I say “no” full-page ads, separately from, and expected. to the people with AIDS who wanted in addition to, the contest. I was not Alcor did receive literally thou- to be frozen, and could not possibly happy that the event would be titled sands of information requests, neces- pay for it, because they had spent all “The Omni Immortality Contest,” sitating extra volunteers to answer their money on medical treatment since to me “immortality” always has the phones. This aspect of promotion and could not get life insurance? religious connotations. Also I was should never be overlooked: The I reminded myself that when we surprised that the essay length for more successful an effort is, the more conceived the contest, we agreed that entries would be a mere 250 words, problems it will create. You will have the winner would be chosen on the rather than the 500 which I consid- to invest a substantial amount of basis of the essay, not on grounds of ered minimal for a meaningful state- time, effort, and money merely to hardship or need. (This is why I had ment. And whereas I had imagined handle the calls and send out info- wanted the theme of the essay to be that entrants would be asked to de- packs, without any guarantee that a “What I would like to see and do in scribe what they wanted to see and reasonable percentage will result in the future” rather than “Why I would do if they woke up in the future, sign-ups. But even when people do like to be cryopreserved.”) Also I told Omni merely asked entrants to ex- sign up, this creates more work, be- myself that cryonics was offering, at plain why they wanted to be cause there is always some hand- best, a slim chance of future resusci- cryopreserved. holding necessary, which can be tation, not a cure. Most of all, each Still, Omni did put the contest on managed only by someone who has of us has a responsibility to sign up the cover of the magazine (which PR sufficient experience or training. for cryopreservation before we get professionals tell me is a mark of true Originally Omni had wanted sick. Still, the terminal cases re- success in their industry), and Keith some “celebrities” to judge the en- mained a terrible burden on my con- Ferrell asked me to write a couple of tries to the contest. I can’t remember science. pages of questions and answers about how this plan changed, but I ended In the end, inevitably, I compro- cryonics, explaining it in a fair and up as the sole judge, with Keith mised. A young man in New Jersey sober way, so that we could not be Ferrell approving my decision. I described the constant pain he had accused of tempting entrants with found myself with around 350 es- experienced ever since he had been
3rd Qtr, 1999 • Cryonics 21 in a car accident. He looked forward it won’t be possible. ideas, but I gather they have not been to a new life in which medicine What can we learn from this? pursued to completion. Even if they would be able to alleviate this pain. First, and most surprisingly, even had, I can’t help wondering if Mr. So, here was someone who needed if we give cryonics away — offering Cloud’s claim that he could double help, yet was (currently) in good it free to millions of people — only Alcor membership was realistic. physical health. His essay was sim- a minuscule fraction will be inter- Generally I suspect (but cannot ply expressed yet eloquent, and ested. Of the seven million Ameri- prove) that cryonics will remain hard showed a clear understanding of cry- cans who heard about this contest, to promote until our “better mouse- onics. In many ways it seemed out- only 350 bothered to enter. trap” is finally up and running, rather standing compared with its competi- Second, the people who do want than merely a set of plans that can- tors. Therefore I felt ethically justi- it may not follow through. I suppose not be built until future scientists fied in selecting it. this should not be surprising. As a learn how to do it for us. Note that I This, however, wasn’t the end of general principle, if someone pays am not suggesting we should aban- the story. Like so many anecdotes in for something, they value it more don the whole idea of promotion; cryonics, this one tells us how totally than if they get it free; and conse- merely that if history is any guide, perverse human nature can be. quently I have come to the conclu- its results will be modest. When I called the prize winner sion that it’s a bad idea to give away to tell him his good fortune, he was cryonics services under any circum- excited. “Gee, I never won a contest stances. We need members who are before,” he said. Then he paused. positively committed, not people “Uh, what contest is this?” who are lukewarm about it, and may “The Omni Immortality Con- actually change their minds. In a test,” I told him. worst-case situation, this can happen “Oh.” Another pause. “What do when they are dying and a standby I get, exactly?” team has already been deployed. In the months since he’d written On the upside, the contest did his essay, he seemed to have forgot- have some positive results. I’ve been ten all about it. I wondered if he en- told that after the winner was an- tered contests wholesale, as a spare- nounced and the other entrants real- time occupation. I even wondered if ized they would have to pay if they he had really sustained injuries from wanted membership, more than 50 a car accident. Still, I had announced of them decided to sign up. Do 50 our decision; there was no way to new members justify the risk of of- renege on it. We had to follow fering a “free freeze” to one contest MOVING? through. winner? I would tend to say “yes.” After I reminded him of the de- Omni magazine went out of busi- tails, and he remembered his inter- ness several years ago, and now, even Let us know about it! est in cryonics, he still turned out to the webzine version has died. I can’t Call 1-602-905-1906 be strangely uninterested in collect- think of any comparable way, today, and ask for Joe Hovey. ing his prize. He had to be told re- to reach such an ideal audience of peatedly to fill out his cryonics docu- potential members. Of course there ments. More than a year passed, and have been other attempts to target Don’t miss even one issue he still hadn’t completed them. Cur- likely segments of the population, of Cryonics! rently, I believe he is an Alcor mem- most notably the plan by Michael ber but has moved without leaving a Cloud, who hoped to use direct mail forwarding address. I think Alcor supplemented with audio cassettes needn’t worry about the cost of and a tiered sequence of membership cryopreserving this member; he categories to encourage incremental seems likely to die in such a way that involvement. I liked many of his
22 Cryonics • 3rd Qtr, 1999 Alcor’s Board Makes Patient Care Trust Irrevocable
by Steve Bridge
“The Trust shall be for the exclusive non-profit scientific research and educational purpose of providing care for individuals (hereinafter called ‘Patients’) who have been placed into cryonic suspension or other forms of biostasis as long-term research specimens by Alcor until such future time as it may be possible to repair and revive them to such a condition as will allow them to be considered legally alive, func- tional, and independent. This applies both to those Patients currently held in biostasis at Alcor and to those Patients who may be placed into biostasis after this Trust has been established.”
t the May 2, 1999 bimonthly to protect that money from the po- and we had no experience with what Ameeting of Alcor’s Board of Di- tential of future misuse or litigation, kind of practical problems it might rectors, Alcor’s Board voted unani- then all of our patients — including present, the Board at that time chose mously to make the Alcor Patient ourselves someday — would be at to make it “revocable” and compara- Care Trust irrevocable. This is the risk. tively easy to amend for two years. final step in a seven-year quest to The trustee of the Patient Care “Revocable” means Alcor’s Board provide multiple layers of security to Trust is a Board of five Alcor mem- could cancel it at any time. the funds allotted to the care of bers, at least three of whom must be Making the Trust “irrevocable” Alcor’s suspended patients. related to patients in suspension at means that the Alcor Board cannot This Trust is a unique charitable Alcor. One and only one individual ever cancel the Trust until the pur- trust, formed under the umbrella of Trustee must be a member of Alcor’s poses of the Trust are fulfilled. Since Alcor. It shares Alcor’s tax-exempt Board of Directors. The individual the purposes of the Trust can be sum- status; but is a separate legal entity. Trustees are appointed by the Alcor marized as “keep all the patients fro- The Trust document allows the Trust Board to staggered five-year terms. zen until they can all be repaired and Board to apply for separate tax sta- Once the trustees are elected, they are revived;” this Trust is going to be in tus in the future, should that become difficult to remove, and a number of existence for a long time. desirable. safeguards and checks/balances are We did amend the Trust in two The reasons for the Trust are to in place to safeguard the Trust small ways before making it irrevo- make sure that the Patient Care funds Board’s independence. cable. We re-wrote some unclear are only spent for expenses relating Two years ago, on May 4, 1997, language concerning who was to to patient care, and to protect that Alcor’s Board passed a final form of manage the Trust’s investments, and money (and the ability to keep pa- the Trust and placed our Patient Care Alcor’s Board and Trust Board were tients frozen) from lawsuits which investments into it. Since this Trust given some more flexibility on how could target it. If there was no way form was created especially for Alcor to fill a vacant Trust Board seat if
3rd Qtr, 1999 • Cryonics 23 qualified patient relatives cannot be otherwise be the same as for any touched. We anticipate that future found. other Trustee. A Temporary growth in the Trust investments will To solve that problem (that may Trustee shall have the same duties, allow the Trust to fund research into never occur), the following text was powers, and responsibilities as any the technology of patient repair and added: other Trustee. resuscitation. The more optimistic among us predict that the growth in (Page 4) SEVENTH: Election and The Trust can be amended in the those investment funds during the term of Trust Board. future, but only “if amendment of the next few decades will be enough to Add a new Paragraph (j). Trust is necessary to accomplish the pay for the entire patient revival pro- purposes of the Trust” and only by cedure. (j) If Alcor’s Board of Directors de- the combined unanimous vote of One of the most important ques- termines that there is no qualified Alcor’s Board and the Trust Board. tions that people ask us is “What hap- and acceptable individual avail- It cannot be amended in any way that pens to the patients when (or if) you able to fill a vacant Trusteeship slot would change the purpose of the run out of money someday?” Believe reserved for relatives of suspension Trust. The Trust cannot be revoked. me, every one of us Directors have patients, an Alcor suspension Current Trustees are: asked ourselves the same question member who is not a relative may every year we have been involved in be elected to act as a Temporary n Gary Meade (Alcor Director, pa- cryonics (more than 20 years each for Trustee. A Temporary Trustee must tient relative, and a corporate attor- three of us, more than 10 years each be elected by the combined unani- ney) for four others). Now I feel a lot mous vote of all Directors on more confident in answering, “It is Alcor’s Board of Directors and all n Warren Robertson (patient rela- very unlikely we will ever run out of remaining Trustees. No more than tive and a CPA) money to keep the patients frozen.” two (2) Temporary Trustees may The full text of the Trust is avail- serve at any one time. n Robert Schwarz (patient relative) able from Alcor — $3.00 for Alcor A Temporary Trustee will serve suspension members and people in until a qualified and acceptable n Carlos Mondragon (former Alcor the sign-up process; $18.00 for all relative of an Alcor suspension Director and former President of others. The extra $15.00 will be a patient is elected as Trustee or one Alcor) donation to the Patient Care Trust to (1) year, whichever is the shorter help cover some of the legal costs. period. A Temporary Trustee may n David Brandt-Erichsen. Anyone who pays the $18.00 and serve any number of one-year enters Alcor’s sign-up process within terms, but each time only by the In the past two years, we have 6 months will receive a $15.00 credit unanimous combined vote of seen impressive growth in the Trust against his or her sign-up fee. Alcor’s Board of Directors and the investments, even though we have For a history of how the Trust remaining Trustees. As in (f) had no new suspensions in the past was put together from 1992 to 1997 above, a unanimous vote of the two years. (Alcor places at least and a summary of the Trust, see Cry- Alcor Board of Directors is re- $14,000 into the Trust for each onics Magazine 3rd Quarter, 1997. quired to remove a Temporary neuropatient and at least $70,000 into Trustee, except when a qualified the Trust for each whole body pa- and acceptable relative of an Alcor tient.) Fortunately, the Trust holds suspension patient is elected to fill the mortgage for the building that that slot. In such case, the Tem- houses Alcor and its patients. All porary Trustee would immediately patient care expenses have been more be removed without any further than covered by the mortgage pay- vote. ments alone, allowing the rest of the An Alcor Director cannot be a Trust investments (primarily stock Temporary Trustee. The qualifica- and bond investments managed by tions for Temporary Trustee shall Salomon Smith Barney) to grow un-
24 Cryonics • 3rd Qtr, 1999 The Donaldson Perspective
Nanotechnology
by Thomas Donaldson, Ph.D.
he first thing I will say about . . and thus faster. Whether or not thorough detail. Unhappily, we may Tnanotechnology is that, yes, we quantum computing ever blossoms, find some patients destroyed; anyone will probably need some form of we will have computers able to do who reads reports of suspensions will nanotechnology [1] in order to revive the calculations needed to put lots of see that many different things can many cryonics patients. Perhaps it’s tissues back together after the dam- happen. The problem is not at all that my imagination only, but I suspect age of cryonic suspension. Such global arguments are wrong; the that many readers will at first agree, computations may well be done out- problem is that they fail to tell us but then notice the phrase “form of side the patient; to make devices able which patients are impossible to re- nanotechnology” and start to wonder. to do them inside a patient seems vive, and which are only very diffi- I do not agree with any attempts to quite unnecessary. And despite the cult. It’s no consolation to know that restrict nanotechnology to only one fact that such technologies do not most patients will be repairable, even form. By its roots, the word means provide the complete control we though your father or your mother “technology able to work on dream of, we must still see them for will not be. nanoscales.” If we wish to find meth- what they are. Further, without knowledge of ods for to revive patients, it’s quite Yet nanotechnology in any form exactly what can happen to cryonics wrong to look only at some particu- provides only a necessary technol- patients, it becomes impossible to lar forms. ogy. It cannot save us unless we learn design any system for repair. The One important point follows many other things we now do not possible kinds of damage get more from this: We already have some know: not about how to work on complex the longer we study them. nanotechnologies, which continue to nanoscales, but about what happens We’re likely to end up not with one advance. (And many scientists and on nanoscales in the first place. . . but many methods for repair, each engineers are working on others.) particularly within the brains of sus- with its own area of application. The Biochemistry and biotechnology al- pension patients. We must first ac- point is simple: we not only need ready provide us with one form; ma- quire sufficient information not just nanotechnology, but a much deeper terials science gives us another. Even about how healthy brains fit together, understanding of the damage due to chemists often work now on but also about all the ways in which all the different kinds of nanoscales, with new molecules de- damage happens to patients’ brains. cryotechnology so far applied to dif- signed sometimes to do a task, some- Nor is it enough to use global argu- ferent patients (not to mention the times simply to see what can be done. ments [2] as some have done; we patient’s state of damage before- And slowly we are working out how need to know what happens to the hand). Without such understanding to make our electronics even smaller. brains of cryonics patients in quite we accomplish no more than flailing
3rd Qtr, 1999 • Cryonics 25 about in the dark, even if we use we can already tell the difference as they can go, they will remain only nanotools to do so. between some different kinds of neu- beginnings. To repair cryonics pa- It’s also quite true that some ron from the molecules they contain tients, or indeed to modify the world, forms of nanotechnology may help [4]. To repair brains, particularly requires not only that we have tools us a lot in finding out just what we those damaged by current or past sus- but understanding of the world, too. need to know about brains and dam- pension methods, we’ll need to know And that understanding will always age to them. A very simple example much more. With that knowledge, we be hard and long in the getting. already exists: using biotechnology, can then design methods for repair, we can now create stains to show the which will once more use some form presence of any given molecule in of nanotechnology. tissue, no matter how damaged [3]. So what do I think of Electron micrographs totally fail to nanotechnology? Even if we have provide such information. Moreover, one or more kinds developed as far
Notes:
[1] If we find ways to preserve brains perfectly, the problem of giving them bodies then needs solution. One way involves creation of a body with little or no brain cortex (or any other brain structure giving us our individuality, as we learn more about consciousness). To actually connect such bodies to a brain, with close to 100% of neurons properly connected, requires surgery much finer than any yet done (nanosurgery). There is also a method of body restoration that superficially does not need any nanotechnology. . . until we think about it a little. That is, we might use techniques to make the brain itself grow another body. The nanotechnology comes when we think about the details of just how we might do this.
[2] Hogg, T. “Information Storage and Computational Aspects of Repair,” Cryonics (3)(1996) 18-25
[3] The best way to find out about these technologies now is to read various scientific papers. Briefly, one method involves the insertion of modified genes by using viruses. The genes put out, either alone or in addition to their usual product, a dye which will show up on suitable chemical treatment. This allows us to see those cells in which particular genes are activated. Another method involves using a second animal’s immune system to raise antibod- ies against the biochemical of interest. A dye is then chemically linked to the antibody so that it does not interfere with its action. The antibodies latch onto the biochemicals of interest and the dye allows their location to be easily shown.
[4] See first Javier DeFelipe, Journal of Chemical Neuroanatomy, 14(1998) 1-19. The chemicals are calbindin, calretinin, and parvalbumin. Their presence in a neuron provides markers as to whether it is one of several differ- ent kinds of interneuron, including chandelier cells, double bouquet cells, bipolar cells, or basket cells, with a few others in addition. Each such interneuron has its own pattern of dendrites and axon in the brain. For those who subscribe to Periastron, DeFelipe’s review article was discussed in Periastron 4(10) 1998, in “Cryonics and Brain Anatomy.” This work, of course, provides only a small beginning.
26 Cryonics • 3rd Qtr, 1999 Tech-Notes by Anders Sandberg
Noted transhumanist Anders Sandberg graciously contributes a number of assorted technical items that caught his eye a few months ago.
[Editor’s Note: This article was supposed to have been published in Cryonics 2nd Qtr ‘99. If any of the following items seem a bit dated to you cognescenti, please blame me rather than Anders.-- BRS]
Hardware with the middle finger, and so on). goes on to discuss pollution control, This seems quite possible to imple- molecular sieves, and solute extrac- “Thumbcode: A Device-Independent ment in hardware; whether it is use- tion (such as desalination) in the per- Digital Sign Language” ful and ergonomic is another ques- spective of nanotechnology. Vaughan R. Pratt tion. http://boole.stanford.edu/pub/PS/ “’Bucky Shuttle’ Memory Device: DVI/ “Nanotechnology, Resources and Synthetic Approach and Molecular Pollution Control” Dynamics Simulations” This article offers an interesting idea Stephen L. Gillett Young-Kyun Kwon, David for a wearable typing method. Since Nanotechnology 7 177-182 (1996) Tomanek and Sumio Ijima the only thing that is truly device in- Physical Review Letters, 82:7 dependent in typing is the hand, Pratt This was a paper about the implica- 1470—1473, 15 February 1999 suggests using a code mapped on the tions of nanotechnology on the en- hand to enter characters. The thumb vironment, just the thing to put in the When finely dispersed diamond is used to touch the phalanges (12 hands of the environmentalists. Gillet powder (4-6 nm) is treated with ther- possibilities), and by shifting and points out that the thermal paradigm mal annealing under certain condi- holding together fingers, enough pos- used today in element separation is tions (heated in graphite crucible in sibilities (96) become possible to extremely wasteful, expensive, and argon to 1800 degrees C for 1 hour) have a general purpose keyboard. dirty, and that the ‘cut-off grade’ of oblong multi-wall carbon structures The mapping is somewhat arbitrary, ore where extraction becomes uneco- appear. In some cases they can move but Pratt suggests a system partially nomical is a technological rather than around inside each other, like hav- based on frequency and various mne- physical limitation. He also shows ing a C60 [buckyball] trapped in a monics to map characters to the hand that there are no increasing thermo- C480. It turns out that there are two (‘t’ would be touching the tip of the dynamic costs due to low grades; it potential energy minima correspond- ring finger with the thumb, ‘M’ doesn’t necessarily take a lot of en- ing to the ends, and if the buckyball touching the middle section of the ergy to extract or recycle something is given a charge (e.g. by trapping index finger while holding it together from a very dilute mixture. He then an ion in it) then it can be shuttled
3rd Qtr, 1999 • Cryonics 27 by an applied electric field. The ar- during the day among a group of non- most as if it were they who won or ticle studies the possibility of using meditators with those of meditators lost, it seems likely that their test- this for memory storage, and de- (who had at least been meditating osterone levels might change as well. scribes what would happen when twice daily for 12 months). It turned This paper studied the testosterone writing a bit [one binary digit of a out that the normal variation of en- levels in saliva from male sports fans byte]; it turns out that the buckyball dorphin and ACTH during the day before and after a match (the first, neatly shuttles to the right end, and is changed in TM subjects: instead smaller experiment was college bas- gently bounces to rest (the energy is of showing a higher level in the ketball, the second a world cup soc- dissipated as 10 Kelvin thermal vi- morning than in the evening, the cer match). As expected, winning brations in the C480, far too little meditators had roughly constant lev- significantly increased the testoster- energy to disrupt the molecule). The els. The morning levels of hormones one levels, while losing decreased article goes on to suggest a high den- were significantly lower among the them. There is likely a complex bio- sity memory board with aligned meditators. Cortisol, another stress- social web here, where hormone lev- buckyshuttles in a hexagonal lattice related hormone, did not differ be- els interact with self-esteem, mood, and addressing wires above and be- tween the groups. Interestingly, both dominance, and social hierarchies. low, not unlike a ferrite core groups had similar anxiety levels; in This suggests that we really ought to memory. The memory would likely this case meditation seems to have take a closer look at what effects our be nonvolatile at room temperature changed the body more than the sex hormones have on our behavior, (and could be made more stable by mind. The authors speculate that the and what stimuli affect them. using La instead of K). Switching change is due to some modifications and access could be at least 10 of the hypothalamic regulation of the Food and Drink Gigabyte/s, with an ideal frequency pituitary hormone system. of 0.1 TeraHertz. Mass production “Influence of the Composition of a could be based on self-assembly. “Testosterone Changes During Meal Taken after Physical Exercise Vicarious Experiences of Winning on Mood, Vigilance, Performance” Hormones and Losing Among Fans at Sporting P. Verger, D. Lagarde, D. Batejat and Events” J. F. Maitre “ACTH and Beta-Endorphin in Paul C. Bernhardt, James M. Dabbs Physiology & Behavior 64:3 317- Transcendental Meditation” Jr., Julie A. Fielden and Candice D. 322 Jose Rafael Infante, Fernando Peran, Lutter Margarita Martinez, Ana Roldan, Physiology & Behavior 65:1 59—62 How does exercise and the compo- Rafael Poyantos, Concha Ruiz, Fran- 1998 sition of food affect our mood? One cisco Samaniego and Federico obvious effect is that we become Garrido Testosterone plays an important role tired after exercise, but it is slightly Physiology & Behavior 64:3 311- in social status interactions (espe- uncertain what the effects of meals 315 1998 cially in dominance behavior) at least with protein, carbohydrates, and fats among primate males. It has been have on our mood and thinking. For Meditation has physiological effects; shown that testosterone levels in- instance, glucose improves memory, there is nothing strange about that. crease in winners and decrease in but carbohydrate intake can also pro- The question is: what effects are losers (both rhesus monkeys and hu- duce a release of insulin making us there, how large are they, and can mans engaged in competitive activi- less vigilant, and proteins can change they be useful? One of the most ob- ties such as wrestling, martial arts, the amino acid levels which in turn vious and practical application of tennis, chess and coin flips (!)). This affect neurotransmitters. Obviously, Transcendetal Meditation (TM) is might help dominant individuals to the interactions are complex. The stress reduction and relaxation. Ear- keep their dominance, since test- experiment in this article consisted lier studies have shown that TM has osterone levels partially predict the of young men performing two hours some effects on the levels of various outcome of contests. Since sports of non-stop athletic activity, and af- hormones. This study compared the fans react strongly to the results of terwards eating one of two different amount of stress-related hormones their teams and overall behave al- kinds of meals, one high in proteins
28 Cryonics • 3rd Qtr, 1999 and one low in proteins (but high in These were two papers based on the on 120 females, and studied the ef- carbohydrates). The subjects were same study. Benton had earlier ar- fect on mood, memory, and reaction tested for vigilance, memory, and gued that micro-nutrient deficiencies times. Test subjects given the thia- mood before exercise, after exercise, cause sub-clinical psychological mine felt significantly more clear- directly after lunch, and 2 hours af- symptoms in the population, so it headed. Although their feelings of ter lunch. There was no significant would be interesting to observe the composure and elation just missed difference in how much they ate. effects of supplementation. There is statistical significance, overall mood Exercise of course made them tired, actually rather little known about the seemed to have improved. There was and they were drowsy at the begin- psychological effects of vitamins, but no effect on memory (recall of fa- ning and directly after the meal. The since at least some are relevant for mous faces or word lists), but reac- men who ate between 125 and 150 g brain chemistry, this idea is not far- tion times improved by 5%. of glucide were less drowsy than the fetched. The experimenters gave vol- men who ate more or less. The men unteers placebos or vitamin supple- “Blood Glucose Influences Memory who ate the protein meal reported ments (10 times the US recom- and Attention in Young Adults” being happier both immediately af- mended daily amount, except for vi- David Benton, Deborah S. Owens ter the meal and 2 hours later. How- tamin A), and followed them for one and Pearl Y. Parker ever, the glucose group apparently year. After 3 months, the vitamin lev- Neuropsychologia 32:5 595-607 felt a bit peppier after exercise and els in the treated participants were 1994 lunch. People in the glucose group significantly raised. In women, but felt less depressed and anxious when not in men, mental health (as mea- By now most of my readers likely they ate 125-175 g than when they sured by a psychological know that glucose can enhance ate more or less. There was no dif- questionaire) was associated with B2 memory. One reason might be that it ference in memory abilities between and B6, and feelings of composure increases the production or release of the groups. Vigilance was increased were associated also with B2 and B6. acetylcholine (ACh). However, since by the exercise, but eating less than Both men and women who had taken Ach is also involved in attention it is 100g or more than 150 g or carbohy- vitamins for 12 months felt more interesting to see if glucose improves drates decreased this effect. The con- agreeable (associated with B1, B2, attention too. The authors tested 70 clusion seemed to be that eating the and B6). In women, reaction time and female undergraduates at a rapid in- right amount of food is important. attention improved. B6 (thiamine) in formation processing task (detecting Carbohydrates reduce anxiety and particular appeared to improve mood certain number series) and a memory depression (possibly by increasing in women, but not in men. Overall, task, after being given a drink with serotonin release) while protein-rich the mood and cognitive effects only or without glucose. A high level of meals increase happiness. appeared after approxiately one year glucose correlated with forgetting of supplementation, despite the fact less and having faster reactions. Ris- “The Impact of Long-Term that the levels of vitamins stabilize ing and falling levels of blood glu- Vitamin Supplementation on after three. Some restructuring might cose influenced the Stroop attention Cognitive Function” be going on in the brain during this test, where people with glucose lev- David Benton, Joyce Fordy and Jurg time. els rising before the test scored Haller higher. One interesting thing they Psychopharmacology 117 298-305 “Thiamine Supplementation, Mood, discuss is that the ability to handle (1995) and Cognitive Functioning” glucose load might be an important D. Benton, R. Griffiths and J. Haller cognitive factor; the people who can “Vitamin Supplementation for 1 Psychopharmacology (Berl), 129:1 get more glucose into the brain at the Year Improves Mood” 66—71 Jan 1997 right time have an advantage. This David Benton, Jürg Haller, Joyce is why it is not just the baseline lev- Fordy This was a follow-up inspired by the els of glucose that are interesting, but Neuropsychobiology 32 98-105 above study. The authors tested the also how quickly the brain can suck 1995 effects of 50 mg thiamine (B6) or a placebo taken daily for two months Continued on page 43
3rd Qtr, 1999 • Cryonics 29 Cryonics Calls by Brian Shock
The accounts below are real. The names were changed to protect the innocent . . . should we ever determine who that entails.
ver wonder what it’s like to work at Subtle Calls jumps back in and starts gushing about a cryonics facility? what a wonderful, wonderful, wonder- E When you begin speaking with If you’ve ever worked in practi- ful thing your cryonics organization is “Oliver Lowell,” you are convinced that cally any office environment, you al- doing, and how she wishes to use her he’s as sane and sober a person as you ready know. We write paperwork, sign limitless powers of media to publicize might ever encounter. He speaks in paperwork, copy paperwork, file pa- your good works. You stammer out perwork, shuffle paperwork, and hang ordinary tones, he makes ordinary sense, some half-amused thanks and, unfortu- and he discusses perfectly ordinary top- out around the water cooler as much as nately, ask for her name again. “This is ics. As your conversation continues, possible without arousing suspicion. Annabella-Juliette-Hufnagel-Jones- you learn that Mr. Lowell comes from a (Oh yes, and in between this, we freeze Smith-Good Morning America-WXYZ- people.) wealthy family, that he is involved with Sunshine-Kennedy-ABC-TV-Williams, several scientific research projects, and We also answer a lot of phone calls. owner and general manager of all radio that he has a deep and abiding concern Most of our calls come from Alcor and tv stations in the world!” she for mankind. However, if you persist members, people in the sign-up pro- gurgles, repeating her previous pro- cess, or ordinary folks interested in find- in listening to this very reasonable man nouncement word for word (as far as long enough (thinking perhaps that he ing out more about our organization. you can tell). She takes this as an invi- might wish to donate some of his But inevitably, we have to deal with tation to continue babbling at you in family’s fortune to Alcor), you gradu- callers who are . . . well, let’s just say breathless excitement for another fif- ally begin to realize that his plans and “confused.” teen minutes. ideas are expanding even as he speaks, first encompassing all of planet Earth, Misunderstanding Calls Harmless Calls then reaching out toward the Solar Sys- “Eugenia Procnow” is an elderly tem, and soon drawing in the entire “Edward Cody Johnson” is an af- woman from Minnesota who apparently Milky Way galaxy. Although Mr. fable young man from Georgia who speaks English only as a second lan- Lowell never quite makes the claim, he just wants to do what he can to help the guage. After talking with her for five seems to believe that he will someday cryonics movement. He’s quite candid minutes, you’re not sure that she com- become Emperor of the Known Uni- about the fact that he has no education, prehends her first language, either. Mrs. verse. no skills, no money, no job, and has Procnow claims that her son is in a been diagnosed with schizophrenia. Al- Federal Penitentiary in Florida; some- Not-So-Subtle Calls though he may or may not want to join how she has become convinced that the a cryonics organization someday, he has When you answer the phone, the Alcor Foundation can help to free her plenty of ideas on technology to help wrongly imprisoned child. When you female caller interrupts you by gasping Alcor. He’s proud to admit that most of out (what is apparently) an introduc- try to explain what Alcor really does these ideas come from Saturday morn- tion: “This is Annabella-Juliette- and why this has nothing to do with the ing cartoons. Hufnagel-Jones-Smith-Good Morning Federal government or the prison sys- tem, Mrs. Procnow acts as though she America-WXYZ-Sunshine-Kennedy- Not-So-Harmless Calls ABC-TV-Williams, owner and general understands for a few minutes, then re- manager of all radio and tv stations in “Donald Engels” wants to know turns to the subject of springing her the world!” (This staccato pronounce- why you won’t freeze his mother, who son. Regardless of how many times ment emerges all in one breath, as if it has been dead and buried for five years. you explain, she calls back again and were a single word.) As you struggle to The gentlest technical explanations again over weeks, months, and years. come up with an answer to this cheery seem to have no effect on him. “Who verbal blast, Ms. What’s-her-name would you freeze?” he shouts in frus-
30 Cryonics • 3rd Qtr, 1999 tration. “Hitler? Would you freeze ers all spit some mercifully unintelli- A young woman calls with a very Hitler, but not my mother?” When he gible obscenities at you and hang up. brief, business-like question: would begins to howl obscenities, you apolo- Alcor freeze a death-row inmate who When the Discovery Channel airs a gize and hang up. Ten minutes later was going to be executed by lethal in- program about how high-pressure cryo- you receive a call from someone with a jection? This turns out to be a very very phony accent. “This is Don Vito genic freezing can harden certain met- serious request for her, and she accepts als, you get a spate of calls from people Corleone,” the caller mutters. “I want no amount of reasoning that both money who want Alcor to treat their tools, bi- to ask you about what kind of program and logistics would be impractical in cycle frames, skis, and old tubas. you have there.” When you ask if this is this situation (particularly since you really Donald Engels (for clearly it is), A man calls to ask if Alcor “takes believe that executions are almost al- he says only, “Too bad the Unabomber donors.” You’re not sure what he means ways followed by autopsies). Nothing never got around to sending you a little (Is he angling for a free suspension?), dissuades her. Finally you explain that present.” and so you ask for clarification. “Well, Alcor simply does not want to be in- I used to live in Michigan,” he says, volved, and end the call. Miscellaneous Wrong Numbers “and I was involved with this there. . .” A man with a thick Brooklyn ac- Is he talking about Cryonics Institute, Alcor’s emergency number differs cent calls and poses various Frequently then? “No,” he answers, “I thought you from the number for Merrill Lynch by Asked Questions. Finally he comes to were a sperm bank.” (Soon afterward, only one digit. Most Merrill Lynch his real point: would Alcor exhume you receive a call from a woman who callers are satisfied when you correct and freeze bodies? When you explain wonders if you take donations of “eggs, them. Then you get a call from an that it’s unlikely we could or would, he too.”) elderly gentleman who gives you a jumps to the next question: how long Merrill Lynch account number and de- could Alcor possibly wait between the mands that you connect him with his Hopeless Requests time of death and freezing? When you broker. When you suggest that he’s A woman calls to ask if Alcor will explain that Alcor wouldn’t want to act dialed the wrong number, he snaps that freeze her pet. When you explain that after a few days at the most unreason- he’s dialed this same number a hundred Alcor only suspends the pets of mem- able extreme, he persists: “Even if this times, and that he never makes mis- bers, she asks about joining. “Oh, that person were dead for six months, what takes with it. He then repeats his ac- kind of thing doesn’t interest me,” she if she had been given the best possible count number. When you quickly ex- tells you at last. “I don’t want my dog embalming and sealed in an airtight cas- plain that this is the Alcor Foundation, preserved so that it can be revived some- ket?” In the end, you convince him to that you have nothing to do with Merrill day — I just want it preserved until I reveal the name of his proposed pa- Lynch, and that your organization is die, so that it can be buried with me.” tient: it’s Princess Diana. responsible only for freezing people, the elderly man tells you to shut up A man calls and represents himself And The Standard Crank with this nonsense and connect him with as head of a research organization. He Your caller is a man by the name of his department. And again he repeats asks various questions about cryonics, “Frank Rizzo,” who seems to know a his account number. and seems genuinely interested. Even- tually he asks about the possibility of certain amount about cryonics (although A young woman calls and immedi- storing bodies at temperatures slightly he insists on referring to it as “cryogen- ately starts asking you medical ques- above the freezing point (to avoid ice- ics”). He talks loudly and rapidly, and tions on how to treat an infant’s case of crystal damage, of course). When you tends to interrupt as you answer his croup. When you explain that Alcor assure him that this probably wouldn’t questions. At last he explains that he’s doesn’t deal with these problems, she be practical in the long run, he says at work and can’t talk on this particular insists that she called 1-800-FOR-A- something about the resurrection of phone. He asks that you to wait five BABY. Again, the correct number dif- Jesus Christ, blesses you, and hangs up. minutes and call him back on his per- fers from Alcor’s by only one digit. He calls back several times. Gradually sonal 800 line. As suspicious as you you learn that his wife died a week are, you do as he asks anyway. When For a time, Alcor’s emergency num- before and was autopsied. The man the number answers, a sultry (though ber is very similar to the number for a wishes to store her remains in a refrig- recorded) female voice murmurs, “Hi, Quebec Separatist group in Canada. erator (until the miracle of her resurrec- baby. You’ve reached the Wet Party You receive at least a dozen calls in Line. . .” French. When you try to explain that tion can occur), but the local coroner refuses to discuss the matter with him. you don’t speak this language, the call-
3rd Qtr, 1999 • Cryonics 31 Cover Art by Tim Hubley !
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32 Cryonics • 3rd Qtr, 1999 For The Record
In Search of the Spike
by R. Michael Perry, Ph.D.
I saw a man chasing the horizon. Round and round they sped. I accosted the man. “You can never. . .” “You lie!” he cried, and ran on. —author unknown.
he above quote, which I remem- obtain a Ph.D. in computer science). in this area about 1965, when I was Tber seeing on a blackboard But I have to say that what I was re- in high school. Say you had a com- sometime in the ’70s, might well ally after, an important step toward puter programmed to work on prob- apply to many of our modern endeav- superhuman machine intelligence — lems of a general nature. You ask it ors—as long as we allow that some- what has been called the Spike or to work on the problem of improv- times the impossible does happen Singularity — didn’t happen, though ing its own intelligence, and it starts and the “horizon” is indeed “caught” again I like to think it was a useful out doing so. With each improve- and held fast. Examples of success- try. ment it gets a little smarter, and bet- ful horizon-catching include the Since this column is supposed to ter able to make more improvements. moon landing and the cloning of be about cryonics-related things, here You get a snowball effect, and per- mammals. Future examples, we is a good place for a comment about haps that would be a way to achieve hope, will be the development of relevance to cryonics. Certainly the high machine intelligence in a short mature nanotechnology, the curing of Spike would be relevant. If we had time. (Actually, there is an interest- old age, and the resuscitation of cry- superhuman machine intelligence, ing logical weakness in this argu- onics patients. This should not blind we could ask it many things, includ- ment, which I did not realize at the us to the fact that often the effort falls ing how to develop our time, and for many years after—we’ll short or yields only a marginal suc- nanotechnological tools and/or ad- get to it.) This idea of a snowballing cess. Even then the process can be a vanced forms of medical science, so self-improvement process made an learning experience, to help us do we could bring the frozen out of sus- interesting starting point for a better next time, or at least offer in- pension. So the relevance is clear project.* sights. enough, at least when it comes to the To make a rather long tale Here I want to deal with one par- “end game,” when we have the ma- shorter, in 1976 I enrolled in gradu- ticular, unsuccessful attempt of this chine intelligence and all we need do ate school at the University of Colo- nature. It has a special relevance, is start applying it. But getting there rado, Department of Computer Sci- since I myself was the horizon at least has indirect relevance too— ence, and started working on my dis- chaser, and my chase wasn’t entirely plus in my case a little more than that. sertation, with emphasis on self-im- unsuccessful (I used the results to I first had an interesting thought proving AI. (As you may guess, I had
3rd Qtr, 1999 • Cryonics 33 made up my mind what this disser- long as we are tation was to be about before enroll- not much con- ing.) Actually there were two disser- cerned with tations, a lesser one for the Master’s practical issues. and a major one for the Ph.D., but An absolutely really it was one project. The first general, math- order of business, I decided, was to ematical theo- establish some sort of rigorous theory rem prover for what I was trying to do. might be based The problem wasn’t that simple, around nothing even though intuitively we have an more than gener- idea of the difference between a ating random “dumb” AI program that doesn’t do strings of ascii a very good job of coming up with text. To ask it to the answers you are looking for, and prove Fermat’s a “smarter” one that does. Even here Last Theorem, there are two issues: efficacy and ef- for example, ficiency, each with their own variet- means that you ies of stupidity and smartness. Thus specify a check- one kind of dumb problem solver, ing procedure, given one particular hard problem, so that if a cor- won’t come up with an acceptable rect proof is answer at all, ever, no matter how found, suitably long you let it run, even though there encoded in ascii, may be another solver that will get it will be recog- the “right” answer or a good answer, nized as such. whether it takes a long or a short time (That such a to do so. So the first program fails proof could be the test of efficacy while the second, found, in fact, at worst, is only weak in efficiency— was demon- though this too could be serious, and strated by Andrew Wiles with his able to recognize a great work when generally will be. As it turned out, I 1995 proof of Fermat’s Last Theo- he sees one. Finding that “great was able to sidestep the problem of rem. His proof would first have to work” is likely to require a long wait, efficacy completely and just focus on be expressed entirely in formal math- of course, and the same applies in the efficiency. This required choosing ematical notation, then formatted as more formalizable world of math- the right domain of problems to work ascii text.) This is rather like saying ematics. General procedures are not in, but I realized it could be done in I can create a “great literature ma- that hard to come by, but they are a way that still left plenty of room chine” by having monkeys pecking likely to be weak. for generality. away at typewriters, with someone Indeed, practical issues are im- This is not hard to illustrate, as looking over their shoulder who is portant: we want our solvers to get
* I didn’t know it, but others around that time — such as Marvin Minsky, sometimes known as the father of artificial intelligence — were having similar thoughts. Here is what Minsky had to say in 1968, when he was already an established guru: “Today machines solve problems mainly according to the principles we build into them. Before long, we may learn how to set them to work upon the very special problem of improving their own capacity to solve problems. Once a certain threshold is passed, this could lead to a spiral of acceleration and it may be hard to perfect a reliable ‘governor’ to restrain it.” I finally saw that quote in the ’80s when I was doing my own doctoral research, and I wasn’t much worried about a restraining “governor ”—nor am I now.
34 Cryonics • 3rd Qtr, 1999 If you solve it, sively better examples of whatever that might be it sought. fine and put The idea of limiting optimization you ahead of is embodied, in rough form at least, the game, but in many of the progressive changes what if you we see around us. As one example, don’t? You the automobile has improved sub- could waste a stantially since the horseless car- lot of effort riages of a century ago. There are with nothing forces at work, we might say, to cre- to show for it. ate the optimal car, if we take account In addition, of some complicating factors such as the case of just what our standards of quality are “finding a bet- and that they can change with time. ter problem Certain things tend to stay constant: solver” we want cars with better mileage, doesn’t fit well greater convenience, and more safety with the theo- features. Even though fashions come rem-proving and go, certain features are fairly con- paradigm; I stant there too, such as a preference wasn’t trying for sleeker, streamlined models to “prove” rather than the squared-off, boxy something, I shapes of the early years (which also was trying to had higher air resistance). Creating construct the optimal car is no one-time opera- Automobile Optimizing Sequence something. tion but an open-ended process in Also, for cer- which successive models of cars are good answers in reasonable time, and tain theoretical reasons, I wanted to produced over time. An overall, im- not just within some limit as time find an optimally intelligent solver, proving trend can be seen, a kind of goes to infinity. To be concerned instead of just a better, more intelli- optimizing sequence, and we see this about this in the way that interested gent one. That could be a tall order, also in many other types of devices me meant that the program itself especially if there was no finite pro- and systems that form a progression would have to be concerned, i.e. op- gram that was mathematically opti- in time, ranging from inventions of timizing the solver must be one of mal. I might have to consider a suc- our own making to the products of the problems in its repertoire. I had cession of increasingly capable natural evolution. to put some thought into just what (though less than optimal) candi- In the world of computation, “ob- sort of “problems” the solver would dates. jects of interest” take the form of be able to address, and how it would So I was led to consider what I chunks of information, which are re- address them. called limiting optimization, finding ducible to strings of bits or charac- One thing seemed clear: math- a best possible result over infinite ters in some alphabet such as ascii. ematical theorem-proving, even if time, and generating a succession of (The 256 characters in ascii are in fully general, was not general increasingly better results in the pro- turn expressed as 8-bit strings or enough, despite its great power and cess. This succession of better results “bytes,” so ascii character strings in applicability—a more general, formed what I called an “optimizing turn reduce to strings of bits. Simi- though still mathematical approach sequence.” The solver would then larly, other encodings of information would be needed. This is because, generate such a sequence, and be reduce to strings of bits.) Included roughly, a theorem-proving problem committed, not to a single “run” or among the objects of interest are has an all-or-nothing outcome: either one execution only, but to an open- numbers, text files, tables of num- you solve your problem or you don’t. ended process of finding succes- bers, tables of other types of data, and
3rd Qtr, 1999 • Cryonics 35 computer programs, which in turn point in a land- instruct the computer how to oper- scape we were ate on chunks of information. Pro- traversing. The grams thus can operate on other pro- goal was to reach grams as data, and a program could a point with as modify a copy of itself, in an effort high an “altitude” to create a better program. as possible, as Computerized problem-solving, measured by the in the usual, straightforward sense, evaluator pro- can be regarded as a process of start- gram. The pro- ing with one chunk of information, a cess of “tra- statement of the problem in some versal” was not computer-intelligible form, and gen- specified in ad- erating another chunk of information, vance, but al- a solution. In the version of problem- lowed the solver solving I used, instead of outputting to make choices, one “solution,” a sequence of pro- so that a smarter Results of testing of problem solvers (org 1, org 2) gressively better answers or optimiz- solver would on a Traveling Salesman problem (reference prob- ing sequence was created over time. more quickly find lem). org 2 is a more advanced solver obtained by A “problem” specification had four its way to the “self-improvement” or bootstrapping org 1, not us- components: higher ground. ing the reference problem as part of the “IQ” test. (1) A starting object or “seed.” The productions Upper table shows results for a simple, “naïve” start- (2) A “productions program” or program, in par- ing heuristic, lower table for more advanced start- means of generating new objects, ticular, did not ing heuristics. “grant” is number of steps allowed; starting with the seed. specify every de- actual machine time will vary per unit time step. org (3) A “termination program” or tail of a proce- 2 usually, though not always, finds a shorter tour in means of putting the objects in a fin- dure to generate the same number of steps, though when we con- ished form as candidate solutions to new objects, but sider actual machine time, its performance is clearly the problem. allowed the superior only with the naïve heuristic. (4) An “evaluator program” to as- solver to repeat- sign a numerical rating to each can- edly choose didate. among menus of alternatives. The might well yield nothing of interest Each problem would come with solver would choose according to its in feasible time. A better approach, its own, independent specifications “best judgment,” which opened the also feasible, would be to ask the of (1-4). The goal of the solver, then, way for a smarter solver to make bet- solver to make “progress” on a proof became one of generating an object ter choices. problem, obtaining a growing body which, when put in finished form as The problem-solving format had of mathematical results. This could a candidate solution, would score as enough generality to handle a large possibly lead to the solution of the high as possible under the evaluator variety of tasks, including theorem original problem but would not sim- program. The evaluator program thus proving problems, though certainly ply return empty-handed if none was defined what is known as an “objec- more than this. But as an example, found. An ascii string, text describ- tive function” for the space of candi- with a theorem-proving problem an ing a body of results, would not rate date solutions. object of interest might be a pur- simply 0 or 1 but could take inter- The problem-solving in turn ported proof (a string of ascii text), mediate values to reflect the fact that could be viewed as a type of hill- which would rate 1 if correct and 0 progress was being made. In addi- climbing (though not the standard, otherwise. In a way, then, problems tion, refinement in the statement of numerical type, for which there are of great difficulty could be described the problem, including the specifica- well-developed algorithms). Each and worked on by the solver— tion of the productions program, candidate solution was some surface though such a rudimentary approach could greatly reduce the amount of
36 Cryonics • 3rd Qtr, 1999 “noise objects” that might be consid- In the case of the Big problem— optimal testing, supposing we could ered. So we could replace the mind- finding the best problem-solver—we allow an unlimited time in assessing less generation of random, ascii have to define an “IQ test” to rate the “IQ.” strings with a more focused creation each candidate solver. We also have In practice it meant that we could of relevant chunks of text, without to define a space or “landscape” of start with one problem-solver, give sacrificing generality. allowable solvers, that will permit it the Biggie to work on, and come In general, optimization prob- “visiting” different points in the land- back sometime later to see what lems involved the creation of objects, scape—generating different versions progress it had made. Generally I expressible as text strings, with val- of solvers for testing. The solvers in would use the solver itself to define ues intermediate between 0 and 1. turn are just pieces of executable the starting guess or “seed” for the For example, a Traveling Salesman code meeting certain specifications. optimization problem, and let it go problem, in the simplest form, calls (Lisp is a computer language that is from there, trying to find an optimal for finding the shortest tour that vis- especially suited to such tasks as gen- upgrade of itself. I remember that the its all the cities in a given region at erating pieces of executable code, so main run of this attempted self-opti- least once. (There are related versions it was used extensively in the mization took about 90 minutes on involving visiting each city exactly project.) We then embark on a quest the computer I used, a Vax 11-780. once, starting at a particular city, etc.) to find the highest-rating or “smart- In theory it might have generated a Besides having some immediate util- est” candidate, something any one of really spiffy, intelligent version of the ity, it is important because many our solvers, must be able to carry out. problem solver, a Gateway to the other problems can be stated equiva- A complication is that, as usual, we Spike. In practice, one solver would lently as Traveling Salesman prob- don’t expect one guaranteed “smart- generate a different version of itself, lems. A “tour” in this case is simply est” candidate but must generate an with a different mix of heuristics or a list of the cities in the order in which optimizing sequence of candidates. “tricks” to use in attacking problems, they are to be visited, which we can A second complication concerns the one that dutifully showed an im- certainly express as a text string. “IQ test” itself, which realistically provement in its “IQ” score, but noth- Though a minimum-length tour is must come in different versions re- ing at all earth-shaking. I could then desirable, in this case we are not try- flecting the amount of time we want take this ostensibly better solver, and ing simply to find a “correct” answer, to spend in assessing a program’s run it with itself as the starting guess, as in theorem proving. Different can- “intelligence.” The more thoroughly and so on. After two or three itera- didate solutions (tours) have greater we test, the better and more reliable tions, a solver would be reached that or lesser length, with values on a con- our estimate should be, but the couldn’t improve itself any further in tinuum, so that two candidates could tradeoff is that it will take more time. the allotted time, and was still very differ only slightly in length—both In any case, I resolved these mat- far from spectacular—and very far would be almost equally satisfactory. ters in a reasonably straightforward too, I’m sure, from having any prac- In this case it is easy to formulate the way. The “IQ” score, normalized as tical value in the world of AI. It problem to fit the chosen format, so usual to fall between 0 and 1, re- wasn’t a Gateway to the Spike, but that the ratings of tours will fall be- flected an average performance on a at best maybe a tiny, tantalizing peep- tween 0 and 1, with a maximal rat- computer-generated set of test prob- hole. So there the matter rested. ing corresponding to a minimum lems. It could be shown that, despite The main writeup of this, with the length. A problem solver, if allowed the approximate nature of what could title Toward Self-Optimization of to run long enough, will eventually be done in practice, a true optimiz- Machine Intelligence, became my find a tour having minimum length, ing sequence of the desired type Ph.D. thesis. I received the degree in and may find useful results—short would be obtained. The solvers 1984, then had the book privately though not optimal tours—long be- would approach an optimal “intelli- published and listed in Books In fore then. gence,” as would be verified through Print. It sold maybe ten copies. One
** In December 1987 Dora Kent died and was frozen at the Alcor facility, then in Riverside, California, which prompted a Coroner’s investigation and arrests and detention of Alcor staff members, including myself. Alcor was eventually vindicated in court, though having to bear considerable uncompensated expenses.
3rd Qtr, 1999 • Cryonics 37 of the buyers was General Motors, with grounds for optimism anyway. several hundred million years. With though if they or any others were able The basic philosophy of the book the emergence of proto-humans a to make use of it, I never heard. has to do with the nature of progress, few million years ago, however, Wanting to work further on the idea and is well-connected to the idea of prominence moved from specialized (of course!) but not exactly finding a Spike. Progress overall seems to be tools a general-purpose tool, the demand for it in the job market, I accelerating and having a larger and brain. Evolution, then, entered a ended up turning to another long- larger impact in our lives. Arguably brain-like phase. (Meanwhile, of standing interest, cryonics, for a live- (and hopefully) this progress will course, the tool-like phase continued lihood. continue until, by reasonable indica- too, but was no longer dominant.) This represented quite a change tors, it goes “off the charts”—the There is at least one other evolu- from what I had spent years prepar- Spike—and we are into a new era tionary phenomenon that also shows ing for, but somehow it didn’t seem where the old rules no longer apply. a subdivision into tool-like and brain- inappropriate, given the way the Another term for this is the Singu- like phases: human technology. In world is, with death still so preva- larity. (Both terms, it should be this case, the general-purpose, brain- lent. My choice of careers didn’t even noted, were unknown to me with this like tool is the computer, which first seem inappropriate when there were intended usage and are not found in appeared around half a century ago, hardships, such as during the Dora the book, but do match the underly- quite late in a process of ever-better Kent crisis**. I was then a “volun- ing ideas.) It has been conjectured tool-making that had been going on teer” at Alcor, living on about $400 that the Spike will happen when ad- for many millennia. a month from a generous benefactor, vancing artificial intelligence (AI) Are there any other examples of my job being to watch the patients catches up with and surpasses human this? We might consider the com- and more or less “tend the fort.” Of- intelligence***. puter itself, with emphasis on soft- ten I was the only one at the facility, In the book itself I compare the ware. A “tool-like” phase would con- because others more important to the anticipated drive to the Spike with sist of the development of numerous operation were somewhere else to other ongoing, advancing processes. special-purpose programs, and a avoid arrest in case there was another The most venerable process like this “brain-like” phase would involve AI. raid. With death, not even smart AI is natural evolution, and more spe- More specifically, when AI is pow- would help you much, I figured—so cifically the evolution of creatures erful enough that it becomes self-en- you may as well fight it, especially with brains. In this development we hancing and this enhancement pro- when your cryonics organization was see that there is, first of all, a long cess itself becomes dominant, soft- in jeopardy and clearly could use the period in which a large variety of ware development will have entered help. specialized mechanisms or “tools” a brain-like phase. Clearly, then, we How we longed for the 21st cen- are perfected: teeth, claws, fins, are still waiting for the brain-like tury back then! But, getting back to scales, wings, feathers, legs, etc. The phase, but at least we do see it pre- the Spike and Self-Optimization, brains of creatures are also evolving saged in media such as animal and some general comments are appro- too, which is certainly important, but technological evolution. These two priate. The first has to do with the secondary. Instead, we may say that examples were cited in the introduc- basic philosophy of my book, the evolution is in a tool-like phase. The tory chapter of my thesis as a plausi- second with an unavoidable weak- tool-like phase of multicelled, animal bility argument for the self-optimi- ness in the whole approach, the third evolution has been going now for zation of machine intelligence.
*** This is present-day human intelligence, and should not be confused with what we ourselves will become, which is likely to be something more. Your AIs will be able to help you solve your problems, including that of improving your own capabilities, and/or making use of AIs as extensions of yourself. So your mental powers will not necessarily trail theirs much if any, and you can be confident that we humans, or the more-than-humans we shall become, will remain in the driver’s seat of the enterprise. But under these conditions, and with aging and present-day diseases hopefully eradicated, it seems reasonable that we will be in a totally new phase of life as we know it, where indeed many of the old rules no longer apply (new rules having replaced them, however).
38 Cryonics • 3rd Qtr, 1999 It does, at least, seem reasonable bootstrapping would gain a head culations (instructions) per second, that such a self-optimization is pos- start, but for a really difficult task this while the 1998 PC Pentium II rates sible; that is, if the computer spends advantage would lose significance. at 100 million, a factor of 10,000 in- enough time trying out different If Joe, for instance, a smarter solver, crease. (This fantastic improvement tricks, it is bound to arrive at a good was obtained from Pete by 24 hours’ over a 19-year interval, by the way, bag of them for doing things. But this worth of bootstrapping, it may not amounts to a doubling in processing overlooks the time factor, and we are help Joe much, relative to Pete, if the power about every 17 months. It fits led to ask if the self-improvement two of them tackle a problem they a general rule of thumb known as process, which also goes under the both must crunch on for a month. Moore’s Law, in which computer name of “bootstrapping,” would be Pete must have enough savvy to re- power and miniaturization are both expected to have any special merits alize that first it should spend a day improving exponentially, doubling as a tool for reaching high profi- spiffing up, and afterward might lag over time periods variously estimated ciency quickly. a day behind, but otherwise would at 1-3 years.) What is especially in- In doing my dissertation, I not be outclassed by Joe.**** teresting is that a PC Pentium II (with thought the answer of course was This is not, of course, to say that a 450 MHZ processor) sits in a small yes, based in part on the idea of the bootstrapping approach is with- tower case by my desk; indeed, it is snowballing: a smarter solver would out merit, just that I don’t see it as the machine on which I am typing have greater insight into further the Big Fix. I think it could be a use- this very article. I also happen to own bootstrapping, and thus enhance its ful tool in leading us to the Spike, this machine, and could use it in rate of improvement over what the and that it has not had the serious at- spare time for AI work. So I’m left dumber, original solver might do, tention it deserves. It is also worth wondering how a vastly more pow- given the same starting point. Keep noting that the problems that we want erful computer would handle the in mind, of course, that the solver was proficiency with are not arbitrary, but bootstrapping problem, and one way not limited to self-improvement but in particular include certain real- or another, I intend to find out. could consider improving other solv- world problems such as improving ers as well. So I’m saying that if Joe our health. Machine intelligence is a smarter solver than Pete, then Joe must address such problems to be should do better at improving Joe useful. The sort of self-contained than Pete would do at improving Joe, approach I took to optimizing would other factors equal — hence a snow- no doubt need considerable supple- Sources: balling effect. mentation and coaching from the But there is a weakness in this outside if we expected it to address Broderick, D. The Spike, Reed 1997. argument that I didn’t address and the real problems that most concern Kurzweil, R. The Age of Spiritual didn’t really think about until later, us. Machines, Viking 1999. a necessary limitation on the rate of Meanwhile, computers have improvement that the solver could grown considerably more powerful Perry, M. Toward Self-Optimization ever achieve through bootstrapping. since I did my thesis work. On p. 24 of Machine Intelligence, Dove Sys- The reason is simple: bootstrapping of Ray Kurzweil’s book, The Age of tems 1984. itself could be used as a heuristic in Spiritual Machines is an interesting problem solving! In other words, the chart comparing the performance of Illustration credits: solver, faced with a really tough task, different computers through the might elect to improve its general years, in terms of raw processing Illustrations are from Toward Self- capabilities first, then tackle the prob- power. The vintage 1979 Vax 11- Optimization of Machine Intelli- lem proper. A smarter solver that has 780, the machine I used for my the- gence, (1) cover, (2) p. 15, (3) p. 140. already improved itself by sis work, is rated at about 1000 cal-
**** So I submit that Minsky’s aforementioned “spiral of acceleration” has some logical limitations built in: a restraining “governor” we don’t have to worry about “perfecting” (if indeed we would have to worry anyway).
3rd Qtr, 1999 • Cryonics 39 Funding Suspensions with 20-Year Term
by Jim Yount
Good news, and bad news: Twenty-year term life insurance is cheaper than ever; but it may soon get more expensive.
Does Term Life Insurance Have a of years past. But cryonicists often delegation of resources is not diffi- Place in Cryonics Funding? prefer to establish a savings plan or cult: use of trusts, purchase of an- use a stock purchase strategy to pro- nuities, or proper execution of a will, Quite a number of cryonicists be- vide suspension funding. The di- are all effective estate planning strat- lieve that term insurance just plain lemma is that any savings plan or egies. should not be used for cryonic sus- stock purchase (unless substantial There is a tendency to put off pension funding. That viewpoint is initial endowments are provided), such estate planning. “After all,” understandable. The usual use of will not pay for much of a suspen- (you say to yourself) “I’ve got this term insurance is for a temporary in- sion should that need arise during the neat term policy, and the rates won’t surance need, which certainly does early years when so little has been increase for twenty years! Plenty of not describe cryonics funding. A put into the plan. time to establish that trust.” Twenty typical use for term insurance is to That is where term insurance can years later, you are still saying the provide cheap life insurance for a fill a gap. The term insurance gives same thing! mother or father should death occur the policyholder the cheapest pos- So, funding cryonic suspension during the time the kids are growing sible insurance coverage thus free- through term insurance is not for ev- up. When everyone is through col- ing up more dollars to go into high- eryone, but for those who are pru- lege, then the family no longer needs return investments. You’ve all heard dent planners and savers, it can rep- such financial cushion, and the in- the strategy: buy term and invest the resent one important element in the surance is dropped. difference. over-all plan. Whole-life (permanent) insur- Unfortunately, all too often this What about the rest of us not al- ance policies (including universal life strategy becomes: buy term and ways so diligent? Term insurance plans) generally do better now than spend the difference! Also the may be used by all of us as supple- they once did (in terms of interest cryonicist must set up his estate so mental suspension funding. Once rates on fund accumulation), and still the funds from investment are ear- you have satisfied your cryonic retain the remarkable safety record marked for cryonics funding. This
Since 1974 Jim Yount has worked as a life insurance agent specializing in life insurance to fund cryonic suspension. He established Long Life Insurance Agency, registered to him as a trade name with the California Insurance Department. He is a graduate of San Jose State University, with a Business Administration degree in Insurance and Risk Management. He writes for The Immortalist magazine, a cryonics publication, where he is Associate Editor. He is currently the Chief Operating Officer (C.O.O.) of the American Cryonics Society, Inc., and has been on the Board of Governors for many years as well as serving as an officer in various capacities.
40 Cryonics • 3rd Qtr, 1999 society’s funding requirement (with, agent, rather than through the mail, Readers may also want to con- say, a whole-life policy owned by the or over the internet. Although term sult the Consumers Union Guide to society), then a second policy can is, for most people, easier to under- Life Insurance, which rates policies provide back-up funding. The pro- stand and compare than other life and gives prices for some age groups ceeds can go directly to your soci- insurance policies, there are a num- for a number of term products. This ety, or to a trust or fund managed by ber of complications (some discussed booklet is available at most libraries. another entity. Two such funds (es- in this article) that an agent can help tablished by cryonicists) are 1) the you sort out. One way to have the How cheap is it? Reanimation Foundation or 2) Pa- best of both worlds is to browse the Figure 1 shows some typical (but tient trusts and dedicated funds man- internet to familiarize yourself with competitively priced ) 20 Year Term aged by the American Cryonics So- companies and rates, then make an rates. They are for the best rates (for ciety. Endowing either of these “out- appointment with an independent each age and sex) among several side” management groups may pro- insurance agent. Such agents will be good companies. The ages are for vide a way to diversify your cryon- willing to sell you policies from more both age last birthday, and actual ics funding and (perhaps) help “fail than one company, and can (many age. Companies will use one or the safe” your primary suspension times) sell most of the policies whose other of these age categories for de- money. rates you have been perusing by termining rates. Rates are for “Class Cryonicists may also wish to es- internet. 2,” Preferred Non-Smoker, and for tablish a family trust with their re- Internet sites you might want to Standard Non-Smoker. All are based serve funds. Family members may check are: upon California rate information (in- act as trustees for each other. A surance costs will vary from state to trustee’s duty is to see to it that each www.accuquote.com state; some plans may be unavailable member is suspended and remains in www.insuremarket.com in some states). This is not an ad- suspension. Cryonics societies (often www.insweb.com vertisement, a solicitation for sale of named in the trust in order of suc- www.quotesmith.com insurance, an illustration, or a pro- cession) act as back-up trustees www.term4sale.com posal, but simply intended to give should the family members decline readers some idea of what costs could to serve. This list is provided as informa- be. tion only and is not an endorsement Age 65 is the last age (for this Cheap Term Rates or recommendation for any of these group of companies) where 20 Year sales companies or the insurance With eighteen hundred compa- Term applications are accepted. companies whose products are avail- nies, more or less, licensed to do Only one company (of nine looked able through these sites. business in California (similar num- bers in many other states), competi- Figure 1: tive pricing has produced some real Yearly Premium Payments bargains in term insurance. One of the reasons for this is the (relative) for $100,000 20 Year Term Insurance ease of doing comparison shopping Preferred Non-Smoker Standard Non-Smoker for term policies. Term is fairly easy to understand, and to compare. Pro- Age Male Female Male Female consumer protection insurance regu- lation tends to require full disclosure, 20 $113 $96 $128 $108 so even fairly unsophisticated buy- 30 116 96 135 116 ers can shop for bargains. 40 149 125 199 170 Internet companies have made it 50 299 211 367 268 even easier. However, even with 60 665 444 858 548 term insurance, buyers often benefit 65 1,415 887 1,415 887 from purchasing insurance from an
3rd Qtr, 1999 • Cryonics 41 at) issue at age 65 (the other compa- Under some circumstances this that the term policy is “surrendered” nies stop issuing 20 Year Term at age “early benefit” can provide funds to and the company issues as 60). Preferred and Standard non- pay for a cryonic suspension replacment, a permanent policy. The smoker have the same rates at age “standby,” so by all means check out new policy is usually issued at the 65 for this company (the “preferred” this possibility. same rate category (such as Standard category is eliminated). Benefits vary from company to non-smoker) as was the term insur- Term insurance is generally company as does the period of life ance policy, but some conversion cheaper (per thousand dollars of cov- expectancy (the expected time before provisions guarantee conversion only erage) on larger face-value policies. medically predicted death that trig- at “standard” rates. They are issued For example a $500,000 policy will gers payment of these early ben- at the insured’s “attained age.” Gen- likely cost less per $1,000 of cover- efits). Some companies will pay erally it is a good idea to have such age than a $100,000 policy. When under this rider only if the life poli- an option, even if your plans are to doing comparison shopping it is a cies have the same owner and in- replace the life-insurance portion of good idea to “price” policies in a sured. Also, check out the tax con- your suspension portfolio with other death-benefit “range” including and sequences of such before-death fund assets. Changes in circumstances above what you have in mind. You withdrawal. can effect your plans, and allowing may find that you can obtain more for flexibility is wise. coverage for almost the same price Why 20 Year Term? Check out the conversion option that you would pay for lesser cover- carefully. Be aware that this option Term is typically available as age. varies considerably between compa- annual renewable, five year, ten year, Some applicants can qualify for nies, and even on various term plans fifteen, and twenty year. Some com- “Class 1,” Super-Preferred non within the same company. Some panies also have 30 Year Term, and smoker. These rates are even cheaper companies will allow conversion “Term to Age 65.” Premiums are than the “Class 2” rates given above; only on given policy anniversary typically guaranteed for those time however the underwriting require- dates (such as on the 5, 10 and 15th periods. The fewer the years guar- ments are very strict, making them policy anniversaries), or just during anteed, the lower the rates. So why unattainable for a lot of people. An the first policy year. Some compa- go for twenty year term when five applicant with some health problems nies will only allow a term policy to year term is cheaper? Often people may not be able to qualify for insur- be converted to particular plans, elect the more expensive 20 Year ance at all, or if so, at rates much which may exclude the company’s Term because of the guarantee. If higher than those given here. most competitive whole-life policies. rates go down in the future (provided The “medical underwriting re- One final word on this option. If you are still in good health) you can quirements” for the various rating you now own a term policy that has always apply for a new policy. How- classes very from company to com- restrictions on conversion and you ever, if rates stay the same or go up, pany with considerations of such fac- want to convert it to whole-life, make or if your state of health declines, tors as cholesterol, Cholesterol/HDL your wish known to the insurance then you have locked the company Ratio, Motor Vehicle Record, Build, company. Sometimes companies into very good rates for a long pe- and Family History. will relax policy restrictions for the riod. Also, twenty years is more time sake of convenience (and with the to accumulate savings or for your Living Benefit Rider expectation of getting a whole-life investments to grow. sale). For example, even though a This rider is available with many policy is next convertible on the fifth term policies. It is usually included Convertibility of Term Policies anniversary, a company may accom- at no additional cost to the applicant. Many term policies have a policy modate a policyholder’s wishes by Typically the rider allows prepay- provision that allows the policy allowing the conversion prior to that ment (payment before death occurs) owner to “convert” his term insur- time. On the other hand, when pur- of a portion of the death benefit if ance policy to a permanent (whole- chasing a policy, don’t depend upon the insured is terminally ill (with life life) policy regardless of the state of such future flexibility. The company expectancy of six months or less). health of the insured. This means has the legal right to play hard-ball.
42 Cryonics • 3rd Qtr, 1999 Requalification and Continuation you can get another 20 Year Term the present! policy for the same rate-class as you What happens to the policy after did before, since you are twenty years Not enough information the twenty years are over and you older, you will be paying substan- It is not the intention of this ar- have not converted the policy to a tially more for your insurance. permanent plan? Some policies may ticle to be a complete primer on term buying. There are a number of im- be continued, but at very substantial Next Year the Rates May Increase yearly increases in premiums. Other portant subjects not discussed, in- policies provide that you may obtain A new reserve requirement called cluding various riders, and compar- a new (replacement) policy by Rule XXX could cause rate increases ing companies. Read further on the “requalifying.” That is, you provide in many states starting next year. subject, talk to your agent, consult full evidence of insurability by show- This regulation would require insur- with estate planners, your accoun- ing that you are in good health: the ance companies to set aside a certain tant, and attorney. company then issues you a new amount of money as a cushion policy at your “attained age.” Since against losses on policies with long- you could apply for a new policy term premium guarantees. anyway, which would be issued Perhaps higher reserve require- based on your then current state of ments will be a good thing for the health, such a “requalification” pro- consumer. However, for cryonicists vision may not mean much. seeking to take advantage of the cur- Even if your health is good, and rent low rates, there is no time like
Tech-Notes, continued from page 29 it from the blood. Lots of potential vodka essence and the alcohol group overall more originality and more here for enhancement. tonic water mixed with vodka (total incubation of the plan. The paper alcohol content was 1.0 ml of 100% suggests that the alcohol might af- “Effects of Alcohol on Scientific alcohol per kg body weight). The fect creativity using some kind of Thought During the Incubation participants were given a scientific rebound effect: the alcohol group had Phase of the Creative Process” problem (to design an experiment to more incubations the mornings after Torsten Norlander, Roland test nature vs. nurture) to discuss, a drinking than the other mornings (a Gustafson notebook, and one week to think combination of alcohol and sleep The Journal of Creative Behavior about it. On the evenings of the might be the real cause). In earlier 1996, 30:4 231—248 experiment’s first two days they were studies the authors apparently found to drink their bottles before going to that alcohol consumption during the Creativity is a process; Wallas sug- bed. At the end of the experimental illumination phase of the creative gested the now familiar four-stage period they wrote reports about their process reduced the number of cre- model of preparation, incubation, il- solutions, which were scored by three ative solutions, as well as decreased lumination, and verification. How panels: one to identify stages of cre- the effort and deductive thinking in does alcohol (or other drugs) affect ative thought in the original discus- the preparation phase. A moderate this process? Alcohol at low doses sion, notebook and report; one panel amount of alcohol may help just the decreases inhibitions, so it might be to judge the reports on scientific incubation part. expected to influence creativity. The value and creativity; and a third panel authors divided 60 students (male to judge the reports on originality. and female) into a control, a placebo, The panels concluded that there was and an alcohol group. The control no difference in scientific value or group got two bottles of tonic water, scientific creativity between the the placebo group tonic water with groups, but the alcohol group showed
3rd Qtr, 1999 • Cryonics 43 Review: Nonfiction
In The Mind of the Machine: the Breakthrough in Artificial Intelligence by Kevin Warwick Arrow Book Ltd., 1998
Reviewed by Thomas Donaldson, PhD
This book has one major flaw which pable over time. Neural nets do, af- don’t see why immediately, here it destroys its primary message en- ter all, provide systems much better is: even if we don’t get into the defi- tirely. However it does have many able to cope with the real world than nition of intelligence, we can look interesting things to say along the other kinds of computer systems, no around us and see that those in po- way. Kevin Warwick is a Professor matter how “powerful.” (I would say litical and business control of the of Cybernetics at the University of that the difference between neural Earth (and all its nations) do not have Reading in UK, and has done signifi- nets and ordinary computers comes the highest intelligence among hu- cant work with robots that use neu- directly from the fact that neural nets man beings. No Nobel prize scien- ral nets to help them move about in do not use symbols at all in their pro- tist has ever been head of a nation; the real world. Several chapters in his cessing, while ordinary computers the number of former scientists in book describe that work. (A part of are designed basically to manipulate legislatures has always been quite the background behind it comes from symbols.) small. Not only that, but a little his- frustration of some AI people with The major fault of this book, tory tells us even more: in Roman systems which do very well when however, comes from its basic mes- times, Romans would have an intel- modeled in a computer but behave sage: that relatively soon, computers ligent Greek slave to teach their chil- disastrously when actually made into will take over the world and turn dren and other intelligent, educated physical robots. This frustration led most human beings into tame ani- slaves to advise the Emperor. No some AI people, Warwick included, mals to do their bidding. Yes, a few such slaves ever revolted or took con- to start building robots that were ac- humans would still run wild, but trol. (The slave revolts came from tivated by computer systems with would provide good hunting sport if lower down.) neural nets.) The chapters in which nothing else. Warwick’s argument Even if we were to build robots he describes this work seem to me to for this thesis is simple: the comput- more intelligent than ourselves* (it’s be the best and most interesting. This ers will become more intelligent than far from obvious why we’d need to strain of AI doesn’t aim to make a human beings, and therefore must do this, but let’s suppose), in build- humanly intelligent robot at the start. take control of their environment, as ing them we would control their de- Instead, it tries to develop smarter humans did originally. (And yes, if sires in a stronger way than any Ro- and smarter robots, working up from that were to happen we might as well man ever controlled the desires of his machines about as intelligent as para- forget our hopes for cryonics.) slaves. For them to take over from mecia. Though even Warwick has a You can read the book and see us they would have to have the nec- good way to go before his robots are for yourself whether or not his argu- essary desires, and such desires do able to perform most human actions, ment is plausible. I think it is poor not come automatically with intelli- they have indeed grown more ca- enough to be almost laughable. If you gence at all. (Presumably this re-
* This means more intelligent in all respects: not just able to play a better game of chess, but able to do anything and everything better than a human being (there are extra questions here, too, that Warwick does not explore, about just what is better in all situations. Chess rules contain a definition of better, but many other life situations do not).
44 Cryonics • 3rd Qtr, 1999 mains true even with neural nets.) claims that we won’t be able to ac- cannot ultimately have and use them. Moreover, there is no reason why quire the same level of intelligence (Whether we will ultimately migrate we must give the full operation of any as our robots. Basically, he thinks into a “computer” form — whatever task over completely to our robots. augmenting human intelligence will is then meant by “computer” — re- After all, we can always require them take long enough that robots will mains an open question. Our connec- to consult us beforehand, and if we have taken over before then. tions may simply allow us to work do not understand the situation they Warwick’s date of takeover comes a with computers far more directly are dealing with, explain it to us. If minimum of 10 and maximum of while we retain our original biologi- our robots foresee events happening about 50 years from now. cal form**). As I’ve argued above, for which consultation with humans A lot hangs here on just what is though, intelligence alone is in no would be too slow, then they can meant by robots “acquiring the same way enough for our robots to take come to us for consultation before level of intelligence as humans”: over from us. those events. We can even do with even if some robots came to operate Nonetheless, inside his fallacious such robots what was done with completely independently of us, that argument Warwick has produced an slaves or is done now with subordi- does not necessarily eliminate our interesting account of some work nates: give them some ability within robot slaves. Moreover, even though with neural-net guided robots. Such a circumscribed area to make their direct connections between our robots clearly have a future. own decisions, and require them to brains and computers are likely to be come to us if there is any chance at much more complex (and so take all they are outside that area. longer) than some computer people Part of Warwick’s thesis also believe, there is no reason why we
** In fiction I have written of such connections; we’d add another set of input/outputs to our brain. But given the vast number of things we may want to do with such brain additions, it may make better sense to not have any of them permanently attached. Just have the ability to connect directly. It will be interesting to see just how our relations with our devices change in the future.
Review: Nonfiction
Robot: Mere Machine to Transcendent Mind by Hans Moravec, Oxford University Press, 1999 The Age of Spiritual Machines by Ray Kurzweil, Penguin Putnam Inc., 1999
Reviewed by Brian Shock
Machines with human-level intelli- If you have read Moravec’s pre- in this later work, but they are rarely gence are inevitable, or so Moravec vious book, Mind Children, you will fresh. and Kurzweil insist in their separate find Robot more than slightly famil- The primary difference I found books. Moravec predicts the iar. Moravec reviews robotics de- between Mind Children and Robot birthdate of such machines around velopments, discusses the progress was one of tone. In his first book, 2040. Kurzweil places them around of machine intelligence into the fu- Moravec blithely stated that while 2019. In either case, I’m left with a ture, and speculates about exotic robots will be humanity’s intellec- mild depression at the prospect of computation with quantum effects tual offspring and evolutionary suc- upgrading my home computer to a and time travel. The ideas he ex- cessors, individual humans will also mere Pentium III-500 this year. presses are perhaps better developed maintain continuity by uploading
3rd Qtr, 1999 • Cryonics 45 themselves to him. These playfulness of Kurzweil’s imagina- into robots. In “future inter- tion in this section, he clearly sug- Robot, views” intro- gests that radical life extension is Moravec duce us to a fu- possible for ordinary people, rather seems to take a ture of intelli- than restricted to a few luminaries darker ap- gent agents, such as Drexler. If ordinary people proach: while nanotechnology, such as you or I can survive to 2099 he still feels neural im- — effectively becoming a “future that uploading plants, and up- generation” — why then would humans into loading so gen- Kurzweil doubt our motivation to robots will be possible, he seems to tly that we feel more a sense of won- revive friends and family members suggest that we should just get out der than future shock. in cryonic suspension? of the way and allow our mechani- During his section on And so between Robot and The cal heirs to take our place. Moravec nanotechnology, Kurzweil makes Age of Spiritual Machines (and In the grants that robots may keep Earth as what is apparently a cute mistake: he Mind of the Machine, by Kevin a comfortable wildlife preserve for states that Eric Drexler’s Engines of Warwick, reviewed by Thomas their biological progenitors over de- Creation “actually inspired the cry- Donaldson in this issue of Cryonics), cades or centuries, but soon enough onics movement of the 1980s, in the consensus seems to be that ma- the needs of growing hyper-intelli- which people had their heads (with chines will indeed become more and gence will make such considerations or without bodies) frozen in the hope more intelligent at a progressively obsolete. that a future time would possess the faster rate, until they soon exceed From a cryonicist point of view, molecule-scale technology to over- current human intelligence by incal- then, I wasn’t thrilled with come their mortal diseases, as well culable orders of magnitude (a Moravec’s new vision of the future. as undo the effects of freezing and boringly obvious conclusion to many But since we’re shopping around for defrosting.” Of course Engines did readers, I’m sure). The question that predictions (and since our attitude “inspire” cryonics, in the sense that remains is whether we — as cryon- toward the future has some small it offered new hope to members of ics patients or lifespan-enhanced hu- role in shaping it) I was heartened the cryonics community, but mans — have any long-term place by Kurzweil’s considerably more Kurzweil’s use of language seems to in this evolutionary surge. Unfortu- optimistic view, even though his suggest that Drexler’s work started nately, the answer we give to such method of expressing that view the cryonics movement. questions is probably less dependent didn’t always please me. Immediately following this, on our knowledge and intelligence Once each chapter, throughout Kurzweil goes on to add a strangely than on our current dosage of Prozac. the book, Kurzweil “interviews” (or gratuitous note of skepticism: is interviewed by) an imaginary “Whether a future generation would reader. In the earlier chapters, where be motivated to revive all these fro- he discusses the accelerating evolu- zen brains was another matter.” This tion of intelligence and related top- comment seems “gratuitous” in light ics, this device seems condescend- of his speculative chapter on the year ing, as though the average reader 2099, where his imaginary reader couldn’t deal with Kurzweil’s ab- reports that a certain Dr. Drexler is stractions without another member alive and well and working on some- of the audience to ask predictable thing called “femto-technology,” questions. Later, as Kurzweil be- which involves using quarks for gins making a series of predictions computation. Kurzweil’s character for 2009, 2019, 2029, and 2099, he confirms that this is indeed the origi- balances the scales by pretending that nal K. Eric Drexler of Engines of his imaginary reader has lived to each Creation, more than 150 years old, of these dates, and now condescends uploaded and enhanced. Despite the
46 Cryonics • 3rd Qtr, 1999 Do You Have Your Copy of The First Immortal Yet?
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