PUBLISHED BY THE CRYONICS INSTITUTE ISSUE 04 | 2016

Cryonics insights and information for members and friends of the Cryonics Institute NEWSLETTER

cryonics.org • [email protected] • 1 (866) 288-2796 CI BULLETIN Forward Momentum, Elections and the 2016 AGM

Center rather than at the facility. For complete details, please see the 2017 AGM article in this issue of CI Magazine.

As you know, we elect our annual rotating slate of Directors at the AGM. Congratulations to all the sitting directors who were re-elected as well as our newest Director, Kevin Doyle (Canada.) Welcome aboard Kevin! For those who are interested in the specifics, the vote totals were as follows: Debbie Fleming - 105 votes, Marta Sandberg - 104 votes, Kevin Doyle - 103 votes, Alan Mole - 63 votes, Phillipe Vitu - 56 votes and John Strickland - 55 votes.

Thanks go out to all our candidates and a special note of thanks and appreciation to outgoing Director John Strickland for his service to CI and to the Board. Thanks also to Phillipe Vitu for putting his hat in the ring and running for the Board. To the elected Directors, I’m looking forward to working with all of you to keep CI Dennis Kowalski - CI President moving forward with our many initiatives.

Hello All, One of those initiatives has been improvements to our facility. I’m proud to announce that we have completed a major milestone I hope everyone had a happy holiday season and that we can all with the completed renovations of our facility’s front office area, file look forward to a prosperous and successful 2017. room and the Boardroom / Tribute Room. The building is looking great and we only have minor upgrades planned for next year. So Recapping 2016, I can’t help but notice that our membership far the feedback has been very positive regarding the new and growth has exceeded expectations and continues to grow at a improved image. This was especially important in relation to the record pace. I certainly want this upward trend to continue and “media blitz” we experienced recently. Folks who have watched look forward to working hard to insure that it does in 2017 and the coverage probably noticed there were a number of reporters beyond. on-site for interviews, so I am very happy that our facility was looking top-notch for the cameras and the public at large. CI’s 2016 AGM was another successful and well-attended event. It was a real pleasure seeing many old friends and meeting new The media attention I mentioned was inspired by the admission ones this year. However, the meetings seem to be growing larger of a young 14-yr old girl from England. This particular case every year while the space at CI grows smaller as we add more caused quite a stir, with renewed interest in cryonics driving media cryostats. With that in mind, we’ve made the decision to host personalities to all the major cryonics organizations for questions the 2017 AGM offsite at the ConCorde Inn Hotel and Conference and interviews. At first, CI was reluctant to even disclose the

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2 CRYONICS INSTITUTE MAGAZINE • CRYONICS.ORG admission of the girl at our facility out of respect for family However, the beauty of cryonics is that we have all the time privacy. However, after proper clearance, we were allowed in the world to wait for scientific breakthroughs. to talk about the fact that the girl was, in fact, a CI patient, but still released very little in terms of personal details about In the field of Genetic engineering there’s a lot of buzz the patient. We recognize how important it is to protect our surrounding the revolutionary new crispr-cas9 technology members’ privacy and to respect their wishes, therefore that has catapulted genetic engineering ahead by making we are always very careful to keep confidential information the process cheaper, simpler and faster than ever before. secure, whether talking to the media or the general public. Basically, scientists have found that they could use the Thanks to the efforts of Cryonics UK and others the girl immune system of bacteria as a very precise engineering received an excellent suspension. This case was also a tool to remove and place DNA within a genome. This is landmark event, protecting the wishes of people to be very exciting news and opens doors to developing other cryopreserved in the face of attempted legal opposition technologies that could lead to repairing and reviving to those efforts and those who would attempt to deny us cryonics patients someday. Even more promising is the fact our essential rights to have our last wishes respected and that these types of technologies might someday be used followed. to even hack into and reverse the damage of aging itself. Wouldn’t it be nice to simply solve the problem of death We have a winner in our scale model CI Cryostat contest by shutting down or reversing aging altogether? This type from last issue. This model will be used as an illustrative of technology is very exciting and encouraging, but again, display for CI visitors and can also be used at trade shows the beauty of cryonics is that if these things don’t pan out or conventions to help show how our patients are stored in time for us individually, each of us has a logical hedge in cryonic suspension and some of the features of our and an extraordinary “second chance” life insurance policy cryostat construction. This will be a useful learning tool called cryonics. for the annual science-related field trip we host for high school biology classes looking to understand our world Sincerely and the scientific method. Cryonics provides the perfect Dennis Kowalski - CI President illustration for seeing what is possible by asking questions and running the ultimate clinical trial.

In closing, I’ve taken note of some exciting stories in the news regarding potentially game-changing new developments in both AI and Genetic engineering. These are both fields that are of keen interest to cryonicists. It may take a very advanced AI system to work out the monumental challenges we face in cryonics revival, and recent strides show that AI progress is expanding exponentially in power and ability. This makes me think that the first successful cryonics revival may very well be sooner rather than later.

3 CRYONICS INSTITUTE MAGAZINE • CRYONICS.ORG CI NEWS What’s happening at the Cryonics Institute

Facility Renovations

Our facility is one of the most important and lasting impressions many people have of the Cryonics Institute, especially in regard to media coverage. That said, we’re pleased to report that our planned 2016 facility renovations are now completed.

In addition to the new boardroom, we have also completely renovated our office and filing areas. We have also added some cosmetic improvements including lighting features around the cryostats and a series of wall murals. The murals in the cryostat room illustrate the famous science-fiction author and futurist Arthur C. Clarke’s “Three Laws,” which we feel sum up cryonics’ optimistic attitude toward science and the future’s limitless possibilities.

• When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is pos- sible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is impos- sible, he is very probably wrong.

• The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible.

• Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

Special thanks and recognition to Facility Manager Andy Zawacki for the excellent job on the renovations and to Perfusion Specialist and Office Administrator Hillary McCauley for her tasteful interior design recommendations.

4 CRYONICS INSTITUTE MAGAZINE • CRYONICS.ORG CI NEWS What’s happening at the Cryonics Institute

“A History of Life-Extensionism In The Twentieth Century” FREE book available online

A new book by PhD Ilia Stambler explores the history of life extensionism, examin- ing major lines of thought over the course of the 20th century. The book includes mentions of Robert Ettinger, the Cryonics movement and the Cryonics Institute as well as an expansive historical overview of life extension thought from around the world. The book is available in print or free in PDF and HTML formats HERE (http:// www.longevityhistory.com/index.html)

The book’s author is Ilia Stambler, PhD, a researcher at Bar Ilan University, Israel. His research focuses on the historical and social implications of aging and life extension research. He is actively involved in advocacy for aging and longevity research. His website is www.longevityforall.org.

New Cryostat Display Scale Model

Last issue we put out a call for model-makers to create a scale model CI cryostat to use for trade shows, events and other display purposes.

Well, the results are in and we’re pleased to show you the first model. This model was constructed by talented Milwaukee-area model-maker Phil Kershner and stands about 2 1/2 feet high as seen in the illustration left. The liter bottle has been included for scale reference.

We are considering having a second model created that can be used as a permanent display, and possibly additional models that can be used at appropriate venues and exhibits to promote cryonics and the Cryonics Institute.

5 CRYONICS INSTITUTE MAGAZINE • CRYONICS.ORG 605.83 Cryonics Ad1215.indd1 Extension products. Pricessubject tochange withoutnotice. Cannotbe combined withanyother o er. Extension Magazine ® subscriptions. LEDollarshavenocash valueandarenotredeemable forcash,transferable orassignableforany reason.O ernotavailable tointernationalcustomers servicedbydistributors ofLife purchase products, bloodtests,saleitems, andshippingfeesat therateof1LEDollarequal to$1U.S.Dollaratcheckout. LEDollarscannot beredeemedforCHOICE andPremierprogram feesortopurchasegift cards orLife *Earn LEDollarsonallLife Extensionpurchases(exceptshippingfees,LifeMagazine ® subscriptions,CHOICEand Premierprogramfees,andpurchasesmadewith LEDollarsorgiftcards).Redeemto FREE! ab yearone for & longevity pro on publication the wo Get Life istheonlysupplement brand Extension® solelydedicated to helpingyou live a Stay supplements healthy money buy. can withthehighest-quality protocols, longer, healthierlife. are products basedonthelatest premium-quality clinical Our that’s awhopping living longer. Call now andgetaoneyear (12issues)absolutely subscription dosages usedinthosestudies. Your onLife thebest. Insist Extension. bodydeserves studies —madewithpure, potent ingredients at thesameclinicallyvalidated solutely longing youth C You mustmention Discount Code AVX625A all toll-free Magazine® istheultimate Magazine® resourceLife Extension onstaying healthy and rld’s premier $ you make.* Nomembershiprequired. For detailsvisit With ournewFREErewards pro purchasegram you valuable backonevery earn LEDollars moreGet with Your Healthy Rewards. team ofHealthAdvisors cananswer expert Our your health-related day of questionsevery Don’t justguesswhat your bodyneeds. the year. gladlycreate aregimen And they’ll supplements, ofnutritional diet, andexercise that’s customized for your needs.

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MKMCAD160203 Hong Kong-1 Hong Kong-1 Hong Kong-1 Hong Kong-1 Japan-4 Japan-4 Japan-4 Japan-4 Thailand-1 Thailand-1 Thailand-1 Thailand-1 TOTAL Singapore-2 Singapore-2 1,630 Singapore-2 Singapore-2 New Zealand-1 New Zealand-1 New Zealand-1 New Zealand-1 Australia-51 Australia-51 Australia-51 Australia-51 China-3 China-3 China-3 China-3 Russia-1 Russia-1 Russia-1 Russia-1 India - 2 India - 2 India - 2 India - 2 Liechtenstein -1 Liechtenstein -1 Liechtenstein -1 Pets...... 129 DNA/Tissue...... 242 SA ...... 211 Liechtenstein -1 Romania-3 Romania-3 Romania-3 Romania-3 Turkey-1 Turkey-1 Turkey-1 Turkey-1 Israel-1 Israel-1 Israel-1 Israel-1 Hungary-1 Hungary-1 Hungary-1 Hungary-1 Austria-2 Austria-2 Austria-2 Austria-2 Czech Republic-3 Czech Republic-3 Czech Republic-3 Czech Republic-3 Poland-8 Poland-8 Poland-8 Greece-13 Greece-13 Greece-13 Poland-8 Greece-13 Switzerland-2 Switzerland-2 Switzerland-2 Switzerland-2 Lithuania-1 Lithuania-1 Lithuania-1 Lithuania-1 DECEMBER 2016 Sweden-5 Sweden-5 Sweden-5 Sweden-5 Croatia-1 Croatia-1 Croatia-1 Croatia-1 Norway-7 Norway-7 Norway-7 Norway-7 Malta-1 Malta-1 Malta-1 Malta-1 Italy-8 Italy-8 Italy-8 Italy-8 Ghana - 2 Ghana - 2 Ghana - 2 Ghana - 2 Denmark-2 Denmark-2 Denmark-2 Denmark-2 Members ...... 1,350 MembersAssoc...... 135 Patients ...... 145 Netherlands-13 Netherlands-13 Netherlands-13 Netherlands-13 Belgium-10 Belgium-10 Belgium-10 Belgium-10 UK-96 UK-96 UK-96 UK-96 Portugal-4 Portugal-4 Portugal-4 Spain-13 Spain-13 Spain-13 Portugal-4 Spain-13 France-10 France-10 France-10 France-10 Scotland- 2 Scotland- 2 Scotland- 2 Ireland-2 Ireland-2 Ireland-2 Scotland- 2 Ireland-2 British Isles-2 British Isles-2 British Isles-2 British Isles-2 Germany-42 Germany-42 Germany-42 Germany-42 Brazil-3 Brazil-3 Brazil-3 Brazil-3 Luxembourg - 1 Luxembourg - 1 Luxembourg - 1 Luxembourg - 1 Argentina-1 Argentina-1 Argentina-1 Argentina-1 Aruba-2 Aruba-2 Aruba-2 Aruba-2 Chile-1 Chile-1 Chile-1 Chile-1 Canada-66 Canada-66 Canada-66 Costa Rica-1 Costa Rica-1 Costa Rica-1 Canada-66 Costa Rica-1 United States-950 United States-950 Mexico-1 Mexico-1 Mexico-1 Mexico-1 New MembersNew Country New CI MEMBERSHIP 7 CRYONICS INSTITUTE MAGAZINE • CRYONICS.ORG 2016 Cryonics Institute Board of Directors ELECTION RESULTS

Debbie Fleming: 105 votes Marta Sandberg: 104 votes Kevin Doyle: 103 votes Alan Mole: 63 votes

Phillipe John Runners Up: Vitu: Strickland: 56 votes 55 votes

About CI’s Board of Directors The twelve Directors of the Cryonics Institute Board are elected from our membership for three year terms in groups of four every September via mail-in ballots sent to the membership earlier in the year. Any fully-funded member in good standing may run for the board by submitting their nomination and bio to Cryonics Institute headquarters by the established deadline for that election cycle. Election ballots are tallied and the results announced at the Annual General Meeting held at the Cryonics Institute facility every September.

All elected members of the Cryonics Institute Board are Directors. The Officers (President, Vice-President, Finance, etc.) are elected by the Board from among the sitting Directors. New Swedish Cryonics Society

CI Member Ake Brannström recently announced the formation of a new Swedish Cryonics Society. For more information about Svenska Kryonikföreningen visit:

WEB: http://www.kryonik.se

Facebook: Kryonikföreningen

Initially, the society will focus on providing assistance to those who wish to sign up for cryonics. Eventually, they also hope to provide practical assistance in cases, possibly in col- laboration with other European groups.

We encourage everyone to review our worldwide cryonics groups list and consider joining one or even starting your own. Local support can be a critical element for good standby, so it pays to develop resources and make contacts in your area.

8 CRYONICS INSTITUTE MAGAZINE • CRYONICS.ORG CI Announces New Location for 2017 AGM Sunday, September 10, 2017: 3:00 pm

ConCorde Inn 44315 Gratiot Avenue Clinton Township, MI 48036 586.493.7300

Be sure to mark your calendars and reserve the date - Please note that reservations for rooms at ConCorde are on Sunday, Sept. 10, 2017 for the Cryonics Institute’s Annual a first-come, first-served, so please book your reservations General Meeting. as soon as possible. Of course, if you can’t get a room at 2017 will mark what we expect will be a positive depar- the ConCorde, there is other lodging available, but it would ture from CI’s longstanding practice of holding our Annual be preferable to have the majority of our group staying “on- General Meeting on-site at the facility. Due to a steady site” at the hotel for convenient socializing and camaraderie increase in attendance at the annual AGM’s, as well as the addition of new cryostats in our current meeting space, before and after the official meeting agenda concludes. We we are simply running out of room at the facility. This is a have the room booked until 7 p.m., so there will be plenty of good problem to have, so we are pleased to announce the time to get to know your fellow members, speak to Directors 2017 AGM will be hosted at the ConCorde Inn in Clinton and relax. After that, there is also a lounge available and other Township, MI. public areas where folks can gather if they like. We will still be conducting tours of the CI facility prior to the meeting but the meeting itself will now be held at the new The ConCorde features an impressive meeting room, an location, starting at the normal 3 p.m. time. So be sure to outdoor seating area adjacent to the hall, plus a lounge, pool arrange your schedule accordingly if you’ll be taking a tour & fitness center and other amenities we’re sure everyone will prior to the meeting. enjoy. ConCorde Inn’s website is Dinner arrangements are still being worked out, so be sure to watch for those details in future issues of the CI Newsletter. http://www.concordeinns.com.

9 CRYONICS INSTITUTE MAGAZINE • CRYONICS.ORG 2016 AGM 40th Anniversary Celebration 3 P.M. Sunday, September 11th, 2016 2016 Annual General Meeting Report

The Cryonics Institute’s 2016 Annual General Meeting Kevin Doyle and author & 2016 keynote speaker Dr. Robin marked the 40th Anniversary of our organization. This year’s Hanson. As always, the group had a great time and everyone meeting was well-attended, including members, speakers left that evening upbeat and excited for the following day’s and guests from Canada, Argentina, the Ukraine and China. activities. We’re very proud to be able to count such a diverse turnout Ci’s staff had an early start on Saturday at the facility, tak- among our guests, and even more honored to be entrusted ing care of final preparations for the meeting and spending with carrying on the life-saving mission Robert Ettinger time visiting with the occasional members and guests who started back in 1976. stopped by to say hello and to get a look at CI‘s renovations. The celebration started Friday evening at the tradition- Special thanks to CI President Dennis Kowalski and our full- al “Night Before” dinner at Ike’s Restaurant, where folks time on-site team of Facility Manager Andy Zawacki and gathered to catch up with old acquaintances, make new Perfusion Specialist & Office Administrator Hillary McCauley friends and enjoy spirited discussions about cryonics and who took time out from their preparations for the meeting to the upcoming day’s event. Notable attendees included CI chat with guests, answer questions and conduct impromptu President, Dennis Kowalski, Mr. David Ettinger, son of Robert tours. Several familiar faces were also on hand to help out, Ettinger, Board of Directors candidates Debbie Fleming and including IS President York Porter.

10 CRYONICS INSTITUTE MAGAZINE • CRYONICS.ORG Guests began arriving in earnest around 2:00 p.m. and were CI’s President’s Report followed, highlighting our 2016 directed to beverages and coffee while they mingled with achievements and looking ahead to 2017. Kowalski recog- one another and took a look around the facility. Many AGM nized David and Connie Ettinger, thanking them for funding a new roof for the CI facility. On the topic of the building, Kowalski noted that the entire facility had been renovated over the course of the last two years, including the perfu- sion room in 2015 and the boardroom, front offices and file room in 2016. He noted that 2016 was a great year for membership growth, and followed up noting that with the extra workload, CI had made the decision to hire a second full-time facility employee to help Facility Manager and Board Member Andy Zawacki. He then introduced Hillary McCauley who received a warm round of applause. (For a profile of Hillary, see CI News V1, 2016)

Next up was a research report from Oregon State University, where CI has made arrangements to fund research into vit- rification solutions with a noted OSU cryobiology professor. Kowalski read a letter from the professor written specifically for the AGM to report to our members. The professor’s letter thanked CI for their funding, provided an overview of their preliminary work and findings and noted that the research- ers would be following up with a more conclusive report. That report is in this issue of the CI Newsletter. veterans remarked enthusiastically on how much the facility Following the formal President’s Report, Kowalski announced had changed since their last visit just one short year ago. that the 2016 Election ballots had been tallied and veri- Visitors also had the opportunity to browse a display of CI fied. The results were: Debbie Fleming - 106 votes, Marta Merchandise, and, for the first time, to review and bid on the Sandberg - 104 votes, Kevin Doyle - 103 votes and Alan items in our first Silent Auction. Mole - 63 votes. Runners-up were Phillipe Vitu with 56 votes and John Strickland with 55 votes. Kowalski congratulated Soon enough, the moment arrived to start the meeting, and the winners and reminded everyone that apart from serving at 3:00 p.m. sharp CI President Dennis Kowalski stepped up on the board there were plenty of volunteer opportunities to the podium to kick off the 2016 AGM. available for members to help with CI’s many initiatives.

Kowalski opened with a greeting, an overview of the day’s Before concluding and introducing the next speaker, agenda and some general housekeeping items including Kowalski received a vigorous round of applause in response the fact that ballot counting was almost complete for the to a public invitation from Stephan Beauregard to thank election and to remind everyone of volunteer opportunities. Dennis for his outstanding work as CI’s President. He then recognized CI Director Stephan Beauregard for his PAT HELLER: CI FINANCIALS social media efforts, noting that CI’s Facebook page has grown to over 20,000 members under Stephan’s manage- The next speaker was CI Director Patrick Heller, who pro- ment. He also thanked Stephan for setting up the Silent vided an overview of CI’s financials. Heller provided copies Auction and encouraged guests to participate. of CI’s financial reports and the annual Treasurer’s Report

11 CRYONICS INSTITUTE MAGAZINE • CRYONICS.ORG for everyone interested in the specific numbers. He noted financial goal is to achieve modest growth, even under CI saw a $34,500 increase in total assets over the year and the most extreme market conditions, and that CI remains explained how our numbers are calculated, balancing extraordinarily sound financially. expenses against revenue in various categories. One of GUEST SPEAKERS those major expenses being cryostat construction, Heller reported that CI presently has sufficient cryostat backup LORAINE RHODES to accommodate several years of new patients, including potential patient transfers should any of the current units ever require repairs. Regarding maintenance, Heller also noted that CI is seeing tremendous efficiencies in liquid nitrogen cost and usage.

Heller concluded with the welcome news that CI’s financial position is very good and that we saw a net positive in 2016, with revenues expected to continue outpacing expenses in 2017. STEVE L: CI INVESTMENTS

CI Director Steve L. followed Heller to delve deeper into CI’s investments, which account for a significant portion of our financials. His presentation was titled “Accounting for the Layman” and did an excellent job of breaking down complex professional accounting practices, in particular, with regard to how those practices are affecting CI’s invest- ments. He proceeded to break out CI’s major expenses and Loraine Rhodes is Vice President of Terasem, an organiza- assets noting: 1) Our land and budget are undervalued, tion started by Martine Rothblatt who is famed as the creator which helps with any tax liabilities. 2) Cryostats constitute of the satellite radio and vehicle tracking industries as well as our biggest annual expense 3) CI holds over $4m in invest- Bio-Tech company United Therapeutics. ments and 4) that CI has no debt. At Terasem, Loraine manages the areas of legal and technol- After covering the current situation, Steve reported that the ogy research, event coordination of their annual workshops investment committee believes CI can improve our invest- and colloquia. She also serves as the Managing Editors of ments’ performance in 2017. The stated plan is to divide Terasem’s online journals of Geoethical Nanotechnology assets among three management strategies, compare the and Personal Cyberconsciousness. performance of each and adjust allocations based on results. Those three strategies will be 1) Auto Investments, Especially noteworthy, Lori also started the local Terasem which can be adjusted based on level of risk. 2) Active man- Cryonics Standby Team. This is the team that led the stand- agement by CI Director Joseph Kowalsky, J.D. (Kowalsky by for longtime cryonicist and CI pioneer John Bull, father of is a Senior Financial Consultant with Upstream Investment CI Director Debbie Fleming. Partners with 30 years experience in investing) and 3) Kowal Investment Group - a professional investment company. Lori may be reached by email at [email protected].

Steve stressed that as a long-term operation CI’s primary Loraine (Lori) Rhodes’ presentation discussed the work of

12 CRYONICS INSTITUTE MAGAZINE • CRYONICS.ORG the Terasem Movement, highlighting their efforts to pre- DR MARTIN BLUTH serve human consciousness through a variety of innovative techniques. Of especial interest to cryonicists, she also pro- Martin Bluth, MD, PhD is president of BBI. Dr. Bluth is a serial vided a roadmap for organizing and managing a Cryonics Support Team, drawing on her personal experiences creat- ing a standby team for Terasem and sharing details from their first cryonics case.

Lori talked about the Terasem Movement, a 501c3 not-for- profit charity whose primary mission is education on the importance and practicality of extending life with an empha- sis on revival strategies and techniques. Terasem main- tains an active web site and social media channels, oper- ates Terasem Radio and hosts Annual Symposiums. Their Cryonics Response Team operates out of central Florida.

She then explained the CyBeRev project, designed to col- lect and preserve the human mind as digital information for the purpose of revival. She likened it to a “Digital Diary,” and noted that this could be a useful resource should revived cryonauts suffer memory loss. Terasem offers this entrepreneur and has matured companies in healthcare as a free service to interested persons at cyberev.org. A diagnosis (Genome Dynamics International) therapeutics particularly interesting concept introduced was the idea of (Biomedica corporation) and commercialization (First Point “Spacecasting,” which would involve beaming collected Biotech Ventures.) digital information into space to be decoded and recreated at a future date. Dr. Bluth is an accomplished professional who is well-pub- lished in a number of peer-reviewed journals. Closer to home, Lori then moved into a discussion on Terasem’s Cryonics Standby Team and offered practical He is also Editor-in-Chief / Founding Editor for the jour- considerations and suggestions from her experiences nals Pharmacogenomics and Personalized medicine, The on how to create and operate a local standby group. Journal of Blood Medicine and the Journal of Biorepository Suggestions included tips on personnel, equipment, logis- Science for applied medicine. tics and budget, among others. She stressed the need to work within local community regulations and to reach out Dr Bluth currently serves as Director of Translational to coroners, paramedics and other first-responders. She Research, Director of Clinical Programs Asia-Pacific and as likened a standby team to a first response medical team, Associate Director of the Transfusion Service for Department noting that it is a small step from the traditional purpose of Pathology at Detroit Medical Center / Wayne State School of saving a life to instead, preserving a life. She concluded of Medicine where he holds the rank of professor. with a detailed overview of her team’s experience “running He is trained in Lean / Six Sigma and applies translational / point” for SA during the standby phase of long-time cry- medical algorithms to increase efficiency of biomarker dis- onicist John Bull’s preservation. According to Rhodes, their covery for disease diagnosis and response to therapy. team provided critical care and support during this case, and she emphasized the absolute importance of proper CI Director Joe Kowalsky introduced Dr. Martin Bluth, add- communication and preparation. ing his own observation that having a respected and pub-

13 CRYONICS INSTITUTE MAGAZINE • CRYONICS.ORG lished medical professional speaking at our AGM repre- Dr. Bluth followed with examples of medical applications sented a new high water mark for the cryonics movement. that benefit from this interest in cryopreservation and devel- Kowalsky reflected how much public perception of cryonics opments in stem cell and other regenerative tech research, has improved over the decades, and especially in recent and pointed out that the more practical applications that years. He cited Dr Bluth’s agreement to speak as a notewor- are discovered, the easier it is to acquire federal and other thy example of that positive shift in opinion. funding to develop further advances that may lead to revival technologies for cryonics. He followed with a discussion Dr. Bluth reinforced Kowalsky’s comments when he took about the many applications currently in use, observations the podium and thanked Dennis and Joe for inviting him, on the roles media, public perception and government poli- remarking that he was happy and honored to be speaking cies play in research and examples of celebrities pushing at the meeting. the envelope for stem cell research. Dr. Bluth’s presentation titled “Cryopreservation - A view from Dr. Bluth concluded with a list of pros and cons, with pros the medical treetops” took a look at the evolving history, per- including biobanking applications, treating currently uncur- ceptions and efforts of the medical community’s cryonics- able diseases by “stopping the clock,” nanorobotics and related initiatives from his own professional perspective and even applications for space travel. experiences. Dr. Bluth expressed his longstanding interest in the exciting medical potential of cryogenic processes, DR RUDY GOYA citing the international, peer-reviewed journal “Journal of Dr Rudy Goya received his PhD in biochemistry in 1982 from Biorepository Science for Applied Medicine,” which he cre- ated specifically to explore these concepts.

He explained Biorepository Science as a discipline focused on all things that maintain cellular function - micro or macro, in an effort to better understand the processes and issues involved. This involves biospecimen procurement, process- ing, preservation and banking for application to applied medicine.

Regarding cryopreservation, Dr. Bluth referred to his pro- fessional experiences running a blood bank, preserving stem cells, plasma and other tissues in such a way that they would function when returned to their natural environ- ments. This work, he said, logically lead to his exploring ultra-low-temperature, cryogenic preservation techniques and applications like vitrification which are familiar to cry- onicists. He discussed the history of cryoprotectant agents, how they function in cells and stated his experience has indicated they are very effective. From this success with cel- lular and small tissue samples, Dr. Bluth reasoned medicine the University of La Plata, Argentina. He did his post-doctoral today is well on the way to preserving larger structures, and training in neurological disciplines at the Department of that he believes the likelihood of whole body preservation is Physiology at Michigan State University. At MSU he began not unreasonable in the future. his research into brain aging, and he returned to Argentina in 1987 to found a dedicated brain aging research group at

14 CRYONICS INSTITUTE MAGAZINE • CRYONICS.ORG La Plata University. Dr. Goya acknowledged that although vitrification tech- niques are currently available, we still do not have the tech- He currently leads a team of 17 researchers, graduate stu- nology to reanimate these tissues, however he is confident dents and technicians who work on the implementation of those technologies will come to pass. With this in mind, he intervention strategies including gene and stem cell therapy said that we can help advance that future technology by for restoring memory and other functions associated with undertaking studies aimed at determining the impact of the aging process in the brain. He has authored over 140 today’s vitrification procedures. He proceeded by present- peer-reviewed, international publications and has mentored ing a detailed analysis of his team’s current research with over 35 graduate students and junior researchers. several slides comparing brain tissues vitrified under vary- Rudy is the Senior Investigator of the Argentine Research ing conditions against a non-vitrified control sample. His Council and has a keen interest in cryonics and related results showed differing levels of cellular integrity that he emerging technologies including Nanomedicine and says will be valuable to better understanding and improving Artificial Intelligence. He is a member of the Cryonics Institute. cryonics procedures.

Dr Rudy Goya’s presentation, “The Feasibility of Cryonics” Dr Robin Hanson offered an in-depth look at his University Team’s cryonics research and his analysis and observations as to what those results suggest for the future of cryonic preservation and potential revival.

Dr. Goya began by reviewing the several current instances of and uses for cryopreservation. Examples included many instances of both animal and human cell preservation, including embryos, sperm and stem cells. He pointed out that all of these tissues have been successfully frozen and restored, which suggests similar principles can be explored further to duplicate the process for larger organs and even- tually the whole body. Dr. Goya reasoned that an embryo, which consists of very few cells, is but a very simple human. If embryos can be successfully revived, the same principles should apply to the much larger and more complex collec- tion of cells that constitute a grown human being. Dr. Robin Hanson is associate professor of economics at Another interesting current application he discussed was George Mason Universty and research associate at the the preservation of ovarian tissue in aggressive cancer Future of Humanity Institute of Oxford University. He holds cases. Dr Goya showed a video illustrating how adult ovar- a doctorate in social science from the California Institute of ian tissues can be removed and preserved prior to chemo Technology, masters degrees in physics and philosophy and radiation therapy in these cases and reintroduced into from the University of Chicago and has nine years experi- the patient at the conclusion of treatment, thereby maintain- ence as a research programmer at Lockheed and NASA. ing fertility. He further explained that in these cases, speed is critical to the success of both the freezing and thawing pro- Professor Hanson has over 3,000 citations in over 60 aca- cesses. He also offered the example of tardigrades, animals demic publications on a diverse range of subjects includ- that naturally freeze in winter then thaw and revive with no ing Applied Optics, Economics and Governance, Artifical cellular damage in the spring. Intelligence, Evolution and Technology and many, many

15 CRYONICS INSTITUTE MAGAZINE • CRYONICS.ORG others. ogy and many others. His next question was to ask what this world would look like to a cryonics patient revived as a Oxford University Press recently published his book “The Brain Emulation. Age of Em: Work, Love and Life When Robots Rule the Earth.” in June of this year, and will publish his book “The Elephant He proceeded to describe a fascinating world dominated in the Brain” in Spring of next year. Professor Hanson has had by these Brain Emulations. In this world, Hanson predicted over five hundred media mentions, given 200 talks and his that most Emulations would be based off the very best blog overcomingbias.com has had eight million visits. human beings - great scientists, artists, athletes and the like. These “robots” he surmised, would have a very different life He has a diverse range of interests and expertise to share, than we understand today, being able to create copies of including Prediction Markets, a new discipline he pioneered. themselves at will to conduct a variety of tasks at the same Professor Hanson has also developed new technologies for time. They would live in virtual reality environments, colos- conditional, combinational and intermediated trading. sal cities and, surprisingly, still live lives we can relate to Professor Hanson has written and spoken widely on the with a cycle of training work and retirement. After a detailed application of idea futures to business and policy and has discussion of the various aspects and realities of living in been an integral advisor on may ventures. this remarkable new world, he concluded his talk with a list of the pluses and minuses to consider, and an invitation to Dr. Hanson’s presentation offered a glimpse of a potential read his book to learn more. future where engineered copies of human beings called Brain Emulations are in widespread use worldwide. His Dr. Hanson’s remarks concluded the speakers’ portion of book “The Age of Em,” explores this idea in far greater depth. the AGM. Dennis Kowalski returned to the podium to thank all the speakers and conclude the offical program with a Dr. Hanson started with a review of growth throughout few closing remarks. IS President York Porter followed to three historic periods. He explained that growth rates are conduct the Immortalist Society’s Annual Meeting, details steady, but experience exponential growth at critical times. of which can be found in Long Life Magazine, available on The examples he offered were a doubling rate of 1.4 mil- the IS website. lion years for the Forager Era, 1,000 years for the Farming Era, and 15 years for our current Industrial era, illustrating a After the formal meeting, guests were invited to enjoy food marked increase in the speed of human progress. Assuming and beverages, facility tours and hands-on demonstra- those patterns continue, Dr. Hanson estimated that some- tions of CI’s Standby Kits presented by CI President Dennis time in the next century or so, progress could begin dou- Kowalski. bling at a remarkable rate of every month.

He then posed the question of what could possibly cause such an exponential change. He hypothesized the evolu- tion of smart robots and software that could perfectly copy Photographs of the 2016 AGM are and emulate the human brain, becoming a new and unique avaialable at the link below. form of human being or consciousness. These replicas would be what he refers to as Brain Emulations, or “Ems.” 2016 AGM Photo Gallery He then explained his methodology for predicting such a future by projecting current technology, trending disrup- https://goo.gl/photos/XYxPSnJj1umFmMC37 tive technology and drawing conclusions based on a wide range of disciplines including economics, politics, sociol-

16 CRYONICS INSTITUTE MAGAZINE • CRYONICS.ORG Special thanks to CI Director Stephan Beauregard for his efforts organizing and conducting the Silent Auction at the recent AGM. Stephan acquired a number of fantastic one-of-a-kind items for the auction, including several personal donations. The event generated a lot of excitement at the meeting and was well-received by the attendees. Thanks as well to everyone who bid on prizes and congratulations to the winners!

All monies collected were donated to CI. A list of the prizes and winners follows.

Special Edition Takamine Acoustic Guitar: Melanie Griffith Autographed Planet Donated by: Jeff Fortin, Lifetime CI Member Hollywood Hat - (signed at Disneyland, Paris) Winner: Charles Engelke CI Member Donated by S. Beauregard, CI Director Winner: Dr Robin Hanson, 2016 Special Edition Harley Davidson AGM Keynote Speaker Commemorative Plate Donated by: Jeff Fortin, Lifetime CI Member Original Book Draft signed by Robert Ettinger Winner: Winner: Charles Engelke CI Member Donated by Cryonics Institute Winner: Steve L. CI Director Rare Celine Dion Signed Promo Photo (signed in Las Vegas) Original Collectible 50¢ Coin Donated by S. Beauregard, CI Director (Quebec Winter Carnival Edition) Winner: Patrick Heller, CI Director Donated by S.Beauregard, CI Director No Bids Original Ted Williams Boston Red Sox Baseball Card Original French Edition of “The Donated by S. Beauregard, CI Director Prospect of Immortality” Winner: Nicholas R. Van Der Donated by S.Beauregard, CI Director Meulen, Lifetime CI Member No Bids

Star Wars Collectible Stamp Set Donated by S. Beauregard, CI Director Winner: DT Golner, CI Marketing

Rare French Magazine Sciences-Avenir - 1959 edition featuring Cryonics Donated by S. Beauregard, CI Director Winner: Dennis Kowalski, CI President

17 CRYONICS INSTITUTE MAGAZINE • CRYONICS.ORG Cryonics Institute Research Update Reducing Toxicity During Cryopreservation of Organs

Funding from the Cryonics Institute was recently provid- containing a hypotonic concentration of salts causes organ ed to cryobiology researchers to investigate strategies for swelling, confirming that the major feature of the previous reducing the toxicity of cryoprotective agents (CPAs) during optimized methods can likely be harnessed for minimizing cryopreservation of organs. The work is based on recent toxicity in organs as well. The experimental results were research which shows that mathematical optimization can shown to be consistent with a simplified mathematical lead to effective CPA equilibration methods for vitrification of model of the organ perfusion process. endothelial cell monolayers. With funding from the Cryonics Institute, the researchers proposed to test two key features of In particular, the researchers tested 10% ethylene glycol the optimized procedures in the context of organ perfusion: solutions similar to those used by the Cryonics Institute in the (1) inducing swelling during CPA loading using a hypotonic first step of brain perfusion, but differing in the composition concentration of salts; (2) leveraging fast water transport to of the carrier buffer. The results, while preliminary, suggest concentrate intracellular CPA during the last step prior to that there may be substantial benefits associated with the vitrification. use of a hypotonic carrier solution.

Over the last few months, the researchers have established Organ Perfusion System methods for acquiring pig organs from a local slaughter- house as well as methods for perfusion of those organs in Porcine kidneys were obtained from the slaughterhouse and the lab. The initial tests have focused on kidneys. They have immediately cannulated at the renal artery for perfusion with demonstrated that kidney perfusion with a CPA solution 500 mL of cold extracellular-like hypothermic preservation

Figure 1

18 CRYONICS INSTITUTE MAGAZINE • CRYONICS.ORG solution [1,2]. The kidneys were then placed on ice for trans- port back to the laboratory, where they were attached to the gravity-fed perfusion system illustrated in Fig. 1. The perfu- sion system contains two separate reservoirs, each of which has its own perfusion line. The two lines come together at a ‘Y’ joint that is attached to the tubing in the renal artery. With such a setup, two different solutions can be perfused through the kidney per experiment. To maintain a constant fluid level in the reservoirs, holes were drilled in the bottles Figure 2. Mass change after perfusion of 10% ethylene glycol in isotonic carrier solution. For Kidney 1, the solu- at the desired height and fitted with tubing that drained to a tion change came at 21.5 minutes, and for Kidney 2, the collecting beaker. Fluid was returned to the bottles from the change came at 23 minutes. collecting beaker using a peristaltic pump. In essence, the pump replaced the solution that fed into the kidney. inlet arterial pressure was maintained constant at approxi- The kidney itself rested on a mesh platform over a funnel mately 100 mmHg, and measurements were taken of the which diverted fluid exiting the renal vein and ureter into a kidney mass every 30 seconds and the volumetric flowrate collection reservoir. The volume of fluid collected per min- every minute. ute was measured using graduated cylinders. The entire Figure 2 shows the mass change of two kidneys that were kidney platform was placed on a laboratory scale, such that perfused with ethylene glycol in isotonic carrier solution, and the kidney mass could be measured throughout a perfusion Figure 3 shows the mass change of two kidneys that were experiment. perfused with ethylene glycol in hypotonic carrier solution. The kidney itself rested on a mesh platform over a funnel In all cases kidney mass increased during the initial perfusion which diverted fluid exiting the renal vein and ureter into a with isotonic medium, eventually leveling off at an equilib- collection reservoir. The volume of fluid collected per min- rium value. At this point, the perfusion solution was changed ute was measured using graduated cylinders. The entire to 10% ethylene glycol, which led to an abrupt drop in mass, kidney platform was placed on a laboratory scale, such that followed by a slower mass recovery. As shown in Figures the kidney mass could be measured throughout a perfusion 3 and 4, there was substantial variability between kidney experiment. masses, making it difficult to discern differences between isotonic and hypotonic carrier solutions. Effect of Carrier Solution during Kidney Perfusion with CPA Perfusion experiments were performed to compare CPA solutions prepared using an isotonic carrier (as is typically done) to solutions prepared using a hypotonic carrier. In both cases, kidneys were first brought to mass equilibrium with isotonic solution. Kidneys were then either perfused with 10% ethylene glycol in an isotonic carrier solution, or with 10% ethylene glycol in a hypotonic carrier solution. The Figure 3. Mass change after perfusion of 10% ethylene gly- hypotonic carrier solution contained buffer (NaHCO3) and col in hypotonic carrier solution. For Kidney 3, the solution change came at 12 minutes, and for Kidney 4, the change an oncotic agent (20 kDa PEG) and had a total tonicity of came at 21 minutes. approximately 85 mOsm. Throughout the experiments, the

19 CRYONICS INSTITUTE MAGAZINE • CRYONICS.ORG To facilitate comparison between kidney perfusion with eth- ylene glycol in isotonic and hypotonic carriers, the results for all four kidneys were expressed as a percent mass change and time zero was set to the time at which perfusion solu- tions were switched. As shown in Figure 4, there are clear differences in the response of kidneys to perfusion with iso- tonic and hypotonic carrier solutions. When a hypotonic car- rier was used, the organ recovered mass much more quickly, Figure 4. Mass percent change of all four kidneys relative to reaching its original mass in about 3 minutes. In comparison their individual equilibrium masses during perfusion with perfusion with ethylene glycol in isotonic carrier resulted in isotonic solution. Time zero is the point at which the perfu- sion solutions were switched. The blue data points represent recovery of the original kidney mass in about 10 minutes. In the two kidneys exposed to 10% ethylene glycol in isotonic addition, the kidneys perfused with ethylene glycol in hypo- carrier (kidneys 1 and 2), and the red data points represent the two kidneys exposed to 10% ethylene glycol in hypotonic tonic carrier swelled beyond their original mass by about carrier (kidneys 3 and 4). 8% after about 20 min, whereas the kidneys perfused with ethylene glycol in isotonic carrier reached a final mass that decrease in kidney mass (see Fig. 4). was within 3% of the original mass. The practical implications of these flow rate changes have Together, these results highlight two key features of CPA not yet been determined. The mass change data shown in loading using a hypotonic carrier that are expected to Fig. 4 suggests that CPA loading using hypotonic carrier reduce toxicity. First, the kinetics of CPA loading is faster, results in faster delivery of CPA to the kidney, but clearly the as exemplified by the faster recovery of the original kidney mass. Second, the hypotonic carrier results in kidney swell- perfusion rate is substantially lower, particularly for times ing, which is advantageous because it enables exposure to a longer than 4 min. What is not clear from this preliminary more concentrated CPA solution in the second step without data set is whether the kidneys are uniformly perfused with inducing excessive shrinkage. Both of these features are CPA. This will be explored in future studies. If perfusion is uni- expected to reduce CPA toxicity. form, then the lower flow rate may actually be an advantage While the results presented in Figure 4 are promising, it is because it reduces the volume of perfusion solution needed important to understand the effects of perfusate composi- to complete the CPA loading process. tion on the vascular flow resistance in the kidney. Figure 5 compares the volumetric flow rates measured at the outlet for all four kidneys. Since pressure drop was held constant, the flow rate is inversely proportional to resistance. For the kidneys exposed to ethylene glycol in isotonic carrier, the flow rate dropped initially but then rebounded back to its original value. In contrast, kidneys perfused with ethylene glycol in hypotonic carrier exhibited a more dramatic drop in flow rate to about 5 mL/min, without any evidence of flow Figure 5. Volumetric flow rate at kidney outlet. Time zero is rate recovery. This can likely be attributed to cell swelling the point at which the perfusion solutions were switched. The blue data points represent the two kidneys exposed to and concomitant impingement of blood vessels. The reason 10% ethylene glycol in isotonic carrier (kidneys 1 and 2), and for the transient drop in flow rate for the kidneys exposed the red data points represent the two kidneys exposed to to ethylene glycol in isotonic carrier is unclear, but could 10% ethylene glycol in hypotonic carrier (kidneys 3 and 4). be a result of blood vessel constriction during the transient

20 CRYONICS INSTITUTE MAGAZINE • CRYONICS.ORG Future Directions Together, these recent results highlight the potential for achieving faster CPA loading and reduced CPA toxicity by using a hypotonic carrier solution. However, two key questions remain: (1) Does the use of a hypotonic carrier lead to a non-uniform CPA distribution within the kidney? (2) Will the hypotonic carrier cause unacceptable cell death? The first question stems from the observation of a substantially decreased effluent flowrate after CPA loading using a hypotonic carrier. It is thought that this phenomenon is due to vasculature constriction induced by tissue and cell swelling; this could lead to an uneven CPA distribution. The second question addresses the mechanical integrity of the kidney’s cells upon hypotonic carrier addition. The hypotonic carrier is expected to induce cell swelling, which, if excessive, could cause cell death.

With continued funding from the Cryonics Institute, the researchers will explore these issues. Specifically, the objectives of the next phase of this research are to (1) compare the CPA distribution within the kidney under both hypotonic and isotonic carrier conditions; and (2) assess cell death incurred during CPA loading using a hypotonic carrier compared to an isotonic carrier. Completion of these experiments will further establish the potential for using a hypotonic carrier solution to reduce CPA toxicity and lay the groundwork for the development of improved organ vitrification methods. References

Arretier MIC, Ugene MIE, Andewalle AL V, Expe DT. Polyethylene glycol reduces the inflam- matory injury due to cold ischemia / reperfusion in autotransplanted pig kidneys. Kidney Int. 2002;62:654-667.

Pierre J, Petit I, Dutheil D, et al. Protective Roles of Polyethylene Glycol and Trimetazidine against Cold Ischemia and Reperfusion Injuries of Pig Kidney Graft. Am J Transplant. 2004;4:495-504. doi:10.1111/j.1600-6143.2004.00365.x.

21 CRYONICS INSTITUTE MAGAZINE • CRYONICS.ORG Is Cryonics Worth A Shot? Cryonics for Beginners - by Theo Rogers If you were dying and there was a highly experimental pro- some of the things that the medicine the upcom- cedure that just might save your life, would you choose to ing century would in fact achieve: antibiotics, open undergo that procedure? Knowing with absolute certainty heart surgery, organ transplants, gender reassign- that death was inevitable without it? ment, gene therapy... it would all have seemed like science fiction; and even that is putting it politely. You may like to think about that for a moment before con- More likely, it would have seemed like a complete tinuing… fantasy. The one thing we can be certain of is that You see, that’s what cryonic suspension is: it’s a highly the unimaginable will happen. experimental procedure that just might save your life when Of course, this is not the same as saying that all unimagi- death is otherwise inevitable. It’s an ambulance into the nable breakthroughs will happen, and so does not mean future. That ambulance may or may not make it all the that the resuscitation of cryonically preserved patients will way to a time with the technology to restore you to health. happen. It only means that it would be foolhardy to claim Nobody knows. The one thing we do know for certain is that it won’t. what will happen without cryonics. Given that alternative, some of us choose to roll the dice. Everyone knows the track record of respected scientists who choose to claim that certain things are impossible, So let’s say you’re a complete newbie, contemplating cry- or predict that they will never happen. It’s so abysmal that onics for the first time. Or maybe you’re already committed, it’s inspired “Clarke’s first law,” which states that “When a but you want to convince a friend or loved one to make this distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is choice. Why should you – or anyone else – believe that cry- possible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that onics is, at the very least, worth a shot? something is impossible, he is very probably wrong.” There are three levels on which this question can be It is very, very easy to find countless examples of highly addressed... respected scientists and engineers being proven wrong 1. The first, and simplest, is to ask “Can we resuscitate when they claim that things are impossible. Often within a cryonically preserved patient with today’s medi- little more than a decade. Here are just two links to get you cine?” The answer, of course, is no. No cryonicist I started: have encountered has ever suggested otherwise. https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn13556-10-im- What cryonicists are doing is speculating on what possibilities-conquered-by-science/ the medicine of the future, decades or even centu- ries ahead of our own, might be able to accomplish. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=KXhfAAAAIBA- J&sjid=my8MAAAAIBAJ&pg=3288,6595098&dq=all-that 2. Given that starting point, the second level on which -constitutes-a-wild-dream-worthy-of-jules-verne we might address this question is to observe that if we don’t destroy ourselves, the one thing we can be It’s also not hard to find well respected scientists who have certain of is that the future will see breakthroughs gone on the record stating that cryonics is, at the very least, the likes of which we can’t even imagine. Picture a a reasonable thing to try. Sixty-nine eminent researchers physician of 1917 trying to predict the medicine of and physicians from around the world have been signato- 2017. Suppose we then put to that same physician ries to the following open letter, which states that: “Cryonics

22 CRYONICS INSTITUTE MAGAZINE • CRYONICS.ORG is a legitimate science-based endeavor that seeks to pre- teed is what will happen without it. serve human beings, especially the human brain, by the Under such circumstances, I personally choose to roll the best technology available ... there is a credible possibility dice. I hope you will too. that cryonics performed under the best conditions achiev- able today can preserve sufficient neurological information 3. The third level on which we may address this prob- to permit eventual restoration of a person to full health.” lem is to think in more concrete terms about the kind of technology that would be needed to bring You can read the letter in full here: resuscitation about. If you would like to know what http://www.evidencebasedcryonics.org/scientists-open- peer reviewed science has to say about this prob- letter-on-cryonics/ lem, I suggest you follow the links at the bottom of the last of the three web pages I linked to above. Signatories include: Starting about three quarters of the way down the page there is a list of articles on point written by Roy Walford, MD: UCLA prof of physiology, expert advisor people who possess a much better grasp of the on immunology to the WHO and senatorial delegate to the fundamental science than I do. White House conference on aging. As a layperson I find it difficult to weigh the merits of these Jain Ravin, MD: Assistant clinical prof in neurology, UCLA different works. But if I were to pick just a few from that list, Peter Gouras, MD: Prof of ophthalmology, Columbia it does seem to me that some particular highlights include:

University. First paper showing recovery of brain electrical activity after

Marvin Minsky, PhD: MIT prof and one of the founding freezing to -20°C. Suda I, Kito K, Adachi C, in: Nature (1966, vol. 212), “Viability of long term frozen cat brain in vitro“, pg. fathers of cognitive science. Minsky also served as a scien- 268-270. tific advisor to the board of Alcor, one of the principle orga- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/5970120 nizations engaged in cryonic preservation today. Following his death it has widely been reported that Minsky himself First paper showing partial recovery of brain electrical activ- has been preserved at Alcor, although in accordance with ity after 7 years of frozen storage: Suda I, Kito K, Adachi C, its privacy policy, Alcor will neither confirm or deny the pres- in: Brain Research (1974, vol. 70), “Bioelectric discharges of ence of any specific individual within its facilities. isolated cat brain after revival from years of frozen storage“, pg. 527-531. Starting about three quarters of the way down the same https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/4821065 page where this open letter appears, there is also a list of First paper suggesting that nanotechnology could reverse scientific papers that can reasonably be interpreted as pro- freezing injury: Drexler KE, in: Proceedings of the National viding evidence in support of the cryonic endeavor. More Academy of Sciences (1981, vol. 78), “Molecular engineer- on that in the next section. ing: An approach to the development of general capabili- Again, I stress that none of this is intended to lead to the con- ties for molecular manipulation“, pg. 5275-5278. clusion that cryonics will work. It does, however, lead us to http://www.imm.org/PNAS.html the conclusion a person contemplating cryonic suspension First paper showing ice-free vitrification of whole brains, the is in a situation not so different to that of any patient who, reversibility of prolonged warm ischemic injury without sub- faced with certain death, is offered a highly experimental sequent neurological deficits, and setting forth the present procedure as a last ditch heroic attempt to save their life scientific evidence in support of cryonics: Lemler J, Harris (and yes, this is where we came in). There is no guarantee SB, Platt C, Huffman T, in: Annals of the New York Academy that the procedure will work. The only thing that’s guaran- of Sciences, (2004 vol. 1019), “The Arrest of Biological Time

23 CRYONICS INSTITUTE MAGAZINE • CRYONICS.ORG as a Bridge to Engineered Negligible Senescence“, pg. question then is as to how far our own ability to repair the 559-563. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15247086. machine is likely to advance, and on what timetable.

First successful vitrification, transplantation, and long-term Of course, if we are concerned with resuscitating cryoni- survival of a vital mammalian organ: Fahy GM, Wowk B, cally preserved patients, we must also deal with the dam- Pagotan R, Chang A, Phan J, Thomson B, Phan L, in: Or- age done by the preservation process itself. The better the ganogensis (2009, vol. 5), “Physical and biological aspects preservation process, the lower the demands we make on of renal vitrification” pg. 167-175. future technology. There is no point at which I personally http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20046680 would give up the ghost entirely. Mainstream physics now http://www.21cm.com/pdfs/12FahyORG5-3%5B1%5D.pdf seriously debates the existence of a “law of conservation

First demonstration of whole brain vitrification with per- of information,” which holds that on a quantum level, infor- fect preservation of neural connectivity (“connectome”) mation can never truly be destroyed. But even if this law is throughout the entire brain: McIntyre RM, Fahy GM, sound on a theoretical level, on a practical level we need to in: Cryobiology, (2015, vol. 71), “Aldehyde-stabilized cryo- remember that the worse the job we do in the here and now, preservation“, pg. 448-458. the more we depend on ever greater advances in future http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/ technology – which may or may not eventuate.

S001122401500245X As hinted at before, if we are particularly concerned with http://www.21cmpublications.com/PubFiles/102/2015McI cell death, and damage on a cellular level, then the most ntyreFahyASC.pdf obvious means of repair would be an advanced medical

Beyond the specific papers listed above, I encourage you to nanotechnology, combined with the massive amounts of peruse the full list and decide what makes the most sense to computing power required to organize that technology and you. This should give you a decent coverage of the science. direct it to repair something as massive and complex as a If you’d like to know what I personally think (again speaking brain when viewed from a molecular level up. as a complete layperson), then this is it: The important thing to remember here is that this is not on

If brains are simply information processing machines, and par with something like homeopathy: no new laws of phys- cells are simply biological machines built on a molecular ics are required to make it work. All we need to do is apply level, then brain death, cell death, and indeed, all forms of the known laws of physics and chemistry in a way that is death are simply the point at which the machine has bro- orders of magnitude more sophisticated than anything ken down beyond its own ability to self repair, and beyond we are currently capable of. This kind of improvement – the ability of our current technology to repair it, to the point improvements in degree, however vast, as opposed to where entropy takes over. To suggest anything beyond improvements depending on the invention of some as yet this is to revert to the idea of some once-present force that unknown principle – seem particularly likely to occur, and somehow imbued mere matter with the spark of life, but particularly well grounded in reality. which is now sadly absent. So barring a return to vitalism, So “all” we need to make this particular vision of resuscita- what we’re left with is the purely technical problem of put- tion a reality are a sophisticated medical nanotechnology, ting the machine back together in working order. This, of and vast amounts of computing power: both of which many course, is why so many cryoncists have such a keen interest distinguished, respectable, and entirely mainstream scien- in nanotechnology. tists of today believe will become available sometime this

Cryonic suspension itself is merely a means of grinding to a century. near-halt the march of entropy, in the hope that some future To draw on to an analogy used by others before me, I sus- technology will be able to repair what we cannot. The only pect that right now we’re in the same position as an engi-

24 CRYONICS INSTITUTE MAGAZINE • CRYONICS.ORG neer contemplating the possibility of a modern airport, maybe About the Author five or ten years before the Wright brothers flew at Kitty Hawk. Theo Rogers suffers from chronic fatigue Say, sometime in the 1890’s. Of course the sheer complexity of syndrome, and so spends most of his time the thing together with its massive demand for resources would lying down. However, he’s managed to complete a master’s in wealth manage- have made it seem completely beyond reach – to say nothing of ment by distance education. Prior to as- the leaps of technology required. suming his present horizontal state, he also achieved degrees in psychology and And yet, it did happen. It did not happen in a single step. But it linguistics at the Australian National Uni- did happen. versity, as well as a graduate certificate in banking and finance.

Theo has completed two non-fiction books: one on the Amazon None of the arguments I have made here are intended to con- reviewer subculture and the other on Investing. He is currently vince the reader that the ultimate resuscitation of cryonically working on his third book: a hard science fiction novel with strong posthuman themes. preserved patients will happen. I personally believe it will, but clearly, it would be delusional for me to claim that I know this for His interest in cryonics is all-but lifelong: “I still remember the first a fact. What the arguments presented here are intended to do time I heard about cryonics – I would’ve been just a toddler. I’m not sure exactly how old. There was a story on TV about a person is convince the reader that cryonics is, at the very least, worth a who was being frozen. As you can see, it made quite an impres- shot. sion. Ever since then, it’s always seemed to me that you’d have to be crazy not to have this done. Of course the future will see break- throughs we can’t even imagine. And if there’s a chance, why on Earth wouldn’t you take it?” This could work...And consider the alternative 1st international conference of CryoSuisse, Basel, November 2016 Report by Frank Seifert The weekend of November 12th was a highly interest- plans regarding cryonics, to discuss the future of cryonics ing one for cryonics in Europe. CryoSuisse, the cryonics in Europe and how we can best synergize and profit from organisation of Switzerland, held their 1st international each other. conference on cryonics in Basel. An unexpected high num- ber of groups and group-representatives came together After the president of CryoSuisse, Patrick Burgermeister, with some of the premier bames in cryonics like Ben gave a warm welcome in the Technologie Park Basel, the Best, former director of the Cryonics Institute, Max More, programme started with short presentations by the vari- president of Alcor, Aschwin de Wolf, CEO of Advanced ous countries’ organisations. Additional information about Neural Biosciences, and Tim Gibson from Cryonics UK. national specifics in law and practical work were provided. The goal was an exchange of information about the differ- It was encouraging to see how many countries cryonics ent groups in Europe and also the latest developments in movements and cryonics groups have been started in cryonics methods and research. Eventually, also to get to over the last few years. Patrick Burgermeister started with know each other and the individual group capabilities and an introduction to CryoSuisse in Switzerland, followed

25 CRYONICS INSTITUTE MAGAZINE • CRYONICS.ORG by Torsten Nahm from Cryonics Germany. Subsequently Gonzalo Ruiz introduced the Spanish group, which works Tim Gibson described the team and work of Cryonics UK with several medical doctors and has already supported the (CUK). He reported on typical cryonics cases, the prepara- cryopreservation of three patients in Spain. The individual tion of them, the usual problems and also some exciting country presentations were concluded by Prof. Krzysztof stories. Jappie Hoekstra presented the Dutch Cryonics Herman, reporting from Poland and describing interesting Organisation in the Netherlands which was founded in 2002 and ambitious plans for supporting a European cryonics and currently has 14 members. Of similar member strength organisation. and also basic equipment is the Finland group introduced by Antti Peltonen. In a short presentation on the status of After a lunch break, Ben Best gave an overview presentation cryonics in Italy, Alberto Pasquini described the regulatory about the cryonics progress in several additional countries difficulties faced by Italy’s three currently active cryonics worldwide. This includes Russia with the well-known com- members. Italian law currently only allows burying and pany KrioRus, China, India, Australia, Argentinia, Canda embalming of the deceased. To help overcome this issue, and also two newer organisations in the USA. It was nice to

the Italian Cryonicists recently founded the Association for hear that Ben was very active in visiting several countries, the Protection and Extension of Life (APREL) in 2016. meeting with the local people and giving help and advice where he could. An interesting point is that in both large Also very interesting was the report of the Belgian group Asian countries, China and India, there are very enthusiastic given by Anthony Lamot. The Belgian group has around people who unfortunately have to face a public attitude 10 members and basic equipment in place. They reported and practical situation where nearly everyone is cremated on their first cryonics case involving a 90-year old female quickly after death. However, a larger perfusion and stor- patient. The legal situation in Belgium is remarkable: every age facility is currently under way in China with the help citizen is an organ donor by default and suicide is allowed of a former Alcor employee. The patients are planned to on principle. be classified as research subjects. Regarding Canada, Ben The next presentation was from the Swedish group repre- reported about a very active group cooperating with US sented by Åke Brännström who have general procedures institutes and also planning for a Canadian storage facility. and organisational structures in place. Jose Cordeiro and It was great to hear that a similar situation applies also for

26 CRYONICS INSTITUTE MAGAZINE • CRYONICS.ORG Australia where a storage facility is planned to be opened in ing and oxygen supply of organ donation methods and 2017 near Sydney. outcomes were discussed. For cryonics, these topics might build a bridge between the methods applied currently or in We continued with a presentation about the VIDAPLUS the near future and those needed for a successful vitrifica- FOUNDATION, a life extension organisation in Spain, by tion, unfreezing and revival procedure someday. Jose Cordeiro. Progress has been made in creating a network between cryonicists, research institutes and also Going from state-of-the-art medicine to developments and politicians to give cryonics a push from the practical and research in current cryonics procedures, the scientific pre- quality point of view, as well as regarding the public opinion sentations were finalised by Aschwin de Wolf, one of the and acceptance. Next was Max More who gave a keynote few researchers actually working specifically on cryonics speech about the development and his own experiences procedures. Aschwin brought some good news with him, of the public acceptance of cryonics in the USA and in gen- presenting the first results from recent developments of a eral. This has also changed e.g. in hospitals when talking to new vitrification solution. This chemical is contrary to older doctors and personnel and asking for their help in cryonics cases mostly in a more constructive and open direction. versions not based on dehydration of the brain and the Also the situation and interest in Europe has developed pos- related strong loss in volume. Hence, a vitrification of the itively, especially when considering all the activity reported brain with better structural and cellular conservation and during the conference. The first day was finished by a prac- with it better conservation of the connectome is conceiv- tical training performed by Tim Gibson and his team which able. This was a very optimistic outlook to probably witness came with their cryonics ambulance from UK to Basel. This one more small step in improving the cryonics storage qual- was especially useful for all participants as the UK team is ity soon. fully equipped and experienced in handling cryonics cases. They demonstrated, for example, their “thumper” unit and After lunch, Udo Schifer and Torsten Nahm talked about life perfusion cycle and explained the most important difficul- insurance policies for cryonics contracts. They shed light on ties to consider. This applies also to legal and organisational several legal and organisational aspects and discussed a challenges like the very typical case of a young lady who refunding model in favour of cryonics based on the situation suffered from cancer and was cryopreserved by CUK and in Germany. This might also be applied to other countries stored by CI recently. Finally, the attendees got the chance with the help of local insurance agents to give the general to inspect the newly procured ambulance with the com- cryonics coverage a push. In the last talk of the conference, plete cryonics equipment inside. Torsten Nahm passionately proposed a further integration and more structured organisation of the different groups in The second day was opened by Prof. Patrick Hunziker with an exciting excursion into the area of up-to-date intensive Europe and beyond. In brainstorming with Hubert Braendle care medicine using hypothermia and organ replacement. and Udo Schifer, several possible characteristics and func- He addressed practical applications as well as methods tions of such an umbrella organisation have been sketched. currently under consideration for treating people between The goal is a better synergy and efficiency of the remarkable life and death. Interesting developments are, for example, efforts currently seen in Europe. The talk passed over into a miniaturised cardiac pumps and extracorporeal membrane very lively and fruitful discussion among all participants and oxygenators in cardiac arrest cases. The talk went on from a large amount of agreement and willingness in participa- remote telemedicine concepts for early diagnoses up to tion in this idea was expressed. discussing cryogenic methods, nano-sensors and nano- systems to treat cell defects. Thereafter, David Gifford fol- Patrick Burgermeister finished the conference with a very lowed with a talk about extra-corporeal perfusion in cases positive conclusion and outlook for cryonics. At this point, of circulatory death. He also covered brain cooling methods as a participant, I would like to express my gratitude to for safe cerebral ischema and the possible use of neuropro- the CryoSuisse team for the professional and complaisant tective agents. Furthermore, aspects like perfusion, cool- organisation of the conference.

27 CRYONICS INSTITUTE MAGAZINE • CRYONICS.ORG First Annual RAAD Festival by CI Director Stephan Beauregard ivalThe first RAAD Festival (Revolution Against Aging and Death) took place August 4-7 with hundreds of people from all walks of life and every corner of the planet attending the event in San Diego, CA. Attendees were there to explore revolution- ary approaches to promoting life extension and fighting, or even reversing, the effects of aging.

The event, the first ever to focus on the topic of aging reversal, featured some of the world’s leading authorities on life exten- sion and aging-related topics, including physicians, scientists, inventors and health experts.

Ray Kurzweil appeared via teleconference rather than in person, which disappointed a few people, however the majority of the attendees were very happy with the event, which also included entertainment in the form of live music and dancing.

The program was divided into 6 categories, each with several speakers.

Highlights included:

HUMAN AGE REVERSAL:

• Greg Fahy, PhD, from 21st Century Medicine.

• Liz Parrish & Bill Andrews, Ph.D., extending telomeres to reverse the clock of aging & declining health.

• Dipnarine Maharaj, M.D., project to reverse pathologic aging along with restoration of functional immune status using stem cell mobilized plasma components from young donors at South Florida Bone Marrow/Stem Cell Institute.

28 CRYONICS INSTITUTE MAGAZINE • CRYONICS.ORG • Dobri Kiprov, M.D., project to inhibit senescent cell behavior in elderly subjects via removal of aged plasma, along with infusion of young plasma components using prophylactic plasma exchange to suppress inflammation and induce age reversal at Young Plasma Institute.

• Peter Nygard : Somatic cell nuclear transfer to reverse human cellular aging in vivo.

• Steve Perry : Self-experimentation using Growth Differentiation Factor 11 (GDF-11) that has demonstated rodent age reversal in a study at Harvard University PLUS:

• Alex Zhavoronkov, PhD, Chief Science Officer of the Biogerontology Research Foundation (UK), & CEO of Insilco Medicine; and others / AI, Biotech, Nanotech & Robots.

• FUTURISM: Ray Kurzweil & others

• LIFEHACKERS: Jose Cordeiro, author of ten books and founding Faculty & energy advisor at Singularity University (SU) in NASA Ames Research Park, Silicon Valley, and others.

• LIFESTYLE: Suzanne Somers, well-known actress & health spokesperson, and others.

• REGENERATIVE MEDICINE: Aubrey de Grey & others.

It was an exciting and colorful event with a lot of energy and great information of interest to all cryonicists. I applaud the organizers and look forward to seeing more of these types of high-profile events in the future.

Photos (RAAD 2016) Courtesy of Jean W.

29 CRYONICS INSTITUTE MAGAZINE • CRYONICS.ORG Who will be there for YOU?

Don’t wait to make your plans. Your life may depend on it.

Suspended Animation fields teams of specially trained cardio-thoracic surgeons, cardiac perfusionists and other medical professionals with state-of-the-art equipment to provide stabilization care for Cryonics Institute members in the continental U.S. Cryonics Institute members can contract with Suspended Animation for comprehensive standby, stabilization and transport services using life insurance or other payment options.

Speak to a nurse today about how to sign up. Call 1-949-482-2150

or email [email protected] MKMCAD160205 21 6

605.83A SuspendAnim_Ad_1115.indd 1 11/12/15 4:42 PM Worldwide Cryonics Groups AUSTRALIA: The Cryonics Association of Australasia FINLAND: The Finnish Cryonics Society, (KRYOFIN) is offers support and information for Australia & nearby countries. a new organization that will be working closely with KrioRus. [email protected]. Their Public Relations Officer is Philip Rhoades. They would like to hear from fellow cryonicists. Contact them at: [email protected] GPO Box 3411, Sydney, NSW 2001 Australia. Phone: +6128001 6204 (office) or +61 2 99226979 (home.) kryoniikka.fi Their President is Antti Peltonen.

BELGIUM: Cryonics Belgium is an organisation that exists FRANCE: SOCIETE CRYONICS DE FRANCE is a non to inform interested parties and, if desired, can assist with han- dling the paperwork for a cryonic suspension. The website can be profit French organization working closely with European cryonics found at www.cryonicsbelgium.com. To get in touch, please send groups. For more information: J.Roland Missionnier: phone: 33 (0) an email to [email protected]. 6 64 90 98 41 or email: [email protected] BHUTAN: Can help Cryonics Institute Members who need help for the transport & hospital explanation about the GERMANY: There are a number of Cryonicists in cryonics procedure to the Dr and authorities in Thimphou & Paro. Contacts : Jamyang Palden & Tenzin Rabgay / Emails : Germany. Their Organization is called “Deutsche Gesellschaft für [email protected] or [email protected] Phones : Jamyang Angewandte Biostase e.V.”, or short “DGAB”. More information / 975-2-32-66-50 & Tenzin / 975-2-77-21-01-87 on their homepage at www.biostase.de. If there are further ques- CANADA: This is a very active group that participated in Toronto’s first cryopreservation. President, Christine Gaspar; Vice tions, contact their Board at [email protected]. President, Gary Tripp. Visit them at: http://www.cryocdn.org/. There is a subgroup called the Toronto Local Group. Meeting INDIA: Can help Cryonics Institute Members who need dates and other conversations are held via the Yahoo group. This help for the transport & hospital explication about the cryon- is a closed group. To join write: [email protected] ics procedure to the Dr and authority in Bangalore & Vellore QUEBEC: Contact: Stephan Beauregard, C.I. Director & Official Administrator of the Cryonics Institute Facebook Page. Area. Contacts : Br Sankeerth & Bioster Vignesh / Email : Information about Cryonics & perfusion services in Montreal [email protected] Phones : Bioster / 918148049058 for all cryonicicts. Services available in French & English: [email protected] & Br Sankeerth / 917795115939 ITALY: The Italian Cryonics Group (inside the Life Extension SPAIN: Giulio Prisco is Secretary of the Spanish Cryonics Research Group (LIFEXT Research Group)) www.lifext.org and Society. Website is http://www.crionica.org.sec. He lives in Madrid relative forum: forum.lifext.org. The founder is Bruno Lenzi, and he’s a life member of CI and is willing to serve as a contact contact him at [email protected] or Giovanni Ranzo at: point for Europeans. He can be contacted at: cell phone (34)610 [email protected] 536144 or [email protected] JAPAN: Hikaru Midorikawa is President Japan Cryonics SWEDEN: www.kryonik.se.com or Facebook: Svenska Association. Formed in 1998, our goals are to disseminate cryon- Kryonikföreningen. Initially, the society will focus on providing ics information in Japan, to provide cryonics services in Japan, information and assistance to those who wish to sign up for cry- and eventually, to allow cryonics to take root in the Japanese soci- onics. Eventually, we also hope to provide practical assistance in ety. Contact [email protected] or http://www.cryonics.jp/ cases, possibly in collaboration with other European groups. NEPAL: Can help Cryonics Institute Members who need help SWITZERLAND: for the transport & hospital explanation about the cryonics pro- www.CryonicsSwitzerland.com or www.ria.edu/cs cedure to the Dr and authorities in Kathmandu. Contact : Suresh CRYOSUISSE The Swiss Society for Cryonics. K. Shrestha / Email : [email protected] Phone : 977-985- cryosuisse.ch To join, email [email protected] 1071364 / PO Box 14480 Kathmandu. UNITED KINGDOM: Cryonics UK is a nonprofit The Dutch Cryonics Organization NETHERLANDS: UK based standby group. www.cryonics-uk.org Cryonics (http://www.cryonisme.nl) is the local standby group and wel- UK can be contacted via the following people: Tim Gibson: comes new enthusiasts. Contact Secretary Japie Hoekstra at phone: 07905 371495, email: [email protected]. +31(0)653213893 or email: [email protected] Victoria Stevens: phone: 01287 669201, * Can help Cryonics Institute Members who need help, funeral email: [email protected]. Graham Hipkiss: phone: home, transport & hospital explication about the cryonics proce- 0115 8492179 / 07752 251 564, email: ghipkiss@hotmail. dure to the Dr and authority at Amsterdam with branches in other com. Alan Sinclair: phone: 01273 587 660 / 07719 820715, cities. Contact : Koos Van Daalen / Phone (24 Hours) +31-20- email: [email protected] 646-0606 or +31-70-345-4810 Can help Cryonics Institute Members who need help, funeral NORWAY : Can help Cryonics Institute Members who need home, transport at London. Contact : F.A. Albin & Sons / Arthur help for the transport & hospital explication about the cryonics Stanley House Phone : 020-7237-3637 procedure to the Dr, funeral home and authority at Sandvika. INTERNATIONAL: The Cryonics Society is a global Contacts : Gunnar Hammersmark Sandvika Begegravelsesbyraa cryonics advocacy organization. www.CryonicsSociety.org. They / Phones : 011-47-2279-7736 publish an e-newsletter FutureNews. Phone: 1-585-643-1167. RUSSIA: KrioRus is a Russian cryonics organization operating in Russia, CIS and Eastern Europe that exists to help arrange cryo- preservation and longterm suspension locally, or with CI or Alcor. Please contact kriorus@mail.ru or [email protected] for additional information or visit http://www.kriorus.ru. Phone: 79057680457

HELP US STAY UP-TO-DATE! JOIN A CRYONICS GROUP!

If you live in one of the countries listed, The Cryonics Institute encourages mem- we’d appreciate of you would please take bers to join, or form, local cryonics standby, a moment to contact the groups listed in support and social groups. If you’re inter- your country to confirm their details. Also, ested in joining or forming a group of your if you know of, or are considering starting a own, please check upcoming issues of the support, standby or other cryonics-related CI Newsletter to learn more about CI’s new group in your area, please send details to Cryonics Groups program.. [email protected]. CRYONICS Science, Technology and NEWS Medicine for Cryonics

First phase 1 human aging reversal trials (GDF, Myostatin) in a year or two and George Church discusses how to affordably rejuvenate the whole body KThe new goal is to reverse aging, not only in animals, but in humans. And age reversal is essential, as significant age-related disruption has already occurred in most people due to changes in our gene expression profiles. Gene expression patterns change with age. This influences the rate at which an individual ages, and also determines what senile disorders they are likely to contract. But innovative gene-editing methods based on a unique technology called CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) are now being successfully harnessed for use as an age-reversal therapy for humans.” READ THE FULL STORY AT NExTBIGFUTUER.COM

Nvidia is the new Intel and its chips are used by most of the 3000 AI startups worldwide

In a fascinating bit of silicon serendipity, it turns out that the same technology that can conjure up a gorgeous alien landscape or paint a picture-perfect explosion is also nearly optimal for the hottest area of AI: deep learning. Deep learning enables a computer to learn by itself, without programmers having to code everything by hand, and it’s leading to unparalleled levels of accuracy in areas like image and speech recognition. Tech giants like Google, Microsoft, Facebook and Amazon are buying ever larger quantities of Nvidia’s chips for their data centers. Institutions like Massachusetts General Hospital are using Nvidia chips to spot anomalies in medical images like CT scans. Tesla recently announced it would be installing Nvidia GPUs in all of its cars to enable autonomous driving. Nvidia chips provide the horsepower underlying virtual reality headsets, like those being brought to market by Facebook and HTC. READ THE FULL STORY AT NExTBIGFUTURE.COM

Cellular reprogramming turns back the aging clock in mice

Salk Institute scientists have extended the average lifespan of live mice by 30 percent, according to a study published December 15 in Cell. They did that by rolling back the “aging clock” to younger years, using cellular reprogramming. TThe finding suggests that aging is reversible by winding back an animal’s biological clock to a more youthful state and that lifespan can be extended. While the research does not yet apply directly to humans, it promises to lead to improved understanding of human aging and the possibility of rejuvenating human tissues. READ THE FULL STORY AT KURZWEILAI.NET

33 CRYONICS INSTITUTE MAGAZINE • CRYONICS.ORG CRYONICS NEWS

How diabetes drug metformin prevents, suppresses cancer growth Ancient genetic pathway suggests new ways to fight cancers and support healthy aging

A team of Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Harvard Medical School investigators has identified a pathway that appears to underlie the apparent ability of the diabetes drug metformin to both block the growth of human cancer cells and extend the lifespan of the C.elegans roundworm. That finding implies that this single genetic pathway may play an important role in a wide range of organisms — including humans. READ THE FULL STORY AT KURZWEILAI.NET

Trump considering libertarian reformer to head FDA Peter Thiel associate advocates anti-aging medicine and patient freedom to use new drugs found safe, at their own risk

President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team is considering libertarian Silicon Valley investor Jim O’Neill, a Peter Thiel associate, to head the Food and Drug Administration, Bloomberg Politics has reported. O’Neill, the Managing Director of Mithril Capital Management LLC, doesn’t have a medical background, but served in the George W. Bush administration as principal associate deputy secretary at the Department of Health and Human Services.. READ THE FULL STORY AT KURZWEILAI.NET

A machine-learning system that trains itself by surfing the web

MIT researchers have designed a new machine-learning system that can learn by itself to extract text information for statistical analysis when available data is scarce. This new “information extraction” system turns machine learning on its head. It works like humans do. When we run out of data in a study (say, differentiating between fake and real news), we simply search the Internet for more data, and then we piece the new data together to make sense out of it all. READ THE FULL STORY AT KURZWEILAI.NET

Google’s new multilingual Neural Machine Translation System can translate between language pairs even though it has never been taught to do so Machine translation breakthrough has been implemented for 103 languages

Google researchers have announced they have implemented a neural machine translation system in Google Translate that improves translation quality and enables “Zero-Shot Translation” — translation between language pairs never seen explicitly by the system. For example, the system was trained to translate bidirectionally between English and Japanese and between English and Korean. But the new system can also translate between Japanese and Korean — even though it has never been taught to do so. . READ THE FULL STORY AT KURZWEILAI.NET

34 CRYONICS INSTITUTE MAGAZINE • CRYONICS.ORG Membership Benefits Why join the Cryonics Institute?

1) Cryonic Preservation 7) Funding Programs Membership qualifies you to arrange and fund a vitrification Cryopreservation with CI can be funded through life (anti-crystallization) perfusion and cooling upon legal insurance policies issued in the USA or other countries. death, followed by long-term storage in liquid nitrogen. Prepayment and other options for funding are also available Instead of certain death, you and your loved ones could to CI members. have a chance at rejuvenated, healthy physical revival. 8) Cutting-Edge Cryonics Information 2) Affordable Cryopreservation Members have access to both the Cryonics Institute The Cryonics Institute (CI) offers full-body cryopreservation Newsletter and Long Life Magazine online, as well as our for as little as $28,000. Facebook page, an official members-only forum (coming soon) and more. 3) Affordable Membership Become a Lifetime Member for a one-time payment of only 9) Additional Preservation Services $1,250, with no dues to pay. Or join as a Yearly Member with CI offers a sampling kit, shipping and long-term liquid a $75 inititation fee and dues of just $120 per year, payable nitrogen storage of tissues and DNA from members, their by check, credit card or PayPal. families or pets for just $98. 4) Lower Prices for Spouses and Children 10) Support Education and Research The cost of a Lifetime Membership for a spouse of a Membership fees help CI to fund important cryonics Lifetime Member is half-price and minor children of a research and public outreach, education and information Lifetime Member receive membership free of charge. programs to advance the science of cryonics. 5) Quality of Treatment 11) Member Ownership and Control CI employed a Ph.D level cryobiologist to develop CI-VM-1, CI Members are the ultimate authority in the organization CI’s vitrification mixture which can help prevent crystalline and own all CI assets. They elect the Board of Directors, formation at cryogenic temperatures. from whom are chosen our officers. CI members also can change the Bylaws of the organization (except for 6) Locally-Trained Funeral Directors corporate purposes). CI’s use of Locally-Trained Funeral Directors means that our members can get knowledgeable, licensed care. Or The choice is clear: Irreversible physical death, dissolution members can arrange for professional cryonics standby and and decay, or the possibility of a vibrant and joyful renewed transport by subcontracting with Suspended Animation, life. Don’t you want that chance for yourself, your spouse, Inc. parents and children?

CI is the world’s leading non-profit cryonics organization, bringing state-of- the-art cryonic suspensions to the public at the most affordable price. CI was founded in 1976 by the “father of cryonics,” Robert C.W. Ettinger as a means to preserve life at liquid nitrogen temperatures. As the future unveils newer and more sophisticated medical nanotechnology, it is our hope that the people preserved by CI may be restored to youth and health.

To get started, contact us at: (586) 791-5961 • email: [email protected] Visit us online at www.cryonics.org Member Readiness Checklist You’ve signed up for cryonics - what are the next steps? Welcome Aboard! You have taken the first critical step in preparing for the future and possibly ensur- ing your own survival. Now what should you do? People often ask “What can I do to make sure I have an optimal suspension?” Here’s a checklist of important steps to consider.

 Become a fully funded member through life insurance or easy pre-payments

Some members use term life and invest or pay off the difference at regular intervals. Some use whole life or just prepay the costs outright. You have to decide what is best for you, but it is best to act sooner rather then later as insurance prices tend to rise as you get older and some people become uninsurable because of unforeseen health issues. You may even consider making CI the owner of your life insurance policy.

 Keep CI informed on a regular basis about your health status or address changes. Make sure your CI paperwork and funding are always up to date. CI cannot help you if we do not know you need help.

 Keep your family and friends up to date on your wishes to be cryopreserved. Being reclusive about cryonics can be costly and cause catastrophic results.

 Keep your doctor, lawyer, and funeral director up to date on your wishes to be cryopreserved. The right approach to the right professionals can be an asset.

 Prepare and execute a Living Will and Power of Attorney for Health Care that reflects your cryonics- related wishes. Make sure that CI is updated at regular intervals as well.

 Consider joining or forming a local standby group to support your cryonics wishes. This may be one of the most important decisions you can make after you are fully funded. As they say-”Failing to plan is planning to fail”.

 Always wear your cryonics bracelet or necklace identifying your wishes should you become incapacitated. Keep a wallet card as well. If you aren’t around people who support your wishes and you can’t speak for yourself a medical bracelet can help save you.

 Get involved! If you can, donate time and money. Cryonics is not a turnkey operation. Pay attention and look for further tips and advice to make both your personal arrangements and cryonics as a whole a success.

 Keep up to date! Read CI Magazine and follow the simple “STANDBY WORKBOOK” exercise in each issue.

36 CRYONICS INSTITUTE MAGAZINE • CRYONICS.ORG Call for Volunteers CI Standby Kits CI is always looking for volunteers to help with our many projects and initiatives. If you have skills in design, programming, writing, marketing, public relations, science or simply have enthusiasm and energy to contribute, you can make a differ- ence at the Cryonics Institute!

CI offers pre-made Standby Kits complete with VOLUNTEER NOW all required equipment and detailed instructions. These kits are perfect for an individual or a group planning local standby support. Basic and Intermediate kits are available for sale now. To purchase a kit, please contact us at: Writers Wanted [email protected] Got something to say? The CI Newsletter is looking for submissions from our readers! If you’ve got a great idea for a story, please forward it to: [email protected] Letters Welcome One of our goals for the CI Newsletter is to provide a forum for member out- reach and opinion in addition to the existing online forums. If you have comments to share, feel free to write Show the world you support us at [email protected]. We may introduce a letters column if cryonics with CI gear from response is favorable, so if you do our Cafe Press store. write, please indicate if your letter is approved for publication or not. CI Reading Room Serializing essential works on cryonics

R.C.W. ETTINGER MAN INTO SUPERMAN After immortality...... comes transhumanity. And OUR generation can be part of it.

Robert C.W. Ettinger’s ”Man into Superman” Part 7

38 CRYONICS INSTITUTE MAGAZINE • CRYONICS.ORG 7 Morality for Immortals

Didst thou not know that men prefer peace, in some quarters, or that immortalist morality is even death, to freedom of choice in the reflected in the decadent lifestyles of some self- knowledge of good and evil? proclaimed avantgarde elements. The resemblanc- -Dostoevsky es are superficial and the differences profound, as we shall gradually see. Now we must wrestle with our consciences, and win. The emphasis must now shift from superhu- Circumstances do indeed alter cases, and scarcely manity to immortality, from the third person to anyone now denies that cultural and individual the first and second, from motivations to values differences bear on one’s value system. But a sud- and from aspirations to ethics. In particular, we den liberation from traditional values can have the must try to clarify the conflict between immortal- same effect as “liberation” from a safety belt in a ism and traditional morality. racing car. It is astonishing how few people under- stand the real rationale behind the rules against There is indeed, I think, such a conflict, on at least cheating and stealing, or the chief danger that pre- two levels. First, life extension will bring impor- marital sex poses for most girls in contemporary tant practical changes in the effects of policies and society. I have never had a student give the answer actions; what may be “good” for a mortal may be which I believe is valid to either of these questions- “bad” for an immortal, because of altered perspec- viz., that these activities tend to corrode the per- tives and other changes. A few examples are of- sonality and self-image fered. To be sure, the notion of “natural law” is fuzzy and Second, the very criteria of “good” and “bad” will dubious, especially in the grotesque exaggerations change, especially in the related issues of selfish- of an Aquinas. Aristotle was not exactly on target ness vs. altruism, self-preservation vs. self-sacri- in saying, 11 every ideal has a natural basis, and ev- fice, solitude vs. community, expediency vs. loyalty, erything natural has an ideal development.” Kant’s pragmatism vs. principle, and growth vs. stability. “categorical imperative” has not been shown to The immortal superman, I believe--yourself and exist. But men have enough in common, and psy- myself, day after tomorrow-will shift the balance chology is sufficiently advanced, to make it clear substantially toward the first of each of these pairs, that values cannot be tampered with lightly. although with important qualifications. And again I hope to convey a feeling that these shifts are not Maslow says, “The human being needs a frame- only probable but desirable, that after the wrench- work of values, a philosophy of life, a religion or ing changes our position will be more comfortable religion surrogate to live by and understand by, in as well as more logical, that the gains will far out- about the same sense that he needs sunlight, cal- weigh the losses. But we must begin with some em- cium, or love.... The value illnesses which result phatic disclaimers. from valuelessness are called variously anhedonia, The Need for Relatively Stable Values anomie, apathy, amorality, hopelessness, cynicism, etc., and can become somatic illness as well. . . .” It must not be imagined that there is much connec- tion between immortalist morality and the “ethical Weinberg writes, 1” there is perhaps no more suc- relativism” or “situation ethics” currently popular cessful way of living than by carefully defining a

39 CRYONICS INSTITUTE MAGAZINE • CRYONICS.ORG value system, examining it from time to time, and benefactor; and today’s militant minorities fiercely upholding it. Among its numerous advantages, a reject what is “given,” prizing only what they can code of ethics provides us with exemption from seize for themselves. All this touchiness is clearly too great a dependence on other people’s opinions neurotic and to be outgrown. of us.... Being stable would seem almost a requi- site for mental health.... Whenever we undertake (4) Notions of dignity and honor, for the same rea- to change our personality, we must make ourselves son, should become much more elastic in some unstable for a time. The disequilibrium we experi- respects. In Athens, a gentleman had to look and ence as anxiety. sound the part-sedate carriage, deep voice (!), measured speech, narrow norms of dress, etc. In With these warnings soberly in mind, we must certain circles of postmedieval Europe, a sidewise nevertheless prepare for change. glance might be a deadly insult, to be avenged on the field of honor; the same thing is said to be true Some Effects of Longevity and Perspective among some of today’s motorcycle gangs. We are not likely to lose our need for formal courtesy, nor Some of the changes to be wrought by extended life our sensitivity to insults but our reactions should and controlled personality are fairly easy to guess be under much better control, responding only to and to accept; let us tick. off a few, both general and real threats, our egos being very bard to bruise. specific: (5) Tolerance of diversity, of individual idiosyncra- (1) Misbehavior due to weakness and stupidity will sy and cultural pluralism, may increase while re- decline sharply, as we become less weak and stu- maining responsible. (Much “tolerance” heretofore pid. Many affronts to society, and to oneself, are has just been a closing of the eyes and rejection of simple misjudgements or failure to take the long responsibility.) There is likely to be a strong ten- view. Crimes of impulse, rudeness, drug abuse, dency to live and let live, when psychopaths and berserker syndromes, acts of desperation, short- neurotics are few. end risks, naive greed-all these should dwindle to a trickle when we are nearly all longlived, informed, (6) When we are immensely wealthy in material capable, and in control of our personalities. and inner resources, we should have greatly re- duced need for outside help, encouragement, flat- (2) The Golden Rule should work much better for tery, approval, or almost any kind of interaction; immortals than for humans, even as a mere tactic there may be many solitaries and a highly frag- of expediency. Erich Fromm, although he seems mented, loosely-knit society. This may lead, dur- to have fallen into the humanist trap about which ing a certain period of history, to a devaluation of we shall speak later, has written: “If the individu- some elements of morality. We may not exactly al lived five hundred or one thousand years, this wash our hands of other people’s troubles, nor re- clash (between his interests and those of society) fuse in all circumstances to be our brother’s keeper, might not exist or at least might be considerably but ‘May still tend to go our own ways, assuming reduced. He then might live and harvest with joy the other fellow can take care of himself. what he sowed in sorrow; the suffering of one his- torical period which will bear fruit in the next one (7) Yet under some conditions there also exists could bear fruit for him too.”16 the possibility of a much higher sense of commu- nity and greater esprit de corps. Paul T. Young has (3) Greater self-confidence and control of person- discussed morale in military forces, saying, “The ality implies we should be less thinskinned, lead- impersonal threat of injury from the enemy, affect- ing, among other things, to more gracious giving ing all alike, produces such a high degree of co- and receiving. Aristotle considered it a mark of hesion throughout the unit that personal attach- superiority to confer a kindness, and a mark of ments become intensified.””’ Superhumans could subordination to receive one; contemporary prov- deliberately create moral values analogous to this, erbs recount the resentment of the debtor for his with nature in the role of the “impersonal threat”,

40 CRYONICS INSTITUTE MAGAZINE • CRYONICS.ORG our broader perceptions and longer attention span allowing a lively and permanent sense of our be- A few have taken a bold stance for selfinterest, but leaguered position a tiny speck of struggling con- the results, as in Epicureanism, have almost always sciousness, banded together against the cold and been embarrassingly naive; the hog at the trough careless cosmos. This would not be a “brotherhood is no one’s ideal. Nietzsche exalted pride over hu- of man” in any syrupy sense, but a sober sense of mility, but in the end nevertheless sacrificed the duty born of practical necessity. individual to a neurotic idealism. (He had some unusually forward looking ideas, however, on the (8) There will almost certainly be a much higher relation of biology and chemistry to temperament, price on human (or transhuman) life, for rea- speculating that the Asiatic outlook might derive sons obvious and otherwise. In certain kinds of from rice and the German from beer.) Spinoza industrial and construction work, costs may rise purports to “prove,” through logic, that self-pres- tremendously for a while because we will no lon- ervation is man’s primary motivation, but from ger tolerate the fatal accidents that always accom- this naive beginning be proceeds to the conclusion pany current construction methods. We may ac- that supermen will free themselves from the indi- cept great inconvenience in traffic for the sake of vidualism of the instincts and “desire nothing for slightly greater safety. And a heightened sense of themselves which they do not also desire for the human dignity is almost certain to rule out prison rest of mankind. “ 160 or physical punishment for any purely financial or technical offense. (In current circumstances, how- Most of the others came down heavily for the ever, talk of “human rights” vs. “property rights” herd, often making explicit such principles as “The can be very misleading.) greatest good for the greatest number” or “Do as you would wish others to do.” Immanuel Kant said, (9) Individual freedom may gradually come close “We know ... by vivid and immediate feelings, that to anarchy-and when freedom is abridged, the we must avoid behavior which, if adopted by all limits will be clearly recognized. (Is there anything men, would render social life impossible.... Moral- more exasperating than the smug asseveration that ity is not properly the doctrine how we may make service to God, or service to the state, is the “real ourselves happy, but how we may make ourselves freedom”? Submission may or may not be better worthy of happiness.” Plato said that morality is than freedom, and one kind of freedom may or the effective harmony of the whole, that all moral may not be consonant with another; but to say that conceptions revolve about the good of the whole. submission is freedom is a mockery of language.) Thousands of years later John Dewey, the “mod- The freedom or “license” of one is not likely to be ern,” the “humanist,” was still saying morality is in dangerous to others, because families should have community and acknowledging that in this com- ample resources to protect themselves against in- munity we seek a kind of immortality. The eccle- trusion and their children against undesired con- siastics offered essentially similar views, shored up ditioning. Freedom as a “moral” value is likely to by theology and tortured logic, culminating in the be more exalted than it is now. amazing St. Thomas Aquinas, who tamed logic to “prove” such propositions as the immortality of the But now it is time to take a more systematic look at soul and to investigate such questions as “whether basic questions. one angel moves another angel’s will.”

Classic Moral Philosophy There have been occasional oases in these deserts of thought, however-notably in William James, There are only two choices of basic moral guide- who emphasized pragmatism-”hanging loose”-and line-to serve the whole self, or to serve society. the value of the individual; be reminded us that the (Erich Fromm’s third criterion, that 11 revealed state is the trustee and servant of the interests of or postulated,” is even less distinct.) Writing in the individuals, and promoted a philosophy that shall context of humanity and mortality, the classic phi- “offer the universe as an adventure rather than a losophers have leaned heavily toward society. scheme.”” But these ideas must be elaborated con-

41 CRYONICS INSTITUTE MAGAZINE • CRYONICS.ORG siderably to be appreciated, both as to background reduces his chances to survive. His loyalty tends and the new context. to improve the chances of the flock as a whole, in- cluding his own offspring; hence the trait is per- The Natural History of Idealism petuated.

The idealist is about to become extinct, I believe, What avian odes might be warbled and screeched because the lies be lives by are no longer useful. The about the plumed paladins of copse and cove! human race has always been psychotic, but now it is time to go sane and face reality. Being stripped Astronomer Fred Hoyle has remarked how the of our delusions may be a little less painful if we are flower of civilization grows from a swamp. Imag- more clearly aware of their origins. ine, if you can, the billions and trillions of lesser creatures, our subhuman predecessors, who lived Until very recent times, dedication to a principle in misery and died in agony that they might, bit by or cause was nearly essential both to society and bit, blindly and unconsentingly, build to a higher the individual. Society required certain loyalties, species. The “shriek in the jungle,” multiplied a even unto death, for military and disciplinary rea- trillionfold, reverberates down the bloody tunnels sons; the individual needed just as much to com- of time. Imagine the thousands of generations of mit himself, for a sense of worth and purpose in our human ancestors who walked the tightrope a world otherwise seemingly bare of both. (Our between cave and grave, maintaining always the young, especially in changing times, have always necessary precarious balance between selfpreser- been hollow with selfdoubt, pathetically anxious vation and selfsacrifice. We can think of them with for “identity” and eager to latch on to any appar- respect, and gratitude, but also with pity, and we ent mooring; when old flags become too obviously can consider following a sharply divergent path- threadbare, there is a desperate search for new if our body chemistry will stand it. Of this, more ones.) later.

Among the lower animals the evolutionary neces- In the past, our actions had to pass several survival sity or value of certain types of behavior is obvious. tests-for individuals, for families, for societies, for The spider lays thousands of eggs, and some will institutions. Those patterns of action, and hence mature without protection: in fact, about the same those patterns of thought and feeling underlying number would probably survive with or without the actions, tend to be perpetuated which favor parental protection. Hence parental devotion has survival and dissemination. Yet, it is apt to give us no particular value to the species, and is unknown. a very queer sensation to turn it around and re- flect that, in effect, we were forced to think the way With birds, the case is different: the small number we do by a blind bookkeeper; many of our most and early helplessness of the young means that pa- important feelings and decisions arise not out of rental devotion is indispensable for survival of the nobility, not even out of reason, but merely out of race. The mommy and daddy birds may or may not obedience to evolutionary laws of cause and effect. benefit from their protective feelings. If they could think about it, they would probably feel their at- Devotion to our children is a nearly universal trait titude is “good” and “right,” and would have only among mankind. Yet rationalize it or idealize it bow contempt for the selfish and uncaring spiders. we will, it arose as an evolutionary adaptation; just (And the birds would have very reasonable expla- so coldly unromantic is its basis. We are no better nations for their habit of forgetting the young be- than the spiders, only perhaps unluckier in that the yond nestling age.) fewness and puniness of our offspring severely re- strict our freedom of action. Are we better than the Even higher orders of devotion are exhibited by birds and bears, because these turn their children some birds; in certain species, the individual who out when they can fend for themselves, and there- observes a fox may scream a warning to the flock, after know them not? In fact, it is believed that in even though this draws attention to himself and early human or prehuman societies the sons would

42 CRYONICS INSTITUTE MAGAZINE • CRYONICS.ORG kill the fathers, or the fathers drive out the sons, niques of survival? when the boys neared maturity; but the preserva- tion of acquired wisdom, and the stability of clans, Most of us will defend and admire the mother, have survival value for the species able to deal in and refuse to put her in the same category as the these complexities, and so our habits developed to woman who feared embarrassment more than a “higher” order. (Among royalty, however, the old death. Americans will tend to respect and defend habits frequently recurred.) the priest-but Russians will think him deluded; and Americans will be inclined to rationalize the Why do we defend our homes and countries? soldier’s sacrifice only if he is an American or al- Sometimes, of course, such defense is appropri- lied soldier, a gook being not a hero but a deluded ate to preservation of self and family and property, fanatic. and seems quite rational. But we may be just as vigorous in defense even when survival and well- One may ask, what does it matter the origin of our being might seem better served by other actions; in ideals, what does it matter the biological basis of particular, there might seem little logic in an indi- our motivation? Are we not, in any event, stuck vidual accepting risk in a modern war-is not ma- with them, and should we not, not, therefore, lingering often more reasonable? Clearly, a degree make the best and most of them? Whatever it was of idealism, of loyalty to causes and totems, has that made us men, are we not now committed to played a part in helping tribes survive and prevail; humanity? thus we are born with these loyalties, or the ten- dency to them, in blood and bone. (Many of our The answer is negative: first, because our “human- Vietniks were stayed from service, not by selfish- ity” consists of warring elements which cannot be ness, but by a competing ideal.) reconciled; consists of warring elements which cannot be reconciled, second, because times have Robert Ardrey has written a whole book (The Ter- changed, the old balances are out of kilter, and ritorial Imperative) on the thesis that man is a ter- even the biological basis of our humanity will soon ritorial animal, like many other species, and that be a question of policy and deliberate change. he defends his stake instinctually-he just can’t help it, and reason makes no difference.’ Ardrey’s ideas, The Secular Religions although similar to some of Konrad Lorenz, have not been particularly well received by anthropolo- The flakiest forms of the traditional insanity-ide- gists, and the impulse to defend territory may not alism-are seen in Eastern Communism and West- rest on a full-fledged biological compulsion, but ern humanism, which are the principal secular on a biological predilection developed by culture. religions. (A “religion” seems to be characterized What does it matter? Whether it is narrowly the mainly by dedication and fellowship, with a divin- species preserving itself, or the society, or institu- ity and formal worship not essential.) These repre- tion, is not the individual just as much a pawn? sent extremes of idealistic behavior which reveal the full degree of the aberration. Consider the soldier who falls on a hand grenade to save his comrades, or the mother who gives the The Communist, and the humanist, may be last bit of bread to the children, or the priest who thought “nobler” than the Christian or Moslem accepts celibacy for life, or (on another level?) the (i.e., crazier) because they make their sacrifices woman undressed in a burning building who per- without hope of personal reward in any afterlife; ishes there rather than run naked into the street. they labor, and if need be suffer, merely for the Are all of these serving noble and reasonable ends, “holy joy of doing good” for the community, or for or are some of them victims of poorly understood posterity. The very purity of this dedication reveals habits and social pressures misconstrued as ideals? its absurdity. Are they being sacrificed to a mindless machine- species, or state, or church, or culture-which has They seldom ask why the state, or posterity, is so developed its own imsensate but relentless tech- important. If they did, the only reasonable answers

43 CRYONICS INSTITUTE MAGAZINE • CRYONICS.ORG would be inadequate: the state has some impor- resent merely another example of idealism. tance because of its interaction with the individual and support of him; posterity has some importance The social argument for church-sponsored mo- because we are interested in the welfare of our rality has been summarized by Will Durant: “The grandchildren. But the Communist and humanist Church believed that these natural or secular attach unquestioning and overriding importance sources of morality could not suffice.... A moral to the state, or posterity, in their most extreme code bitterly uncongenial to the flesh must bear and sterile concepts, just for the mystic delusion of the seal of a supernatural origin if it is to be obeyed merging with the universal. An ideal of this kind . . . in the most secret moments and coverts of life represents a sanctuary, a haven from certain un- .”41 Probably most ministers today maintain this pleasant thoughts and unwelcome responsibilities. belief, especially in the face of the challenges of It offers psychic safety, secure mooring, an appar- “Godless Communism” and “decadent relativism.” ently honorable place in some grand scheme. But it is by no means clear that religious people In the context of modem dynamism and the new in the United States are better behaved than irre- biology, the “noble sentiments” of the idealist be- ligious ones-and if it were somehow found to be come maudlin sentimentality. In the perspective true, it would still be hard to separate cause from of cultural and biological history, even the noblest effect. Nor does it appear that standards of per- sacrifice or grandest achievement is a drop in the sonal behavior are lower in atheistic countries; the tide, a snowflake in the storm, soon irrelevant and Chinese, for example, seem just as decent as the sooner forgotten. Institutions change and perish: Filipinos or Americans. In fact, one could make a will you lay down your life for a possible footnote in case for the superiority of the Communist over the future histories, perhaps a derogatory one at that? Christian, since the latter requires the carrot and The very genetic character of man will be trans- stick of Heaven and Hell to make him behave. That formed. Can you imagine that the supermen of the the Communist so seldom cheats in favor of his future (if you are not among them) will remember own selfish interests is a tribute both to his char- you clearly or gratefully, any more than we honor acter and his ideology; that the Christian so often our simian and piscine predecessors? And even if sins, despite the dazzling promise and the blood- they will, would that butter any parsnips? curdling threat, makes him all the more an object of contempt; or so a cynic might say. Furthermore, These observations may be reminiscent of the tired the cynic might add that the emphasis on faith views of cynics and hedonists, and it may seem that rather than works for salvation tends to invite hy- the answers of the traditional moralists apply. One pocrisy, the eyes raised to Heaven while the feet such answer is that the cynic’s argument, carried to dance in filth. its logical conclusion, strips life of all meaning and savor; that every loyalty becomes equally mean- Of course, such a cynic would be wrong-but why? ingless and arbitrary. Another answer, or perhaps One reason, paradoxically, is that the bulk of the a different form of the same answer, is that experi- faithful are not really all that Christian. They have ence proves the sense of reverence is fundamental frequent theological doubts, if they think about it in man and requisite for mental health. But in fact, at all; Heaven and Hell remain dim and distant; the new questions are not the same as the old ques- the actual, functional determinants of behavior tions, and the old answers have not retained their are largely the same for them as for unbelievers, force, as I shall attempt gradually to show. namely habit and social pressure, with an occa- The Formal Religions sional flash of reason or impulse. As for those who have received the Christian vision in its full inten- It will be helpful also to consider those sects with sity (probably very few), they obviously are not just the full trappings of religion, including rituals and celestial bribe-takers; they are consumed by love of prayer. It has often been argued that such are es- God (whatever they mean by that) and man (which sential for the full flowering of civilization; but it is almost as unclear), and while they glory in their seems to me they lack any unique claim, and rep- expected reward, they would serve just as whole-

44 CRYONICS INSTITUTE MAGAZINE • CRYONICS.ORG heartedly without it, or with a less explicit prize. destructive behavior, and which could be chan- After all, large numbers of Jews, and adherents of nelled into useful efforts. But it seems to me, once other religions as well, did and do travel what they more, that idealism or quasi-religion of the kind conceive to be the high road for no reason other that creates martyrs is basically insane and vicious, than to keep their feet out of the muck. and that educators should aim not to harness it, but to eradicate it. The main faults of the major denominations, it seems to me, are simply those they share with all Certainly idealists have contributed much to the ideals and utopias, which may be deceptive and world, and when they do good we speak of “de- baneful in several respects. First, they amputate votion” rather than 11 obsession.” But a crusading abstractions from their roots in the individual and Hitler or Torquemada would be seen from out- then invest the abstractions, rather than the indi- side as at best a zealot, and more likely a fanatic. viduals, with fundamental importance; put anoth- On the whole, idealists have probably done much er way, they bloat the importance of a few (prob- more harm than good in the world, both to them- ably temporary) aspects of the individual’s psyche selves and others, and the conditions of today and at the expense of the rest, and even at the expense tomorrow particularly call for sober judgment and of his existence. Second, any vision of perfection flexible attitudes, rather than ringing rhetoric and or finality entertained by such lowly savages as we eternal principles. is nearly certain, in the perspective of history, to be a ridiculous and diminutive illusion. Third, the Can an excess of virtue be a vice? Words are tricky, utopias have in practice been mostly of a dreary, and differences are usually quantitative. There may negative character, concerned with nothing more not be much sky between “fanaticism” and “enthu- imaginative than the elimination of sin or of what siasm;” and one can, if be wishes, speak even of the Maoists would call “incorrect behavior.” If we doubt and pragmatism as “ideals.” (When we are embrace these ideals we may remain lulled, and supermen, our language will be more precise.) But cozened, engrossed in our fumbling little games, the kind of idealism that creates martyrs is often even ascribing nobility and ultimate virtue to easy to recognize, and its logic is as crooked as its them, while all undiscovered the great world and effects are pernicious. limitless life are waiting. As an extreme example, consider the two young The Quasi-Religions white men, Schwerner and Goodman, who were murdered in Mississippi while participating in a There are many causes or ideals that rank lower Negro civil rights campaign. Although those dem- than the formal religions and the major secu- onstrations were largely orderly and law-abiding, lar religions, but still have sufficient elements of still the risk was substantial. Why were these young dedication and fellowship to be characterized as men willing to risk the supreme sacrifice? quasireligions; among these at present might be included, say the civil rights movement, the states’ Cruel as it may seem to say so, I think their mo- rights movement, feminism, and assorted variet- tives were largely neurotic. Unsure of their own ies of nationalism. Since the taboos here are not worth and purpose, they sought assurance and ful- quite as rigid, and since examples each with rela- fillment through attachment to a Cause. The gran- tively few adherents can be found, we may be able deur of the Cause, they probably felt, would lend to see more clearly the features of irrationality and dignity and value to their own lives-irrespective of counter-productivity. Today in America this is the outcome of their efforts. especially easy in connection with youth and the civil rights movement. This is the insidious lure of any crusade: it is fail- ure-proof. The valiant idealist need not win, and The saving grace of militant youth, according to seldom even expects to prevail. Failure is easily the pundits, is its “idealism,” which tends (they excused, since (1) he is fighting an uphill battle imply) to redeem and excuse obstructive and even against enormous forces of evil, and (2) victory for

45 CRYONICS INSTITUTE MAGAZINE • CRYONICS.ORG the Cause in the long run is assured, and be has or even made sufficiently explicit. As remarked made his contribution. Even to die is not to fail, elsewhere, everyone is always motivated by self- but to become a martyr whose memory will inspire interest in the most direct sense; that is, we act as others, so that the fallen hero “lives on.” we do to please ourselves, or to please some aspect of ourselves (even if only to avoid a worse alterna- Does this mean that everyone who battles against tive). This is true even of unconsciously motivated odds for a principle is really copping out? Of behavior and of self-destructive behavior. Our er- course not. In the case of some-especially the rors lie in misjudging the effects of our actions, on leaders-there may be a shrewd assessment of op- the world and on ourselves, in comparison with the portunities, including personal benefit. (Most of alternatives, and especially in failing to realize that the spokesmen for the oppressed do pretty well for our criteria of value change and can be changed. themselves, in one coin or another.) Even for the humble spear-carrier, there may be an emotional There is nothing new, startling, or shocking in history that absolutely demands this kind of com- advocating selfishness, if it is viewed in this light. mitment. But what may have been compelling for At the risk of some confusion, I can change the a Malcolm X is not impressive for a Schwerner terminology and say the same thing with less of- or Goodman; they had better choices, tinder just fensiveness: obey your conscience, and train your slightly different conditions and so do most of us. conscience. The confusion here arises because “conscience” has come to have connotations of al- Needless to say, the more obvious kind of copout is truism, when really there is no such thing as altru- not restricted to racial minorities, nor to political ism in any private sense; there are only various fac- liberals, but it is found most frequently among the ets of one’s personality, and more or less effective young, who tend to value themselves too little and ways to satisfy their respective needs. the world too much. There used to be a saying in Europe: “He who at twenty is not a Socialist has no What some of these ways are, and how they may heart, and he who at forty is still a Socialist has no change, shall be touched upon presently, but there brains.” Traditionally, the young have had to learn, are immediate objections to be answered. For ex- in the school of hard knocks, that providing for a ample, if every choice is properly only an exercise family is both more important and more difficult in mathematical decision theory, an attempt to than “saving the world.” maximize happiness, then does the word “morali- ty” retain any meaning, beyond that of efficiency? I A final word may be in order about the possible think there are two useful and appropriate applica- standing of cryonics itself is an “ideal;” I have tions of the word “morality.” First, one distinguish- been explicitly challenged on that score, and asked es between short and long-term interests, between whether I would not sacrifice myself for this cause. temptations and duties to oneself; morality lies The answer is no: I am interested only secondarily in resisting the temptation to betray one’s greater in saving my generation, and primarily in saving good, Second, one can continue to associate mo- my own family and friends and myself, not neces- rality with intuitive ideas of “fairness ... .. justice,” sarily in that order. “right,” and the other normative notions, while The Morality of Self-Interest reminding ourselves that these are only working hypotheses subject to change. (And perhaps these Even if we have succeeded in showing that the mo- normative ideas will include aesthetics, so that bad rality of community is empty and delusory, it does art or bad taste will be a form of immorality.) not necessarily follow that the morality of self-in- terest is valid, or even that the latter term has any There are also problems with our view of “idealism” proper meaning. We had better dot some is and and its origins. Does not life require convictions cross some t’s. and enthusiasms, which could be called principles and ideals? And can these not have valid sources We note that the doctrine of enlightened self-in- in our enlightened consciousness? Once more, the terest is well known, but seldom effectively applied crucial questions are quantitative, situational, and

46 CRYONICS INSTITUTE MAGAZINE • CRYONICS.ORG personal. One will buy principles and ideals now are complex and the choice seldom clear-cut. and then, but his portfolio should be balanced, not over-invested in any one ideal; there should be a We emphasize also that the recent deterioration of substantial casli reserve and frequent review; and patriotism and national unity does not represent of course, the ideals in which he invests must be an anticipation of the recommendations outlined suited to himself, not to any other person, natural here. This deterioration does not represent valid ef- or corporate. “Idealist” can remain a respectable forts to improve value systems, but merely the sub- word only if its meaning is watered down and its stitution of different totems for the flag, or else a connotations cleaned up. Moral ideals must not be simple disintegration. There have been many peri- associated with finality or perfection; they should ods in history when one set of false values decayed, be hypotheses subject to continuing reappraisal. to be replaced by another set equally fraudulent. With long life, this is feasible. Despite some superficial resemblances, immortal- A Program for Reevaluation ist morality has made only a tiny, nearly invisible beginning. The actual prescription for continuing moral re- evaluation is not difficult to give in sufficiently What about those too brittle, still too committed broad terms. In reviewing our value system, we to “universals,” to entertain the notion of “betray- use three partly overlapping criteria: selfinterest, ing” one’s country? If he is capable of recognizing internal consistency, and flexibility or allowance the validity of self interest on an intellectual basis, for growth. In contemplating a particular course then he may gradually bring his emotions and con- of action three things need be considered: how it ditioning under control with an oblique approach, fits our current value system; how it may tend to by first abjuring loyalty to less-important institu- change our values; and the respective weights of tions, such as organized charity. For example, if promise and risk-with an especially hard look at be has been buying Care packages for an Asian possibly irreversible changes. country, he might quit, as a little light exercise in applied selfishness, softening up his conscience for In different words, once more: obey your con- remolding. But this suggestion, again, has impor- science, and train your conscience. We want maxi- tant qualifications. mum growth, but a carefully controlled growth slow enough to keep one’s emotional and moral Force-feeding our sense of selfinterest need not identity reasonably stable and well structured at necessarily wait until we are superhuman, but the any given time. A sudden, bard blow might shat- external and internal results of such meddling are ter the personality; but a steady push in the right bard to predict. For an amateur to attempt to ad- direction may get us where we want to go, if we can just his own psyche is a little like trying to perform figure out where that is. brain surgery on oneself with a mirror and a hack- saw. It is a little like that; yet nearly all of us desper- More specifically, most of us probably need to re- ately need to change, and I for one intend to keep duce our institutional loyalties-a suggestion that whittling on my tumors. will infuriate and confuse many. Despite the repeated qualifications and disclaim- Remember John F. Kennedy? “Ask not what your ers, some will still think we are advocating a sim- country can do for you; ask rather what you can do plistic, hoggish-type of selfishness, and that we for your country.” This solemn reversal of priorities are ready to forego all the warmth and support of is actually accepted, in varying degree, by allegedly human community and loyalties. Not so. Man-let sane people in a nontotalitarian country. What a alone superman-operates on several levels and can cancerous overgrowth of the need for esteem and learn to shift gears rather easily. The woman who approval! The sane (selfish) person will always sub- enjoys operating complex machinery can still also ordinate his country’s interests to his own, or his enjoy a simple stroll; the most sophisticated adult family’s, whenever there is a clear-cut choice; but can on occasion delight in childish horseplay and we must emphasize that, in practice, the feedbacks atrocious puns; a cynical San Franciscan can watch

47 CRYONICS INSTITUTE MAGAZINE • CRYONICS.ORG a band of itinerant mercenaries and still take pride in “his” Giants when they win a game; and we all Casual application of this principle would seem to know how to bask in the reflected glory of distant tell us that the people claiming our loyalties, in de- relatives and remote ancestors, while quietly disas- scending order of priority, are oneself, immediate sociating ourselves from their failures and crimes. relatives and close friends, more distant relatives So it goes; there is nothing wrong with a little and friends, fellow citizens, and finally foreigners; double think, so long as everyone understands the and our actions and feelings often do acknowledge game. When community serves, enjoy it; when it this sequence-charity begins at home and all that. gets in the way, stomp on it. Just don’t be sneaky Most of us would and do go to much more trouble about it, because then you will probably be disliked to save inconvenience for a friend than to save the by everyone, including yourself. life of a starving Pakistani; and I think this attitude is correct-it simply isn’t feasible at this time, for To recapitulate and summarize, I envision the fol- most of us, to worry over much about those moun- lowing protocol for a person of reasonably normal tains of misery in distant places. and stable personality. First, one makes his world- view as explicit as possible, and examines as care- But intuition is by no means a reliable guide. A fully as he can the structure of his personality. In so trivial and well-known example is that of the hus- doing, he will find certain elements of inconsisten- band who berates his wife just because she has cy or conflict; typically, he will discover himself the slightly embarrassed him, through some gauche- victim of institutional conditioning, with dispro- rie, in front of a waiter or clerk or other strang- portionate emphasis on the altruistic and commu- er. Of course, he is not subordinating her to the nal aspects of his conscience. (But some will find waiter, but either (1) to his own vanity, or (2) to an they have not given enough attention or respect unmanageable sense of propriety; but he can still to the traditional wisdom.) He will then-gingerly redeem the situation and avoid recurrences by re- and gently, with frequent critical review-attempt minding himself that his wife is very close to the to modify his emphases, or the shape of his con- inmost circle. Similar remarks can be made about science, probably in the direction of reduced altru- those (very many) who habitually are more po- ism and a more carefully calculated selfinterest. lite and considerate to strangers than to their own families. Whether we can really climb this spiral staircase, whether, in the long run, this growth-and-feed- This crude rule of thumb-a kind of psychological back process will prove viable in a community, inverse square law-has other easy applications as or even in an individual remains to be seen. The well, for those reasonably stable and self-confident. enormously hopeful factor, the gloriously novel One does not ordinarily accept dares, play “chick- element, lies in the prospect of immortality and en,” or volunteer for hazardous duty. A young transhumanity, which provides the elbow room woman does not forego marriage to care for her and motivation which have never been present in invalid mother. Parents support their children all the ages of man, until now. against the community, and even against the law, if that appears truly in the children’s best interests. Priorities of Loyalties When misbehavior and alienation reach a certain point, parents may disown their children. To get down to cases, my examples so far having been few and well-hedged, just how should we al- Remember we said the conclusions above would be locate loyalties, and how far should they extend? drawn by someone who recognizes our priorities, and who is “reasonably stable and self-confident.” As a first approximation, loyalty attaches primarily Some parents would refuse, say, to help a son con- to those people, principles, and institutions closest victed of manslaughter to escape to South Ameri- and most important to us. Crude and obscure as ca; usually this would show, I think, that they were this rule may be, I think we can get some mileage unduly under the influence of social conditioning. out of it. But this is not the only possible interpretation; per-

48 CRYONICS INSTITUTE MAGAZINE • CRYONICS.ORG haps social sanctions, rightly or wrongly, are near Superman will doubtless prize himself and his the core of the parents’ personalities, and the son potential above everyone and everything else; but is estranged, so their refusal to help him is prop- this does not mean he will be a cunning, slavering erly selfish and correctly calculated, at least for the hyena, treacherous and cannibalistic, or that such short term. a future will be cold or cruel or lonely. Our skills may grow in subjective value, but not to infinity, Let no one be misled by hypothetical questions for obvious reasons; our courage, when we reach involving physical risk and emergency situations. transhuman estate, can be expected to overtower Most of us would risk our lives to save someone current standards, but to serve the more fully self- near and dear in a crisis, and this is possibly cor- conscious self, not quaint or grotesque totems. rect and necessary for a long time to come, for selfrespect and mutual esteem; but there are some At present, we typically give blind allegiance to very relevant things easily forgotten. For one thing, various ideals-yet often the quality of our service in the conditions of modern life, the question of is not high. The traditional American was a strong physical self-sacrifice or even risk seldom arises. patriot, but lie did not always treat his neighbors (Children sometimes agonize over hypothetical well. In the future we can expect coolly to limit our questions of this type: “If Mom, Dad, and Sister allegiances, but to imbue them with vastly more were drowning, whom would I save first?” “If I value, the casual friendship of a superman being were a prisoner of the Viet Cong, would I let them warmer and more useful than the blood oath of a cut off my testicles rather than give military infor- human. if everyone understands exactly how far a mation?” And so on.) In the hard practicalities of given loyalty extends, and does not expect more, everyday life, there are indeed limits on the sacri- there can be no betrayal. fices we will make for those near us. Friendships are sometimes more cherished and valued than Each of us must be capable of standing, in the end, family relationships, even though there is no ques- alone, if need be. But such a grim necessity should tion of loyalty “unto death.” Those who are cow- be a far, far more remote contingency among us as ardly or timid may still be capable of giving and supermen than it is today. receiving love. And those who imagine their near ones are indissolubly bound to them are living in a fool’s paradise; have they never heard of divorce?

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