Cryonics Down Under
Despite being a cryonics sceptic, it is interesting to learn that someone is planning Australia’s first cryonics facility. The Cowra Guardian somewhat breathlessly reports that a Philip Rhoades has already chucked $850,000 into plans for a facility “for his immediate family’s use”.
The centre is planned for a site 20 kilometres west of Cowra, in the Bumbaldry area, where Mr Rhoades already owns land adjacent to a national park.
He also plans to build a medical research centre at the site to investigate shorter term, suspended animation technologies that may one day help save lives.
And:
A number of other ventures are proposed along with the cryonics facility focusing on Cowra, including a Life Extension Village; a first for the country. To be constructed at Saje Court, the concept will be a model for villages that could be built all over Australia.
The Saje Court Village will have approximately 12 residential buildings and eight professional offices, using a mix of conventional housing buildings and state of the art domes. The major emphasis on these villages will be access to medical treatment, state of the art technology and sustainibility.
Apparently the facility is supposed to be non-profit, self-supporting and cooperative. Cowra Council is yet to receive a development application.
One wonders what the neighbours will think.
September 19th, 2006 at 10:56 am
“Despite being a cryonics sceptic”
Skepticism is noble. I too am a skeptic about a great many things. But I am more skeptical of traditional after life scenarios so I am signed up for Cryonic suspension. Look at it this way, like the lottery it is a huge gamble and like the lottery you cannot win if you do not play. Stay a noble skeptic and be a part of the noble but very dead control group in this experiment. It is an experiment after all. But we know well what happens to the control group don’t we? They get buried and rot or burned and both eventually, even mummies in time, turn to dust.
Dust is dead, fini, end of the road. Maybe the same fate awaits those suspended but there is a non-zero chance that it could work and that they will live. Me, I’m more comfortable being in the experimental group with such odds. If it doesn’t work, oh well, I end up like everyone else for millions of years. But then if it works, viv la venture!
There’s little to lose for trying. It can be paid for with life insurance that costs as little as a mere latte’ a day. Is cheating death worth so little? Damn right it is! What, you’d rather leave the funds to your kids, and spoil them rotten? More life insurance can make sure everyone gets enough cash from your alleged demise.
Try it, you just might end up really really liking it! Rather than remaining such a skeptic why not dig in and really learn about it. Learn how vitrification technology is involved in main stream organ preservation and how it is about 5 years from reversible viability. Vitrification is how we are suspended in cryonics.
Cheers!
FutureQ