As people are probably aware, Hitchens has cancer, which is likely to kill him in the not-too-distant future. There does not seem to be much to be done about this; but I wonder if it’s possible to pass the hat to pay for cryonics for him? Apart from the fuzzies of saving a life with X percent probability, which can be had much cheaper by sending food to Africa, it might serve as marketing for cryonics, causing others to sign up. Of course, this assumes that he would accept, and also that there wouldn’t be a perception that he was just grasping at any straw available.
Would Hitchens not be able to afford cryonics without donations?
Perhaps so, but would he consider it the best use of his resources? While if he gets it for free, take it or lose it, that’s a different matter.
What’s wrong with this? Isn’t that exactly what cryonics is: grasping the only available straw?
For marketing purposes it would be an epic fail. In interviews he has made the point that no, he will not be doing any deathbed conversions unless he goes mad from pain. If cryonics is seen as only a deathbed conversion to a different religion (easy pattern completions: “Rapture of the Nerds”, “weird beliefs = cults”) it’ll merely reinforce the perception of cryonics as something rather kooky which serious people needn’t spend time on. Your point is correct, but will only work as PR if that’s how it gets across to the public: This is a straw with an actual chance of working.
As people are probably aware, Hitchens has cancer, which is likely to kill him in the not-too-distant future. There does not seem to be much to be done about this; but I wonder if it’s possible to pass the hat to pay for cryonics for him? Apart from the fuzzies of saving a life with X percent probability, which can be had much cheaper by sending food to Africa, it might serve as marketing for cryonics, causing others to sign up. Of course, this assumes that he would accept, and also that there wouldn’t be a perception that he was just grasping at any straw available.
I’d love to persuade him, but no way am I passing a hat.
Would Hitchens not be able to afford cryonics without donations?
What’s wrong with this? Isn’t that exactly what cryonics is: grasping the only available straw?
(Hm, how do I get a sentence inside the numbering indentation but outside the quotation?)
Perhaps so, but would he consider it the best use of his resources? While if he gets it for free, take it or lose it, that’s a different matter.
For marketing purposes it would be an epic fail. In interviews he has made the point that no, he will not be doing any deathbed conversions unless he goes mad from pain. If cryonics is seen as only a deathbed conversion to a different religion (easy pattern completions: “Rapture of the Nerds”, “weird beliefs = cults”) it’ll merely reinforce the perception of cryonics as something rather kooky which serious people needn’t spend time on. Your point is correct, but will only work as PR if that’s how it gets across to the public: This is a straw with an actual chance of working.
Ah, I see. Certainly it would be better if he made the choice well before he’s at death’s door/in terrible pain/etc..