I would put my $10mil into SENS research.
Also, Brokenportal, in regards to the questions you posed:
The NIH might get around $30.8bil. Reference this recent article: http://www.genomeweb...oposes-308b-nih. The NIH's budget over the past few years has been in the $28-$29bil range if I recall; while Congress might not give the NIH $30.8bil, I don't think it is going to cut the agency's budget. If Arlen Specter's legislation passes (and it likely won't), that would add another $1bil to the kitty; Arlen's proposal "...would create an independent agency dedicated to advancing science from the laboratory into practice." Reference http://specter.senat...d6-725a233f8625.
In other good news (at least in my opinion), politicians as well as "people on the street" are beginning to discuss the possibility of "rejuvenation." Their conversation is usually limited; it only revolves around stem cell therapy and its potential to replace aging organs, cure age onset diseases like type II diabetes, etc. However, these discussions represent an advance.
Anthony
Maybe the budget wasnt cut. I wish I could find that. I think I saw on tv the other day that the annual budget for roads is something like 45 billion. Can you beleive that? But thats not horrible news. That just means there is plenty plenty of room here for us to work to get this show more fully on the road.
Also, SENS research is great, but I think I would spend the 10 million on advertising to the world, then we can support sens and imminst and sing inst and cryonics inst and everything, with 7 billion peoples worth of resources and funds and dedication and effort. If we tell them, they will come. Some people say, "Lets not talk about immortality, it scares people." Fine, lets not go to that extreme. But then they turn around and say, "Lets use terminoligy like maintaining function and eliminating age related diseases." Well, when we say things like that then people dont get the point. They think we are talking about compression of morbity and thats not going to help this cause. We can tell them, "We want unlimited lifespans, indefinite life extension, we want to remain healthy and alive in this grand gracious spacious sea of incredible mystery for as long as we can." We can do that. People will listen to that. Heres one main major example of why, billions of people across the world beleive people when they tell them there is an invisible person, or committee of people in the sky, granting them wishes and controling the world like a video game, or a reincarnated frog master and stuff like that. If that many people, intelligent and dull alike can beleive stuff like that, they can and will definitely beleive this cause is real and serious when we tell them about it. All we have to do is tell them. Im pretty sure I would put most of that 10 million in to getting the word out to the world.
LongeCity
