3 replies to this topic

[brokenportal]

From 1970 to 2000 there were around 100 people in cryostasis. In one third of that time, from 2000 to 2011, around 150 more people went in. Those numbers haven't grown by magic. They have grown there through the dedication of the hundreds of cryonicists that have dedicated their time, and many their lives, to this cause over the years.

There have been many other notable successes, Ted Williams went in because of this work. There have been countless mentions of cryonics in literature, on shows, in articles; it has been referenced in a lot of places and grew into its place as a cultural term and concept since then.

As you can see in this video clip, a CNN special called "A Dinner with the Kings", among other places, Larry King wants to be frozen.



To what extent has all of that work, all of those cases of precedence, all of those references played a part in influencing Larry King? To what extent will Kings decision influence more people? The influence is sure to be even bigger this time, at a time where the cryonics movement is larger and more well know. Larry King is known to millions of people. He has interviewed thousands of people with clout and connections and followings of their own. How many people does his decision bring into the field? How many more celebrities and the like start to contemplate cryonics?

Cause successes can come in unlikely places, but everything adds toward that next stage of critical mass. When you have opportunities to help the cause, help cryonics, spread the word, donate a cryonics book to a library, spread the link on a life extension undergraduatefund to help get more students involved, it means more than you may think. When you have a chance to support cryonics researchers, in places like Longecity's current members referendum to choose between two cryonics projects (you can join as a member here) your vote is so much more than x percent of the total of the vote.

Continue to add your two cents, because the change adds up.

[niner]

Larry King is known to millions of people, but an awful lot of them consider him to be pretty creepy, if not downright evil. As spokesmen or roll models go, we could do better. Well, he's famous, anyway. That might make more people hear about it. What they think about it is something else altogether.

[Mind]

On the balance, I think Larry King will be a positive for cryonics. BP is correct that cryonics is slowly becoming more well-known. It sure has taken long enough. Still a long way to go.

[Shannon Vyff]

It would be nice to have some well known people join, and would likely overall grow the numbers of those who are signed up to be cryonically preserved when they die.