[extropy-chat] Bad Forecasts!

[Emlyn]

On Fri, 10 Sep 2004 11:59:56 +1000, Brett Paatsch
<bpaatsch at bigpond.net.au> wrote:
> Natasha wrote:
> 
> > While at my work, I came across this information at Stanford.  If anyone
> > says to you, "Cryonics will never work", "Human lifespan will never exceed
> > 123 years", or some unextropic rationale, you can always reply with one of
> > these statements below.
> 
> What is gratuitously asserted can be gratuitously denied -sure.
> 
> But it is possible that cryonics will never work. This is essentially
> my current position (and I did not arrive at that position without taking
> a close look at the arguments made in its favour). 

Bold.

> It is also possible that
> human lifespans will not exceed 123 years (though I think that is
> unlikely and turns on the definition of human).
> 

Baring apocalypse, that's unlikely. Are you basing this on the Hayflick limit?

> Is a belief in the viability of cryonics an essential article of faith to
> extropians?  Can one be an extropian, in your view, if that one does
> not believe in cryonics?

No specific technologies have anything to do with extropianism or transhumanism.

> I thought you would have said yes once, that it turns on the evidence
> and on how one examines propositions and beliefs. That extropians
> have no sacred cow beliefs including cryonics.
> 
> Am I wrong?
> 
> Brett Paatsch

AFAIK, you are correct.

-- 
Emlyn

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