<div dir="ltr"><div>I'm very sorry to hear about Hal's death; when I first joined the Extropian list, back when giant reptiles ruled the earth, Hal Finney was one of the first people I communicated with. I hope his Cryopreservation goes well.<br>
<br></div> John K Clark<br></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Thu, Aug 28, 2014 at 2:41 PM, Max More <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:max@maxmore.com" target="_blank">max@maxmore.com</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div dir="ltr"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt"><span style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial">I
am both sad and happy to tell you that long-time Extropy Institute/Extropy
magazine/Extropy chat list member -- and honored cypherpunk and Bitcoin pioneer</span>
– was declared clinically dead this morning and is now being cryopreserved.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt"><span style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt"><span style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial">Hal
was diagnosed with ALS five years ago. He made it clear that once he lost the
ability to communicate, he did not want his vital functions supported any
further but should be allowed to cease functioning and promptly be cryopreserved.
Hal and Fran Finney arrived in Scottsdale, Arizona on Tuesday where he was
checked into ICU of a hospital near Alcor. After administration of drugs to
ensure no consciousness, his ventilator was removed. Although the doctors
expected all breathing to cease within an hour, Hal’s body kept going until
shortly before 9:00 am this morning, August 28, 2014. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt"><span style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt"><span style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial">Immediately
after pronouncement of legal death, Alcor’s standby team went into action, restoring
circulation, ventilation, administering an array of medications, and initiating
external cooling. Surgery is currently underway to enable us to replace Hal’s
blood and interstitial fluids with cryoprotectant. Once perfusion is finished
we will be able to plunge Hal’s temperature down past the freezing point
without any significant ice formation. Once he is down to around -110 degC we
will slow cooling and take a couple more days to reach the final storage
temperature of -196 degC. After that, Hal will be placed in long-term storage
and cared for until the day when repair and revival may be possible.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt"><span style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt"><span style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial">Hal’s
wife, Fran (also an Alcor member) has stayed by Hal’s side throughout and is
observing our procedures firsthand. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt"><span style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt"><span style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial">Since
Hal is open about his Alcor membership and said that he would be happy for us
to tell people about his choice if it might be good for cryonics, we will be
issuing a press release, as well as writing something more extensive for <i>Cryonics</i> magazine and elsewhere. If you
have thoughts on Hal and his life and work, please send them to me.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt">Hal, I know I speak for many when I say that I look forward to speaking
to you again sometime in the future and to throwing a party in honor of your
revival.</p><span class="HOEnZb"><font color="#888888">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt">--Max</p><div><br></div>-- <br><div>Max More, PhD</div><div>Strategic Philosopher</div><div>Co-editor, <i>The Transhumanist Reader</i></div><div><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Transhumanist-Reader-Contemporary-Technology-Philosophy/dp/1118334310/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1372225570&sr=1-1&keywords=the+transhumanist+reader" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/Transhumanist-Reader-Contemporary-Technology-Philosophy/dp/1118334310/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1372225570&sr=1-1&keywords=the+transhumanist+reader</a><br>
President & CEO, Alcor Life Extension Foundation</div>
</font></span></div>
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