From: Aubrey de Grey (ag24@gen.cam.ac.uk)
Date: Fri Aug 22 2003 - 14:30:44 MDT
Alex's original statements seem to be getting scant attention:
> I'm not trying to convert the non life-extensionists... our
> relationship with them here is a low-key, productive detente.
>
> I'm trying to keep the life-extensionist guys from blowing the
> roof off and exposing us all to unwanted scrutiny prematurely.
and that surprises me, because it's a remarkable thing to be saying.
First, what sort of scrutiny should we regard as presently unwanted?
Second, I disagree that "detente" is productive -- or at least, that
it is as productive as more aggressive (but well-informed) aproaches.
Surely I am not the only person here who finds it quite easy to take
more or less any intelligent person who claims on any non-religious
basis that aging is a good thing and demonstrate to them that their
view is inconsistent. (<http://www.gen.cam.ac.uk/sens/why.htm>
summarises my usual approach.) The problem we face is not one of logic:
the logic is trivially on our side. The problem we have is one of
psychology: of people's terror of coming to terms with the idea of
non-inevitability of short lives. There is, in my view, only one way
to change that sort of mindset (whether in relation to life extension
or anything else): trench warfare, i.e. refusal to let people change
the subject. For that purpose, the more hot-heads the better, I say,
if (with our help) they marshal their facts and arguments well.
Aubrey de Grey
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