|
Talking to Your Children About Cryonics
(Tuesday November 03 2009)
 | A good article from h+ Magazine: "'Daddy, when are you going to die?' asks my daughter Zenobia, age five. 'Yeah, how much longer do you really think you can live?' says big sister, Tallulah, age nine. I'm only 57, and healthy, but my two larvae are obsessed with my expiration date because their grandfather passed away last summer. I am twelve years older than their mother, so the kids know I'm scheduled - in the traditional societal view - as the next family member to croak. 'Hey, you brats!' I retort. 'I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to boss you around forever.' ... 'You can't,' scoffs Tallulah. 'Every animal dies. Even whales and trees.' I contemplate emailing her teacher to suggest up-to-date science books by Aubrey de Grey and K. Eric Drexler. 'If my body dies,' I announce, 'I'm going to have scientists freeze me immediately, because my brain will still be alive. I'll stay frozen until future smart people wake me up in a world where everybody lives forever.' ... I show my daughters the website of a cryonics organization in Silicon Valley. 'When I die,' I instruct them. 'I'll have a medal around my neck that says 'Cool Me Off.' On that medal there's a phone number. Call it and somebody will tell you what to do.'" |
|
