In a few days the Institute for Evidence Based Cryonics and Cryonics NW will host a symposium on Cryonics and Brain-Threatening Disorders. We care deeply about this issue and some of us have observed fellow cryonicists succumb to (advanced) dementia prior to their cryopreservation – or worse, the disease compromised their understanding of their cryonics arrangements and what it takes to keep them in place. Still, we have also observed that many cryonicists stick their head in the sand about this topic or are (excessively) optimistic that their diet or lifestyle will save them from such a fate. We would like to share this optimism but we think this line of thinking is neither realistic nor rational. In addition, dementia is not not necessarily an outcome of genes or age but can occur as a result of other diseases and accidents. We may feel comfortable about contemporary cryopreservation technologies but there is no clear answer to acute or progressive destruction of the brain. As Mike Darwin has pointed out, there is an urgent need for a “Brain Centered Approach to Geroprotection for Cryonicists.”

To facilitate more exchange between the presenters and the audience we have added a panel about cryonics and dementia at the end of the day. We have no illusions about being able to solve this problem soon but a better understanding of early diagnosis, available treatments, foreseeable interventions, and legal options for cryonicists is an important first step.

The expanded schedule is available here.

Registration and interaction with other attendees is available on the Facebook event page. You can also find more information there about pre-symposium socializing opportunities.