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Cryonics: A Theoretical Understanding (1992)

18 points by tux 11y ago

reasonattlm 11y ago
For further reading on cryonics, bear in mind that a number of advances in vitrification and proof of maintained function / structure in tissue have occurred in the past few years, while tissue vitrification development is gaining much more attention and support with an eye to turning it into a tool for the organ transplant industry. A lot of the really good articles on cryonics predate all of that. There were sensible and detailed things written on cryonics in the 80s and 90s in connection with the developing ideas on molecular nanotechnology and molecular biology of memory, for example. Scientists' Cryonics FAQ - http://www.alcor.org/sciencefaq.htm http://www.alcor.org/sciencefaq.htm Scientists' Open Letter on Cryonics - http://www.evidencebasedcryonics.org/scientists-open-letter-on-cryonics/ http://www.evidencebasedcryonics.org/scientists-open-letter-... Persistence of Long-Term Memory in Vitrified and Revived Caenorhabditis elegans - http://dx.doi.org/10.1089/rej.2014.1636 http://dx.doi.org/10.1089/rej.2014.1636 Physical and biological aspects of renal vitrification - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2781097/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2781097/ Newly invented Aldehyde-Stabilized Cryopreservation procedure wins Brain Preservation Prize -http://www.brainpreservation.org/small-mammal-announcement/ http://www.brainpreservation.org/small-mammal-announcement/ Alcor Position Statement on Brain Preservation Foundation Prize - http://www.alcor.org/blog/alcor-position-statement-on-brain-preservation-foundation-prize/ http://www.alcor.org/blog/alcor-position-statement-on-brain-... "To Die in Order to Live": The Need for Legislation Governing Post-Mortem Cryonic Suspension - http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1608140 http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1608140 If you want to read around the field and the science (vitrification is the key part of that), you might start with the resources at the Alcor website, and the archived materials at the Institute for Evidence Based Cryonics.
- danieltillett 11y ago
  The big problem is you have to be dead before you can be vitrified. Given that the last 24 hours of your life mashes you brain (basically everything above the brain stem is oxygen staved for at least 24 hours before you die), there is little information to preserved.

18 points by tux 11y ago

For further reading on cryonics, bear in mind that a number of advances in vitrification and proof of maintained function / structure in tissue have occurred in the past few years, while tissue vitrification development is gaining much more attention and support with an eye to turning it into a tool for the organ transplant industry. A lot of the really good articles on cryonics predate all of that. There were sensible and detailed things written on cryonics in the 80s and 90s in connection with the developing ideas on molecular nanotechnology and molecular biology of memory, for example. Scientists' Cryonics FAQ - http://www.alcor.org/sciencefaq.htm http://www.alcor.org/sciencefaq.htm Scientists' Open Letter on Cryonics - http://www.evidencebasedcryonics.org/scientists-open-letter-on-cryonics/ http://www.evidencebasedcryonics.org/scientists-open-letter-... Persistence of Long-Term Memory in Vitrified and Revived Caenorhabditis elegans - http://dx.doi.org/10.1089/rej.2014.1636 http://dx.doi.org/10.1089/rej.2014.1636 Physical and biological aspects of renal vitrification - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2781097/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2781097/ Newly invented Aldehyde-Stabilized Cryopreservation procedure wins Brain Preservation Prize -http://www.brainpreservation.org/small-mammal-announcement/ http://www.brainpreservation.org/small-mammal-announcement/ Alcor Position Statement on Brain Preservation Foundation Prize - http://www.alcor.org/blog/alcor-position-statement-on-brain-preservation-foundation-prize/ http://www.alcor.org/blog/alcor-position-statement-on-brain-... "To Die in Order to Live": The Need for Legislation Governing Post-Mortem Cryonic Suspension - http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1608140 http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1608140 If you want to read around the field and the science (vitrification is the key part of that), you might start with the resources at the Alcor website, and the archived materials at the Institute for Evidence Based Cryonics.

danieltillett 11y ago
The big problem is you have to be dead before you can be vitrified. Given that the last 24 hours of your life mashes you brain (basically everything above the brain stem is oxygen staved for at least 24 hours before you die), there is little information to preserved.