2007 RECAP 1st Quarter 2008 • Volume 29:1

2007 ANnual Review page 5

Member Profile: Wes Du Charme page 3

7th Alcor Conference Recap page 13

Cryonics and Religion: Friends or Foes? page 19

INSIDE CRYONICS

2 From the Editor 1ST QUARTER 2008 • VOLUME 29:1 19 Cryonics and Religion: Friends or Foes? The cryonics community recognizes the importance and challenge of being 1st Quarter 2008 • Volume 29:1 understood by the general 2007 RECAP public. Religion plays a sub- Cover shows opening reception stantial role in our diverse at the 7th Alcor conference. 2007 ANnual society and may seem to Review Photo by Brian Harris. page 5 some to be at odds with many facets of scientific COVER STORY: PAGE 5 advancement. Meet one theologian who feels the 2007 Annual Review: Today, over ultimate success of cryonics 850page people 3 in the world rely on the is contingent upon the sup- Member Profile: Wes Du CharmeAlcor Life Extension Foundation for Recap port of more than just great Conferencecryopreservation page 13 services. Enrich your 7th Alcor scientific minds. understanding of present-day clinical advancements with the potential to CryonicsFriends and Religion: or Foes?page 19 significantly benefit Alcor’s growing 22 Book Review: Ending membership base in years to come. Aging Likened to a good detective novel, Ending Aging allures the reader into a real- life tale of the mysteries of aging. The author, Dr. 3 Member Profile: Wes Du Charme Aubrey de Grey, has been Wes Du Charme – psychologist, author and barber shop quartet the center of controversy singer – celebrates his thirteenth year as an Alcor member in since proposing a systematic June 2008. An active retiree, his interests are varied as he path for scientifically revers- strives to live a happy, healthy lifestyle. Find out if you have ing aging. Some dismiss his anything in common. ideas as simply flawed. But is a “first design” expected to be perfect? 13 7th Alcor Conference Recap Miss the 7th Alcor 23 Tech News Conference held in What do 100 billion neurons October 2007? One of and memory have in com- the attendees, Richard mon? Could calorie-restric- tion practitioners soon get Leis, Jr., shares his candid the same life extension ben- commentary on a host of efit from a pill? Is there a rousing presentations, miracle gene that prevents including a former Alcor president, a world-renowned stem cell cancer and slows aging? researcher, a life extension expert and many others. Find out in this issue of Tech News.

www.alcor.org Cryonics/First Quarter 2008 1 FROM THE EDITOR

n this issue of Cr yonics magazine, an accounting of Dr. Ravin Jain was Ithe Alcor Foundation’s standing and present-day welcomed to the Alcor Board operational challenges and achievements is offered in Editor of Directors in November. our 2007 Annual Review. The past year’s efforts have Jennifer Chapman been concentrated upon transitioning Alcor into an organization capable of a higher quality of clinical Art Director care for a growing membership. This can be a diffi- Jill Grasse cult balance when coupled with maintaining the day- in and day-out needs of the organization, and our Contributing Writers work is far from over. The comprehensive annual Jennifer Chapman report (pg. 5) explains how our members stand to Chana de Wolf benefit from the master vision driving Alcor’s present Richard Leis, Jr. activities, with our heavy emphasis on expediting the Calvin Mercer, Ph.D. application of cold to our patients. The Alcor man- R. Michael Perry, Ph.D. agement team invites you to carefully read the report and submit thoughtful comments. Contributing Photographers Dr. Ravin Jain is a neu- Alongside the annual review is a recap of the 7th Brian Harris Alcor conference (pg. 13) as written by one of the 130 rologist practicing in the Los Tanya Jones attendees. He is now a proud member of the Alcor Angeles area and also serves ______Foundation, but he sat amongst the nearly 50 percent as Assistant Clinical Professor of “potential members” in the audience last October. of Neurology at the UCLA Copyright 2008 I hope you enjoy his candid commentary. School of Medicine. He by Alcor Life Extension Foundation The conference delved into some challenging attended Northwestern All rights reserved. topics. Among them was a talk titled “Cryonics and Reproduction, in whole or part, without University, where he graduat- Religion: Friends or Foes?” (pg. 19), which reflected permission is prohibited. ed Phi Beta Kappa with a on opening the channels of communication for the double major in geology and betterment of all. Another important channel of Cr yonics Magazine is published quarterly. integrated sciences. He communication exists between Alcor leaders and the received his M.D. from Baylor organization’s members. To that end, a panel of To subscribe: call 480.905.1906 x101 College of Medicine. He has board members addressed questions from the audi- ______ence during the conference. I invite you to watch the been a member of Alcor exchange by ordering your copy of the 7th Alcor con- since 1989 and a member of Address correspondence to: ference DVD set for a special price today (see inside the Alcor Medical Advisory Cr yonics Magazine front cover). Board since 1999. 7895 East Acoma Drive, Suite 110 Scottsdale, Arizona 85260 Phone: 480.905.1906 Toll free: 877.462.5267 Fax: 480.922.9027

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2 Cryonics/First Quarter 2008 www.alcor.org Member Profile: Wes Du Charme

By Chana de Wolf

es Du Charme dedicated his early life and six months devoted to writing, Wes pub- Wto understanding how people work lished a book in 1995 called Becoming Immortal: together. After obtaining a Ph.D. in Nanotechnology, You, and the Demise of Death Experimental Psychology from the University about nanotechnology-driven possibilities for of Michigan in 1969 he entered the field of extending life and resuscitating cryonics industrial and organizational (I/O) psycholo- patients. Motivated by his desire to live a long gy, which seeks to influence productivity and life and see the future and to obtain credibili- satisfaction in the workplace by utilizing psy- ty as the author of a book about cryonics, chological theories and research methods. It Wes joined the cryonics experiment as an was with the logical mindset required of such Alcor member that same year. an occupation that Wes first read K. Eric I/O psychologists are by definition inter- Drexler’s book, Engines of Creation, in 1990. ested in organizational or group behavior, and Though he had heard of cryonics before, he Wes’s concerns about the future of cryonics had never seriously considered it for more leave no question that he is intensely interest- than a few moments. Confronted with ed in the underlying psychological issues sur- Drexler’s evidence for the inevitability of rounding the subject. He wonders, why do human manipulation of matter at the molec- some see so clearly, and thus feel so passion- ular scale, Wes recalls that, “suddenly, cryon- ately, the need for cryonics while others so ics made sense.” easily dismiss it? Worse still, why do so few And suddenly, Wes was on a mission. As people accept rational arguments in favor of a researcher and writer who had “always been cryonics? “Obviously,” Wes declares, “we interested in what the future will hold,” Wes would all be safer if cryonics were more pop- embarked on a quest to inform himself and ular. We are all more at risk because the idea is others of the possibilities for dramatically not well known and is not well accepted. extended lifespan. After extensive investiga- There are many ways things can go astray tion into both nanotechnology and cryonics, even in the best of circumstances.”

Wes jokingly regards the cold Idaho winters as a cryonics training program.

Wes with his wife, Ida, who is also an Alcor member.

www.alcor.org Cryonics/First Quarter 2008 3 The answer to this problem: member- ship growth. “I think significantly increasing our membership is the key to almost every- thing else. More members would translate into more dollars, which would allow us to develop along many fronts including publici- ty, marketing, lobbying, and research. Now, if I only knew how to increase membership….” By his own admission, his efforts at recruiting more Alcor members, even after having written a book on the subject, have been less than stellar. “I was already married by the time I first learned about cryonics, and my wife became interested through me.” Unfortunately, other than his wife Ida, none of his friends or family have become mem- bers, keeping a safe distance in the camp of the “generally supportive.” Wes feels that Alcor should devote more of its energy and Wes sharing time with his mother and wife. resources toward marketing to encourage growth because “a larger organization has more clout, more resources, and more Perhaps his most ambitious pastime over lifestyle might add significantly more than options for its members.” the past three years has been running a web- just a few months or years to my lifespan.” By Now retired from his job in academia, site designed to help other retirees find inter- doing what he can to extend healthy lifespan his leisure activities include reading, keeping esting new leisure activities. The site uses now, Wes hopes to take advantage of medical up with nanotechnological developments, questionnaire/profile matching to direct cus- advances that will significantly improve that and playing tennis several times a week. He tomers to the most appropriate leisure activi- capability in the future. Speaking most fond- also serves on committees in the small town ties from a database of over 1200 activities ly of his favorite hobby, singing in a barber- of Rathdrum, Idaho, and is currently presi- (decisiontimetools.com). His background in shop group, Wes chuckles, “We always say dent of “Friends of Rathdrum Mountain,” a psychology and interest in cryonics have that barbershoppers live, on average, seven conservation group in the area. taught him that “living a healthy, happy years longer than the rest of the population. I’m not sure that’s true, but I’ll take every bit of help I can get!”  “We always say that barbershoppers live, on average, seven years longer than Wes can be contacted at: [email protected] the rest of the population.”

Wes (second from left) prepares to deliver a singing valentine with his barber shop quartet.

4 Cryonics/First Quarter 2008 www.alcor.org Annual Review By Tanya Jones

t the beginning of 2008, nearly 840 peo- We invite you to read this annual report high- ter and will report in greater detail when a res- Aple were relying on Alcor for cryopreser- lighting Alcor’s recent progress. We hope you olution is reached. vation. We take this responsibility quite seri- come away with a greater understanding of Throughout the course of the year, we ously. Our current management team, which why the present direction was chosen and how experienced 121 activations of our emergency has been at the helm for two and a half years, it benefits you, our members and supporters. response system. Of these, 108 were not emer- carefully considered a strategic course for gencies, but instead were hang-ups, dead air, improving all facets of the operation. This PATIENT CRYOPRESERVATIONS wrong numbers or solicitations. Five calls came long, hard, organization-wide look at the state Cryopreserving members is the number from members or on behalf of members, with of things was necessary because many opera- two priority in Alcor’s mission statement, just three of those calls regarding companion ani- tional aspects had languished or been ignored behind caring for its current patients and just mals. Eight calls were generated by non-mem- or actively declined in value to our member- ahead of restoring all patients to good health. ber emergencies. Ironically, neither of our two ship. From this analysis, the idea of a new We ambitiously launched several projects over cryopreservations this year was triggered by Alcor emerged, as did a plan to transition our- the past few years aiming to improve Alcor’s our emergency response system. In each case, selves toward that new state of being. cryopreservation services, including the pre- individual staff members were called directly. The Alcor we imagined would provide liminary stabilization, the application of our superior cryopreservation technology using vitrification protocol, and even the deep cool- IMPROVING STABILIZATION newly designed clinical equipment with more ing to liquid nitrogen temperatures. Before CAPABILITY sophisticated capabilities. It would not rely moving on to the specific changes we are Improving the care provided to patients solely on outside organizations to decide what making to our capability, let’s review the cry- in the critical first minutes of a cryopreserva- research was useful and when it should be opreservation procedures performed in 2007. tion case (known as the “stabilization” phase) performed. Instead, it would decide what and We preserved two Alcor members this was an obvious starting point for Alcor’s when to investigate the particular problems in year, one long-time member and one last- efforts. The success of the stabilization phase cryonics and would perform this research in- minute case. We also preserved three compan- sets the stage for the overall case outcome and house, with the ultimate goal being peer- ion animals this year. Two cats and one dog is contingent upon two main essentials: reviewed publication and validation of our joined our patient population. trained individuals and effective equipment. cryopreservation protocols. Technical devel- The first cryopreservation was a north- Team members must be trained to carry out opment would focus entirely upon bringing ern California member who succumbed to the tasks for which the kits have been research results to our members in the form cancer after years of fighting. Our team was designed. These tasks include: cardiopul- of improved stabilization and vitrification on alert – hours after we completed a recon- monary support, airway management, med- capabilities. naissance to assess the situation and its partic- ication administration, femoral surgery, and The Alcor we envisioned would increase ular needs, the member died suddenly. The perfusion. Much of the equipment is off-the- our exposure to and interaction with great regional team responded quickly, and the shelf medical equipment, but much is of cus- community thinkers, become an active partic- patient’s husband performed exceedingly well tom design and manufacture. ipant in relevant conferences around the in the difficult circumstance. She received a world and once again host a regular confer- successful vitrification, and we transferred her Redesigning Emergency Response Kits ence of its own. Fiscal responsibility, to the patient care bay in February. Taking active steps to improve the stabi- improved member relations, and proactive Our second was a last-minute case from lization capability required taking an extensive public education would continue to be at the Canada. The Board, in large part, accepted the look at the kits we deploy to remote patients’ forefront of the organization’s goals. case because of the patient’s clear written bedsides. The kits have grown over the years, Today, that Alcor is increasingly becoming directives. We became involved in a legal dis- and the inventory had become cumbersome a reality. In 2007, we actively pursued our pute over the disposition of this patient’s and difficult to use in an actual emergency. We strategic vision and gained ground on many estate, after an estranged sister stepped for- debated the difference between being pre- fronts, including technical development, mem- ward to object to the patient’s wishes when pared and being over-prepared. bership administration, community outreach she learned of his death in July 2007. We have Our regional kits have been irregularly and support, and our new research program. retained Canadian counsel to pursue this mat- updated with new devices that have been

www.alcor.org Cryonics/First Quarter 2008 5 added to Alcor’s local kit and transport vehi- stabilization priorities, as every ten degree gravel or grass, and easily over any interior ter- cle; and many supplies are out of date, which Celsius drop in temperature cuts the metabol- rain. The insulated liner doubles as insulation does not meet the levels of professionalism or ic demand of tissue in half. Literally, half the for the patient during transport and more effective care that we desire. As a result, we damage occurs. With the PIB, we can cover a than triples the time a patient in transit will redesigned the stabilization kit to meet our patient in ice, reducing their temperature using remain at near zero temperatures. evolving standards. After deciding upon the surface cooling methods. Though it is not the necessary kit contents, associated inventory most rapid method of cooling, it is easily Air-Transportable Perfusion System management protocols were developed in deployable, inexpensive, and still effective. Our air-transportable perfusion system 2007 to prevent the kits from again becoming The portable ice baths we currently have (ATP) is also in flux. We use this to replace unwieldy. These protocols will update expir- deployed in the field are ineffective. They are the blood with a short-term organ preserva- ing medications and supplies, ensure changes flimsy, difficult to move (requiring a gurney), tion solution prior to transporting a patient to to the kit contents are distributed correctly to and do not provide an easy means for ensur- Alcor for vitrification. We take this step dur- all the regions, and replace kits after use. ing a patient remains covered in ice. In 2007, ing stabilization, because transport times are we developed a new design that would resolve often long, and the solution protects the tis- all these problems. sues in the case of delayed vitrification. (The Our new PIB was based on the commer- solutions we use are similar to those used by cially-available emergency rescue baskets used to hospitals when transporting an organ for airlift injured hikers off a mountain. transplant, though the blood washout is more Modifications include building an upper rail (to complex because we wash out all the blood, ensure a patient can be completely covered in not just an organ or two.) A blood washout ice), adding wheels, constructing a base for our also provides us with the means to cool a mechanical chest compression device, and man- patient rapidly to just above zero Celsius. ufacturing an insulated liner and cover (see pic- With our new stabilization kit, we want to ture). be able to put two emergency responders on Though the first prototype had a few an airplane, armed with everything they need problems, they were all minor. We are confi- to stabilize a patient. This necessitated looking dent the new ice bath has met all of our at our ATP carefully, in addition to everything design specifications; and by the time you else, because three shipping containers were read this, we will have begun construction on dedicated to this one task. Furthermore, our the next 14 units. current ATP is difficult to operate, takes sig- Alcor’s emergency response kits will be reduced from several boxes (right) nificant time to prepare for use, and requires to just a few (left) to optimize their highly specialized training. Though our usefulness in an emergency. redesign does not resolve the training require- ment, the new version is intended to be quick- In the first quarter of 2008, we will begin er to set up and easier to use. construction of these new kits. We hired for- The main design change was to eliminate mer southern California Regional Coordinator a peristaltic tubing pump and replace it with a Regina Pancake to assist with readiness issues, custom-engineered centrifugal blood pump. and Regina has already begun re-organizing the In addition to significant reductions in both facility spaces where kit construction will cost and weight, the centrifugal pump offers occur. It is our intention to assemble a total of two advantages for patients. The circuit is fifteen: seven kits for the existing regions, four self-limiting on pressure, which means the for expansion, two as spares for restoring capa- The ice bath used to rapidly cool Alcor’s patient cannot be dangerously over-pressur- bility after a case, and two dedicated training patients was designed to be ized. Large boluses of air are simply not pass- kits (which will contain additional equipment airline-transportable, lightweight, effective able by the system, which means large air like mannequins, intubation trainers, and and relatively easy to build, as well as emboli will cause the pump to spin in place more). Building this many kits at one time will easy to assemble in the field. without moving any fluid. Effectively, this is strain the space we have available, but we are an emergency shutoff valve, which alerts the confident the effort will be worth it. Building The level of improvement this new ice surgical team to the need to clear the circuit of this many kits also requires we have sufficient bath represents is hard to describe, so we can air before proceeding further. confidence in and inventory of the customized only show it to you. Our improvements The main procedural changes are that the items, like the portable ice bath. include making it mobile and able to hold not perfusion system and the washout solution just the patient and large quantities of ice, but will be completely assembled prior to deploy- Portable Ice Bath also adding an IV pole for large-volume med- ment, so that the only connections that need One example of equipment designed and ication administration and a base for the to be made prior to use are the cooling source built internally is the portable ice bath (PIB), mechanical chest compression device we use and the patient. Priming the pump should and it is our first line of defense in a success- to maintain circulation. Our PIB will be able take less time, due to some of the changes ful stabilization. Cooling is at the forefront of to go up and down small sets of stairs, over we’ve made, and we anticipate less than ten

6 Cryonics/First Quarter 2008 www.alcor.org minutes will be required to prepare for a sta- and Florida, we held classes in New England ber in the US and Canada contributes to the bilization with this system. We are having for the first time in many years and in western CMS fund and will receive stabilization care some difficulty finding an appropriate con- Canada for the very first time. without incurring any additional charge at the troller for the system, which has slowed this We have not been happy with the prima- time of need. project. We have tested several alternatives rily theoretical nature of the training sessions. Given that the CMS funds are needed on and will be testing more. In the last half of the year, we halted training an emergency basis to send team members Assuming no significant changes occur in as we dug vigorously into our redesign of the and stabilization equipment to a remote loca- the final stages of this development, we will stabilization capability. With significant tion, we are limiting the funding that may be have achieved our goal of reducing the num- changes in production, it seemed a poor withdrawn to improve readiness. The Board ber of shipping containers required for the trade-off for the team members to be trained established a lower boundary based on the ATP, because we will have managed to com- in protocols that are in transition, using train- maximum projected number of stabilizations bine the circuit, washout solution and surgical ing methods that are largely ineffective. for an upcoming year and a high average of supplies into one case, while remaining within Several of the regional groups, primarily standby and stabilization costs over the past airline weight limits. southern California and the United Kingdom, three years (the only years for which accurate continue to host regular training sessions financial information is available). Currently, Partial Liquid Ventilation independently. We encourage this practice, the CMS fund contains approximately In addition to redesigning existing equip- even though the protocols will be changing. $380,000, which means we have enough to ment, Alcor undertook the longer-range goal It is just about time to restore training. In reasonably cover the anticipated cost of stabi- of building new equipment to improve upon 2008, we will be building a second operating lization and standby for all eligible members present practices. That’s where the partial liq- room, one that will provide an environment and still fund some of the upgrades we desire. uid ventilation system comes in. Partial liquid for equipment testing and realistic team train- We do not anticipate using CMS funding for ventilation involves the introduction of per- ing. We are replicating the operating room, regional team training at this time, though it fluroucarbon – a cooled, oxygenated liquid – because training will be more intensive and we could be used for that purpose in the future. into the lungs, where the massive surface area do not wish to compromise our ability to pro- can facilitate extremely rapid cooling through- vide member cryopreservations in an emer- IMPROVING VITRIFICATION out the body. It is expected to provide nearly gency. Advancing our training program TECHNOLOGY the cooling rate of blood washout at an esti- requires a second set of all surgical tools and Cryoprotective perfusion follows the mated half degree Celsius per minute, without supplies, development of new training lec- patient stabilization and is only performed in invasive surgery or time delays. tures for parts of the protocol that are impos- our Scottsdale lab. The goal is vitrification, It is critical for this system to work well sible to teach in a classroom environment (like which minimizes the formation of ice during with the chest compressions that are standard surgery or perfusion), and contracting local cooling. It is the step where cryoprotectants in patient stabilizations; and our design still professionals to assist with the teaching. remove water from the body, and when suc- needs more work. Progress was made howev- cessful, the overall tissue damage during cryop- er, when we completed custom fabrication of Funding Improved Stabilizations reservation is significantly reduced. As cry- a heat exchanger that makes the unit more Thus far, the improvements to Alcor’s sta- oprotectants are introduced, temperature, pres- efficient than previous prototypes (which bilization procedures have been funded by gen- sure, and cryoprotectant concentration data are means the unit will be more portable than eral operating income or, in the case of techni- continuously monitored and controlled. before and less expensive, because less of the cal development, by the research fund. To aid Since the first operating room was built costly perfluroucarbon will be required). with future costs, for cryopreservation purposes, perfusion has Although this system has recently not the Board author- received the rigorous attention it deserves, it is ized the use of a high priority project. We intend to complete comprehensive the design phases and test the device in 2008. member standby (CMS) funds for Training Regional Teams improving stabi- As mentioned briefly above, having the lization capability. equipment to stabilize a patient is only one Alcor launched aspect of the improvements needed. Trained the CMS program personnel must be on-hand to implement our in 2005 (“stand- protocol. Once again, we held several stabi- by” and “stabiliza- lization training sessions for members around tion” are largely the world, introducing them to (or refreshing interchangeable their memories on) aspects of the protocol, terms) to ensure including: cardiopulmonary support, Alcor’s that all eligible medication protocol, the importance of rapid members would cooling, and the theory behind our washout receive a standby Equipment for automation of the perfusion process includes (from left to right): a chiller, a main pump, a mixing reservoir and when the need procedures. Aside from the standard locations pumps for addition and removal of cryoprotectants. of northern and southern California, Nevada arose. Each mem-

www.alcor.org Cryonics/First Quarter 2008 7 prised of two basic parts, the patient enclo- also be measurable, as we will have clear doc- sure and the computer-controlled perfusion umentation about what was changed and why, system. The patient enclosure is the more and the data will tell us much about the straightforward of the two parts, though it impact of any changes (assuming significant, was not without engineering challenges of its observable changes actually occur). own. We designed the enclosure to model We also plan to investigate the effective- patient pods used in long-term care, so that ness of our new system to cool a patient rapid- we can make sure a patient will fit before the ly to just above the glass transition temperature cryoprotection even begins. (the temperature at which ice formation begins In our current patient enclosure, nitrogen and where thermal stresses can cause fractur- vapor circulates around the patient to keep ing of the tissue). The cryoprotectant is toxic at Now nearing the testing phase, the them at a cool -3 degrees C. It is difficult for higher temperatures, and investigating meth- advanced cryoprotection perfusion system is our surgeons to operate with the vapor flow- ods to cool more quickly will be beneficial to comprised of two basic parts: the patient ing, so we stop this during surgery and use it our patients. Providing this first-stage cooling enclosure (rear) and the computer controls. only once the surgery is complete. Our new in the operating room will reduce the time a enclosure makes this delay in external cooling patient spends at those higher temperatures unnecessary. The entire base of the enclosure and ensure the patient is at a safer temperature is a cooling stage, and nitrogen will circulate for transfer to the patient care bay for second- across the patient’s body (instead of in the stage cooling and long-term care. current head-to-toe configuration). Fans will Our new system will be the most advanced automatically stop only in the sections where human cryopreservation system in the world, the surgeons are operating and automatically with complete integration and control of the start up again when the enclosure is closed. relevant cryopreservation parameters, cooling, We added lights to the inside of the enclo- operator feedback, safety systems, and graceful sure, which will improve visibility both during failure modes. We are excited about completing the surgery and during cryoprotection. A this system and look forward to its rigorous wide range of cooling will be possible, from testing, because we are confident it will improve the current +3 degrees C of a blood washout, the quality a cryoprotections for all members This panel shows some of the many to a -3 degrees C in vitrification, and potential- for whom cryoprotection is possible. connections the computer will automatically monitor and control during the ly to a post-vitrification temperature of -110 perfusion process. degrees C. COOLING AND PATIENT CARE We based the computer-controlled perfu- After a patient is cryoprotected, we cool sion systems on our established protocol. them to liquid nitrogen temperature over the Control parameters exist for pressure, tem- course of days. In 2007, Alcor replicated its perature, and flow. We are also adding a new cool-down system to backup the present sys- parameter: fluid balance. Fluid balance will be tem, should it fail or should multiple simulta- a strong indication of how well the cryopro- neous cool-downs be required. We did not tectant is being taken up by the patient’s tis- take the time to improve this existing system, sues. It should give us warning of edema as we intend to modify it heavily after the before it gets out of hand (which happens in completion of our advanced cryoprotective cases with long transit times) and will be a perfusion system. good indication as to whether target vitrifica- tion goals will be achievable in a case. Though Intermediate Temperature Storage the main system will be automated, there is a During cooling, we listen for the tissue The patient enclosure cools the patient manual override for every control aspect in fracturing events that have been identified as during surgery using nitrogen vapor and a the system. one particular type of cryopreservation dam- cooling stage for the base. Having a computer behind the system age. Preventing this damage is desirable, but will result in unprecedented amounts of data we have not yet found the way to do that. If been done manually. Technicians monitored collection. Analysis and direct comparisons we could make just a little progress toward flow rates and pressures, manually added and between similar cases will become possible that goal, then it becomes possible to care for removed fluid from the circuit, adjusted tem- for the first time in cryonics history. No patients at higher temperatures. peratures – everything has been subject to longer will evaluations be guesswork or We started the year with a successful human error. The system we are building hypothesis, especially as our cardiopulmonary matching grant of $50,000 for research into today will eliminate much of the risk of error bypass lab becomes more advanced. An iden- alternative storage, something we call inter- through automation of the perfusion process. tical cryoprotection protocol will be imple- mediate temperature storage (ITS) for cryop- mented in each case, and any deviations from reserved patients. An ITS system would allow Advanced Cryoprotective Perfusion System protocol will be automatically recorded. tissue to be stored at temperatures higher than Our advanced cryoprotection system is com- Changes that are made to the protocol will liquid nitrogen (-196 degrees C), which could

8 Cryonics/First Quarter 2008 www.alcor.org one day mean elimination of the currently pressure reduced to 2 microns and held steady Unfortunately, few labs in the world perform inevitable fracturing that occurs. for more than a month. Once this lengthy the kinds of experiments we need to validate Unfortunately, fracturing events begin to process was complete, the dewar boiled off our protocols. We are quite proud of the work occur in cryopreservation patients at temper- less than ten liters per day when half full. A done in 2007 to develop internal research capa- atures that are significantly higher than those full dewar boils off slightly faster than a par- bility, so that we can direct experimental work where safe storage can occur. ITS systems, as tially full one does, but this result makes the towards achieving our specific goals for currently conceived, would not solve that refurbished BF-1 one of the more efficient improved cryopreservation procedures. Much problem. dewars in our patient care bay. of the effort went into developing the infra- Nevertheless, we worked on a prototype With the addition of our new dewars, it structure necessary to support a sustainable system for imaging stresses as they occur, in became necessary to extend our fill manifold research program, including building a lab from the hopes of developing an annealing curve to accommodate additional dewars. We also the ground up. This lab contains specialized for cooling that would prevent fractures. The added oxygen sensor alarms to the patient equipment necessary to replicate the operating prototype used cross-polarizing lenses to view care bay. These alarms activate with any drop room environment, such as a surgical table, an the stresses, because it is both non-invasive in the percentage of oxygen in the air and animal enclosure, and a cooling stage. and non-destructive. The device, modified trigger both flashing lights and loud noises to We selected the rat model for our new several times, never quite achieved its goal. alert staff to the increased risk. lab, because it is small, simple and inexpen- After a disappointing sequence of setbacks, sive. More experiments can be conducted in the design process returned to square one. EXTENDING OUR RESEARCH PROGRAM shorter amounts of time, which would help us Consequently, this project has been on hold A crucial aspect to improving cryopreser- make more progress in less time. A cardiopul- for a while. We do anticipate returning our vation procedures is appropriate research. monary bypass model for the rat is a relative- attention to this project in 2008 and will report on it when that time comes. A final note on ITS, in 2006 we ordered and made a $15,000 down payment on a fully- functional intermediate temperature storage system from 21st Century Medicine. The unit, once received, will be tested with the ultimate goal of using it for patient care.

Patient Care Over the years, Alcor has continually emphasized the importance of protecting the patients in its care. Alcor’s Board and manage- ment must alw ays proceed with the patients’ best interests at heart. Patient care, the most stable aspect of operations, didn't see much activity this year. We take that as a good sign. In 2007, Alcor constructed a cardiopulmonary research lab and established the At the end of 2007, Alcor's dewars held necessary policies and guidelines under an Institutional Care and Use Committee. 78 patients as they quietly did their job. Three dewars manufactured this year did not pass Alcor’s rigorous testing, which revealed that nitrogen will “boil-off ” or evaporate too quickly. Furthermore, our very first dewar (BF-1) delivered to Alcor over 15 years ago finally failed after years of use as a bulk nitro- C gen storage tank, a use for which it was not intended. We returned BF-1 and one of the new Bigfoots to the manufacturer for repair. Testing BF-1 upon its return, we found it boiled off more than 100 liters per day, where 9-15 liters is the norm. Troubleshooting the problem revealed water in the interior of the A dewar where it should not have been. We B attached a vacuum pump and a heater to boil out the water in an attempt to repair the prob- lem. An internal temperature of 210 degrees Research equipment in Alcor’s animal lab include a heat exchanger for cooling and C was achieved, and the water was removed rewarming the animal (A), an oxygenator for oxygenating the animal during surgery (B), over the course of four months. Vacuum and a venous reservoir for holding blood or cryoprotectants (C).

www.alcor.org Cryonics/First Quarter 2008 9 ly new development, which in turn also means Nanomedicine and the leading researcher in this from Canada, and some additional expenses that publication is eminently possible once the field. Freitas is one of the most prolific related to the probate proceedings for patient model is established. authors and theoreticians in nanotechnology A-1097 whom we cryopreserved in 2006. today, and the body of work generated with Unanticipated expenses amounted to about IACUC Activities our (and others’) recent financial support has $40,000, which represents less than 3% of the Throughout the construction of our car- been impressive. His publications presented annual income. diopulmonary lab, we set our standards high. the first technical description of a cell repair In developing the 2008 budget, we Though rat research is not federally regulated, nanorobot; analysis of a diamondoid assumed no cases will be performed, which is we chose to employ standards similar to those mechanosysthesis tooltip; definitions of com- designed to represent a probable worst-case for regulated animals. Toward that goal, we putational tasks required by nanorobots; and income scenario for the organization. This is established an Institutional Care and Use development of an R&D roadmap for med- proving to be a useful approach, given that Committee (IACUC) to oversee ethical and ical nanorobots, nanofactories, and diamon- 2007 only saw two cryopreservations – regulatory requirements for the humane treat- doid mechanosysthesis. Freitas even wrote a including one for which the patient’s estate ment of animals used in our work, all animals chapter for Greg Fahy’s book project, current- has not yet paid because of the legal dispute. not just the ones required by law. The IACUC ly titled “The Future of Aging: Pathways to We already know this is not the case for 2008, has members comprising the following roles: Human Life Extension,” which makes the which has already seen four cryopreserva- a Chairperson, an attending veterinarian, an complete technical case for nanorobotics- tions, and our bottom line has not been signif- institutional official, an individual with a non- based life extension and anti-aging treatments. icantly affected. Our income has generally scientific background, and an unaffiliated covered our expenses in these cases. member of the community. FINANCIAL REVIEW Throughout the year, our IACUC approved Over the past couple of years, we’ve Accounting Controls standard policies, guidelines and program of vet- worked hard to gain better control of our In addition to operating with an effective erinary care dictated by regulatory requirements, finances. Control processes, improvements to budget, we continue to follow the financial and they approved the first research protocol, billing and collections procedures, reductions controls implemented a few years ago to Recover y Model of Cardiopulmonar y Bypass in the Rat. in spending and careful management of our reduce the risk of embezzlement. These con- The IACUC created a standard to which all resources by the staff are prov- Alcor research will adhere. ing effective techniques for Our annual USDA (the federal organiza- ensuring sustainable opera- tion that oversees animal research) inspection tions. came in February, and Alcor was in compli- Our 2007 budget was ance with all federal mandates. We received a effective in predicting our special verbal note that our aggressive cash flow situation. Income improvement, and in particular our written was estimated well, especially documentation, were commendable. on the membership side, with We completed the construction of care 97.3% accuracy for the year. facilities for both large and small animals, and Overall expenses tracked to surgical training has begun for the research staff. 97.4%. Direct PCT expenses The American Association of Animal tracked well for the year-to- Laboratory Science is providing additional train- date nitrogen costs, at 96.7%; ing to all members of the IACUC, the research and some of the anticipated staff, interns, and animal care specialists. repairs proved unnecessary. Alcor is presently seeking a researcher who Office expenses and overhead can pursue its research objectives. The first were 84% and 91% of 2007 objective will be to firmly establish that the car- estimates respectively. Legal diopulmonary bypass system is functioning fees were 97.7% of estimates, properly. The research team will then investi- total professional fees were at gate the point at which an animal becomes 97.7%, and research and unrecoverable from the perfusion process and development costs were 113% the rates at which cell structures deteriorate of estimated values. under normothermic and hypothermic condi- We had few unanticipat- tions. Although the results will not be exactly ed expenses, though we did applicable to human cases, they will allow choose to renovate our lab insight into aspects of our cryopreservation spaces to make working in protocols that deserve closer examination. those areas more efficient. We also had some unanticipated SUPPORTING NANOMEDICAL RESEARCH legal expenses associated with During 2007, we continued our grant the preservation of patient A- support for Robert Freitas, author of 2309, the last-minute case

10 Cryonics/First Quarter 2008 www.alcor.org trols, implemented as the result of past thefts, ter for our small staff to incorporate this into MEMBERSHIP AND OUTREACH are working. However, our management team our regular duties. Furthermore as a Membership growth is important to us. It recognizes these controls may be insufficient California corporation, we will someday be signifies growing confidence in cryonics and to provide our members with any real sense of required to have an annual audit under the in Alcor as a whole. Our marketing efforts at comfort. One of the best ways to ensure California Non-Profit Accountability Act. this time focus on personal selling, but high- accurate and honest financial reporting is to This requires revenue of more than two mil- quality media coverage, participation in com- hire accounting firms to prepare annual state- lion dollars a year, a threshold which Alcor munity conferences and events, and a growing ments (Enron-like scandals notwithstanding). has not yet reached; but by preparing in subscriber base to our magazine have all con- Our relationship with our accounting firm advance, we will already be in compliance tributed to growth in our membership. While had been deteriorating for some time, and we once we reach that level. 2007 saw less growth than desired, the year went through nearly all of 2007 without With these changes, we are looking for- ended on an encouraging note, with 22 new receiving the annual review for 2005. Given ward to promoting greater personal and pro- applications. At the end of 2007, our mem- the inexcusable lateness and excessive cost of fessional confidence in Alcor’s financial bership figures were: our incomplete reports, we decided it was reporting and accountability in upcoming time to hire a new accounting firm. years. • 815 members  838 members Over the course of about six months, (2.8% growth) Alcor staff handled the screening of candi- BYLAWS REVISED • 74 patients  78 patients date firms and the interviews of their repre- A long-overdue revision to the corporate (5.4% growth) sentatives. The Board established an Audit bylaws took place this year. Most of the changes • 73 applications submitted in 2007 Committee to review competing proposals. were administrative in nature, made largely to • 129 info packs distributed (on avg.) Upon the recommendation of the Audit improve clarity and do not materially affect oper- each month Committee, the Board of Directors chose in ations. Here is a review of the changes: December 2007 to hire the firm of Mayer Fifteen applicants withdrew from the Hoffman McCann (MHM) to provide • The Board removed the requirement membership process or were cancelled prior accounting services. for an amendment to the Bylaws in to completion of their arrangements. Twenty- During our discussions with the various order to change the principal office five members cancelled their Alcor arrange- firms, we emphasized that Alcor intends to and changed the office’s address to our ments as well. This is an improvement com- upgrade the quality of financial accounting we Scottsdale location. pared to the 2006 figures of 42 withdrawn provide to our membership and the public. • References to “Suspension applications and 30 membership cancellations. We discussed strategies for raising the bar on Membership” were amended to Alcor approved or reinstated 50 memberships our fiscal management until an annual audit is include the current terminology of in 2007, which compares to 60 in 2006. customary. We explained our unconventional “Cryopreservation Membership”. tracking of patient care liabilities – the ones • The day and time of the monthly Toll-free Calls from Canada that reflect our moral and fiscal responsibili- Board meetings was changed from Members in Canada now have access to ties to the patients in our care. The MHM rep- Sunday at 1:00 pm MST to Saturday at Alcor’s toll-free number. Tackling this project resentatives had done their homework and 11:00 am MST. at the request of several Canadian members, had found a comparable situation within • The annual election of Directors con- we uncovered several problems with our vari- more conventional accounting practices that tinues to be in September, but the elec- ous communications carriers. Those prob- will prove helpful. tion process description was revised to lems were eventually resolved, and in turn led We have begun by tasking MHM with a be at the sitting Board’s discretion. to a consolidation of our telecom carriers. standard review of the 2006 financials so that • The indemnification clause for Consolidation appears to be saving Alcor they can become accustomed to our book- Directors, Officers, employees, and thousands of dollars every year in overhead. keeping practices. For 2007, we intend to take other agents was edited heavily for the next step in rigorous reporting, by having clarity. It continues to state that per- Billing System them prepare a balance sheet audit. That level sons acting on behalf of Alcor are We implemented a new billing system as of review should allow us to identify and cor- indemnified against expenses actually well this year, one that initially caused some rect any deficiencies in our tracking of assets. and reasonably incurred in both civil problems with member invoicing. At one Subsequently at the close of 2008, we hope to and criminal actions. point, many members were switched to an commission a full audit. • A section was added authorizing the email-based invoice, and they were not getting Easing in the direction of an annual creation of an Audit Committee. their bills for multiple reasons, like incorrect audit, rather than launching directly into one, email addresses and invoices being caught in will allow all participants to become familiar None of these modifications altered our spam filters. Emailed invoices are now supple- with the requirements and will allow us to primary mission in any way. They are simply a mental to postal mailings. ensure our accounting systems contain the reflection of the amount of time that passed necessary information and controls that will since we last reviewed our corporate bylaws. Membership Directory permit such rigorous evaluation. It will also If you’d like to see the bylaws for yourself, Our membership has grown significantly introduce the staff to the requirements of an they are posted on Alcor’s website (see links since Alcor last published a membership audit as an annual activity. It is no small mat- on page 12). directory. Since many of our members ask for

www.alcor.org Cryonics/First Quarter 2008 11 local contacts periodically, we decided it was lobbyist and launched a defense that was ulti- • Participation in an episode of Modern once again time to compile a list. After con- mately successful. It was not a pleasant intro- Mar vels, a History channel production, tacting everyone via email and postal mail, we duction to politics. Since then, we’ve main- about the use of cold in science, med- received 335 responses from members stating tained our lobbyist who monitors the goings icine and manufacturing their willingness to be included. The directory on at the Legislature, looking closely at any was printed and mailed, and since then we proposed legislation that might affect our Alcor personnel also made presentations have received several inquiries about people patients or our mission. at multiple conferences, including: who were not included or who had missed That policy – of remaining aware of our our attempts to contact them. In order to politicians – was shown to be helpful earlier • Suspended Animation’s Advances in ensure that this remains an accurate means of this year, when State Senator Carolyn Allen Human Cryopreservation finding other cryonicists, we intend to release introduced a bill intended to overhaul • World Transhumanist Association’s con- an updated version each year. This allows us Arizona’s Revised Uniform Anatomical Gift ference in Chicago, IL to include anyone we missed on this initial Act. Hers was not a malicious act, but it had • Foresight Institute’s Vision Weekend publication, to add new members, and to the potential to influence Alcor directly. We • The Terasem Movement’s First Annual update any information that has changed. reviewed the proposed changes and submit- Colloquium on the Law of Transhuman ted our recommendations for how the word- Persons 2007 Conference ing might read in order to protect Alcor’s sta- • Calorie Restriction Society conference, We once again held a conference in tus and mission. Alcor’s lobbyist, Barry Singularity Summit, and Dragon-Con had Scottsdale, and it was well attended by both Aarons, had this to say as the bill was being Alcor literature available to attendees. members and non. Our speaker roster includ- heard in the Senate Health Committee: ed Dr. Michael West of Advanced Cell CONCLUSION Technology speaking on prospects for regen- “With Senator Carolyn Allen’s leadership and at This annual report should give you a erative medicine; Dr. Chris Heward of her direction, Alcor worked out amended language good sense of Alcor’s ambitions for 2008. Kronos Science Laboratory who discussed to SB1099 (the Arizona Revised Uniform Our present emphasis continues to be upon the preliminary results of Kronos’s Longevity Anatomical Gift Act) with Arizona Uniform improving the tools at our disposal to provide Study; Dr. Calvin Mercer of East Carolina Laws Commissioner Jim Bush that will preserve quality care to Alcor’s members. Many aspects University who addressed aspects of religion the authority that Alcor currently has as an of Alcor’s operations continue to need and how they might relate to cryonics; and a anatomical donee. Senator Allen conducted open improvement, and we’re pleased to report our fascinating panel on critical care medicine and stakeholder meetings and was the source of progress in 2007 toward more efficient cryonics. Additionally, presentations covered encouragement for a consensus to be reached.” remote response in the field, never-before- the current and future state of cryopreserva- seen advancements in the operating room and tion technologies, which are a must for any Stakeholder discussions were useful, and exciting research that will further our under- Alcor member wishing to remain informed the bill passed the Senate Health Committee standing in years to come. These are but a about developments. review process. It passed the Senate vote small fraction of the areas of growth we Even spaced, as it was, between other unanimously (of all voting Senators). It intend for the organization, and we look for- community events, we had a respectable num- passed the House with a vote of 50 for and 10 ward to sharing more of that vision with you ber of people in the audience. Two attendees against. The governor signed the changes into in coming months.  chose to execute their membership paper- law on July 2, 2007. work during the weekend, and many more Please address comments to: came to see old friends and to meet new ones. MEDIA EXPOSURE [email protected] Overall, we consider the conference to have We continue to tighten access to Alcor by been a success and look forward to beginning the media. This was a policy implemented by LINKS work on our next one, which will be held in management about two years ago, with the Bylaws: 2009. See the 2007 Conference Recap in this intent being to improve the quality of media http://www.alcor.org/Library/html/ issue for more details. coverage of Alcor and its mission. In 2007, bylaws.html we provided fewer interviews to the media, COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT and we believe the policy has resulted in less Comprehensive Member Standby: A few years ago, we became entangled in sensationalistic and more accurate reporting. http://www.alcor.org/BecomeMember/ a legislative matter, whereby a bill was intro- Highlights of media coverage in 2007 standby.html duced in the Arizona House of include (see links): Representatives to regulate cryonics as a funer- • Local Channel 12 (NBC affiliate) inter- Financial Statements: al practice without access to the Uniform view that resulted in some of the most http://www.alcor.org/Library/ Anatomical Gift Act (the federal regulations balanced and thorough coverage of index.html#alcorfoundation authorizing us to accept our patients for cryonics to date research). This bill was drafted and discussed • An article in the Arizona Business News Media Stories: long before Alcor, as the target of the legisla- Magazine http://www.alcor.org/press/ tion, was even informed of its existence. • Interviewed for an article in Newsweek newsstories.html When we learned of the matter, we hired a magazine

12 Cryonics/First Quarter 2008 www.alcor.org 7th Alcor Conference Recap By Richard Leis, Jr.

n a graveyard, dirt and sorrow reside with These perceptions are only a small part of nology trends, suggests recovery after a time Irot hidden by little more than fading flow- what I gained that weekend in October. What in cryopreservation is at least a possibility. To ers, expensive coffins and shallow depths. follows is a snapshot of my experience at the cryopreserve someone is to use low-tempera- Death hangs in the air. The graveyard is a 7th Alcor Conference, an experience that has ture technology to keep the patient in an solemn place, or at the very most morbidly since convinced me to become a proud mem- unchanging, frozen state. Cryonics seeks to curious. Alcor is no graveyard. ber of the Alcor Life Extension Foundation. add as little damage as possible to the person’s On a warm Sunday on October 7, 2007, body while preserving the patient for possible in Scottsdale, Arizona, Alcor opened its doors Steve Bridge recovery in the future when the appropriate for an open house, capping off a weekend of Why We Are Here and technologies are available. talks during the 7th Alcor Conference. Where We Are Going Instead of freezing the body, Alcor uses Outside in the parking lot was a buffet: shred- A former Alcor president, Steve Bridge, vitrification, that is, a glassy “freeze” that ded meat on rolls, vegetarian lasagna, a salad opened up the conference with a straightfor- greatly reduces the damage ice crystals would dripping with dressing, and peach cobbler. ward question: Why are we here? His answer: cause to cells. Much of Bridge’s talk addressed Speakers, audience members from the confer- Alive = Good. Dead = Bad. general technology advancements, member- ence, Alcor staff and Alcor members, some Over the past 100 years, technology and ship in the Alcor program, and funding and with children, gathered around tables for medicine have improved our ability to revive research topics. pleasant discussions, networking, and family people who were previously considered clini- He discussed that Alcor is developing its time. This was not a solemn place. Instead, it cally dead. Although there is no proof that facilities, procedures, and financial backing. was a very happy one, despite the clinically cryonics will succeed, the cryonics industry, Bridge believes that Alcor needs to spend more dead just inside the Alcor facility. along with other lines of research and tech- time and money on research now, to improve Alcor calls itself a “life extension founda- the technology. While Alcor has in the past tion.” Whether or not cryonics works, Alcor been distracted by talking about a positive offers something coffins and cremation urns future into which people might wish to be cannot. While those repositories for human revived, he suggests a return to focus on the remains are traditional and final, the dewars of present. There are so many questions whose Alcor are shiny and metal, standing tall and answers must come through laboratory cold in the hopefully-labeled Patient Care Bay. research. They stand as symbols of technology and Also of importance are legal issues; ways optimism for the future. Here death is to make the organization stable financially; reduced to a temporary legal and cultural exis- offering services to a national membership; tence if only science and technology continue whether or not the technology is truly pre- their rapid progress forward to eventual serving memory and the basic essence of a repair and recovery. For cryonics proponents, Steve Bridge takes questions with the person; how to grow the membership; and where there is such hope, optimism and help of emcee Susan Fonseca-Klein. how to attract technical and professional steady progress, there is no graveyard. employees and researchers.

www.alcor.org Cryonics/First Quarter 2008 13 Commentary: Bridge’s talk served as vitrified. Biochemical reactions can then be chance of recovery, it is still more than burial both a recap of Alcor’s history and cryonics monitored to determine if they have slowed and cremation offer. overall, and an inspirational talk to the mem- down enough to suggest little change over not bers in the audience. He hopes that members just hours, but thousands of years. Stephen Van Sickle will participate in a discussion of the issues, Wowk then spent some time describing Research Directions at Alcor rather than passively listening. The facts pro- the process of cryonics in humans. Much The next speaker from Alcor was vided were straightforward, with an emphasis time is involved, time in which the body can Stephen Van Sickle, Executive Director, dis- on bluntness and the work that needs to be further decay. Every moment is precious to cussing the direction of research at Alcor. done. I think it is important that Alcor contin- place the body in stasis as rapidly as possible There was a long period when Alcor did ue to state that this technology is unproven. and stop biochemical reactions. not conduct much research of its own, focus- No promises are being made, and this full dis- One question very important to ing instead on services and membership closure should help lessen the impact of those researchers and Alcor members alike is growth. However, eventually Alcor leaders who argue that Alcor is a scam and/or a cult. whether or not memory is truly preserved dur- decided that in-house research could definite- Joining Alcor is a choice, one informed by ing cryopreservation. Research to date suggests ly help the institution. what we know and what we need to find out. that the “basic machinery” of memory is in fact preserved, but preservation of the actual Brian Wowk, Ph.D. memories themselves is not clear. Even though Common Questions about vitrification causes less damage than freezing, Cryobiology and Cryonics there are still problems, including tissue frac- Brian Wowk discussed cryobiology, the turing and toxicity of cryoprotectants. field of cold tolerance in nature and cryop- Commentary: One of the visuals used reservation of biological material. In nature, by Wowk was an image of solutions and organisms survive freezing temperatures by organs with and without cryoprotectants at -125 ice avoidance and ice tolerance, using cellular degrees Celsius. On the left was a typical “antifreeze.” By studying these organisms, frozen liquid, appearing opaque and crystal- researchers hope to apply their findings to lized. On the right was a see-through vitrified improving cryonics for humans. liquid and a pristine-looking organ. Very The use of cryoprotectants allows cells effective. To the layperson, though, this focus to be stored at low temperature indefinitely, on the desirability of vitrification versus Following his talk, Stephen Van Sickle (far right) with minimal damage. Tissues and organs freezing may come across as technobabble. enjoyed a conversation with Ralph Merkle have been successfully resuscitated from a The use of images is helpful, but what would (middle) and others. cryopreserved state, demonstrating the tech- be truly inspiring would be vitrified organs nology on short-term time scales and in a lim- that have been returned to a functioning state. Van Sickle said that research is important ited scope. Some work has gone into this, with warming because it brings in “key personnel” and pro- Researchers have developed synthetic of tissues to determine the extent of damage. vides valuable training to Alcor employees. molecules based on antifreeze proteins in Like transhumanism and other related Alcor chooses issues to research that specifi- some organisms that are improved with ice topics, cryonics is in need of more effective cally relate to technology and procedures used blockers that prevent ice formation. Wowk marketing to spread the idea. For members of so that they can be improved. works with organs, such as rabbit kidneys, to Alcor, a talk like this is probably effective, but In years past, Alcor experimented on develop better cryoprotectants. The organ is it will not convince the layperson to sign up dogs. Now they are using a rat model because for Alcor services and cryonics upon their of the reduced complexity, time, labor and death. For people who have already signed up, expense. A laboratory has been built around what is the point of this type of talk? I think this research direction. One of the complica- members might actually be more interested in tions has been developing equipment appro- the cutting edge of the technology and near- priate for the size of a rat, compared to estab- term improvements. lished equipment for humans. Theoretically, recovery appears to be pos- With the rat model, Alcor will begin sible. However, there are so many details yet to developing experiments surrounding the be researched. I have a new appreciation for effects of cryoprotection, ischemia, and Steve Bridge’s insistence that much more hypothermia. For example, Alcor will try to research is required to further explore cryonics. determine the level of cryoprotectants that is Wowk addressed the ethics of cryonics most effective for eventual recovery. Van when revival from a cryopreserved state has Sickle emphasized that research in cryogenics not yet been proven. I have personally never will not likely lead to a sudden breakthrough understood the ethical problems, because in cryonics and that “incremental progress is postmortem there really are none. What hap- what is needed.” Brian Wowk speaks about the pens to the body will not, obviously, matter to Another line of research important to science behind cryonics. the person who is dead. If there is little Alcor is how to minimize tissue fracturing

14 Cryonics/First Quarter 2008 www.alcor.org during the vitrification process. Fracturing is sion system now under development will nano-sized devices that can, among other measured by an acoustic sensor placed on the improve Alcor’s abilities in the operating capabilities, manipulate individual atoms and head to listen for fracturing events in the room. Until now much of the perfusion perform computation. This technology is an brain. With experiments in the laboratory, process has been manual. The new system will important area of inquiry for those interest- they hope to look at the stresses involved to remove the guesswork during cryoprotection ed in cryonics because it could be the very try to minimize them with future protocols. of a patient by monitoring and controlling technology used to restore cryopreserved One possible technique to be tested is warm- changes to temperature, pressure, flow, and individuals to a healthy state. ing up the body very briefly during the cryop- cryoprotectant uptake. The new technology Ralph Merkle is a noted expert in the reservation process to relieve stresses, then will allow more data to be gathered with field of nanotechnology. His definition of resuming the cooldown. reports automatically generated, thus, advanc- nanotechnology includes the arrangement Commentary: There has been a lot of ing the industry’s knowledge base. of atoms in “most of the ways permitted by focus in the first few talks about the impor- Besides equipment improvements, pro- physical law,” getting them in the right place, tance of research at Alcor. Instead of simply cedures for training Alcor’s worldwide first and decreasing manufacturing costs to not providing just a body-preservation service, responders are also being revised. With Alcor much more than the cost of the associated they seek to improve the technology while membership currently around 800 people, raw materials and energy. Important to cry- hoping to prove the theory of cryonics. They new regional support groups are being set up onics is the ability to position atoms where are now laying the groundwork for the neces- so that more Alcor members have efficient needed, in hopes of repairing damage and sary research. bedside care. Training will be improved by rebuilding healthy bodies. The Alcor philosophy of “slow and bringing people to Alcor for hands-on experi- Diamond is a suggested material for steady” progress sounds like an approach any- ence with cadavers or large animals. building the required tools. By making use one doing research should take. Research can Commentary: It is always great to hear of just a select few elements such as hydro- be tedious, long, and arduous, but it remains about new technologies being tested or imple- gen, carbon, and germanium, nearly limit- absolutely necessary for progress. mented that will improve efficiency, data gath- less types of structures could theoretically ering and report generation. Even the tables be created. To support this idea, Merkle and Tanya Jones and pods have been improved, including fans, Robert A. Freitas Jr. have been exploring Improving Cryopreservation ways of making sure the person will fit, and minimal toolsets using simulation software. Technology at Alcor other additions and design modifications. The nine tools they propose involve mole- Tanya Jones is the COO of Alcor. She has Other improvements include a better ice bath cules that can perform particular functions. participated in over half of the members’ cryop- with improved insulation, potentially keeping For example, a hydrogen donation tool reservations. She talked about her ideas for a person at 0 degrees for up to five days; tools could deposit hydrogen atoms where neces- improving cryopreservation technology at Alcor. for drawing out the blood; cooling via the sary. Merkle recommends exploring his The moment the heart stops and legal lungs; smaller and more portable perfusion proposed reactions using more detailed death begins, Alcor must act quickly to stabi- equipment; and new safety features. The sta- simulations and experiments. The results lize the brain and body. This is most effective bilization kits used in the field are being should lead to more specific proposals for when Alcor is on “standby” and is near the revised and reduced in size. actually beginning to build tools and nano- patient before death. The logistics for trans- structures. ferring human remains to Arizona are exten- Ralph Merkle, Ph.D. Eventually, molecular manufacturing is sive, so Alcor must pay close attention to Molecular Nanotechnology and the expected to lead to robotic arms, 8-bit com- every detail. Repair of Cryopreserved Patients puters, and other parts for devices smaller Research will help improve the cryonics Nanotechnology. Once only an obscure than, say, the mitochondrion of a human process at every level, from standby to long- buzzword among fringe techno-progressives, cell. Merkle estimates that a sugar-cube-sized term care. The automated whole-body perfu- nanotechnology has emerged both as a multi- computer created by molecular manufactur- billion dollar industry and a ing advances would have more computing controversial one that could power than all that exists in the world today, lead, according to some, to a “almost a billion Pentiums in parallel.” prosperous future of plenty or, This radical reduction in size and according to others, the increase in ability would lead to nanomedi- destruction of Earth. The word cine and the ability to revive cryopreserved has become increasingly tied to patients, by repairing at the sub-cellular modern, market-available struc- scale. However, appropriate funding is tures measured in nanometers needed to conduct the necessary experi- and included in goods to pro- ments. Since molecular manufacturing is a vide properties not possible capability that will take several decades to with larger-scale materials. develop, long-term-thinking investors are Originally, however, nan- necessary. otechnology referred to Commentary: Fantastic speaker. It is Tanya Jones, along with all Alcor staff members, something now called molec- helpful to create a blueprint by which others was warmly welcomed at the opening reception. ular manufacturing. These are can design their own experiments.

www.alcor.org Cryonics/First Quarter 2008 15 Michael West, Ph.D. Commentary: Recent research into the Immortal Cells: The Prospect of environment of stem cells, as opposed to Regenerative Medicine stem cells themselves, suggested you cannot Another approach to recovery of cryon- simply inject stem cells into the body, espe- ics patients, or treatment of people who are cially an older body, and hope they regenerate still living, is regenerative medicine, that is, the and rebuild the necessary tissues. Particular ability to use stem cells to rebuild tissues. factors in the environment of these stem cells The biology of aging remains a mystery, appear to be important for allowing or induc- and West provided a history of thoughts on ing the cells to do what they need to do, aging, including a reference to August according to researchers like Irina Conboy. Weismann who in 1891 predicted that cell West said that there are definitely unanswered division in somatic cells is finite. His research, questions, but so many promising avenues of however, was ignored. Researchers have since research indicate that something good will determined that the finiteness, now known as come from all this. the Hayflick limit, is caused by a “clock” which “ticks” by the progressive shortening Aubrey de Grey, Ph.D. of telomeres on the tips of the chromosomes Is it Politically Safe for a Biologist to Aubrey de Grey makes some notes of DNA as a consequence of multiple cell Support Cryonics Publicly? during the conference. divisions. The germline cells, on the other Does Aubrey de Grey really need an hand, maintain their telomere length by a sub- introduction at this point? His public propos- port of cryonics. He hopes to work with the stance they produce known as telomerase. al for repairing and reversing the damage of other lucky few until there is a tipping point West and his research team tried to take the aging, SENS, and his public admission of toward broader acceptance of cryonics. telomerase in germline cells and apply it to being an Alcor member were the topics he Commentary: Leaders are important to somatic cells so they too would maintain their enthusiastically discussed. any movement, and technologies themselves telomere length and thus escape the Hayflick According to de Grey, it is an important can be movements when tied to ideas like rad- limit. According to West “it worked!” decision for a scientist to admit to supporting ical life extension. Cryonics support can be A much-sought reservoir of “immortal cryonics. A public acknowledgment of sup- positively affected by people standing up and cells” turned out to be human embryonic port can affect one’s professional work. One admitting they support the idea. But what will stem cells. These cells, even in the laboratory, of the dangers of admitting support is that it be sacrificed by standing up and standing will differentiate into a wide range of tissues. may be harder to obtain funding for one’s behind such ideas? And how does one in the According to West, nuclear transfer does reset work. public eye appropriately talk about cryonics? the “aging clock,” despite the common belief De Grey expressed his thoughts about These are important questions, and I think a that research had showed it was not so, as how a scientist who publicly supports cryon- review of how other movements address their with Dolly the cloned sheep who is common- ics could educate the public. As other speak- own topics may be helpful. ly believed to have been “born old.” ers have emphasized, legal death is only a con- Where is the field of stem cell research venience and the definition of death needs Alcor Board of Directors Panel currently at? West and his company are work- constant review as technologies advance. Stephen Van Sickle; Ralph Merkle, Ph.D.; ing on technology to sort stem cell precursors Some people who were legally dead have in Michael R. Seidl, Ph.D., J.D.; and Brian Wowk, for various mature tissues. fact been revived, and the public should be Ph.D. of the Alcor Board of Directors educated on that topic. Brain death is itself a answered questions from the audience for the complicated concept. Not only can a person last session of the day. be legally dead, they can be legally alive but Questions were asked about the current functionally brain dead, for example through state of Alcor’s finances. Alcor receives dementia. So there are a lot of considerations equal parts of its income from membership to communicate during outreach. dues, bequests, and donations or grants. At Cryonics supporters can also provide the current number of members (approxi- ethical leadership. They can demystify death mately 800) Alcor cannot pursue all its and cryonics, promote cryonics as a life-sav- desired endeavors. Employees must wear ing attempt, and provide facts for a useful eth- many hats to cover all the administrative and ical debate. Some people find cryonics technical tasks required. Better fundraising “yucky” but a straightforward approach by was a popular suggestion by Board members scientists, rather than using anger or ridicule, when asked how the organization could could be especially effective in demystifying improve. the perception of cryonics. “Alcor will always muddle through,” said De Grey may be one of those lucky few Van Sickle, stressing that this was both a Michael West makes an enthusiastic who do not have to worry about the dangers strength and a weakness. point during his talk about stem cells of supporting cryonics and believes he made The cost of caring for Alcor’s patients is and regenerative medicine. the right decision to go public about his sup- expected to remain stable over the next few

16 Cryonics/First Quarter 2008 www.alcor.org retic” death occurs. These dif- like “but then they are not really dead” and ficulties and complexities “that is not death.” She believes the definition require skilled negotiation of death needs to be changed. between Alcor personnel and Some Alcor members were concerned the treating hospital. about how their own personal wishes would Alcor prefers pronounce- affect decisions made upon their death. ment based on cardiac death Crippen felt that physicians generally honor versus pronouncement based their patients’ wishes, but Whetstine felt on brain death. Whetstine patients’ consent should not be part of a dec- argued, however, that cardiac laration of death. Crippen said Alcor mem- death is problematic because bers need to get over thinking of patient con- the heart may be dead when sent as something that trumps legal and cul- the brain is not. Eventually, tural issues. Jones envisions a time when Both Jones and Crippen believe that the the first steps of cryopreserva- framework will need to change for cryonics to tion will have transitioned from be more acceptable. Alcor, said Jones, must be The Alcor Board of Directors panel addressed some an after-death procedure to a open about their program to ensure a more challenging questions from the audience. medical procedure requiring positive future for Alcor. decades, but operations costs are generally trained medical personnel. less stable. With more members, Alcor could Commentary: The inclusion of a Steve Harris, M.D. benefit from economies of scale, but exactly bioethicist in the panel added some drama to Rapid Hypothermia Induction Methods how does Alcor gain new membership? Rudi the proceedings. Whetstine appeared to be and Brain Oxygen Requirements in Hoffman, a certified estate planner who helps arguing (and this is a vast oversimplification of Resuscitation and Cryonics people secure life insurance for membership her argument) that it is okay to declare some- Steven Harris is a researcher developing with Alcor, suggested growing the member- one dead if their heart stopped, but it is wrong rapid body cooling technologies important to ship through networking. An online map if you then want to cryopreserve the patient. both cryonics and emerging medical care treat- would make it easy for Alcor members and So when is a patient dead? When is it okay ments. Hypothermia induced by lowering the potential members to connect. to cryopreserve a person? Right now, Alcor body temperature by 4 degrees Celsius in five In response to a member question sub- must work within a legal and cultural frame- minutes could allow sufficient time for medical mitted to the emcee, Susan Fonseca-Klein, work that does not view cryonics as feasible care workers to treat a patient, say, after a stab Alcor does not intend to open up voting to and where the definition of death is changing. wound or other life-threatening injury. the membership for its board of directors. Jones believes Alcor will need to go on the The potential usefulness of post-resusci- Finally, Van Sickle briefly discussed a offensive, instead of waiting to be attacked. tation hypothermia was discovered by acci- wealth preservation trust that would better Whetstine was argumentative, but I found her dent in 1980 in work with dogs. Brain damage protect a member’s estate after death. Alcor’s arguments unclear. She obviously finds cryon- could be prevented and the animal resuscitat- lawyers are trying to develop this type of ics problematic, but she kept repeating things ed after clinical death. The first human clini- arrangement, but it may take many years to implement. Commentary: A minor few members were relatively emotional about the statement regarding membership voting for directors. Otherwise, it appears (from a show of hands) that most members are happy with the board and how the board continues to choose its own members.

Cryonics and Critical Care Medicine Panel This panel included Alcor’s Tanya Jones, critical care physician David Crippen, and bioethicist Leslie Whetstine, and was moder- ated by Aschwin de Wolf. The panelists focused heavily on the various definitions of death, including legal and biological. A diag- nosis of brain death is required for organ pro- curement, an industry with similarities to cry- onics. However, determining death is diffi- Tanya Jones, David Crippen, M.D., and Leslie Whetstine, Ph.D. (left to right) had cult. Death is a continuum and it is hard to a lively discussion broaching issues of cryonics and critical care medicine. determine exactly when “information theo-

www.alcor.org Cryonics/First Quarter 2008 17 cal trials failed because it took too long to She began by stating that ter- start cooling the patient’s body. Two other tri- minology matters. Which als have been positive, including resuscitation terms are best: life extension, of cardiac arrest patients. health extension, anti-aging, Harris is working on a technology to rap- longevity, immortality, or idly cool the body using cold perfluorocarbon permanent health? liquid lung lavage. Harris has been able to Since we are made of lower the temperature 5.3 degrees in 5 min- meat, we enjoy the pleasures utes in a dog. The next day, the dog was up of life, but we end up aging and active again. and dying. Life extension Commentary: This is an incredibly enthusiasts want a means to exciting technology, but Harris seemed to be extend life, but nothing like very pessimistic about popularizing it. that exists now. The chal- According to Harris, because of short-life lenges are several. Medical patents and socialism, new resuscitation tech- doctors, researchers, and the nologies are difficult to develop and spread. FDA are not highly interest- There were a lot of technical details in the ed in life extension. In addi- talk, and the speaker had to skip over many of tion there are the basic diffi- Chana de Wolf gives a tour of Alcor's them when time ran out. He ended with a culties of understanding the emergency response capability. video of a dog that appeared to be fine 24 biology of aging and carrying hours after use of the technology. out research and develop- ment of ways to extend healthy lifespan. not. Humans peak around age 20 followed by Calvin Mercer, Ph.D. Peterson provided a list of things that a downhill degeneration to death. Cryonics and Religion: Friends or Foes? will help buy some time until radical life Once measures affecting life expectancy Cryonics, Mercer believes, will require extension technologies are available: can be developed, potential interventions can support from more than just scientists, • stress reduction be tested against these biomarkers for effec- including religious people. How the discus- • physical risk reduction tiveness. At Kronos, data from a variety of sion will play out among the groups, accord- • mood improvement tests is collected in a database. For most ing to Mercer, will include debates between • sleep, in a very dark room Kronos participants, this includes one or two liberal and conservative viewpoints, anthro- • sex data collection events, although longitudinal pocentric versus theocentric beliefs, material- • laughter studies require repeat testing over many years. ism versus the supernatural, pragmatic versus • biomarker testing One of the best known biochemical bio- dogmatic outlooks, and revisionists versus tra- • calorie restriction markers Kronos has found for aging is ditionalists. Mercer believes some will • reducing “inflammaging” DHEA-SO4. The lower the level, the older embrace radical life extension and others will • supplements the person. When comparing a variety of be torn between their beliefs and their desire • movement biomarkers, little correlation is discernible to get “being a good Christian right” to avoid • uploading suggesting aging is not just one underlying going to Hell. • biostasis (cryonics) problem, but multiple. Mercer seeks to generate discussion Kronos’ approach to aging is to assess about radical life extension among liberal reli- Commentary: Peterson noted that it is and prevent age-related health problems far in gious people and someday among conserva- important to get life insurance for cryonics, advance of their normal occurrence. The tive religious people, starting with academics. even if a person does not plan to sign up for Kronos team focuses on the top killers, like He provided two examples of success, includ- cryonics until later. Death or illness can be cardiovascular disease, and look for oxidative ing sessions held at a religious conference and unexpected, and cryonics remains a last option stress, with the goal of devising a plan for a book he’s writing. if other life extension efforts do not work out. prevention. They have conducted studies Commentary: Some religious unbeliev- related to Alzheimer’s Disease and seek to ers may feel a discussion of “cryonics and Chris Heward, Ph.D. correct misinformation about hormonal religion” is out of place, like “cryonics and The Kronos Longitudinal Aging Study: replacement therapy. unicorns.” However, I do understand that the The Measurement of Human Aging Commentary: In addition to the details majority of people are religious or spiritual. Chris Heward described his work on the of the Kronos studies, Heward provided Mercer presented this talk as an academic, Kronos Longitudinal Aging Study (KLAS) as nutrition and health advice. He suggested rather than a theologian. a measurement of human aging. Kronos being fit but not too lean. Exercise is impor- Science Laboratory is a research institution in tant, but there appears to be a cutoff around Christine Peterson Phoenix, Arizona. age 80, after which exercise has little further Life Extension: Good News, Heward showed a graph of life expectan- benefit. He also suggested fish oil, especially Bad News, Surprising News cy at birth versus at age 65. While life for Americans, as an important supplement Christine Peterson spends about half expectancy at birth has shown significant for decreasing cardiovascular risk.  time studying life extension as an enthusiast. improvement, life expectancy at age 65 has Photos credit: Brian Harris

18 Cryonics/First Quarter 2008 www.alcor.org Cryonics and Religion: Friends or Foes?

By Calvin Mercer, Ph.D.

recently presented a talk at the 7th Alcor be applicable to life extension science in gener- gious right to stem cell research. So history sug- IConference to an intelligent and receptive al. I focus my remarks on Christianity, because gests that opposition will arise. audience. A session on religion may seem out of that is predominant in the culture where the sci- Religion needs to be nimble. What I mean place at an Alcor conference that is largely scien- ence is unfolding. by that is taking old—”eternal” if you will— tific, with presentations on “rapid hypothermia Challenges await those in the life extension principles and applying them to new and chang- induction methods” and the like. And in aca- community who want to gain a hearing from reli- ing circumstances. That keeps religion vital and demic conferences, I usually follow someone gious people. However, the challenges are worth relevant, without losing those aspects of religion who has just discussed “Greco-Roman Religious confronting. Religious symbols and attendant that can contribute to society. However, we can Concepts in Rabbinic Law,” “Tantric Readings ideas are powerful and go to the heart of how go further and say that religion is nimble. It does of Court Poetry,” or something like that. Those people of faith have constructed themselves as change. It does evolve to take account of devel- are actual titles from the program book of a an identity. Symbols are like a lever, you move oping human culture. Clearly, all religions have recent conference of religion scholars. them and you move the minds and hearts of mil- evolved over time—Buddhism came out of The cryonics movement recognizes, per- lions of people in our culture. There will be— Hinduism, Christianity came out of Judaism, and haps increasingly so, the importance and chal- already is—resistance, but the payoff from Protestantism came out of Roman Catholicism. lenge of being understood by the general pub- thoughtful, respectful engagement can be signif- Contra some authors (e.g., Bill McKibben, lic. The culture into which the conversation icant, I say, for both science and religion. Enough: Staying Human in an Engineered Age; New about cryonics is being spoken is a diverse cul- The relationship between science and reli- York: Owl Books, 2003), I think the develop- ture where religion plays an important role. gion is one scholarly context of my remarks. I ment of life extension technologies is Alcor and the larger life extension movement need not say too much about this, but I want you inevitable. I contend that it is to their benefit are wise to pay attention to the mindset and lan- to know that the discussion of science and reli- for thoughtful religious people to have a seri- guage of this culture. If only the scientists in gion in the academy is a vigorous and growing ous conversation about this science, in order to the world give cryonics favor and support, then field of inquiry. That is one context, at the aca- evolve religion in a way that preserves religion’s cryonics is not going to fare very well. demic level, in which the discussion about life core principles and applies them in a helpful Thinking about these kinds of questions is extension will take place. way to the developing science. important for membership recruitment, for The relationship between religion and sci- I agree with James Hughes, from the favor at the state house, and for funding. ence can range from conflict to integration, Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technology, My task is to reflect on the question of with dialogue a moderate way forward. in a recent Metanexus Institute Global Spiral arti- cryonics and religion in a way that may help you Christianity’s conservative elements have often cle (“The Compatibility of Religious and communicate life extension and cryonics resisted new insights and information from the Transhumanist Views of Metaphysics, Suffering, beyond those who are already convinced of its scientific world. Well-known examples of con- Virtue and Transcendence in an Enhanced worth and help you think about how religious flict are Galileo and, in modern times, the Future”), that bioconservative and transhuman- people might interpret life extension science. I Scopes trial, a fight about evolution that contin- ist wings are going to show up in all the world’s see cryonics as part of the larger life extension ues under the guise of intelligent design. More religions. To extend his remark, I think it is movement, and so many of my comments will recently, there is the opposition from the reli- going to be messy. We will see some strange

www.alcor.org Cryonics/First Quarter 2008 19 bedfellows, at least in Christianity. In the conser- topic on the national meeting program was an vative wing we will have both bioconservative important step in generating conversation in and longevity enthusiasts, and in the liberal wing this academic context. I was pleased when we will get both camps as well. the AAR approved another session for our How this will play out is only an educated November 2007 meeting. This year we guess at this point. We need social science data focused our panel on eschatology—how reli- on attitudes toward cryonics across religious gions envision the future and how various groupings. Until we have that, we must speculate eschatological scenarios relate to emerging about how the discussion might unfold. technology’s vision of life extension. Dr. de Consider Christianity. It is a vast religion, with a Grey was again our science panelist. I am range of theological positions. More accurately, optimistic that life extension will increasingly adherents of the Christian religion show up on a be discussed in this important and influential continuum with fundamentalism on the right group of academics. and liberalism on the left. Recently, a colleague of mine and I obtained a contract from a major publisher, LIBERAL RELIGION Palgrave Macmillan, to co-edit a book of original Calvin is shown here with his wife, Susan, On the left, liberals tend to be anthro- articles written by scholars of various religions at the 7th Alcor Conference Open House. pocentric, that is, optimistic about human capa- about the implications of life extension technol- bility, believing that God, however they under- ogy. Dr. de Grey is writing the chapter that intro- standing handed down from previous genera- stand that term—and they understand it in a duces the science. This will be the first such tions. They tend to be dogmatic, committed to wide variety of ways—works through the natu- book of its kind, and I intend for this publication certain indisputable beliefs that are not open for ral world. Liberals are thisworldly, more occu- to serve as a vehicle for initiating a wider conver- questioning, modification, or debate, because pied with present problems like human suffer- sation in the major religions. the doctrines are supernaturally revealed. ing. They are pragmatic, interested in what That is some of the good news, although Conservatives are not open to science when it works, in what solves human problems and we are still very far away from where we need to is thought to contradict the supernatural revela- meets human needs. Liberals are revisionist; be with this conversation. tion they believe they have received from God. they see the necessity for revising and updating One of the toughest challenges in gaining (Again, I have adapted these broad descriptions traditional notions in light of changing circum- acceptance for life extension programs from from George C. Bedell, Leo Sandon, Jr., and stances—what I am calling theologically nimble. liberal people of faith is confronting skepticism Charles T. Wellborn, Religion in America; New (I have adapted these broad descriptions from about universal access. Liberals are concerned York: Macmillan, 1975; pp. 207-209) George C. Bedell, Leo Sandon, Jr., and Charles that life extension technology is going to be a Currently, the religious right is focused on T. Wellborn, Religion in America; New York: privilege of the wealthy, politically powerful their usual concerns about gay marriage, evolu- Macmillan, 1975; pp. 207-209) Clearly, someone class. Liberal, progressive Christianity, from its tion, flag burning, and so on. However, when with this profile is predisposed, as far as religion roots in the ancient Hebrew prophetic move- the life extension story breaks into the broader goes, to accept the scientific advancement ment to the modern liberation theologies of culture, the religious right is going to have offered by life extension technology. Latin American, black, and feminist origins, has something to say about it, and I think the reac- For the good news on the liberal side, here a history of struggling for the poor and disen- tion could split in several ways. are a couple of examples in which I am franchised. The degree to which academic and For sure, there will be opposition in the involved. The American Academy of Religion liberal religionists support life extension and form of the usual objections, such as the claim (AAR) is the world’s largest society of academ- cryonics will depend largely on how successful that life extension advocates are playing God. ics who teach or research topics related to reli- their questions about justice are addressed. For conservatives, this and other concerns will gion. The recent annual meeting, held jointly be grounded in a general suspicion of science. with another religion society, brought nearly CONSERVATIVE RELIGION However, I think it is going to be more compli- 10,000 scholars together. The scholars in this On the right side of the continuum, we cated for conservatives than with most other group who are Christians are most likely to be have conservatives, and there are different types. issues where conservatives tend to see things in of a moderate to liberal theological persuasion. Fundamentalists are more to the right than evan- black and white. John Warwick Montgomery, Liberal Christianity is friendly to science, open gelicals. It has been said that a fundamentalist is in a 1990 article (“Cryonics and Orthodoxy”) to its contributions. Liberal Christian scholars an evangelical who is mad about something, a on the Alcor website, printed in the evangelical themselves use critical methods in their schol- saying that highlights the degrees of conser- magazine Christianity Today, said serious theolo- arship. Through their networks, teaching, and vatism and the different levels of activism on gies of cryonics will be developed by the “truly writings these academics wield influence on the public issues. progressive evangelical theologians.” I would general public. Religious conservatives are theocentric and not go that far, but I think a significant segment At the 2006 annual meeting of the AAR, have a low view of human beings as being sin- of conservative Christianity is going to embrace I organized a panel of scholars from various ful and weak. Conservatives are otherworldly, life extension. religions to address the implications of signif- that is, emphasizing the reality and importance Most of my work is as a historian of reli- icant life extension on the religion they of the realm above and beyond the natural, gion, but I am also trained in clinical psychology, research. Aubrey de Grey gave a presentation such as heaven and hell. Generally opposed to practiced part-time for a decade, and use this of the science for the panel. To have this change, conservatives value religious under- method for studying religious behavior.

20 Cryonics/First Quarter 2008 www.alcor.org Specifically, I appropriate Aaron Beck’s cognitive anastasis can have shades of meaning—raise up therapy model to analyze fundamentalism. If I and, sometimes, to awaken or to recover. It has am right in my identification of the fundamental even been used to refer to repairing walls. In the cognitive schema that drives many conservative early Christian texts, there are several kinds of religious folk, then they are going to be torn raisings. There is the resuscitation of the dead— between their suspicion of science on the one as they understood dead, where Jesus raises hand and, on the other hand, the deep schema, someone from the dead and life goes on pretty involving fear, that could lead them to be open much as before. As an example, Jesus raised to life extension. Lazarus from what they understood to be dead. In a manuscript almost completed, I This resuscitation from the dead is distin- argue that the fundamentalist schema is: “If I guished from resurrection which results in a don’t get it right, I’m not a Christian, and I transformed body that is qualitatively differ- will go to hell.” In addition to whatever nerv- ent from the body before the resurrection. Calvin Mercer, Ph.D. ousness fundamentalists have about dying by Here, life does not continue as before, rather virtue of being a human being with a survival it continues in a transformed body with new Dr. Mercer teaches religious studies at instinct, there is an added concern by the fun- possibilities. In his transformed body, Jesus East Carolina University. He is co-edit- damentalist Christian who believes they will appeared and disappeared and moved ing a book to be published in 2009 by go to hell if they do not “get it right.” So life through doors. Transhumanists would like Palgrave Macmillan Press, Religion and extension is going to gain some support from that, maybe. But even here resurrection con- the Implications of Radical Life conservative Christians who want to stay here tinues the physical dimension of the per- Extension, covering the religious impli- until they are sure they get it right. son—i.e., the physical structure of the brain, cations of radical life extension science. if you will, that encodes memories and per- Dr. Mercer is a frequent speaker on this RESURRECTION sonality. Resurrection in the sense of a trans- topic. This article is a slight revision of How all Christians, and especially conserva- formed body, whether it is Jesus or the believ- his presentation at the October 2007 tive Christians, respond to this science is going to er at the end of time, preserves the memories Alcor Conference. depend in part on how certain symbols and doc- and personality of the resurrected person. trines are processed in light of life extension. The transformation entailed in resurrec- Remember, science and religion are some- Let us briefly experiment with the tion of the body is different from the idea of an times in conflict and sometimes in dialogue. Christian doctrine of resurrection. This is a immortal soul that came into Christian teaching Eternal (i.e., resurrection) and indefinite (i.e., challenging one to tackle, because it can get from the Hellenistic world. Resurrection of the life extension technology) are not the same, quite complicated, and I do not think the con- body is based on the Jewish notion of psycho- but it seems to me they are close enough that nection with life extension is necessarily easy to somatic unity of the human being. In Jewish they can have a dialogue, and dialogue is what make. However, resurrection is a central theo- thought, we do not have a soul, we are soul. So I would like to facilitate between the life logical notion in Christianity, and it goes to the the transformed state retains, in some sense, the extension and religious communities. heart of the matter with regard to the concerns physical dimension. Alcor, as a scientific organization, does not of the life extension community. If resurrec- Both of these kinds of raisings—resuscita- take a theological position on cryonics. Alcor’s tion can be understood in a way that brings tion of the dead and resurrection of the body— members, of course, are free to interpret cryon- Christian theology, on this point, in dialogue can be applied to cryonics, whether the scenario ics in whatever philosophical or maybe theologi- (maybe even integration) with life extension sci- is standing someone up (to play on the Greek cal way that makes sense to them. I have specu- ence, then the payoff both for the religion and word) in pretty much the same kind of body they lated on how some members of one religion the cause of life extension in gaining a hearing had before, except that the cancer is now cured, might do this with one doctrine. Hindus are in this religious community could be significant. or transforming the body with robotics and nan- going to have their own take on this with their In an article posted on the Alcor website otechnology-driven medicine. notion of the transmigration of the soul. (“Why a Religious Person Can Choose It may seem that in arguing for resurrection Buddhists, with their pragmatic approach to suf- Cryonics”), Steve Bridge says cryonics is not I am saying that in life extension and in cryonics fering expressed in the Four Noble Truths, are about bringing the dead back to life and it is not death is overcome. I am not saying that. Rather, going to weigh in from another perspective. about performing miracles. I agree with both I want to apply information theoretic death to You think being a cryonics member is inter- statements. Both are accurate and it is wise for what the ancient world called death. I am rein- esting now. Just wait until the Alcor Conference the cryonics movement to claim their members terpreting “death” there too. If in 2008 blood where you are sitting at the banquet table with a are still alive as patients. However, I want to stops flowing to my brain and I am not dead, half dozen atheists or agnostics. But now there interpret death and resurrection in a way that according to the information theoretic criterion, is a Hindu pantheist, a Zen Buddhist mediator, a may allow Christians, especially conservative that would also be true for someone in first cen- Mormon transhumanist (they now have an Christians, who participate in the life extension tury Palestine, until the brain structure is lost. organization and a website), a fundamentalist movement to think about life extension and It seems to me that resurrection, usually Christian, and a liberal Christian. And the dis- cryonics in these terms. understood as overcoming death, could be cussion between the last two, if they are even The Greek word anastasis is composed of expanded to include extending life eternally. talking to one another (and they usually don’t), is two words, the preposition ana, “up,” and then, Life extension technologies, including cryon- more heated than even the debate between the stasis, the word for “stand.” In the Greek world ics, may be able to extend life indefinitely. theist and atheist at the table. 

www.alcor.org Cryonics/First Quarter 2008 21 The Rejuvenation Breakthroughs That Could Reverse Human Aging In Our Lifetime

Author: Aubrey de Grey, Ph.D., with Michael Rae (New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2007) book review by DAVID BRANDT-ERICHSEN

nding Aging is the most pathfinding book There is no point in trying to summarize bad ones. Ultimately, only time will tell how E I have read so far this century — it pres- the book’s ideas in a mere review. Suffice it to valid his ideas are. In 2005 and 2006, MIT’s ents nothing less than a complete scientific say that it presents aging as a genetic disorder Technology Review offered a $20,000 prize for roadmap to eliminating the effects of human which can, should, and will be defeated, and, any scientist that could convince an independ- aging. Most books with titles similar to this for the first time, describes a detailed path by ent panel of biotechnology experts that de are long on wishful thinking and short on which that might be accomplished. If you Grey’s ideas were shown to be invalid. The hard science, but considering who authored want a summary you could look at the SENS prize went uncollected, although this, of this book I had good reason to suspect that it website, but to really understand the ideas course, does not mean that the ideas have might be different, and indeed it was. there is likely no substitute for reading the been shown to be valid either. Before Ending Aging was published, it was book. Writing this at 60 years old, do I believe not very easy to discover the significance of That Ending Aging is a book full of bril- that de Grey’s plan to reverse the effects of Dr. de Grey’s contributions to this field. This liant ideas I have no doubt. But the real ques- aging will be a clinical reality in time to do me was attempted in a fascinating British televi- tion is: Are they correct? To that question I do any good personally (i.e. before I need to sion documentary about de Grey called Do have a few doubts — but in a certain sense resort to cryopreservation)? My answer to You Want to Live Forever? (This has not yet been this does not matter because both science and that is a firm “No.” In my own field of work shown in the U.S. but you can see the full 75- engineering are self-correcting as more as a research tech in molecular genetics, I am minute program online on Google Video by knowledge and better techniques are acutely aware of how long it takes to turn bio- searching for the title.) The documentary, obtained. What de Grey describes in this logical theory into benchtop reality, let alone however, did not explain the science behind book are engineering strategies based on clinical application. While an undergraduate in his thinking, so did not provide a way for me understood bioscience and biotechnology. It biological science I became excited about the to judge the validity of his ideas. He does have is exceedingly rare for engineering develop- theoretically sound idea of using viruses as a website that briefly describes his plan, called ment of complex technology to follow a vectors to introduce genes into humans to Strategies for Engineered Negligible smooth path that closely conforms to the first treat a wide range of conditions. Over 40 Senescence or SENS (www.sens.org), but as design. Rather, engineers have to build a little years later, the prospect of using gene therapy he himself states, his ideas really require and test a little, over and over, until they get a techniques in widespread clinical application book-length treatment to explain. final design that works in the real world. But still remains a dream for the future, and de Fortunately, that book is now available — that does not diminish the importance of the Grey’s plan is immensely more complicated and the book is more exciting than the best first design. We knew, for example, that a than that. detective novel, as the mysteries of aging are space shuttle could be built long before we This book is a very effective argument gradually unraveled, the results of the latest went through various iterative designs to pro- against the idea that aging and death are natu- studies are revealed, and the bio-engineering duce an actual working shuttle. De Grey’s ral parts of life that should be accepted as strategies for actually reversing the effects of breakthrough contribution is to create a such. That philosophy might seem appropri- aging are systematically developed. The book detailed “first design” for ending aging, far ate to those who believe there is no other is written so a person without any science beyond what anybody has done before. choice. But it would be difficult for anybody background can understand it, yet is detailed De Grey’s ideas are controversial in the to read this book without concluding that in enough to communicate the ideas to scientists scientific community. This is as it should be the future there will indeed be another choice, as well. This can be a fine line to tread, and — it is constant criticism and testing that and that the coming end of aging can be the book does a pretty good job of it. weed out the good scientific ideas from the measured in decades rather than centuries. 

22 Cryonics/First Quarter 2008 www.alcor.org Tech News R. Michael Perry, Ph.D.

University Medical Center neurobiologist aging than normal mice. The research adds to Michael Ehlers, M.D., Ph.D., these receptors a growing body of work showing the impor- are constantly moving around the synapse and tance of insulin signaling pathways as an often times they disappear or escape. Ehlers aging mechanism in mammals—and poten- discovered that a specific set of molecules tially humans. The study, published in The catch these elusive receptors, take them to the FASEB Journal, shows that mice lacking IRS- recycling plant where they are reprocessed and 1 had an average lifespan increase of 20 per- returned to the synapse intact. cent when compared to normal mice. In female mice lacking IRS-1 this figure was even ScienceDaily higher, averaging 30 percent. While the 9/24/07 expected life-span for a mouse is about 25 http://www.sciencedaily.com/ months, one of the IRS-1deficient mice in releases/2007/09/070919123138.htm this research lived for 38 months—66 percent Brain’s Memory Capacity longer than a normal mouse. As well as living longer, the mice without IRS-1 also experi- Less Than Thought Genes Found That Slow enced better health than the normal mice as If you can’t remember where you left the car they aged. Professor Dominic Withers works keys, take comfort in a new study that sug- Both Aging and Cancer Researchers have identified a batch of genes with the UCL Centre for Research on Ageing gests the brain’s memory capacity may be far and is lead author of the study. lower than once thought. About 100 billion that not only prevent cancer but slow the aging neurons, or brain cells, make up the average process in worms and say they are now look- ing to see if the genes have the same proper- ScienceDaily adult’s brain, but the computer-based discov- 10/23/07 ery shows our memory isn’t based simply on ties in humans. Many of the genes in the worms are already known to have counter- http://www.sciencedaily.com/ neuron numbers. Instead, the limited amount releases/2007/10/071022120229.htm of connections a neuron can make to other parts in humans, and the team at the neurons may cut memory capacity. Co-author University of California, San Francisco, says they hope to better understand some of the Peter Latham, a neuroscientist at University U.S. Study Finds Potential College London, and his colleague’s findings processes that cause both aging and cancer. are detailed online in the journal PLoS Drugs that mimic the effects of these genes New Ways to Fight Aging Computational Biology. might help people both avoid cancer and also Researchers said September 20 they had found live longer, they wrote in the Oct. 14 issue of more ways to activate the body’s own anti- MSNBC the journal Nature Genetics. Biologist Cynthia aging defenses – perhaps with a pill that could 9/14/07 Kenyon is perhaps best known for discovering fight multiple diseases at once. Their study, http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20775068/ that a change in just one gene, called daf-2, published in the journal Cell, helps explain why could double the life span of small round- animals fed very low-calorie diets live longer, worms called Caenorhabditis elegans. “There but it also offers new ways to try to replicate New Understanding of Basic is a widely held view that any mechanism that the effects of these diets using a pill instead of slows aging would probably stimulate tumor hunger, the researchers said. “What we are Units of Memory growth,” Kenyon said in a statement. “But we A molecular “recycling plant” permits nerve found many genes that increase life span, but cells in the brain to carry out two seemingly slow tumor growth. Humans have versions of contradictory functions – changeable enough many of these genes …” to record new experiences, yet permanent enough to maintain memories over time. The MSNBC discovery of this molecular recycling plant, 10/15/07 detailed in a study appearing early online Sept. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21305223/ 19 in the journal Neuron, provides new insights into the functioning of the basic units of learning and memory. Individual memories are Healthier Mouse Could “burned onto” hundreds of receptors that are constantly in motion around nerve synapses— Hold Clues to Human Aging gaps between individual nerve cells crucial for A study by scientists at University College signals to travel throughout the brain. London shows that mice lacking the insulin According to the study’s leader, Duke receptor substrate IRS-1 are more resistant to

www.alcor.org Cryonics/First Quarter 2008 23 talking about is potentially having one pill that from synthetic, non-viral materials. The team BBC News prevents and even cures many diseases at is led by Daniel Anderson, research associate 11/2/07 once,” said David Sinclair, a pathologist at in MIT’s Center for Cancer Research. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/ Harvard Medical School who helped lead the technology/7074547.stm research. Sinclair helped found a company that ScienceDaily is working on drugs based on this research, 9/16/07 Sirtris Pharmaceuticals. http://www.sciencedaily.com/ Quantum Computing releases/2007/09/070907095614.htm Possibilities Enhanced With Reuters.com 9/20/07 New Material Scientists at Florida State University’s http://www.reuters.com/article/ Cat Joins Exclusive Genome Club healthNews/idUSN2040775520070920 National High Magnetic Field Laboratory A pedigree cat called Cinnamon has made sci- and the university’s Department of entific history by becoming the first feline to Chemistry and Biochemistry have intro- have its DNA decoded. The domestic cat now duced a new material that could be to com- Making Gene Therapy Safer: joins the select club of mammals whose puters of the future what silicon is to the Delivering Genes via Polymers genome has been deciphered, including dogs, computers of today. The material—a com- In work that could lead to safe and effective chimps, rats, mice, cows and people. The pound made from the elements potassium, techniques for gene therapy, MIT researchers genome map is expected to shed light on both niobium and oxygen, along with chromium have found a way to fine-tune the ability of feline and human disease. Cats get hundreds ions—could provide a technological break- biodegradable polymers to deliver genes. of illnesses similar to human ones, including a through that leads to the development of Gene therapy, which involves inserting new feline version of HIV, known as FIV, and a new quantum computing technologies. genes into patients’ cells to fight diseases, hereditary form of blindness. Cinnamon, a Quantum computers would harness the holds great promise but has yet to realize its four-year-old Abyssinian cat, has retinitis pig- power of atoms and molecules to perform full potential, in part because of safety con- mentosa, a degenerative eye disease, also memory and processing tasks on a scale far cerns over the conventional technique of found in humans, which can lead to blindness. beyond those of current computers. “The using viruses to carry the genes. The new Earlier this year, with the help of the field of quantum information technology is MIT work, published this week in Advanced sequence, scientists found the gene change, or in its infancy, and our work is another step Materials, focuses on creating gene carriers mutation, that causes the condition in cats. Dr forward in this fascinating field,” said Stephen O’Brien of the US Saritha Nellutla, a postdoctoral associate at National Cancer Institute spear- the magnet lab and lead author of the headed the project. paper published in Physical Review Letters.

BBC News ScienceDaily 11/1/07 10/9/07 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/ http://www.sciencedaily.com/ science/nature/7073194.stm releases/2007/10/071008103647.htm

Protein Folding Network Tiny Chips Flash Enters Record Books Memory Advance A project that harnesses the Electronics giant Samsung has shown off spare processing power of Sony’s what it claims is the world’s most powerful PlayStation 3 (PS3) to help chip for use in memory cards. The 64 gigabit understand the cause of diseases (Gb) chips could be used to make 128 giga- has entered the record books. byte memory cards, commonly used in MP3 Guinness World Records has rec- players, capable of holding the equivalent of ognized folding@home (FAH) as 80 DVDs. The chips are built using circuits the world’s most powerful dis- with a minimum feature size of just 30 tributed computing network. nanometers. Rival firm Toshiba has said it is FAH has signed up nearly also working with similar technology. Both 700,000 PS3s to examine how the firms will release products in 2009. shape of proteins affect diseases such as Alzheimer’s. The network BBC News has more than one petaflop of Structure of a piece of biodegradable polymer, 10/23/07 which could be used to deliver disease-fighting genes. computing power—the equiva- http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/ Such materials could circumvent the risks associated with lent of 1,000 trillion calculations technology/7057717.stm using viruses to carry genes. (Credit: Jordan Green/MIT) per second.

24 Cryonics/First Quarter 2008 www.alcor.org What is Cryonics?CRYONICS ryonics is an attempt to preserve and protect the gift of human life, not reverse death. It is the spec- Culative practice of using extreme cold to preserve the life of a person who can no longer be support- ed by today’s medicine. Will future medicine, including mature nanotechnology, have the ability to heal at the cellular and molecular levels? Can cryonics successfully carry the cryopreserved person forward through time, for however many decades or centuries might be necessary, until the cryopreservation process can be reversed and the person restored to full health? While cryonics may sound like science fiction, there is a basis for it in real science. The complete scientific story of cryonics is seldom told in media reports, leaving cryonics widely misunderstood. We invite you to reach your own conclusions. How doF I findIND out OUTmore? MORE he Alcor Life Extension Foundation is the world leader in cryonics research and technology. Alcor Tis a non-profit organization located in Scottsdale, Arizona, founded in 1972. Our website is one of the best sources of detailed introductory information about Alcor and cryopreservation (www.alcor.org). We also invite you to request our FREE information package on the “Free Information” section of our website. It includes:

• A 30-minute DVD documentary “The Limitless Future” • A fully illustrated color brochure • A sample of our magazine • An application for membership and brochure explaining how to join • And more!

Your free package should arrive in 1-2 weeks. (The complete package will be sent free in the U.S., Canada, and the United Kingdom.) How doEN I enroll?ROLL Signing up for a cryopreservation is easy! Step 1: Fill out an application and submit it with your $150 application fee. Step 2: You will then be sent a set of contracts to review and sign. Step 3: Fund your cryopreservation. While most people use life insurance to fund their cryopreservation, other forms of prepayment are also accepted. Alcor’s Membership Coordinator can provide you with a list of insurance agents familiar with satisfying Alcor’s current fund- ing requirements. Finally: After enrolling, you will wear emergency alert tags or carry a special card in your wallet. This is your confirmation that Alcor will respond immediately to an emergency call on your behalf.

Call toll-free today to start your application: 877-462-5267 ext. 132 [email protected] www.alcor.org

The Limitless Future Get your FREE copy of Alcor’s 30-minute DVD documentary by visiting the “Free Information” section of our website