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A Non-Profit Organization February 2014 • Volume 35:2 Has Cryonics Taken the Wrong Path? Page 22 Forever Lost? The First Cryonics Brain Repair Paper Page 5 The Case for Whole Body Cryopreservation Page 16 ISSN 1054-4305 $9.95 Improve Your Oddsof a Good Cryopreservation You have your cryonics funding and contracts in place but have you considered other steps you can take to prevent problems down the road? ü Keep Alcor up-to-date about personal and medical changes. ü Update your Alcor paperwork to reflect your current wishes. ü Execute a cryonics-friendly Living Will and Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care. ü Wear your bracelet and talk to your friends and family about your desire to be cryopreserved. ü Ask your relatives to sign Affidavits stating that they will not interfere with your cryopreservation. ü Attend local cryonics meetings or start a local group yourself. ü Contribute to Alcor’s operations and research. Contact Alcor (1-877-462-5267) and let us know how we can assist you. Visit the ALCOR FORUMS www.alcor.org/forums/ Discuss Alcor and cryonics topics with other members and Alcor officials. • The Alcor Foundation • Financial • Cell Repair Technologies • Rejuvenation • Cryobiology • Stabilization • Events and Meetings Other features include pseudonyms (pending verification of membership status) and a private forum. Visit the ALCOR BLOG www.alcor.org/blog/ Your source for news about: • Cryonics technology • Speaking events and meetings • Cryopreservation cases • Employment opportunities • Television programs about cryonics Alcor is on Facebook Connect with Alcor members and supporters on our official Facebook page: www.facebook.com/alcor.life.extension.foundation Become a fan and encourage interested friends, family members, and colleagues to support us too. A Non-Profit Organization rofit Organization A Non-P lume 35:2 y 2014 • Vo Februar CONTENTS n ake 6 COOLER MINDS PREVAIL nics T th? yo g Pa Multiple Sclerosis and Human Has Cr on Page 22 the Wr Enhancement Multiple Sclerosis is a debilitating chronic auto-immune disorder in COVER STORY: PAGE 22 which a person’s immune system attacks the myelin sheaths in the Has Cryonics Taken the Wrong Path? central nervous system. In this Over the last couple of years there has installment of “Cooler Minds been a lot of discussion about how Prevail,” this condition is used as cryonics should be conceptualized a framework to discuss issues such and promoted. Is cryonics part of a as immunosenescence, human personal belief system that includes enhancement, and repair strategies transhumanism and immortality, or for cryonics patients. ISSN 1054-4305 should cryonics be seen as a proposal 10 FOR THE RECORD $9.95 to introduce a new kind of critical Notes on the Cryopreservation of care medicine aimed at saving lives? James Bedford For the first time since its online The freezing of James Bedford publication in 2006, we present January 12, 1967, was a landmark ex-Alcor President Steve Bridge’s of cryonics: the first, albeit crude, contribution to this debate. human cryogenic preservation under controlled conditions for 5 QUOD INCEPIMUS CONFICIEMUS intended eventual resuscitation. Forever Lost? The First Cryonics Brain Repair Paper Though it was amply reported Even before Mike Darwin published his biological repair paper The some confusion persists as to just Anabolocyte in 1977, Jerome B. White presented a paper called what happened. Our “For the “Viral Induced Repair of Damaged Neurons with Preservation of Long Record” column will try to more Term information Content.” While this paper may constitute the first accurately reconstruct events plus systematic treatment of cell repair in cryonics patients, recent efforts include some interesting back-story. to track down this paper have been futile. Is this presentation lost? 28 Membership Statistics How many members, associate 16 The Case for Whole Body Cryopreservation members, and patients does Alcor About half of Alcor’s members have chosen whole body have and where do they live? cryopreservation as their preferred method of cryopreservation. Despite the growing popularity of this option, there is a scarcity of 31 Resuscitation Update systematic articles that make a case for whole body cryopreservation. Mike Perry surveys the news Mike O’Neill collaborated with Cryonics magazine editor Aschwin de and research to report on new Wolf to update his early article that made a case in favor of whole developments that bring us closer to body cryopreservation. the resuscitation of cryonics patients. www.alcor.org Cryonics / February 2014 3 A Non-Profit Organization 2014 Annual Giving Program lcor provides a wide array of services for you the member, and the general Editorial Board public. We inform and educate, we protect and preserve, and we strive to Saul Kent Aremain at the forefront of cryonics technology. Ralph C. Merkle, Ph.D. Since its founding, Alcor has relied on member support to maintain its mission R. Michael Perry, Ph.D. and attract new members. Your support, regardless of size, can provide a better future for all cryonicists. Please act now. Editor Aschwin de Wolf SUGGESTED GIVING LEVELS $20 FRIEND Contributing Writers Stephen Bridge $60 JUNIOR SUpporter Aschwin de Wolf Chana de Wolf $120 SUstaining SUpporter Mike O’Neal R. Michael Perry, Ph.D. $500 Advocate SUpporter Copyright 2014 $1,000 LEADING SUpporter by Alcor Life Extension Foundation $2,500 Visionary SUpporter All rights reserved. Reproduction, in whole or part, without $5,000 Silver SUpporter permission is prohibited. $10,000 GOLD SUpporter Cryonics magazine is published monthly. $25,000 TitaniUM SUpporter To subscribe to the printed edition and/or change your address, please call $50,000 VANGUARD SUpporter 480.905.1906 x101or visit the magazine website: We encourage every member to donate. Even if you can only afford $5 right now, www.alcor.org/magazine you will make a significant contribution to Alcor’s future. Donations may be made via the Donations button on the Alcor website or by Please note: If you change your address less than contacting Alcor’s Finance Director, Bonnie Magee, at [email protected]. Your a month before the magazine is mailed, it may donation may be made as a lump sum or divided into easy monthly payments. be sent to your old address. Address correspondence to: Cryonics Magazine 7895 East Acoma Drive, Suite 110 Scottsdale, Arizona 85260 Phone: 480.905.1906 The James Bedford Society Toll free: 877.462.5267 ifts have played a fundamental role in the cryonics Fax: 480.922.9027 movement since its earliest days. Dr. James Bedford, a man whose extraordinary vision led him to become the Letters to the Editor welcome: G first person to be cryopreserved, and the first to make a bequest to [email protected] a cryonics organization, exemplified the determination of the early pioneers of cryonics. We invite you to follow in his footsteps, and Advertising inquiries: join the James Bedford Society. 480.905.1906 x113 The James Bedford Society recognizes those who make a [email protected] bequest of any size to the Alcor Life Extension ISSN: 1054-4305 Foundation. If you have already provided a gift Visit us on the web at www.alcor.org for Alcor in your estate, please send a copy of your relevant documents to Alcor’s Finance Director, Bonnie Magee. Alcor News Blog If you’d like to learn more about setting up a bequest, send an email http://www.alcor.org/blog/ to [email protected] or call 480-905-1906 x114 to discuss your gift. 4 Cryonics / February 2014 www.alcor.org Quod incepimus conficiemus Photo: Cryo-Care Equipment Corporation at 2340 E. Washington St., Phoenix, AZ. Dr. Bedford’s “home” in 1970 or 1971. FOREVER LOST? THE FIRST CRYONICS BRAIN REPAIR PaPER By Aschwin de Wolf or more than a year now I have artificially constructed virus particles into a been trying to locate Jerome B. congenitally defective cell for remedy; similar “Despite being recognized as the White’s paper “Viral Induced Repair means may be used for the more general case F first presentation about repair of Damaged Neurons with Preservation of of repair. Progress has been made in many Long Term Information Content.” This paper relevant areas. The repair program must use of the brain of cryonics patients, is referred to in a number of books and means such as protein synthesis and metabolic articles, including Robert Ettinger’s Man pathways to diagnose and repair any damage. I am not aware of any actual into Superman (1972), Eric Drexler’s Engines Applied to brain neurons, this might quotes or discussion of the paper, of Creation, and Mike Darwin’s biological destroy long term information content, which repair proposal in his article The Anabolocyte appears to be stored in molecular form, often raising the question how many (1977). Despite being recognized as the suggested to be in a feedback cycle involving authors who have referenced the first presentation about repair of the brain mRNA and protein. This information can of cryonics patients, I am not aware of any be preserved by specifying that the repair paper have actually read it.” actual quotes or discussion of the paper, program incorporate appropriate RNA raising the question of how many authors tapes into itself upon entry and release them the Cryonics Society of Michigan,” which who have referenced the paper have on termination of repair. provides evidence that this presentation was actually read it. The best I have been able Jerome B. White’s paper was presented at either transcribed or an actual paper was to find is what amounts to the complete the Second National Cryonics Conference prepared prior to or after the conference. abstract of the paper in Robert Ettinger’s in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1969.
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