How Secure Is Your Cryonics F

How Secure is Your Cryonics F-.......... ---. .......... Read The Funding Game by Steve Bridge and find out ''What is cryonics?'' Cryonics is the ultra-low-temperature preservation (biostasis) of terminal patients. The goal ofbiostasis and the technology of cryonics is the transport of today' s terminal patients to a time in the future when cell and tissue repair technology will be available, and restoration to full function and health will be possible. As human knowledge and medical technology continue to expand in scope, people considered beyond hope of restoration (by today's medical standards) will be restored to health. (This historical trend is very clear.) The coming control over living systems should allow fabrication of new organisms and sub-cell-sized devices. These molecular repair devices should be able to eliminate virtually all of today' s diseases, including aging, and should allow for repair and revival of patients waiting in cryonic suspension. The challenge for cryonicists today is to devise techniques that will ensure the patients' survival. "How do I find out more?" The best source of detailed introductory information about cryonics is C!yonics: Reaching For Tomorrow. Over 100 pages long~ Reaching For Tomorrow presents a sweeping examination of the social, practical, and scientific arguments that support the continuing refinement of today' s imperfect cryonic suspension techniques, in pursuit of a perfected "suspended animation" technology. This new edition features an updated and lengthened chapter on revival, as well as the appendices "The Cryobiological Case for Cryonics" and "Suspension Pricing and the Cost ofPatient Care." Orderyourcopyfor$7.95,orreceiveitFREEwhenyou subscribe to C!yonicsmagazineforthefirsttime. (See the Order Form on page 40 of this issue.) Jeafure ,.ti ISSUETOPRESS: November9, 1995 Dear Editor, Stephen Bridge responds: I was very interested in Bob The Alcor t~am almost always Ettinger's interview in the last issue of works with funeral directors on sus Clyonics. He mentioned involving pensions, since funeral directors know Funeral Directors and offering them local regulations and can help with an alternative to burial and cremation. permits and transportation and they I think that this is a much more are willing to rent their work space for logical approach than our current ten a few hours. Some embalmers have dency to rubbish their traditional ser been willing to work with us on the vices. Of course, there is bound to be suspension procedures as well, and in mutual distrust. Imagine how Funeral some distant cases have done the ba Directors felt when after thousands of sic procedures themselves, with tele years of burials the new idea of crema phone instructions. We know how tion came along. If we give them the important these services are, and we impression that we are in direct oppo have never "rubbished" (in America sition to them, then it's only natural if we would say "trashed") their ser they disparage cryonics in front of vices. We see funeral directors as pro their customers. However, if we co fessional service providers, needed operate with them then surely we can for cryonics as it is practiced today, all benefit. and not as business rivals. I am sure this is the right way We have written many letters to forward. Derek Ryan outlined the funeral directors and we hope to ad idea in the Ettinger interview; possi vertise in some of the annual directo bly using Care Service companies as ries of the funeral industry as funds intermediaries. become available. A recent issue of Can Ale or approach Funeral Di The Director (official publication of rectors with a carefully worded letter the National Funeral Directors Asso introducing our services and stressing ciation) was about Alcor and cryonics, that it would be financially worth listing the names and contact infor while for them? mation for all of the cryonics groups. The alternative may be that we That said, we would still like spend the next 20 years as a tiny fringe cryonics to move in a direction where, organisation with all that implies and in the next decade or so, this is seen as 95% of the people will never know we a medical procedure and is increas exist. Even worse, Alcor may be ingly performed by the hospitals. In bypassed by a larger, more commer the long run, such an approach is cially-minded company. more likely to enhance the image of Incidentally, I think Alcor is do cryonics and much more likely to ing an excellent job with a truly dedi result in timely and superior suspen cated team. sions. But until the "long run" ar rives and maybe even then, we need David D. Flude to keep our friends in the funeral England industry. r opinion? We've new readers si nee Cryonics is the quarterly publication of the Alcor life Extension Foundation ined this dilemma this magazine. ( Editor: Ralph Whelan ) of you will have Volume 16:4 11 Issue #168 11 4th Quarter, 1995 11 ISSN 1054-4305 that will help us (Most of the first 160 issues-September, 1977 through December, 1993-were published on a monthly basis.) the psychologi- Conte·nts copyright 1995 by the Alcor Life Extension Foundation, Inc., except where otherwise noted. All rights reserved. The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the Alcor Foundation or its Board of Directors or management. About the Cove( The cover of this issue was designed by Ralph Whelan, using Aldus FreehandTM, Aldus Pagemaker™, and Corel Gallery™. 2 Cryonics 11 4th Quarter, 1995 by R. Michael Perry, Ph.D. The Man With the Broken Ear n a preface to The Prospect of Im tion in the Urals. Now he is returning I mortality, Robert Ettinger's 1964 to his home in Fontainebleu, France, book that helped launch the cryonics where his parents and fiancee movement, Jean Rostand speaks of a Clementine are eager to see him after novel written just over a century be his three-year absence. His homeward fore, in 1862. The Man with the Bro journey from Russia takes him through ken Ear, by the popular French writer Berlin; his father wishes some me Edmond About, chronicles a case of mento from the estate, then being dis Written in 1862, suspended animation and explores persed, of the late German naturalist many of the issues that have been von Humboldt. This is acquired, but The Man with raised in our own times over cryonics. there is a more interesting find-"a the Broken Ear The book, a fine pioneering effort in very fine anatomical specimen"-the science fiction, was intended as enter preserved body of a French officer of chronicles a case tainment and is still very entertaining. the Napoleonic wars, nearly a half (An easy search of a local library's century before. of suspended files produced an 1867 English trans Along with the mummy is a "very animation and lation by Henry Holt, reprinted by curious memoir" that tells something Amo Press, 1975.) But the predomi of his history. Victor Fougas-the explores many of nantly light-hearted tone offers a man's name-was entrusted by Na the issues that glimpse into prevailing attitUdes about poleon to deliver a secret document to death and possible resurrection that one of his generals. Captured by the have been raised are still much with us today, and which Russians, the handsome young colo we need to better understand in our nel is to be executed as a spy. It is in our own times efforts to make the prospect of immor November, and in the cold of his over cryonics. tality more acceptable to others. unheated cell he is found one evening Like many a good yam, it opens near death. The physician who exam with a mystery of sorts-a hint of ines him is a Professor Meiser who Something Strange that quickly grabs also has an interest in suspended ani the reader's interest. Leon Renault, a mation and resuscitation. Up to then young science student turned entre the main successes in this field had preneur, by 1859 has made a respect been with tardigrades, rotifers and the able fortune through a mining opera- like; one should aim for something 4th Quarter, 1995 • Cryonics 3 grander. Realizing the man won't be this world, which we gallop through Leon accidentally breaks a piece off alive long in any case, the German in a few years, never to return to it the man's ear. Some of this tissue is doctor performs an experiment in again." sent to a local biologist, and the report which the body is very carefully des The rationale of Professor Meiser is most encouraging: there is no real iccated at near-freezing temperature, in preserving the body was actually a sign of deterioration. So careful has and says afterward that the man just reasonable one. As is explained, the been the preservation that, like the died and the preservation was routine. body might be compared to a watch, tardigrade, the cells become viable on Instead every precaution is taken to in which the various parts are interact moistening! conserve the viability of the tissues, ing to cause the functioning of the Finally, it's time to try this out on which assume a leathery toughness whole. Put the mechanism on hold, the rest of the body, which is more that protects against further deteriora without any deterioration, and it should involved, but-Victor Fougas returns tion-cold storage is unnecessary. to life! A little dressing helps his ear to Upon his request the professor is al heal; otherwise, no damage! (The lowed to keep the body, and its jour "clipped ear"-a demonic sign to the ney begins.

Load more