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 ofthis 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. superstitious-later helps him in Young Leon explains it to his an amusing altercation.) Two family. Though the man had complications immediately been "sacrificed to science" the arise: the revived young of­ professor's aims were worthy ficer returns the affection of ones: actually saving a life, Clementine, which threat- since there was a chance of ens the impending mar­ future resuscitation, and riage, and-future shock. shedding light on a ques- Fougas is still a child of tion of deepest interest to the Napoleonic era, his all. main passion-even "The duration of our more than a marital in­ existence is very much terest-is soldiering. too brief," Leon contin­ Fougas remembers that ues. " ... We know that in his fiancee was also a a hundred years, not one Clementine and in fact of the nine or ten persons bore a remarkable re­ assembled in this house semblance to the one now will be living on the face before him-though the of the earth. Is not this a former must be old if alive deplorable fact?" People at all. He had been called would like to see the tenth, away to war before the mar­ twentieth or thirtieth genera­ riage could be performed and tion of their descendants, learned-just before his de­ though "it is useless even to mise-that a child was on the dream" of such a thing. way. He sets off to find these two, "One will dream of it, neverthe­ if possible. The quest culminates in less, and perhaps there is no man who a deft resolution of Leon's marriage has not said to himself at least once in problem-he and Clementine will wed his life: 'If I could but come to life Edmond About after all-but there is the other prob­ again in a couple of centuries!' One lem of what Fougas will now do with would wish to return to earth to seek be possible to restart it at a later time. his life. news of his family; another, of his Not only that, but if the wait were long That shouldn't be an issue. He has dynasty. A philosopher is anxious to enough, ailments might be cured that a military background, and with a bit know if the ideas that he has planted originally had no treatment. of effort could adapt to this new era of will have borne fruit; a politician, if his On examination, the body of Vic­ Napoleon (the third, that is). The prob­ party will have obtained the upper tor Fougas, though dried and shrunken, lem is, by chronology he's seventy, hand; a miser, if his heirs will not have shows a remarkable preservation in­ too old to serve! Never mind that dissipated the fortune he has made; a deed, the handsome face having "a biologically he's only twenty-five! mere land-holder, if the trees in his rosy tint which is not ordinarily seen Bureaucracy being what it is, it looks garden will have grown tall. No one is in embalmed corpses." Clementine is as if the regulations will win, but strings indifferent to the future destinies of strangely attracted, and cries out when are pulled, all the way to the top. The

4 Cryonics • 4th Quarter, 1995 But on the whole the book is a light­ can be obtained through freezing. Most hearted look at the problem of death of us in cryonics would much rather and its possible resolution, that doesn't be frozen than embalmed or mummi­ make too much light of issues that are fied; however, the question of how important to us. It's remarkable good non-cryogenic preservation enough that such a tale appeared so might be, or might become, is still long ago, and I think it's well worth a unanswered. Like many other issues, read. it is a worthwhile topic for research, One final issue I'd like to address that awaits the necessary commitment is that of cryogenic versus above­ of resources. freezing storage. In the story a viable preservation occurs at ambient tem­ perature-in this case through desic­ cation, by analogy with such crea­ tures as the tardigrade who naturally desiccate and then revive upon moist­ Victor Fougas ening. (Tardigrades, which are tiny arthropods about a millimeter in length, Emperor agrees to bend the rules a have revived in this way after 100 little .... years' dry storage though they didn't Here I think would have been a live long, probably due to oxidation good place to end the story. Instead it that was still occurring in the dried goes on for a few paragraphs more, to state. This problem, though, could be "tidy up" in a manner common with avoided by storage at lower tempera­ older imaginative fiction. Life must ture.) Another possibility for ambient­ EXTROPY: The Journal of go on as before, and anything too temperature preservation is chemical Transhumanlst Thought #15 unusual must disappear or turn back fixation. Such methods would be Future Forecasts (Drexler, Benford, et al.), into a pumpkin, so to speak. Scratch nice-if there were sufficient reten­ features on digital cash and denationaliza­ poor Fougas, the man out of time, who tion of critical brain structures. You tion of money, Roy Walford Interview, Profile: did what we cryonicists are hoping to wouldn't have to worry so much about FM-2030, Bioenhancement: Melatonin, do for real. Like many today, people patients warming up or the cost of Consciousness and Spontaenous Order, in the 1860s didn't want to be told that liquid nitrogen to keep them cold. But and more. 60pp. S5; S18forone-yearsub. (822 Canada, S32/S24 overseas air/sur­ "coming back" might be a serious as yet there is no evidence of good face) from Extropy Institute, 13428 Maxella option-except by the hand of God. brain preservation, compared to what Avenue#273, Marina Del Rey, CA90292. E-mail: [email protected]

MARY NAPLES, CLU and BOB GILMORE CRYONICS INSURANCE SPECIALISTS. 4600 Bohannon Drive, Suite 100 Menlo Park, CA 94025. (800) 645-3338. The Alcor Foundation is sponsoring a cryonics technology festival next February in Scottsdale, Arizona. Confirmed speakers for the festival include Ralph Merkle, Ph.D. (Report on Fourth Foresight Conference on Molecular Nanotechnol­ ogy), Mark Voelker, Ph.D. (Aicor Research), "Father of Cryonics" Robert Ettinger (Cryonics Institute Research), Alcor President Stephen Bridge (Aicor current activity and future plans), Ben Best and Thomas Donaldson(Structure and Function of the Human Brain, and its Relevance to Cryonics), Paul Segall, Ph.D. (Normo­ thermic and Hypothermic Blood Substitutes), Hal Sternberg, Ph.D. (Cryogenic Preservation), and Gayle Pergamit (the propagation of futurist memes). Registration is $55 before December 1, $75 after that (including at the door). The registration fee includes some meals and all events, but does not include lodging. For more detailed information and a registration form, contact Alcor at 1-800-367-2228.

4th Quarter, 1995 • Cryonics 5 by Stephen W. Bridge

The Funding Game

''And nowlet's welcome our nextguest, Charlie Smith! Charlie, for your first question: When you are pronounced legally dead, what will happen to your body?" "Bob, I've chosen cryonic suspension." DING! "Good answer, Charlie! And what cryonics organization did you choose?" "I chose Alcor." DING! "Right again! And what method offunding did you choose?" "Bob, I placed a certificate ofdeposit in trust for Alcor." DING! "That's one ofseveral possible right answers, Charlie. You are close to winning the jackpot. One more question, Charlie. Is that trust for Alcor revocable or irrevocable?" "That's 'revocable', Bob!" "Interesting answer, Charlie. Before we go on, can you tell us why you chose "revocable?" "Well, I didn't want to give up control ofmy money." BRZZZZZZZZZ!! "Ohhhh, I'm sorry, Charlie; that was the wrong answer. You ARE dying; you're confused by the medications; your sister just talked you into changing that account to be in trust for her; and Alcor CAN'T FREEZE YOU! You lose the championship and you do not get to return next week, or next century, or ever play another round. Now, Don, tell Charlie what consolation prize we have for our 2nd place finisher!" "Charlie, for you we have a big, beautiful hole in the ground! And thanks for playing Life or Death, Charlie!"

The Big Game suspensions. You know that of course, a whole. So you know that Alcor Welcome to the big game. You're because you're intelligent, decisive, cannot accept people as Suspension already in it, of course. In fact, you've and self-motivated. You investigate Members who do not have that fund­ been playing "Life or Death" since your options. You know that if you ing secured pretty tightly. you were born. If you're reading this don't provide funding yourself, no And yet, some people expect us to magazine, you've discovered this one else is going to do it for you. And overlook that security for them. They game just might be winnable. So why without that funding, Alcor cannot expect us to trust that everything will get down to the final minutes (of this afford to perform your suspension­ work out; that Murphy's Law won't round, anyway) and blow it on a tech­ at least not without endangering the apply to their suspension. So they ask nical foul? security of already-suspended patients us to approve their suspensions based Cryonicists have to pay for their and the stability of the organization as on their word that they have plenty of

6 Cryonics • 4th Quarter, 1995 money, their families will sign it over, security of their funding, and why we are most likely to hold or increase the their houses are really worth a lot of sometimes tum down their more "cre­ value of the funding amount. money, they will never go bankrupt, ative" ideas. We can't afford to go etc. broke over one person. Too many Prepayment Sorry; Alcor has been in this busi­ other people, both warm and frozen, This is the simplest, most secure ness for twenty-three years and we've depend on us. funding method. The member simply learned many hard lessons - Murphy gives Alcor the $50,000 or $120,000 has his own office here. Times change. The Game Clock is Running now (or less _if he or she was Some people aren't trustworthy. Some Another common problem is that, "grandfathered" in at a lower rate). just don't get around to telling us even in a case where the funding is Alcor's Bylaws require us to in­ about their financial changes. Some very secure, it might take a long time vest that money in a government­ will even lie in order to save their before it is paid to Alcor. In a typical insured account-typically a bank lives. That's understandable, but dan­ suspension, we will accumulate from money market account or a Certificate gerous for our organization. $20,000 to $30,000 in expenses in the of Deposit. We cannot use any of the The point of suspension funding first three days. We pay some of these funds until the member is suspended, is not to see how creative you can be expenses as we generate them; most unless the member gives other in­ or how you can make the same amount are due within thirty days. Unless we structions. (For instance, one member of money work three different ways at receive the suspension funding within has instructed us to use the interest the same time or how you can keep thirty days, the money to pay those generated to pay bills if a stand-by for total control every moment. The point bills must come from our regular cash him is necessary.) We guarantee that is to make sure that you get frozen and flow or our reserves. If we get two or members who prepay their suspen­ that Alcor gets paid for it. Playing three suspensions within two months, sions will never be subject to an in­ games with your funding can be as that can put a very heavy burden on crease in minimum suspension rates, deadly as never signing up at all. our ability to pay our regular operat­ since the donation will continue to ing expenses, such as salaries, print­ grow through earned interest. The How Not to Make the Hall of Fame ing, electricity, and telephone. money can be returned to the member As careful as we are, Alcor has This is why we do not accept if he wishes to drop his cryonics ar­ still been burned by some funding minimum funding which is based on a rangements. situations in the past few years. Sev­ will. Wills in most cases are not pro­ The advantages of this for Alcor eral weeks after we performed one bated for months or, in some conten­ are obvious: the money can be with­ neurosuspension, we discovered that tious cases, years. Also, wills are drawn very quickly after the suspen­ the member had lied on his insurance often challenged, and judges some­ sion; it cannot come under the control application, which invalidated his life times force changes based on family of a hostile relative; it can earn interest insurance coverage. We didn't get needs or their own prejudices. so that the total payout may stay ahead paid. In another case, our Transport We are currently in a minor con­ of inflation; it cannot be withdrawn or Team was on stand-by at a hospital, flict over the slowness of payment on changed in any way without Alcor prepared for a suspension when we a suspension. Irritating bureaucratic knowing about it. discovered the member had changed requirements in the member's home These Alcor advantages are also his funding (an investment account state (about which neither we nor the good for the member. In some cir­ "in-trust" for Alcor) to pay his mother, member previously knew) have cre­ cumstances, advance payments may instead. She was not intending to pay ated several months of delay, although save inheritance taxes for the us. Fortunately, he survived the ill­ not compromising the eventual cer­ member's family by removing the ness. tainty of payment. money from the member's estate In the early 1980s, new President and by allowing the member a large Mike Darwin was reforming Alcor; Finding the Winning Strategy charitable deduction at the time of and in examining the membership Here are the methods we prefer the prepayment. (Caution: taking a funding, he discovered just how dan­ members choose for their suspension tax deduction will create a monu­ gerous too much trust can be. Several funding. They are listed in the ap­ mental headache for both Alcor and people who claimed to be suspension proximate order of Alcor' s preference. the member if the member later can­ members and who appeared to be The criteria are based on which meth­ cels his suspension arrangements expecting Alcor to freeze them some­ ods 1) give Alcor the fastest access to and wants Alcor to refund the pay­ day, in fact had cancelled their insur­ the funding, 2) make it the most diffi­ ment.) Tax questions like these are ance policies and had no funding at cult for third parties to prevent Alcor very complex, so readers shouldn't all! from getting the funding, 3) make it rely on this- bit of information, but Incidents like these are why we easiest for Alcor employees to con­ should ask their own attorneys or appear to hassle members over the firm the security of the funding, and 4) accountants.

4th Quarter, 1995 • Cryonics 7 Partial Prepayment provide the only way to fund a pany. If a member cannot or does not suspension. A good insurance plan Ill Do not lie on the policy applica­ wish to prepay the entire amount, there · will allow the total amount paid in tion. Fraudulent answers (such as is still a large advantage to combining to be much less than the minimum saying you do not have cancer or a partial prepayment of at least $25,000 suspension funding. Insurance may AIDS when you do) will allow the with insurance or other funding for not be the best funding vehicle for insurance company to avoid pay­ the rest. This still allows Alcor to pay retirement income; but it is a very ing the death benefit, although usu­ the immediate bills quickly and con­ good investment for suspension ally only dutjng the first two years tributes to our day-to-day stability. funding. For more discussion on of the policy. To watch for this Whatever tax advantages there are life insurance, see "Life Insurance problem, we require that you send will still be true for the lower amount. Simplified" by Bob Gilmore and us a copy of both your policy and Mary Naples in the December, 1991 your application for insurance. Pay-on-Death Account Cryonics. (Free reprints available.) Ill It is probably not worth the extra Many banks and investment com­ Ill Alcor must be the beneficiary. expense to get a "double indem­ panies allow investors to label some Many insurance companies will al­ nity" clause in case of accidental types of accounts as "pay-on-death low a buyer to apply for a policy death. In most states in the United to" or "in trust for" some individual or which names Alcor as beneficiary States, insurance companies can company. This allows the member to from the first. Most other insurance demand an autopsy before they pay continue to gain the earnings of the companies will let a buyer apply for on the accidental death coverage. account while securing it for rapid the insurance with his estate as ben­ Alcor is not going to agree to an suspension payment to Alcor. If prop­ eficiary and then change it to Alcor autopsy merely to get the extra in­ erly set-up, these accounts can be once the policy is issued. Insurance surance. If your insurance com­ outside of the estate and not subject to laws require that the original ben­ pany turns out to be generous and probate. Of course, we require that eficiary have an "insurable inter­ agrees that the evidence we provide the member make this designation of est" in the person being insured. is enough, then the extra money Alcor as beneficiary irrevocable or This was originally understood to would be useful, of course. On the otherwise restrict the account so it mean that the beneficiary had more other hand, insurance companies cannot be changed without Alcor' s interest in the insured being alive are businesses, not charities, and knowledge. A caution: try to avoid than in being dead. Over the years, they don't care whether your sus­ mutual funds or other investments the interpretation on this has varied pension works or not. which could lose value below the mini­ from company to company. Some Ill All insurance companies allow mum funding levels. Members who insurance companies today take the you to split your policies between wish to designate such an account as very reasonable position that several beneficiaries. This is ac­ payable to Alcor should start with Alcor' s legal paperwork creates an ceptable to Alcor; but it does in­ some over-funding as a cushion: obligation toward the insured which crease our paperwork load in some against market drops. is an insurable interest. In any case, cases, and the occasional conflict the concept of insurable interest with other beneficiaries can delay Life Insurance only applies to the original benefi­ Alcor's payment. If you have a Actually, life insurance and trusts ciary. Once the policy is in force, choice, it is simpler for Alcor if you rank about equally. They vary greatly the owner may change the benefi­ maintain a separate policy for your in the detail and in local regulations. ciary to whomever he wants. cryonics coverage. Obviously a properly set-up insur­ Note that no suspension agree­ What type of policy should you ance policy is better than a sloppy or ment is valid until we confirm that choose? improperly funded trust and vice­ Alcor is the beneficiary. If you versa. Either way is acceptable if the need to know how to approach a Ill Term insurance is relatively in­ member takes care to do it right. A particular insurance company, expensive when the member is few tips about life insurance: please call Alcor's Membership Ad­ young. However, it gets more ex­ Ill Life insurance has one very big ministrator, Brian Shock. pensive or decreases in value every advantage: no matter what the There have been a few compa­ year, which makes it impractical or monthly premium is nor how long nies over the years that have re­ prohibitive to retain by the time the the individual has had the policy, fused to allow Alcor to be a benefi­ member reaches age 50. Also, term the full death benefit is paid to the ciary under any circumstances. Any insurance is typically for a particu­ beneficiary when the policyholder member that runs into an impedi­ lar "term" of years and so may dies. For people who do not have ment like this should notify us im­ terminate or no longer be available the full $50,000 or $120,000 avail­ mediately and we will refer the at the time the member actually able in one sum, life insurance may member to a more cooperative com- needs it for suspension.

8 Cryonics • 4th Quarter, 1995 If you begin your suspension ~ • .~ • . i3lf3 • • • ~~ ~ • - funding with term insurance, make . sure the insurer guarantees it to be gl~m~ ~~~~~~~mn~· ma~l~~~~:·-l~ss convertible to whole life insurance ~@R>llrnilll~~.·n ~~~~~ :,,.~~~ ·~\~~@~·~~~ m@~ti~a!Jt 2 whenever you can afford to pay the -x x : ,J/": w;~B::"zpq;;:"'~~2>~~~3:~:~®f;"'"~~>;'":~,:v;rj~:;}~~*Sf~ 0 }0~,;; : ;z; higher rate. Some cryonicists have combined a term insurance which The Alcor Foundation is sponsoring a Transport Training Class to be decreases in value with another in­ held at the Alcor facility during the week after the ACT Festival (see vestment vehicle which increases page 5). Attendance is free, and all course materials vyill be provided. in value. This is fine, but it takes a We will be covering techniques employed by Alcor to minimize lot of discipline to maintain. Most suspension damage during the stabilization and transport of Alcor people who start this way discover patients. We'll also be providing hands-on instruction and practice. that the automatic insurance pay­ The course will cover transports from remote areas, with special ments are simpler to keep up with. attention being paid to what members can do before an emergency Ill Whole life insurance is a policy arises. based on the individual paying a set This course is simply your best opportunity to increase your aware­ amount over a set period, then re­ ness of transport techniques and help prepare yourself and others in taining coverage for his or her whole your area for a cryonic suspension. life. These premiums are much Any Alcor member interested in attending should contact Tanya higher than for a term policy; how­ Jones at Alcor by January 1, 1996. Attendance is limited, so reserve ever, in the long run a whole life your seat soon. policy will turn out to be much less expensive than a term policy in almost every case. The whole life cently that they believe universal made to the policy without notifica­ policy's internal earnings usually life policies tend to be too risky for tion to Alcor. Insurance companies . will reach a point where the policy cryonicists. These agents believe will rarely guarantee to notifY a ben­ premiums can be paid from the that some of these policies will "col­ eficiary if a policyholder makes policy itself. This may allow the lapse" from poor investments be­ changes. However, after some years insured to coast along with no pay­ fore the cryonicist has need of the of experimentation, we have discov­ ments required after the first 10 or benefits. We'd be happy to hear ered the following three basic ways 20 years. In most policies the even­ other opinions or real evidence from that make it likely (although none are tual death benefit will begin to grow other people on this subject. foolproof) that we can make sure mem­ past the face value of the policy Recently, some insurance compa­ bers' policies remain in force. Mem­ after many years, allowing a pos­ nies have been offering new combi­ bers have to make their own choice of sible hedge against increased fu­ nations of insurance policies and in­ method depending on their own pref­ ture costs of suspension. vestment accounts for sale. The unique erences and on which method the Ill Universal life policies may ap­ aspect of these policies is that the insurance company will accept. pear similar to whole life policies in policyholder controls most of the in­ 1. Make Alcor the owner of the an insurance agent's sales pitch; vestment decisions (mutual funds, policy. This gives Alcor full control but they are designed differently. stocks, bonds, etc.). This may be an of the policy rights, while keeping the In some ways this is like a combina­ advantage for some cryonicists in that member insured. The member con­ tion of term insurance and an out­ it allows a lot of control; with the tinues to pay the premiums. For some side investment account. If the disadvantage that the policyholder members, this can also have a large insurance company's investment takes the risks of bad decisions. financial advantage. If the member strategies are sound, the investment owns the policy at legal death, the part of the policy will eventually Guaranteeing your policy policy amount is added to the outstrip the insurance portion and If Alcor is merely the beneficiary, member's estate for the purposes of provide the same advantages of a that does not insure that the member figuring whether estate taxes must be whole life policy. If the insurance won't change it again someday with­ paid (although the death benefit still company doesn't do so well, the out telling us. It also won't protect passes directly to the beneficiary and policyholder may be required to Alcor against the member borrowing does not go through probate). If Alcor make payments many years longer against the policy so that its death owns the policy, the policy amount is than predicted originally. I have a benefit drops below our minimums. completely removed from the universal life policy that appears to Therefore, we also require that mem­ member's estate. Alcor will give the be doing very well; but some insur­ bers take an additional step to make member a guarantee that Alcor will ance agents have warned me re- sure that no important changes can be return ownership of the policy to the

4th Quarter, 1995 • Cryonics 9 member upon written request. suspension funding to Alcor makes us cannot afford for members to be too 2. Make Alcor the irrevocable a bit nervous, since the member could creative with their suspension fund­ beneficiary of the policy. This means revoke the trust or change the funding ing. Creativity means complexity and the policyholder can never change the provisions without informing us. complexity leads to risk. beneficiary of the policy without writ­ However, making the entire trust irre­ We will only accept suspension ten permission from the beneficiary. vocable leaves no flexibility for the funding that is planned to be reliable This assures us that we will remain the member to make necessary ongoing and timely. Anything else violates beneficiary until notified by you in changes. Some members have added our duty to our current and future writing that you wish to change the language to their trusts to the effect patients, and it lessens the security of beneficiary. Alcor will provide in that the provisions dealing with the the "creative" member's own suspen­ advance a written guarantee that we Alcor suspension funding cannot be sion. will release all claims or rights as revoked without notification to Alcor. irrevocable beneficiary upon written Even so, this depends somewhat on Making the All-Star Team request ftom the member. the good faith of the member and of The only way that you win the 3. Give Alcor a collateral assign­ the member's advisors. Funding Game is if you survive. ment on the policy. Basically, this It is also necessary that a trust be You're more likely to survive if Alcor gives Alcor a lien on the policy, so that completed, not merely started. We survives. Anything that you can do to the member owes Alcor the money as have seen one situation where the make absolutely sure that Alcor gets a debt, as well as beneficiary. Again, member completed all of the trust paid-and gets paid quickly-gives Alcor guarantees it will release the documents and delivered them to us, you a better chance to win. Remem­ lien with written notice from the mem­ yet did not complete the various other ber, this is not "You vs. Alcor." It is ber. notifications necessary to place in­ "You and Alcor vs. Death." In many cases, even with these vestment accounts into the trust. We Make sure you win. three security methods, Alcor can also were fortunate that the trustee was guarantee to sign documents allowing willing to put in extra effort to solve you to borrow money against the these problems after the member's policy, as long as such a loan does not suspension. lower the death benefit below Alcor' s minimum required donation level. Real Property Many of our members own their Trusts homes or other property that they won't A trust is an intangible legal entity need after they are in suspension. If (like a corporation or a partnership). they would like to leave real property Many people use a "living trust" (cre­ to Alcor in a will or trust in addition to ated while the originator-the regular funding, this would be a good grantor-is alive) to hold everything way to help Alcor. However, real they own. A living trust allows the prope1iy is not appropriate for initial grantor to gain the economic and funding, since it may take months or physical benefit of the property until years after members' suspensions be­ death. Most of these living trusts are fore their homes can be repaired and revocable, so the grantor can change sold. Real estate is not our business, them while he is alive. After the and even real estate agents don't fly grantor's death, the trust becomes ir­ all over the world selling houses. revocable. The trust can then distrib­ Remember, the problem is not strictly ute the property to the heirs without how much money Alcor gets. How wasting the expense and time of pro­ tast it comes in is equally important. bate. Even after several years of accept­ Depending on Relatives ing trusts for suspension funding, we Alcor will not accept funding pro­ do not have a standard form for these; posals that depend on generous rela­ and we haven't dealt with enough of tives to pay the bill later. Systems like them after suspensions to know what that put cryonics groups out of busi­ works best. We have seen enough to ness in past decades. It doesn't work. know that they have their own diffi­ culties. Getting Creative A revocable trust that pays the We're willing to talk; but Alcor

10 Cryonics • 4th Quarter, 1995 Alcor Member Mona Dick Enters Suspension by Tanya jones

met Mona Dick in 1992, when I was who was having surgery. We rushed diagnosis or treatment. This refusal to I assisting the Membership Adminis­ from that individual's bedside (she seek medical care and a desire to die trator. Later, when she wanted to was recovering nicely) to the Burbank may have both contributed to the cir­ complete her cryonics arrangements, hospital where Mona lay. We spoke cumstances under which she was ulti­ I went to her home to help with the to the emergency room physician and mately suspended. paperwork. She was a lonely woman nursing staff about Mona's arrange­ On August 8th, 1995, Mona with no close family and few remain­ ments and found most of the person­ Dick's healthcare aide entered her ing friends. By this time in her life, nel friendly and curious about Burbank, California apartment to find Mona wanted little more than to be cryonics. They filed Alcor literature her lying on the floor in a comer, frozen after her death. for future reference, and assured us seemingly the victim of yet another Mona had been interested in that they would assist in the prompt stroke. Her pulse was very slow, her cryonics since the Seventies, and she breathing shallow, and she was unre­ h~d even contacted Fred and Linda sponsive. Because Mona had stressed Chamberlain about joining Alcor. the importance of her cryonics ar­ While she didn't complete those ar­ rangements, the aide called Alcor and rangements until 1992, she remained the paramedics, who took her to a a subscriber to Cryonics magazine nearby hospital. She was pronounced and an avid follower of cryonics lit­ legally dead at 12:21pm (local time). erature throughout. The hospital personnel remem­ It was a sudden stroke which bered Mona, and her unusual desire convinced Mona it was time to stop to be cryonically suspended upon her simply subscribing and begin making death. The same emergency room arrangements to be frozen. Within a physician with whom I'd spoken relatively short period of time, Mona months before called Alcor (using the went from a vibrant and active indi­ number from Mona's medical identi­ vidual to someone who would no fication bracelet) for instructions on longer drive and had trouble getting how to proceed. At our request, he around. It frustrated her to no end that administered heparin and sodium bi­ her mind had been noticeably dam­ carbonate, provided cardiopulmonary aged and that her memory and func­ release of the patient, should she be support to circulate the medications, tion were failing. A successful cryonic pronounced. Mona was released from and packed her head in ice. suspension and reanimation became the hospital the next day, and she Local transport team members her only hope for a happy and healthy hired a health care worker shortly were notified, and Regina Pancake life, even if it might be hundreds of thereafter. delivered the local emergency re­ years before she would see it. Mona never really recovered sponse kit to the hospital and packed Early this year, Mona was hospi­ from her large stroke in 1992, and she the rest of the body in ice, but was talized briefly. Derek Ryan and I were suffered at least one apparent mini­ unable to stay longer due to a conflict­ in the Los Angeles area performing a stroke after returning home. And she ing (and very busy) schedule. A de­ standby for another Alcor member refused to see a doctor for proper livery service picked up the patient

4th Quarter, 1995 • Cryonics 11 Mike Perry (background) checks Dr. Nancy McEachern (left) performs the open-heart surgery, assisted glycerol concentrations, while Fred by Rhonda Iaccuzo and Hugh Hixon. Chamberlain records the results. and the kit and delivered them to the again. As it was, Mona didn't arrive at mortuary. the Alcor facility until the following Hugh Hixon and I flew to Los afternoon. Angeles to perform the blood replace- The suspension team was as­ ment. We tried using a "gravity flush" sembled when she arrived, and the washout system that Hugh had been surgery began almost immediately. working on, which consists of a sim- During the open-heart surgery, Dr. plified circuit and reservoirs. The idea McEachern found that Mona's ves­ Dr. Nancy McEachern behind it was that a flush could be sels were severely atherosclerotic. This accomplished quickly and effectively caused the surgical team to take great Stephen Bridge with less equipment than is currently care when placing the cannula, as the Ralph Whelan used. Gravity could provide suffi- walls were brittle and could rupture Hugh Hixon cient pressure to perform the washout. unexpectedly. Fortunately, the It was the first field application of this cannulation proceeded smoothly and Rhonda Iacuzzo system. We found that we couldn't the perfusion was started at 8:08pm Derek Ryan raise the reservoir high enough to (local time). achieve an adequate pressure, so we Her cryoprotective perfusion was Fred Chamberlain discontinued our attempt and imple- uneventful, and .the final Molar glyc­ Linda Chamberlain mented the standard field washout erol concentrations were high (5.49M protocol using a pump. We com- burrhole sample taken 15 minutes Judy Muhlestein pleted the washout late that evening. before the end of perfusion, 7.51M Dr. Michael Perry Bureaucractic delays prevented arterial, and 6.01M venous) The us from transporting the patient until cooldown to liquid nitrogen tempera­ Scott Herman the following morning. (The Depart- ture was also without incident. Brian Shock ment of Health Services was closed Mona is the 30th patient, and the David Handley during the evening. They issue the / 19th neurosuspension patient, being Transit Permits for human remains, cared for by Alcor. Lisa Ferrington without which no commercial airline Matthew Sullivan would accept the shipment.) We had never encountered this particular prob- David Pizer lem before, and we are searching for a Joe Hovey way to prevent it from happening

12 Cryonics • 4th Quarter, 1995 Progress in Assessing Cryonics Effectiveness by Hugh Hixon, with Brian Shock

ow well does any given cryonic Jerry Leaf and others associated with using current techniques [ 1] shared H suspension procedure preserve his company, Cryovita, performed a by BioPreservation and Alcor. Nota­ brain tissue? This question has both­ number of experiments reproducing bly, each of these animals was sub­ ered cryonicists from the very begin­ Alcor's methods on dogs: perfusing jected to five minutes of warm ning, but answers to it have always the animals with glycerol, freezing ischemia after cardiac arrest, simulat­ been scarce and uncertain. them, and then examining the preser­ ing what often constituted the mini­ Alcor Life Extension Foundation vation of the frozen tissue on a micro­ mum time lag between clinical death was started in 1972, primarily to pro­ scopic level. While Leaf's work and the moment a cryonics remote vide a cryonic suspension for Colonel seemed to indicate that bodies treated standby team could actually begin Frederick Rockwell Chamberlain, Jr., in this way fared better than non­ treatment. Darwin cooled the experi­ father of Fred Chamberlain, III, half of cryoprotected bodies, the evidence mental animals to -90° C. and main­ Alcor's founding couple. As ill as was still flimsy. tained them at that temperature for Colonel Chamberlain was, he man­ At this point, the work of Leaf and eighteen months before taking tissue aged to hold on until 1976, when he others branched away from preserva­ samples for analysis. Tissue samples became Alcor's first suspension pa­ tion as criterion for success, and be­ from two control animals were also tient. Neither Fred and Linda Cham­ gan to focus on resuscitation models. prepared, one before cryoprotective berlain nor their team had ever per­ Since suspended animation was (and perfusion and the other afterward (nei­ formed a cryonic suspension. They continues to be) the ultimate goal of ther control was cooled). knew what any cryobiologist knew at cryonics research, it only made sense While Darwin's experimental ani­ the time, that replacement of the water to focus on techniques for cooling and mals rested in suspension, Robert in living tissue with some type of resuscitating experimental subjects. Ettinger of Cryonics Institute was cryoprotective chemical might pre­ Then too, resuscitation provided a working in conjunction with Drs. Yuri vent serious freezing damage. They dramatic test for the biological safety Pichugin and Gennadi Zhegunov of hoped that perfusing glycerol through of suspension procedures, though it Kharkov University in Ukraine to Colonel Chamberlain's circulatory sys­ applied only to the sequence of proce­ evaluate the effectiveness of CI's sim­ tem would offer his entire body simi­ dures prior to freezing. Most cryonics pler protocols for suspension. lar protection to what cryobiologists experimentation during the 1980s fol­ Following Ettinger's instructions, had observed on a small scale. But lowed this lead, with unfortunately Pichugin and Zhegunov perfused Alcor's first suspension team could little progress. sheep heads with glycerol, cooled them only hope-they had little hard evi­ In 1993 Mike Darwin (a friend slowly to -196° C, and then thawed dence to support their educated guess. and coworker of Jerry Leaf, and owner them within forty-eight hours for analy­ Then, around 1978, the Chamber­ of the cryonic services company sis [2]. lains met Jerry Leaf, a UCLA researcher BioPreservation) returned to the basic Later experiments also used sheep who had privately worked on the prob­ question of preservation in cryonic brain sections of varying freshness lems associated with cryonics for sev­ suspensions-how well did current (that is, different intervals after the eral years. Leaf agreed to use his protocols preserve microscopic brain time of the animal's death) soaked in knowledge of surgical technique to structures that presumably encoded graduated solutions of glycerol and help Alcor test the efficacy of its first memory? To test this, Darwin per­ suspension. Over the next few years, formed suspensions on three dogs Concluded on page 19

4th Quarter, 1995 • Cryonics 13 The Proph t of r li

Derek Ryan concludes his interview with cryonics pioneer Robert Ettinger

Bob: Of course, we could talk for a long time about how well the funeral directors can provide the actual physical services [for cryonic suspen­ sions]. I won't go on and on about that. I'll just say very briefly, as I've said before, that in my opinion, regardless of how complex our proce­ dures become, (and I'm willing to grant that very likely they will become more complex), funeral directors are capable of performing any specific procedure that an MD surgeon can, and do it a whole lot more economically. We think that's going to be the way to go, and there are other obvious advantages. You have a virtually infi­ nite network of local, available people. You don't have to depend on anyone flying from distant parts of the country or distant parts of the world to do the work.

Cryonics: Clearly that's one of the disadvan­ tages of having a specialized team that has to come out, rather than having a generalized pro- . cedure that could be dictated over the phone more or less.

Bob: I'm not talking necessarily about a proce­ dure that can be dictated over the phone. I'm talking about one that might require consider­ able advance training beyond the usual mortician's training, and might require a little

14 Cryonics • 4th Quarter, 1995 more equipment than the mortician ine and tried a whole lot of different We are perfectly willing to share our has on hand. That equipment can be additives, some of those recommended results with anybody and we do so. put in place, that training can be pro­ by Mike Darwin and other people. For example, with the Ukrainian work, vided. Once it's in place, it will be Some of them, we found, did not we publish everything they give us enormously more economical on the make any perceptible difference or verbatim without omitting anything. one hand than having MD's do it, and were worse, or provided negative re­ We have also supplied the original on the other hand having traveling sults rather than positive. So partly on color photographs to some of the specialist teams do it. the basis of simplicity and partly on people who wanted to see them, in­ Aside from the economy, it's ex­ the basis of our empirical observa­ cluding Alcor anct Biopreservation and tremely important to save the time. In tions, we arrived at a certain proce­ Greg Fahy. I'm not sure whether I our sheep head work, we've found dure. It was also restrained to some sent them to Paul Segall and BioTime. that the promptness of the perfusion extent by our capabilities, because I have heard them say they got some was even more important than the there was a limit that our equipment good results with hamsters recently, exact composition of the perfusate. and training would allow us to do. cooling down to liquid nitrogen tem­ We got relatively no cracking, and perature with good reperfusion and Cryonics: Can you elaborate on that? we got good reperfusion after the brains no cracking. I haven't actually seen had been frozen in liquid nitrogen and any details, but I think there is cur­ Bob: Well, I don't have any numbers then thawed to room temperature. We rently a report by Hal Sternberg and in my head, but as a qualitative state­ were able to get visible reperfusion of The Trans Times which was posted on ment, it's a clear consequence of our the blood vessels of the brain. This CryoNet and they have some interest­ observations that within pretty broad was on a naked-eye level. Then we ing things to say. limits, it's more important to do the wanted to get our results on a micro­ But getting back to the main point. washout and perfusion promptly than scopic level, which we were not Number one, as I say, the cooperation to stick to any percentage of equipped or qualified to do. So we is improving; Mike Darwin has sent us cryoprotectant in the perfusate or engaged Dr. Pichugin his colleagues copies of a bunch of photos he gener­ whatever. in the Ukraine to do that for us. They ated, and as I said, we're willing to got a series of electron micrographs, share our work with anybody. Of Cryonics: Can you tell me a little bit and we shared those with Greg Fahy course the Ukrainians have agreed to more about this? Of course you've Mike Darwin, Thomas Donaldson, and discuss or share their work and pub­ published in The Immortalist what's Paul Segall, if I remember correctly. lish it anytime they choose. The most been done so far on your sheep head Mike and Greg did not think our re­ recent Ukrainian work has been with work. You've gotten some interest­ sults looked anywhere near as good, rabbit brains and they got apparently ing results. Can you briefly summa­ generally speaking, on the electron some pretty interesting results in both rize that, and maybe give a little view micrograph level, as some of their spontaneous and evoked bioelectric as to where you're going with this and work did, although they agreed that activity. Integrated activity (that is, what your future hopes are for re­ there was no cracking. There are still activity integrated among many neu­ search with the Ukrainians? a great many ambiguities in the inter­ rons) was observed after cryoprotected pretation of those things. Everyone specimens were rewarmed from liq­ Bob: Well, the work that Andy agrees that it's very difficult to tell uid nitrogen temperature. There was Zawacki and I did a couple years ago when the defects really occurred and a failure of such activity without on the sheep heads was pretty crude in what caused them, whether it was the cryoprotective perfusion, even after some respects, but mainly we wanted type of perfusion, the rate of cooling, freezing to as high a temperature as 10 to try some of the ideas that had been the type of rewarming, or the nature of degrees below zero, Centigrade. This suggested in the literature and see the attempted washout. All of those appears to extend and broaden the which ones actually seemed to work things can produce the differences. work of Suda, Akito, and Udachi in for us. We had found that the reports Then again the question in each the '70's. This will continue, and they in the literature were not particularly case was, is there a real difference or intend also to apply their instruments reliable and one could not necessarily was it an artifact of the method of to human brain slices, to which they expect to get the same results that preparation or study? So those things have access. They're going to go on others said they got. We wanted, like remain to be sorted out but the good from there and recommend proce­ any responsible people would, to see part of it is of course that in the past dures they think will improve results. what would happen when we did it couple of years, at least, cooperation As time goes on, and as the inter­ ourselves. On that basis, we tried a lot has improved between the various pretation of the actual facts moves of different concentrations of glycer- organizations and Cryonics Institute. closer to consensus, we intend to adopt

4th Quarter, 1995 • Cryonics 15 the procedures that the evidence shows dure that still offers some chance of mies, I note that CI has never raised its will reduce risk or will improve the revival, although perhaps with a lower suspension prices. Alcor's current probability of revival. If these proce­ probability, both business and moral­ minimum for whole body is Sl20,000. dures tum out to be too expensive to ity dictate it should also be offered. The suspension procedure itself runs fit our current Cryonics Institute sus­ somewhere between S25, 000 and pension fee of $28,000, then we will Cryonics: It's certainly a complex $35,000, and the minimum placed obviously have to offer these more question: whether we should be offer­ into the Patient Care Fund to cover elaborate procedures as a more ex­ ing a range of procedures separated long term storage costs (with suspen­ pensive option. This again will raise according to cost and sophistication, sions funded af the Sl20,000 rate) is questions which could be debated or whether it's better to choose to S70,000. Could you briefly explain endlessly. Alcor's position, of course, specialize in one kind ofprocedure. It why you feel that CI's $28,000 fee is as I understand it, is that you must does seem quite possible that current enough to pay the ongoing costs of offer the procedure within your capa­ and future research will eventually keeping a person in suspension? bilities which you think will reduce lead to more complicated procedures, damage, regardless of cost, and that's and that these procedures will cost Bob: Before explaining that, I need to all there is to it. On the other hand, one more, maybe even more than Alcor's preface it with the reminder that our could take the point of view that if current minimums. minimum fee is just that - a mini­ there is a second or third best proce- mum. It's not the average fee. When, Bob: If some billionaire for example, a Ford dealer wants to wanted to right now, he sell an Escort or a Taurus or a Crown could gather a team of a Victoria, he loses money on the Escort Membership Status few hundred surgeons and but he makes money on the Crown a couple dozen Victoria. But he still keeps selling the Alcor has 373 Suspension Members, 573 cryobiologists, and say, Escort. A whole lot of people, even if Associate Members (includes 65 in the "Go review the cryobio­ they could get by with an Escort, process of becoming Suspension Members), logical literature (and do would nevertheless choose the Crown and 30 patients in suspension. These numbers whatever research is nec­ Victoria. A great many people will are broken down by country below. essary) and find the best prefer the higher-priced model even if methods for freezing they don't need it. They like it be­ separate types of tissues cause either they're willing to pay a and cells. When I die, premium for that extra little bit of you're going to dissect luxury or else they like the prestige or me into ten thousand parts whatever reason. It's not extremely and each team will take a hard for the dealer to jawbone the part and apply the proce­ customer into a higher-priced modeL dure that is optimal for By the same token, it's not ex­ that type of tissue. Then tremely hard for a cryonics organiza­ in the future all those parts tion to jawbone the customer into a will be viable and all you higher priced-model (if there are higher have to do is wait for the priced models; I'll get back to that in time that I can be reas­ a moment) or persuade the member sembled, and not for the that he should fund his suspension at Country Country Argentina Italy time that freezing dam­ a level above the minimum. All orga­ Austria Japan age can be reversed, be­ nizations in fact do that. Alcor cer­ Australia Lithuania cause the freezing dam­ tainly recommends that the member Canada New Zealand Costa Rica Russia age is already reversible." fund at a higher level than the mini­ Denmark Spain However, there aren't too mum because they point out that they Estonia Sri Lanka many billionaires, and don't know what costs are going to be Finland Sweden those that are around in the future. CryoCare advocates that France Switzerland Germany Taiwan aren't too interested any­ members fund at a higher than mini­ Holland U.K. way. So that's all mean­ mum level for the same reason: they Ireland U.S.A. ingless. don't know what costs are going to be Israel Ukraine TOTALS Cryonics: While on the in the future. We recommend funding topic of cost and econo- above the minimum level because

16 Cryonics • 4th Quarter, 1995 we're not certain what costs are going money, same as happened with Alcor, scale. We have 14 whole-body pa­ to be in the future either, and because same as happened with other organi­ tients at present, plus two dogs and it improves everyone's chances if the zations (except Bob Nelson's, of two cats. It's interesting to note that organization has more money. Of course, which conked out). But for our original estimates of costs have course it's a perfectly honest position most of the organizations, somebody held up well over the years. In 1976 and a lot of people buy into it. Several always supplied the money needed. we figured $5,000 per patient capital of our patients have funded far above Alcor has repeatedly asked for dona­ cost for the cryostat. That still holds the minimum, and my wife and I have tions and repeatedly gotten them. CI up. Our most recent cryostat was built even prepaid our suspension fees at has not asked for donations so fre­ for 12 people, ana at the same ap­ slightly above the minimum. (In addi­ quently and has not been so success­ proximate cost, $5,000 per patient. In tion to that, CI will get virtually every­ ful in getting them when it has asked fact I understand that's roughly at the thing we have out of our estate after for them, but we have had donations. cost of the Alcor Bigfoot [dewars], we're both suspended.) roughly $5,000 per patient. The cost But then getting back to the mini­ of liquid nitrogen has remained about mum suspension fee, how do we break the same in spite of inflation. Now, as that down? Well, back in 1976 we I said, we're building bigger cryostats figured that it would cost about $8,000 that are going to give us bigger econo­ to prepare a patient: $5,000 for a mies of scale and as soon as we get cryostat or his share of a cryostat, and more patients we will not need more about $3,000 for the funeral director persom1el in caring for those patients. and the cost of the materials involved Our existing personnel will be able to in the perfusion. Then $20,000 would care for scores of patients. Of course be available, and at 5% interest that if we get hundreds, we might need one would provide about S1,000 a year or two more people, maybe, but our which would be enough to buy liquid present building is 7000 square feet nitrogen. And for our other costs, in and we can accommodate hundreds addition to liquid nitrogen, those would of patients. be covered by the relatives. Now, incidentally we are in the Obviously in the very earliest years process of testing a new kind of insu­ we did not expect that all overhead lation. I don't know if you recall this, would be covered, even though our but there's been talk over the years of overhead was extremely low in com­ using rigid open-celled foam for insu­ parison to other organizations. A lot lation. The advantage of rigid open­ of our services are supplied gratis by celled foam is that the insulation, when officers and directors. Alcor's are too. evacuated, is about the same, but it [Dave] Pizer works for nothing and a will support a one-atmosphere load. lot of your people work for nothing or Now at the present time, using Perlite, much less than they could get else­ we have to either make our cryostats where. Of course I work for nothing cylindrical to withstand the one-atmo­ and Pat Heller our treasurer, who is a sphere pressure when the annular CPA, works for nothing, and so on. space is evacuated, or we make them We have only one full-time paid em­ rectangular, which we've done with ployee, and in a crunch we could get There were years when my son and the last two or three, and we have to by with no paid employees. We don't daughter in law were donating S10- use heavy external or internal brac­ pay any rent; we own our properties 15,000 a year to keep things going. ing. With our first two rectangular free and clear. Our overhead, which is Mae and I have donated money over ones, we used internal bracing, which already very low, could become even the years on a more or less continuous of course compromises the insulation lower. So we knew that basic fee basis. Other people have too. quality. With our last one, we did not would keep the organization and its Now as far as the coverage of use internal bracing but we used heavy overhead going, but we anticipated expenses by our basic minimum fee, external bracing. Of course that heavy there would be some time required for at the present time and in the future external bracing adds to the cost. growth. when we have some additional pa­ The new open-cell foam we are We never had a negative cash flow tients, we think that will work out all looking at is from Japan. A fellow because someone always made up the right. There are some economies of from Canada, Douglas Skrecky, put

4th Quarter, 1995 • Cryonics 17 us onto an article in a technical journal neurosuspensions, but nevertheless and the funeral directors and so on. I about this foam and we got in touch we didn't think it was necessarily de­ wouldn't care much if there weren't with these people-Akeda was the sirable for CI to offer them and we still any more newspaper stories or televi­ company. They sent us samples of the don't. If it turns out that we want or sion broadcasts or whatever. foam and we're in the process of pre­ need to adopt much more expensive paring a unit to test that. We should procedures, at that time it may be Cryonics: You don't think that those have results in two or three weeks, I necessary for us to offer the neuro stories bring us new members? imagine. If that turns out to work well, option in order to keep it affordable. we might use it to reduce our costs We also have an agreement with Bob: I think they probably do, yes, to even more, if it can be obtained at a CryoCare whereby we are willing to some extent, but it's not clear to what reasonable price-that's a crucial point accept their neuropatients for suspen­ extent. The people who have been of course-either by getting it shipped sion under appropriate circumstances. exposed to television and radio and from Japan, or by getting a license (if But we don't offer it as a CI option per print journalism are in the hundreds of there is a patent) to manufacture it se. millions, whereas the number of in­ here ourselves. quiries is at most only in the tens of Cryonics: On the whole, I certainly thousands, and the number of mem­ Cryonics: You're fond of bringing agree with you that it is a public rela­ bers is less than a thousand. So, to up that CI has the most whole-body tions negative. But I think I could what extent it has an impact is difficult patients, and so perhaps the most pa­ make a reasonable argument that one to say. tients in some sense (since most of of the reasons Dora Kent's case be­ Alcor's patients are neurosuspen­ came so public was that she was a Cryonics: I can give you a little bit of sions). This brings up the question of neursuspension. It certainly contrib­ perspective from our own numbers. neurosuspensions. My understand­ uted to the sensationalism-the tab­ We seem to be seeing more people ing is that at first you were against loid nature-of the story that it was a signing up who are just out there on neurosuspension and that over time frozen head and not simply a frozen their own, who have never met a perhaps your position has softened on body. Of course much of the publicity cryonicist, never been to a cryonics that. Can you give me a little perspec­ we got was negative, and yet it seems meeting, who read about it in Omni or tive? to be true that even that negative pub­ whatever. This is the thing they were licity ended up helping Alcor by gen­ looking for, and they finally saw it in Bob: I don't think I was ever against erating an unprecedented volume of a news magazine or on TV, and finally it. I was against it as a matter of CI info requests and follow-up stories­ decide to contact us and sign up. policy because in the first place prices some of which were not negative­ are so low already that from a practical by other media. Bob: Yes, the publicity certainly is standpoint it wouldn't matter much on useful from that point of view. You a price basis whether we offered it or Bob: That's quite right, of course, and have to think about the gestation pe­ not. But I thought originally and I still it's extremely difficult to predict psy­ riod. There are a great many cryoni­ think it represents a public relations chological effects. If there was any cists today who had some exposure to negative. As you're well aware, a person in the world who could reli­ cryonics many, many years ago, great many people, even though it's ably predict what would sell and what formed a favorable opinion or a tenta­ totally illogical, think of cryonics as wouldn't, he'd rule the world, or he'd tively favorable opinion, but for the being somewhat macabre and revolt­ be the richest person in the world at usual reasons didn't do anything about ing and so on. Obviously you can any rate. These things are extremely it until they eventually had their memo­ walk into any hospital on any day of hard to judge. Of course, we prefer to ries jarred (by some media piece) and the year and see a thousand sights be a little bit conservative. Sometimes decided it was time to do something much more revolting and macabre negative publicity helps, but on the about it. We have a number of people than a cryonics patient, either in sus­ other hand if you go too far in that like that, people who joined CI after a pension or .being prepared. But nev­ direction you get a Trygve Bauge hiatus of many years. In fact we have ertheless, regardless of logic, a lot of position: "Just spell my name right people who joined CI in just recent people do think that the whole idea is and I don't care what you say about years who say they read Prospect fully somewhat repellent. When you talk me." We don't subscribe to that. We thirty years ago, thought it was a good about neuro, you multiply that by a think that negative publicity by and idea, always intended to do some­ thousand in their minds. As far as I large is to be avoided. In fact, I would thing about it, but never did until some know, Alcor has not suffered particu­ not be too unhappy with no publicity little bit of publicity or some accident larly from it being known that they do at all, just work through word of mouth of one kind or another jarred their

18 Cryonics • 4th Quarter, 1995 memories and spurred their activity. In fact, I know there are at least two or for now, and in the coming months So from that point of view alone it's three functions already planned in the (and for the next year or two) my main certainly a useful thing. coming months that we plan to attend. hope is that we'll be able to coordinate The main thing I'm hoping for in research efforts so as to make them Cryonics: You were saying you terms of inter-organizational coopera­ more effective and to make our wouldn't be all that unhappy... tion after we get out there is that we'll progress more rapid. be able to work together to a much Bob: We're obviously going to do greater extent in coordinating research anything we can to get any kind of and sharing results and possibly even favorable publicity, but if for any rea­ planning research in such a way as to son the broadcast and print publicity avoid too much overlap and duplica­ were to dwindle, that wouldn't worry tion of expense. It would be wonder­ me too much. ful if we could have some discussion among all the various organizations Cryonics: One last thing I want you that are doing research, so that we to talk about: your impending move could plan together to some degree, to Phoenix (in September) to retire. set priorities for research to be done, and have some agreement on the par­ Bob: We're looking forward to mov­ ticular aspects of procedures. Then ing out there. As I mentioned, I will we could move more quickly toward remain involved in CI' s day to day consensus on what the facts are (re­ affairs, coordinating the overall poli­ garding the effects of various cryon­ cies of CI and the research. But we ics protocols), and the individual or­ think we'll like it there and we'll be ganizations as well as their members glad to have you people available. I would be able to make reasonable expect we'll get together quite often. decisions on a cost/benefit basis. But

Continued from page 11: frozen as before [3]. Light micros­ studies-an "overall recognizability, company. With luck, courage, and copy examination showed little evi­ inferrability, and even 'normality."' hard work, it may be possible not only dence of the tissue "cracking" so preva­ Cellular structure of glycerolized fro­ to confirm the preservation of current lent in most cryonics research up to zen neurons appeared "almost indis­ cryonics patients, but also to improve that time. Electron microscopy was tinguishable" from cellular structure the suspensions of future ones. inconclusive regarding cellular level of non-glycerolized, non-frozen neu­ preservation. After seeing these re­ rons, and "virtually indistinguishable" Footnotes: sults, cryonicists from a number of from cellular structure of glycerolized (1) CryoNet message #4468, organizations expressed doubt about non-frozen neurons. (Cracking was SCI.CRYONICS BPI Tech Brief 16: penetration of glycerol into the tissue not an issue, since it rarely had been Canine Brain Cryopreservation samples. They suggested that per­ observed at temperatures of -90° c (1/2), "Human CryoPreservation haps cracking failed to appear be­ and above.) Protocol on the Ultrastructure of the cause unprotected tissue had filled Although Darwin's experiments Canine Brain," by Michael Darwin, with masses of tiny destructive ice were cause for optimism, they were Sandra Russell, Larry Wood, and crystals rather than forming large fro­ hardly conclusive. Many cryonics Candy Wood. zen blocks. Nevertheless, minimiz­ patients have undergone periods of (2) The Immortalist, August 1994, ing warm ischemic time for the tissue warm ischemia far longer than five "The Influence of Glycerol Perfusion did seem to improve preservation in minutes, and almost all have been and Reperfusion on the Structure of general. stored at a much lower temperature of Sheep Head Brain Tissue," by Dr. Thawing and electron microscope -196° C. Still, the prognosis for Colo­ Yuri Pichugin & Dr. Gennadi study of Darwin's long-frozen experi­ nel Chamberlain and dozens of others Zhegunov. mental subjects in 1995 yielded a less in his situation looks progressively (3) The Immortalist, September equivocal outcome. Darwin noted a more hopeful. Alcor continues its 1995, "Histological Evaluation of "striking difference" between his work own research program, now in coop­ Cryopreserved Brain Pieces of a and previous brain cryopreservation eration with the for-profit CryoSearch Sheep," by Dr. Yuri Pichugin.

4th Quarter, 1995 • Cryonics 19 The "Russian Trace" in the History of Cryonics

by Michael V. Soloviov

orfiry Bakhmetiev ( 1860-1913) was a Russian physicist and amateur entomologist. PIn 1901 his article "A recipe to live until the 21st century," was published in the Russian popular scientific and instructional magazine, Natural Science and Geogra­ phy[ 1]. At the end ofthe 19th century Bakhmetiev taught in Sofia University in Bulgaria as a physics professor. On the side he experimented with freezing and thawing of

butterflies, and published several scientific papers on the subject. He concluded that there is some measurable time interval between being frozen and being dead. He thought this interval should exist in the higher animals, too: using appropriate techniques it might be possible to freeze and thaw them safely. In his article he proposed a program of research for this purpose, and also wrote that an advanced freezing technique could be applied to humans to put them in "anabiosis" for the purpose of life extension. Finally, in 1912, he got money for such research, and started with bats and rabbits. But this promising beginning was cut short by his untimely death the following year[2]. Later Peter Schmidt would become the most famous Russian anabiosis researcher. In the first ( 1923) edition of his book Anabiosis [3] (where Bakhmetiev's portrait is on the first page), Schmidt notes that Bakhmetiev's ideas were well known in Russia, that Bakhmetiev himself had aided their propagation significantly. Schmidt's verdict was that Bakhmetiev's anabiosis was not a proven idea, but could work in principle. Comment: In the Russian scientific literature the term "anabiosis" (proposed in 1873 by W.Peyer [4, p.5]) is used instead of"biostasis". Schmidt [3] wrote that, in Greek, "ana" means "up", "bios" means "life"-thus the exact translation gives "reviving". He subtitled the first edition of Anabiosis, "The phenomenon of reviving." I even Porfiry Bakhmetiev found the term "cryoanabiosis" [4]. Goldovsky in his 1981 book [4,

20 Cryonics • 4th Quarter, 1995 p.99] alsomentionedRobertEttinger's "The cultural life. prospect ofimmortality" -but as a fantastic There was also a idea. Especially he was amazed that Ettinger "biocosmism" movement discussed the economic problems ofhuman in Russia in the '20s­ freezing. The best-known advocate of im­ rather small and spread mortality in the '60s (a botanist, and even he mainly among poets. was referred to as a cosmist [5] ), was the late Biocosmism was founded chairman of the Byelorussian Academy of in 1921 in Moscow; in Science, Vasily Kuprevich. But when he early 1922 the biocosmists mentioned Bedford's freezing, he consid­ published their manifesto ered the idea absurd [6]. Also, a modern in the official government Russian immortality philosopher, Igor newspaper Izvestia [10]. Vishev, ironically mentioned Bedford's Their then-current goals freezing [7, p.188]. were: (1) cosmic (space) Schmidt also connected flight; (2) personal immor­ Bakhmetiev's ideas and those of the tality; (3) resurrection of eighteenth-century English scientist the dead. Definitely, they and surgeon, John Hunter. Schmidt were influenced by the phi­ wrote that, using some advanced, so­ losophy named "Russian phisticated freezing technique (based cosmism" or simply on Bakhmetiev's proposals or other "Cosmism." Semenova developments) it would be possible to [5] even considered them realize Hunter's dream of life prolon­ the most radical of the gation through freezing. He quoted cosmists. Hunter as follows (I took this from the Comment: CosmismisaRus­ English-language source [8, p.84], sian philosophy (however Vladimir Mayakovsky where the reference to the original close to the ideas of Henri work [9] is given; and abridged it to Bergson and Pierre Teilhard de Chardin). burg, 1 issue only, subtitled "The Or­ conform to the quotation given in Though united in one philosophical stream, gan of the Nothern Group of Schmidt's book): the cosmist authors were only labeled as Biocosmists (Immortalists) and the I had imagined that it might be such by historians much later, in the '60s [5]. Committee of Biocosmist Poetry"). In possible to prolong life to any period The best known cosmists were Nikolai addition there are several issues of by freezing a person in the frigid zone, Fedorov, Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, and collected works under the heading as I thought all action and waste would Vladimir Vernadsky. The basic idea of "Biocosmism," and many small book­ cease until the body was thawed. I cosmismis active evolution-aimed mainly lets of poetry. The biocosmists had the . thought that if a man would give up to reach personal immortality and to colo­ goal of personal immortality, physi­ the last ten years ofhis life to this kind nize cosmic space. The cosmists however cally and scientifically, and (contrast­ of alternate oblivion and action, it did not have the goal of practical immortal­ ing with the cosmists) looked for meth­ ity to be implemented now-only in the far might be prolonged to a thousand ods to implement it right now. They future. In addition, the main idea ofNikolai years: and by getting himself thawed considered Bakhmetiev's low tem­ eve.ry hundred years, he might Jearn Fedorov's philosophy is the resurrection of the dead to be carried out by some advanced perature anabiosis as the most promis­ what had happened during his frozen ing approach. A planned lecture and condition. human (orposthui:nan, in more modern think­ ing) civilization. This idea of resurrection article by Korovin, an assistant of Thus Schmidt's realistic, scien­ Professor Bakhmetiev, were an­ tific style and his reference to Hunter now has a modern scientific rationale, in the work of Frank Tipler [ 11]. Many cosmists nounced in "Immortality" [12]. One (people usually trust old ideas more of Yaroslavsky's poems was the than new ones) made Bakhmetiev's (and biocosmists-as I think) were impris­ oned and killed in the '30s and '40s. "Poem of anabiosis" [13] about the ideas more credible and, I think, more biocosmist revolution to come-I popular. There were two main groups of translate several strophes from differ­ Also (and to my mind, especially) biocosmists, one in Moscow, headed ent parts as follows: Bakhmetiev's ideas were well known by Alexander Agienko (penname: among the poets of the day. Back Svyatogor), the other in St.Petersburg, then, poetry in Russia meant even headed by Alexander Yaroslavsky. The threat of blue heaven fails to spill more than rock 'n roll in the West in Their publications include the two the power that we hold. the '60s and '70s. All ages and classes newsletters "Biocosmist" (Moscow, 4 Anabiosis's host will were involved-it was the core of issues) and "Immortality" (St. Peters- tomorrow freeze the world.

4th Quarter, 1995 • Cryonics 21 all was Vladimir Mayakovsky, born Make me live again! in 1893. By popular opinion (and Put a heart in me, almost officially) he was also the knock thought into my leading poet of the Soviet Commu­ skull, nist Republic (soon to become Em­ pump blood into my veins - pire) in the '20s and '30s. His verses give me new birth. were published in Izvestia [15], I had no chance of loving, when the biocosmists were also Jiving to the full. publishing their manifesto, and he Believe, must have known Alexander I didn't get Yaroslavsky [16, p.391]). my earthly share on earth. Mayakovsky shot himself in 1930. He was a very good poet, one of In 1928 Mayakovsky wrote a the all-time best. short, satiric play, "The Bedbug" [19]. Mayakovsky knew Fedo­ A fire disrupts the 1929 marriage of rov's ideas and was influenced Prisypkin (Pierre Skripkin) who, in by them [17, p.159]. In 1920 the winter cold and the confusion of Mayakovsky said about the fu­ the fire-dowsing, is frozen in the cel­ ture in a private talk: "I'm abso­ lar. Fifty years later-still frozen-he lutely sure there will be no death. is found, thawed and revived by the The dead will be resurrected." Institute for Human Resurrection. (A Nikolai Federov [17, p.154]. And in early 1923 professor of the Institute notes that Mayakovsky finished his poem "About Prisypkin is in a state of anabio1?iS.) this" [18], where he mentioned the Prisypkin is placed in a zoo, along Everyone is a saint who lives, idea of human-made resurrection: with the bedbug who lunched on him ugly, pretty, stupid, clever­ and was also frozen with him and freedom-loved eternity gives Not for me thawed. Indeed, the play is named for a warrant to live forever. to query on which and what. this insect which symbolizes the phi­ I see, listines and petty bourgeosie (the "bed­ The state hand won't touch the close and I see it clearly, bug" on the "body" of the proletariat). far countries in North and South­ to a dot! Prisypkin was an extremely stupid Philistine's Congress is frozen Air on air, and negative character-and it's pos­ in Washington in the White House. as if it's stone on stone, sible Mayakovsky "revived" such a impervious person to emphasize that every living The biocosmists in their poetic to crumbling and rust, human (and even the bedbug!) must ideals were close to the futurists. Fu­ it towers beyond the ages, be resurrected in the future. In 1931 turism also was an avant-garde poetic all aglow, "The Bedbug" was staged in New movement-one of the most power­ the workshop for reviving human dust. York. The speech that the Chairman ful of that time. One of the most fa­ Here he is, of the Institute makes during voting mous futurists was Victor (Velimir) the chemist, on the resurrection of Prisypkin is of Khlebnikov-the greatest experi­ silent, interest: menter with the Russian poetic lan­ lofty-browed, Hello! Hello! This is the Chairman guage. However the biocosmists con­ wrinkling his nose, of the Institute for Human Resurrec­ sidered him one of their own-mainly a new experiment contriving. tion speaking. The motion has been because of his poems, as Khlebnikov Through the World Who's Who circulated by telegram and discussed. died in 1922, when the biocosmists he leafs It is clear and simple. At the junction had just gotten started. Also and thinks aloud: of 62nd Street and 17th A venue in the Khlebnikov's poems were regarded "20th century. former city of Tambov a brigade dig­ as versifying Fedorov's ("Russian Let's look who's worth reviving. ging a foundation has discovered an cosmism's") philosophy. Many other Mayakovsky. .. ice-filled cellar at a depth of seven futurists were also influenced by surely not among the brightest. meters underground. A frozen human Fedorov [14]. Boris Pasternak, one of Decidely, figure can be seen through the ice. the best Russian poets and a Nobel his face is far too plain." The Institute thinks it is possible to laureate, was also was among the fu­ Then from today's worn page resurrect this individual who froze to turists of this time. I'll holler to the scientist, death fifty years ago. . .. The Institute But the top-ranking futurist ofthem Stop turning over pages! considers that every worker's life

22 Cryonics • 4th Quarter, 1995 should be utilised up to the last sec­ as automata and the scientists figure ond. .. . Let me remind you that after out a perhaps superior way of main­ References the wars which swept over the world, taining life. Just as the body in the . 'L Bakllmetiev P~ ''A recipe to live 1J11tl} the civil wars which created the World comedy is itozen, so it would appear, . the 21st century,'' Natural Science (lJitl Federation, human life was made in­ in lieu of any better suggestions, that Geography, 1901, N8, pJ... J3 (in.Rus';'; violable by a decree of November 7, this would be the best way for us to si~n); · . . ,· 1965. ... Fully aware of my responsi­ proceed. Present scientific research 2, FrolovaL.A "P.LBaklnnetiev's:VV:ofkS bility I put the motion to the vote. seems to indicate this would be the on~abiosis ininsects andmammal~ ••·i~~· Remembe1~ comrades, remember and best way, in general, to store the body l:Iistorical1Jiological research; 1978~ i~- once again remember: We are voting until techniques of resuscitation and SJ.l.e~,p.·167:'174 (in Russian). . • , for a human life! the postponing of death are perfected. 3: S5~01Wnan G.J. "A history of ideas abo~£ equipped to store ice even in summer. sia)? And (2) who influenced Neil R. ~]le prolongation of life." Trans. Amec Frozen and forgotten for twenty-five Jones, author of "The Jameson Satel­ PhiL Soc. 1966, vol. 56, part 9 (in J:l11.: years, he is finally found and resur­ lite," a 1931 tale of resuscitation that gl~$h); ...... • rected. This plot is similar to a story inspired the young Robert Ettinger? Q"l;Iunted. "Lectures on the principles of from Bakhmetiev's article[l], about a .surgery." 1841 (in English). ; .. · <~ , man who is frozen accidentally in a Acknowledgement l0,£).cheretyansky A. e.a. "Theforgottet1 field and then is found and resusci­ I am very grateful to Mike Perry eVantgatde;'' 1993 (lU £\.U:Stil.<1ilJ' tated. for his help in preparation, editing and lk '['ipler F. "The nn""'~'" im:tl,lot~l)"" Definitely, Mayakovsky had to publication of this article. Indeed his ity;"1994 .(in English). know Bakhmetiev's ideas. It was no article [21] encouraged me in this 12.Tnuuortality.J922, N 1 (in.R:ussif:UJl); mere chance that he used the device of small investigation. 13,¥a,to$1aysky.A, "Poem uu1ul:l.ulp:tu~~.,,., freezing with later revival to transport 192~ {in Russian). Prisypkin into the future. About the Author (by the Author) 14: Polyakov M. Evan Cooper, one of the founders I am a biophysicist, life extension Khlebnikov. ''Creations." of the cryonics movement in America researcher, and immortalist from sian). in the '60s, knew about "The Bed­ St.Petersburg, Russia. I realized in ·15.SmorodinA.A. "V.V.May~()YSky'.~,<~ bug" and was influenced by the idea childhood that I wanted to be immor­ .poetry ;iew~+ with serious overtones, and the out­ St.Petersburg 196244, Russia; (2) call: 1995, August, p.2-6 (in English). line of the method is there. +7 812 2991625; (3) e-mail to: 22: CooperE. "Immortality: physica1Iy; Similarly the outline can be used [email protected] (for M. scientifically, now!' 1962, reprinted by the rest of mankind until such time Soloviov). l99F(in English).

4th Quarter, 1995 • Cryonics 23 by R. Michael Perry, Ph.D.

Postmortem Brain Changes: A New Controversy

drama has been playing itself out by Skrecky [2] appears to confirm that Golgi method. (This does not mean A over the past several weeks. It substantial degradation of dendritic that destruction of the spines or other started September 14, when a posting spines was occurring, over 4 hours or structures is precluded, just that the of Doug Skrecky [ 1] appeared on less, at near-ice temperature. (The spine counts do not give a reliable CryoNet (the electronic cryonics news study was done with guinea-pigs stored indicator of how much retention and service maintained by Kevin Q. for intervals ranging from 5 min. up to loss is actually occurring.) An alterna­ Brown, [email protected]). In it 24 hrs. postmortem. Brain tissue was tive technique, the Golgi-Cox method Skrecky says, "Lowering temperature then removed and prepared for micro­ (despite the similarity of names it is is an ineffective means for preserving scopic examination, through fixation very different!) gives generally much bodily structures. After death brain and staining, using one of the stan­ better results. (The rapid Golgi method structures in particular are rapidly de­ dard techniques.) I wrote an article, is advantageous in certain circum­ graded. Even at 4° C after blood flow originally posted to CryoNet, which stances, e.g. unlike the Golgi-Cox is interrupted to the brain almost 50% has now appeared elsewhere in differ­ method it works with formalin fixa­ of dendrite spines are destroyed within ent versions, raising doubts as to tion, which is very widely used. Un­ 4 hours. After 24 hours this figure whether today's cryonics patients der good conditions it also is better at rises to 74%. Fortunately only 4% are could be reanimated [4]. There has showing dendritic spines.) A study lost over the first 45 minutes post been a flurry of responses, the general has been done comparing the two mortem-probably because it takes a consensus being that research into methods [5]. I quote the abstract. while for brain cells to die." [2] Need­ better cryonic techniques must con­ "Comparisons were made be­ less to say all this, if substantiated, tinue, though we should not give up tween the results of applying the Golgi­ would signal major worries for hope even for today's (and Cox and rapid Golgi techniques to cryonics. Patients often are stored for yesterday's) patients. human brain tissue obtained at au­ many hours at near-freezing tempera­ Since then I've reviewed other topsy. Adjacent blocks of hippocam­ ture, before freezing can start. literature which offers a rather differ­ pal formation and precentral gyrus [a Dendritic spines are tiny out­ ent and more optimistic picture. It brain convolution] from nine cases growths of the dendrites of a neuron in appears that the particular technique were prepared by the two methods. the brain that form synaptic junctions used to look at the tiny structures of The cases ranged in age from 39 to 99 with axons. The axons in turn carry the brain is crucially important in de­ years, had postmortem times for sam­ signals from other neurons, so the ciding which changes are occurring pling ranging from 6 to 28 hours (h) synapses are the vital communication and in what amounts. The contention and included cases of dementia of the link between the neurons that enable that "dendrite spines are destroyed" Alzheimer type. Without exception, the brain to function. Loss of dendritic under the conditions and in the per­ the methods produced very different spines has been observed in senile centages recounted by Skrecky, is not results. The Golgi-Cox method re­ dementias such as Alzheimer's dis­ warranted by the evidence that is pre­ sulted in impregnation of many neu­ ease [3] and appears to be a factor in sented. Instead it appears that the ap­ rons with rich dendritic plexuses and the substantial loss of memory and parent degradation can be attributed normal overall appearance. Occa­ other mental deterioration that is seen. to the preparation technique that was sional cells appeared grossly atrophic On first reading, the reference cited used, which is known as the rapid with irregular somata and apparent

24 Cryonics • 4th Quarter, 1995 loss of apical and basilar dendritic affected by the suspension protocols evance. (A Medline search under segments. With the rapid Golgi in use, or until reversible suspended "postmortem brain" showed over a method, the vast majority of impreg­ animation is achieved. thousand titles for the last three years nated neurons exhibited such grossly On the other hand, the findings alone. "Neuroprotective" produced atrophic appearances while few, if about dendritic spines could be quite over 700 entries for the same period.) any, impregnated neurons had rich important in another way. The rapid More literature searching on our part dendritic plexuses or were otherwise Golgi method could furnish a useful is called for. We can't expect others to normal in appearance. Thus, the rapid indicator of early postmortem changes, inform us, even if there are critics who Golgi method appears to be highly and thus, of how good our preserva­ would also be glad to know about sensitive to postmortem delay or other tive techniques are (i.e. how much scientific problems with cryonics. Sci­ factors which accompany studies in­ they deviate from the ideal in which ence is pretty compartmentalized, and volving human brain tissues obtained there would be no postmortem the number who take seriously what at autopsy. The Golgi-Cox method changes.) More specifically, dendritic we are interested in (survival beyond appears to be relatively insensitive to spine counts could furnish a quantita­ the biological limits) is still astound­ such factors." tive measure of the efficacy of our ingly small. It's important to keep in mind that preservation, though naturally such a I thank Hugh Hixon, Thomas the two methods were applied to tis­ result would have to be used with Donaldson, and Joe Hovey for their sue from the same subject, taken un­ caution. assistance in preparing this article. der the same conditions (e.g. post­ Another point worth making is mortem delay), and as nearly as pos­ that a technique for looking at brain sible identical. (The staining tech­ tissue that does not rely on fixation niques, being irreversible, preclude would be desirable. One such tech­ using the same piece of tissue for both nique is MRI, which is capable of methods, but very similar, adjacent resolving structure at the cellular level, tissues were used.) When one method though probably it would have to be consistently shows preservation of a developed further before the finer structure, even if, as here, the other neuronal structures could be seen. shows degradation, it means the struc­ (MRI should have the advantage too, ture must have been present before that the same piece of tissue could be either method was applied. These re­ examined repeatedy to chart its spe­ References: sults are consistent with other findings cific postmortem history, which is [1] Skrecky, D. "Biostasis," Mensa such as the recent study by Mike Dar­ impossible with fixation-based meth­ Canada Communications Jan-Feb win et al. which reported good preser­ ods.) 1991, reprinted in CryoNet message vation of neuronal structures, includ­ In any case, research must move 4871 (14 Sep 1995). ing dendritic spines, with postmortem forward, both to add to our knowl­ [2] de Ruiter, J. "The influence of metabolic support and high-glycerol edge and, most importantly, to find post-mortem fixation on the reliability perfusion prior to freezing [6]. So­ ways of resolving whatever problems of the Golgi silver impregnation," good news for cryonics, though we exist. (Other incentives, for those able Brain Research 266, 143 (1983). must not become complacent. We to support research, is that it could [3] de Ruiter, J. and H. Uy1ings, don't know, for example, how memory have medical or other beneficial ap­ "Morphometric and dendritic analy­ is stored in the brain or just how deli­ plications and possibly generate siz­ sis of fascia dentata granule cells in cate the relevant structures are. The able income.) Meanwhile I would ad­ human aging and senile dementia," results with the rapid Golgi method vocate taking more seriously the idea Brain Research 402, 217 (1987). show that some postmortem changes of storing documentary information [4] Perry, M. "Dendritic spines: a are occurring. The results with the about yourself, to assist in reanima­ possible problem for cryonics," Golgi-Cox method suggest this may tion if the brain preservation isn't good CryoNet message 4949 (10 Oct 1995). not be a problem from the cryonics enough. [5] Buell, S. "Golgi-Cox and rapid standpoint-we can be hopeful, in the The dendritic spine study appeared golgi methods as applied to autopsied face of our uncertainty. in 1983, and the study comparing the human brain tissue: widely disparate But we must bear in mind that, two preparation methods a year ear­ results," J. Neuropath. Exp. Neural. after all, cryonics may not work or, at lier. It is remarkable that over ten 41(5), 500 (Sep 1982). any rate, may not work as well as we'd years has elapsed without more notice [6] Darwin, M., S. Russell, L. like. We'll have to keep this in mind being taken of the possible implica­ Wood, C. Wood, and S. Harris. "Ca­ until either a lot more is known about tions for cryonics. There is, appar­ nine brain cryopreservation" BPI Tech. important personality elements such ently, a great deal of other mainstream Brief #16, CryoNet messages 4468 as memory in the brain, and how it is scientific literature with potential rei- and 4474 (1-2 Jul 1995).

4th Quarter, 1995 • Cryonics 25 by Thomas Donaldson, Ph.D.

Immortal ism

ond that our aim might be more pub­ not practical now. Aims are not the licly successful if we did not talk of same as Reality. Anyone who argues eaders who have been with immortality but of something less ex­ that we should work, say, towards Rcryonics for some time will know treme. To these claims I note first that "life extension" because it is closer of Alan Harrington's book, The logical arguments have shown that and more attainable as a practical Immortalist. Harrington even devoted literal immortality is not impossible in achievement mistakes the basis of a chapter to cryonics, though he was the sense of contradicting any firmly immortalism. The kind of cryonic sus­ pessimistic about its success. In later established principles of physics or pension we have now takes us only a editions of The Prospect of Immortal­ biology; and second, that despite all few steps towards our ultimate goal. ¥ Ettinger even denigrated these pleas that a more modest state­ Life extension takes us a few steps Harrington, not for talking openly ment may attract more to cryonics, I more. Reversible freezing (or vitrifi­ about immortality but for concluding note that despite all such modesty cation) is only another step. As that it was something for our descen­ cryonics remains one of most minor­ immortalists we work toward such dants rather than ourselves. Yet as an ity of minority movements. achievements not as final goals but exploration of human responses to I am an immortalist. And I agree because we exist now in a world in death Harrington's book still deserves with Harrington when he says that which we can take such steps, and attention. In some ways he looks more death is an imposition upon the 1m­ know they will take us forward. They deeply than Ettinger into those re­ man race, and no longer to be ac­ are only small steps towards our for­ sponses, and how they appear in liter­ cepted. Yet that isn't really the end of ever. Total abolition of aging will be ally everything human beings (even the matter. We can view immortalism only one more step. Even a means to cryonicists) do. For a while, it even from two sides: the moral side, and the store copies of ourselves elsewhere, gave its name to a movement (and we realist side. an idea fi·ommany old myths, will still still see this in the title of the Cryonics If I say that death is no longer be only a step. And as we walk along Association magazine). As a book, acceptable, I do not make a statement this road, we'll find many other steps, The Immortalist was also the state­ about what we can do now. In the not yet imagined, exist beyond these, ment of a credo, and an effective one. sense that death still occurs all around too. That comes directly from our aim. Regardless of anything else he says us, we must accept its presence or And finally, yes, many people later, Harrington's book begins with a deny reality. Yet it remains terribly alive now will never get that life to­ statement which still rings out: "Death deeply wrong, no matter to whom or wards which we are working, even is an imposition upon the human race, what the cause may be. It should be though they deserve it as much as us. and no longer acceptable." the aim of medicine to keep all human Our immortalism does not ask us to It's now almost 30 years since beings in good health forever. That is, give up our chances at life so that Harrington published The Imm01talist. all human beings, not just those who some other person might replace us: Since then, some interesting things are especially virtuous or bright, de­ we all deserve life equally, no one have happened. The first of them came serve to live forever. And by forever I more than another. Even many with the attempt to invent words for do not mean centuries, or millenia, or cryonicists may well not attain that our goal which might not be quite so geological ages, but forever. And to life. Everyone living now deserves all-encompassing: "emortalism," "life­ the extent that they do not work to­ food, but some will starve. That is extension," "anti-aging," and others. wards such a goal, doctors fail in their reality, too. And reality is often hard. The argument for such words based trust. itself on two claims: first, that true Immortalism is a moral position. It immortality was impossible, and sec- is not a statement about what is or is

26 Cl}!onics • 4th Quarter, 1995 A Guide to Anti-Aging Drugs By Thomas Donaldson, Ph.D. Periastron Books, 1994

Reviewed by Russell Cheney

A Watershed bered independently, to facilitate the up­ Health This book is a vastly im- dating process. Appendix 1 is a helpful This book was described as a vastly portant watershed for layperson's discussion of pertinent bio­ important watershed for longevists. It is. longevists. chemistry. It is an equally important keystone for This succinct volume Donaldson offers an updating service those interested in long-term health. The marks the first comprehensive, for $5, to "infonn you of any new devel­ reason is that all of the drugs and nutri­ objective analysis of all drugs opments about the drugs discussed as new ents that extend life do so through a and nutritional supplements discoveries may be made." Donaldson process that most ofus would describe as (prescription andnon-prescrip­ uses "drug" to include nutrients. This healthy: some form of disease reduction. tion) having, and purporting to have, a reviewer highly recommends the update One can get into philosophical discus­ beneficial effect on human aging. service. sions about whether a specific drug or Donaldson identifies, in his unique cut­ nutrient achieves its life-extension ben­ ting informal prose, the significant known Quotables efits by affecting "true" metabolic aging benefits and drawbacks of each drug and mechanisms, but the bottom line for the nutrient, based on reviews of well over We Must Do It Ourselves: individual is that for these drugs and' 150 scientific journals and books. "No [antiaging] drug will get any­ nutrients to be effective, they have dem­ There is no sales hype here; there are thing close to proof of effectiveness m1til onstrated disease-reduction. no marketing gimmicks. Drugs and years after we ourselves have reached old In other words, whether you live nutrients that are highly touted in the age, and many of us have died." (Chapter longer because your maximum healthy popular press are given no mercy from 7, page 1.) life-span is increased, or you live longer Donaldson's objective scrutiny. As a because ofspecific disease-reduction, you consequence, be prepared for some pro­ Personal Criteria have benefited either way. vocative surprises! "For my own personal choice, I have Because of Donaldson's scientific set three criteria which a drug must meet Testing background, he is able to shine a pen­ before I will consider it at all: Where appropriate, Donaldson dis­ etrating objective light on which drugs 1. There must be a substantial case cusses what drugs and nutrients could be and nutrients may indeed help you in the that prolonged intake of the drug will not tested further under what circumstances long-run, which probably will have no cause harm at dosages which will be theo­ for the benefit of further clarifying the lasting effect, and which may actually retically effective on aging. 2. The drug action, dosage, side-affects, and ability cause you hann. must have been shown to increase lifespan to shed light on fundamental aging mecha­ of some mammal in a controlled experi­ nisms. Taken as a whole, these sugges­ The Approach ment. 3. The drug must be obtainable tions comprise a valuable guide to highly­ A Guide to AntiAging Drugs dis­ without great expense or a need to manu­ beneficial future research, especially to cusses each selected drug and nutrient facture it myself." (Chapter 7, page 1.) the longevist community. individually, in sufficient detail on the most-promising, to assist the reader in Biochemical Interference Index detem1ining whether that specific item is "It is simply untrue that we can maxi­ The current edition of the book does of possible consideration for their own mize our chances of longevity by taking not come with an index. An index would circumstance. Similar drugs and nutri­ large doses of all known drugs, since be quite helpful to provide complete ents are compared and contrasted. Addi­ many of these may interfere with one references for all discussion of a particu­ tiona! sources of information on each another." (Chapter 5, page 4.) lar drug, nutrient, disease, etc. This drug and nutrient are provided, facilitat­ "If we try to hold off aging by taking reviewer made a nine-page index for his ing one's own decision-making process. many drugs, all of which show some own use. The index is available free to The book is oriented to practical ability to delay aging, we may lose lifespan anyone sending a selfaddressed stamped application, including discussion of ap­ instead of gaining it." (Appendix 1, page envelope to: propriate dosage, the best sources, and 6.) AntiAging Index analysis of possible side-effects. The Donaldson's book addresses this in­ Russell Cheney volume itself is bound as a loose-leaf terference dilemma. 5618 Ruby Place notebook, with each chapter-page num- Torrance, CA 90503

4th Quarter, 1995 • Cryonics 27 Avoiding ement1aCD Russell Cheney reviews a presentation by Professor Carl Cotman, Ph. D.

his article contains insight into are a number of insights into recent Cotman's June 1, 1995 presentation Tthe avoidance of certain aging research relating to dementia-avoid­ "Alzheimer's Disease: A Research diseases. ancewhich will be ofinterestnotonly Update," given to the Alzheimer's Of interest to both the cryonicists to those seeking a longer and healthier Association of Orange County. Pro­ andnon-cryonicists are observations life, but also to those desiring to bring fessor Cotman, Ph.D. is the Chair of on cardiovascular-disease reduction, into the future the healthiest-possible the University ofCalifornia atlrvine' s to help increase the quality of life as brain. Medical and Scientific Advisory well as to extend it. In addition, there This article is a review of Carl Board, and is a world-renowned neu­ roscientist. See the lexicon below for brief definitions ofrelated terms.

Critical Summary Recent research has demonstrated an increasingly strong commonality among factors decreasing the risk of both cardiovascular-disease and dementia, including exercise and the use of anti-oxidants and anti­ inflammatories.

Presentation Review It is estimated that currently in the United States 12% ofthe 65-year-old population has dementia, and over 50% of the 85-year-olds, primarily Alzheimer's Disease (AD). About SlOObillionisspentannuallyonhealth care for AD patients, and $350 mil­ lion for AD research. That's less than one half of one percent for research. Wouldn'titmakemoresensetoapply

28 Cryonics • 4th Quarter, 1995 a larger percentage ofthe resources to · rent patients. solving the root of the problem? Re­ An as-yet unpublished study has Q&A search is now a resource-limited solu­ demonstrated a statistically significant tion. correlation between exercise and a Cotman concluded his presen­ With aging, beta-amyloid peptide reduction in the decline of cognitive tation with a question and an­ protein accumulates inside and out­ function. Rats self-selecting substan­ swer sess1on. side the cells, notably in certain criti­ tial exercise have been shown to re­ cal portions ofthe brain. The amyloid tain better critical brain functions. Q: What anti-inflammatories has been thought to be inert. The Interestingly, some of the rats in the should we consider for use? results ofa quite recent experiment at study consistently choose to run up to Cotman: Buffered aspirin, UCI have shown this amyloid to be eight miles per night. Motrin, or Ibuprofen. deadly to nerve tissue. How does the exercise affect the Aging's accumulation of beta­ brain? One possible explanation has Q: How would the beneficial amyloid peptide, and oxidative dam­ to do with the fact that with exercise, exercise in the rat experiment age, appear to drive apoptosis, an additional quantities ofgrowth factor translate to humans? active process termed Programmed are produced. It is a demonstrated fact Cell Death (PCD ), versus passive cell that this class of biochemical helps Cotman: The workout would death which is termed "necrosis." It protect mature nerve cells, which are correspond in humans to a has been recently found that the PCD more damage-resistant and generally minimumoftwotothreetimes process has a number ofcheck points, healthier after exposure to growth fac­ a week, sufficient in effort and similar to trashing a file on a home tor. The measurable quantities of duration to work up a sweat computer, where you are given a se­ growth factor in critical brain areas of ries of opportunities to prevent the exercising rats increase enormously Q: What daily quantity ofvita­ loss of the file prior to its ultimate for at least the first seven days after mins is the literature showing deletion. InPCD, these checkpoints exercise begins. as most likely to be effective as represent potential target intervention From an ongoing study at Leisure an anti-oxidant? opportunities to slow down the cell World, it would appear that the best Cotman: 400 I.U. Vitamin E, death process. regimen for humans includes a com­ Yz-gram Vitamin C, and a small Microglia cells help protect nerve bination ofsignificant amounts ofboth amountofVitaminA. Within a cells by engulfing invading microor­ physical exercise and mental stimula­ year, research results are ex­ ganisms and dead neural tissue; they tion (such as playing bridge). also attack nerve cells that are begin­ Reviews ofthe literature demon­ pected to provide more exact ning to show signs ofbreak-up. Re­ strate the widespread and continuing­ quantification. cent research has demonstrated that to-increase support for the daily use of anti-inflammatory drugs appear to anti-oxidants, such as Vitamin E, Vi­ Q: Is AD sex- or race-related? slow microglia's role in undesired tamin C, and Vitamin A. Cotman: Statistically, AD is PCD. Factors reducing the risk of somewhat more prevalent in Medical science's ability to iden­ dementia are quite similar to those women and blacks, but it tify people with a high probability of reducing the risk of cardiovascular shows no respect for men or developing AD later in life has re­ disease: consistent use ofcertain anti­ any race. centlyimprovedmarkedly. "Riskfac­ oxidants andanti-inflammatories, per­ tors" have been discovered which may sistent exercise, low-fat diet, and main­ be used soon to help identify the po­ tenance ofreasonable blood pressure tential for AD after age 60. The risk and stress levels. Marks, Vernon H., Reversing factors relate to apolipoproteinE4 and Memory Loss, Houghton Mifflin the human chromosome-14. References Company, 1992. A computerized logic-flow is pres­ Marieb, Blain N., Human Schneider, Edward L., Editor, ently under developmentto assist prac­ Anatomy and Physiology, The Ben­ Handbook of the Biology ofAging, ticing medical professionals in the jamin/Cummings Publishing Com­ Academic Press, Inc., 1990. positive diagnoses ofAD in their cur- pany, 1989.

4th Quarter, 1995 • Cryonics 29 BECOMING IMMORTAL - Nanotechnology, You, and the Demise of Death By Wesley Du Charme, Ph.D. Blue Creek Ventures, 1995

Reviewed by Thomas Donaldson

he author of this book with the refusal of human beings to what has happened, and how the em­ Thas his heart in the right use it appropriately. (To offend some, powerment and education of women place, and from reading it I I'll be specific here: the refusal to use has affected birthrates, too. (Yes, that would say that he has taken nuclear energy has greatly worsened would have taken more work on his

up the flag of Nanotech­ the C02 problem worldwide. And part, much more than simply to refer nology with no other aim than please don't raise the issue of future us to Drexler, but his arguments would to explain its implications for our fu­ technologies such as widespread so­ become far stronger in the end). I say ture lives. Moreover, unlike any other lar power. The problem is now.) these things not because I fundamen­ author since Bob Ettinger himself, he Moreover, these questions are real tally disagree, but because the argu­ does try to deal not only with the and do bother people. I doubt very ments Du Charme produces look very technical issues involved in cryonics weak. Weak arguments hurt our case but with the emotional and social and because of those who are turned off emotional issues too. For anyone seri­ by them; the fact that we fundamen­ ously considering whether or not to tally agree with the case argued can sign up for suspension, those social blind us to that weakness. and emotional issues are very impor­ In his second part, "Getting from tant. Nanotechnology, You, and here to there," Du Charme then goes Du Charme devotes an entire sec­ the Demise of Death on to discuss cryonics itself. On the tion of his book, "Arguments against question of whether or not it will work, Immortality," almost half his book, to surprise! he once more alludes to stating and refuting the many argu­ Nanotechnology. He gives very little ments against immortality that vari­ other hard data at all, a total of 4 ous people have put up. That's both articles: 2 articles from Scientific good and important. And he has salted American, one article on the time his book with some very good quota­ course in which biosynthesis ceases tions, too. from Bull Experimental Biology and However even here there are bugs Medicine ( 114( 11 )( 1992) 1706-1709), in his program, bugs of which he and another on the effect of hypother­ seems quite oblivious. For it is in this mia and cardiac arrest in children section that he shrugs off many of the Wesley M. Du Cha1me, Ph.D. (Journal of Pediatricas 117(2-1(1990) questions ("Won't the Earth become 179-183 ). Of course he cites 5 differ­ too crowded?") with paeans to ent works by Drexler, also. Nanotechnology. I would actually say He quotes Alkon, the author of the that if we removed the "nano-" prefix, much that anyone bothered by, say, Scientific American article he cites on then it would read just like things the issue of overpopulation, will be memory, as saying that our memories we've been hearing for decades be­ satisfied simply by a shrug and a ref­ "appear to involve a sequence of fore Nanotechnology raised its head. erence to the wonders of molecular changes at specific loca­ "Technology can solve this problem, Nanotechnology. That's just not the tions in systems of neurons" and that technology can solve that problem, way people work. His arguments here it is "represented and stored by a physi­ technology can solve almost any prob­ would be far stronger if made quite cal pattern of branching and synaptic lem you can name .... "I will even say specific: cite the studies showing that contac.ts." We have now completed that (with lots of caveats) I agree to as countries become more prosperous our discussion of memory and can go such an emended version; though I their birthrates decline, for instance. on to. Nanotechnology. would also say that often the real Discuss birthrates in Europe and North The problem with these arguments problem is not with technology but American over the last 100 years, and for cryonics (or, for that matter, any-

30 Cryonics • 4th Quarter, 1995 ------~ thing else) comes precisely from their but, as with any form of theory, we not discuss the darker possibility that generality. If technology (or should never forget that that it in­ we have destroyed some, or even all, Nanotechnology) can do all things, volves not Reality but events in our of current suspendees with our present then we need only shrug and allude to own heads only. Not only that, but techniques, which simply may not be it. End of argument. Anyone who then chemistry and biochemistry do deal good enough to preserve the basis of comes forward with Problems can then with reality, and they tell us important memory. Nanoteclmology cannot do be easily ignored. If technology can things about how we can manipulate everything we ever want. No technol­ do all things, it can certainly solve matter. It's simply not true that, in any ogy can. these Problems, too. However we can­ literal sense, we can place atoms any­ Finally I must say that, from one not be surprised if the person who has where we want. Chemists don't sim­ angle, Du Charme makes a noble ef­ just brought up a Problem leaves the ply play tinkertoys; chemical combi­ fort. One problem with cryonics comes discussion soon afterwards. Their nations are stable or not depending on from the fact that until Drexler ap­ Problem hasn't really been answered, many different factors. Nor, for that peared, we had no good way to ex­ just brushed off. Answers involve De­ matter, can we expect any plain our ideas at all to those who tails and Unknowns, neither of which nanotechnological device to work in simply weren't willing to read the fit well with the overarching idea of all circumstances. As a combination relevant scientific papers and under­ Nanotechnology. of chemicals, however constructed, stand their ideas. In his book Drexler Throughout this book, that bright they too will break down in many himself points out that cryonicists had future of Nanotechnology presents it­ environments. Not only that, but even developed their own repair ideas be­ self as a very sharp transition, reminis­ the technical book which Drexler has fore the word "nanotechnology" ever cent of the Millenium, the arrival of produced (Nanosystems) only presents appeared: but yet again, those ideas God in all his Glory, etc. If anything, computations for nanomachine parts. could not be easily explained to any­ that would put off questioners even To establish the case for an entire one not interested in the science. more (though to be fair, Du Charme machine, we need the kind of compu­ So: if I say that we should not does spend a few words on what we tations only available on large parallel depend on hand-waving about would do in this approaching Heaven machines. nanotechnology, then what do I pro­ --unlike the religious case, in which Not only that, but even if we ac­ pose in its place? First, I would point very little is said about what we'd do). cept the notion that Nanotechnology out that all through history people This, too, would likely put off anyone can place atoms wherever we want have not wanted to die, that they care not already convinced. them, that solves only half the prob­ intensely about this problem even For these advocates of lem. If we want to build any new without admitting that to themselves; Nanotechnology, I have a bit of news: device, perhaps a device (or set of nor is the problem logically or physi­ nanotechnology has already arrived. them) to repair a suspended human cally impossible. And so we know It arrived at least 20 years ago and being, then we must also work out just that someday we will solve that prob­ arguably even longer ago. It arrived what we want that device to do (where lem. As for cryonics I would argue when we started modifying viruses to we want to put those atoms). That's that we will have the very same feel­ serve our own purposes, when we harder than it looks, because our re­ ings. (More needs saying here, but for started using bacteria for all kinds of pairs may forthwith destroy them­ now I won't.) different aims, when chemists began selves by normal physiology unless And second, rather than paeans to seriously thinking about macromo­ we plan it all very carefully. a technology that will never fully ar­ lecular chemistry and materials scien­ I am not saying here that the so­ rive (complete control over anything tists started making new materials phistication of our nanotechnological will never come), I would instead point rather than accepting the old ones, etc devices cannot increase. I fully expect out just how much we don't know etc. Such work has continued not only them to increase orders of magnitude about the universe and our own work­ to grow but to increase in sophistica­ beyond what we can now make. What ing, and how odd it is that in most talk tion and control. Not only that, but all I doubt is whether or not the about aging and death, those speak­ of chemistry consists of finding clev­ Nanotechnologists, relying solely on ing assume that they understand them erer and cleverer ways to manipulate Drexler's ideas, will tum out to have well enough to say that no advances at molecules into what we want, and the keys to our revival. We would all all can happen to reverse both, not for chemistry is much older. do well to search (and think) much hundreds ofyears into the future. What Certainly this form of nanotech­ more broadly: to materials science, ignorant arrogance! If you want to nology isn't the one promoted by Eric macromolecular chemistry, genetic en­ live, it's far better to do what you can Drexler. That nanotechnology, in the gineering, bacteriology, all the areas in the context of our present under­ words of Drexler himself, is a ·form of in which scientists or engineers make standing than to listen to ignorami Theoretical Applied Science. I ·have nanotechnological devices right now. who believe your efforts must fail. no problems with this so far as it goes, Moreover, Du Charme simply does ~------' 4th Quarter, 1995 • Cryonics 31 ORDER FORM All prices include postage and handling and are in U.S. dollars. Minimum order: $5.00. Overseas orders must be paid with U.S. dollars by Traveler's Cheques or International Money Order, and must include an additional20% (of total) for shipping. All orders are subject to availability and all prices are subject to change.

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District of Columbia Life Extension Society, Inc. is a new cryon­ ics and life extension group with members from Washington, D.C., Virginia, and Mary- ll:l'ife~'CtiQn

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