Ÿþc R Y O N I C S M a G a Z I N E , Q 3 2 0
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
3rd quarter 2011 • Volume 32:3 Systems for Intermediate Temperature Storage Page 7 Readiness Update Page 15 A New Choice for Immortalists Page 17 ISSN 1054-4305 $9.95 Improve Your Odds of a Good Cryopreservation You have your cryonics funding and contracts in place but have you considered other steps you can take to prevent problems down the road? _ Keep Alcor up-to-date about personal and medical changes. _ Update your Alcor paperwork to reflect your current wishes. _ Execute a cryonics-friendly Living Will and Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care. _ Wear your bracelet and talk to your friends and family about your desire to be cryopreserved. _ Ask your relatives to sign Affidavits stating that they will not interfere with your cryopreservation. _ Attend local cryonics meetings or start a local group yourself. _ Contribute to Alcor’s operations and research. Contact Alcor (1-877-462-5267) and let us know how we can assist you. Take a look at the Your source for news about: ALCOR BLOG • Cryonics technology • Cryopreservation cases • Television programs about cryonics http://www.alcor.org/blog/ • Speaking events and meetings • Employment opportunities Alcor Life Connect with Alcor members and supporters on our official Facebook page: Extension http://www.facebook.com/alcor.life.extension.foundation Foundation Become a fan and encourage interested is on friends, family members, and colleagues to support us too. 2nd quarter 2008 • Volume 29:2 2nd quarter 2008 • Volume 29:2 32:3 • Volume 2011 3rd quarter 32:3 CONTENTS • Volume 2011 3rd quarter Systems for COVER STORY: PAGE 7 CONTENTS Intermediate 5 CEO Update Temperature StoragePage 7 Why does fracturing occur in Thanks to wearing his cryonicsCOVER patients? STORY: Which PAGE repair 7 seatbelt, Alcor CEO Page 15 technologies are envisioned? 5 MaxCEO More Update is still with us Readiness Update WhyWhat does are the fracturing prospects occur for in andThanks reports to onwearing the latest his A NewImmortalists Choice forPage 17 cryonicseliminating patients? fracturing? Which In repair developmentsseatbelt, Alcor atCEO Alcor. technologiesthis comprehensive are envisioned? review, Max More is still with us Whatcryobiologist are the Brianprospects Wowk for reviews 13 andMembership reports on the latest eliminatingthe topic and fracturing? provides Inan update developments at Alcor. thison Alcor’s comprehensive efforts to review,develop Statistics and validate Intermediate The latest statistics on cryobiologist Brian Wowk reviews 13 Membership theTemperature topic and Storageprovides (ITS). an update Alcor membership on Alcor’s efforts to develop growth.Statistics and validate Intermediate The latest statistics on Cover Photo: Intermediate Temperature StorageTemperature Storage (ITS). Alcor membership (ITS) Neurodewar for safe storage at temperatures 14 Chronology of warmer than liquid nitrogen to reduce fracturing. growth.Developments Cover Photo: Intermediate Temperature Storage Related to Fracturing 14 Chronology of (ITS) Neurodewar for safe storage at temperatures and Intermediate warmer than liquid nitrogen to reduce fracturing. Developments 17 A New Choice for Immortalists Temperature Storage Related to Fracturing Biogerontologist Michael Rose, Ph.D. contrasts his evolutionary and Intermediate perspective of the aging process with alternative approaches and 15 Readiness Update 17 introducesA New Choice the topic for of Immortalists his new co-authored book Does Aging Temperature Storage Aaron Drake reports Stop?Biogerontologist He also suggests Michael practical Rose, Ph.D.lifestyle contrasts guidelines his evolutionaryto remain on on Alcor’s new portable anperspective aging-arrested of the plateau aging process indefinitely with alternativebefore old approachesage sets in. and 15 Readiness Update introduces the topic of his new co-authored book Does Aging ice water recirculation Aaron Drake reports Stop? He also suggests practical lifestyle guidelines to remain on system to conduct rapid 19 on Alcor’s new portable an aging-arrested plateau indefinitely before old age sets in. hypothermia in the field Alcor member Cairn Idun contributes a member profile of Alcor andice water the recent recirculation Pacific advisor, Cryonics editor and researcher Aschwin de Wolf. From Northwestsystem to conduct training. rapid 19 his early youth to his current views on cryonics – Cairn covers it hypothermia in the field all.Alcor member Cairn Idun contributes a member profile of Alcor and the recent Pacific advisor, Cryonics editor and researcher Aschwin de Wolf. From Northwest training. his early youth to his current views on cryonics – Cairn covers it www.alcor.orgall. Cryonics/Third Quarter 2011 3 www.alcor.org Cryonics/Third Quarter 2011 3 FROM THE EDITOR 3rd quarter 2011 • Volume 32:3 Editorial Board dmittedly, there are times when it is a challenge to gather enough original and excit- Saul Kent ing materials for the next issue of Cryonics. When I considered devoting this issue Ralph Merkle, Ph.D. of the magazine to research and development in cryonics I was not sure whether Brian Wowk, Ph.D. A there was enough going on to fill the pages of the magazine. As it turned out, the materials that I received not only vastly exceeded the usual number of pages allotted to the magazine, Editor but I had to stop soliciting for this issue. It also became clear that if I reported on the neural Aschwin de Wolf cryobiology research that Chana de Wolf and I conduct at Advanced Neural Biosciences the situation would become really unmanageable! As a result, this report will be published in Art Director another issue of the magazine or as a web exclusive. Jill Grasse Despite limiting the number of articles, we are still forced to publish some other mate- rial—research updates—as a web exclusive rather than in the magazine. In 2008, Alcor Staff Contributing Writers member Michael Perry received a grant to research low cost alternatives to cryonics, then Aaron Drake solicited experiments to develop an algorithm to estimate the degree of ischemic damage in Michael Rose, Ph.D. electron micrographs of rodent brain samples. His first official report can be consulted here Aschwin de Wolf (www.alcor.org/Library/pdfs/Algorithmic_Estimation_of_Cortical_Autolysis.pdf). Mike Brian Wowk, Ph.D also collaborated on a series of experiments to study the effects of chemical fixation on the _____________________________ ischemic brain. A report of this work will be published in the future as a broader update about Copyright 2011 low cost alternatives to cryonics. by Alcor Life Extension Foundation I am thrilled that our cover article for this issue is an update on Intermediate Tem- All rights reserved. perature Storage (ITS). Since learning that most patients will experience fracturing during Reproduction, in whole or part, their descent to liquid nitrogen temperature, Alcor has made efforts to document, investigate without permission is prohibited. and resolve this issue to offer improved human cryopreservation technologies. Since Alcor published the last update on ITS there have been some new developments, including the Cryonics Magazine is published quarterly. acquisition of our first custom-designed ITS unit for neuro patients. As the article shows, our knowledge about ITS and fracturing events remains incomplete but we hope this article To subscribe to the paper edition: will spark interest to resume R&D in this area and trigger debate as to whether and how ITS call 480.905.1906 x101or visit the should be made available to Alcor members. magazine website: Stopping or reversing the aging process will be an intrinsic component of cryonics for http://www.alcor.org/magazine/ most members. This issue of Cryonics features an article by bio-gerontologist Michael Rose, _____________________________ Ph.D. in which he presents a novel theory about the aging process and why he believes it can Address correspondence to: be halted mid-age by adopting a lifestyle comparable to those of our hunter-gathering ances- Cryonics Magazine tors, a topic that is explored in more detail in his new co-authored book, Does Aging Stop? 7895 East Acoma Drive, Suite 110 Just before the first draft of this issue of the magazine was completed, the “father” of Scottsdale, Arizona 85260 cryonics, Robert Ettinger was cryopreserved at the Cryonics Institute. Look forward to a lot Phone: 480.905.1906 more about Robert Ettinger in the next issue of Cryonics. Toll free: 877.462.5267 Fax: 480.922.9027 Aschwin de Wolf Letters to the Editor welcome: [email protected] Advertising inquiries: 480.905.1906 x113 [email protected] ISSN: 1054-4305 Visit us on the web at www.alcor.org Alcor News Blog http://www.alcor.org/blog/ 4 Cryonics/Third Quarter 2011 www.alcor.org CEO Update By Max More Fasten your seatbelt; tighten up your cryonics arrangements just survived my second car wreck. was in my pocket but I hadn’t been wearing If the person had signed a Declaration of Having returned from giving a cryonics it because the nickel in the chain makes my Intent, it might not have been sufficient to I talk in Southern California, I was driv- skin break out. The bracelet is too loose and enable us to proceed, but it would have made ing home from the Phoenix airport when I annoying. Some of you probably have the it more likely. got into a situation that caused me to swerve same problem. If so, get in touch with Diane Cryopreservations: In late June, it to avoid a collision. At freeway speed, that Cremeens. We’re ordering new bracelets that looked likely that Alcor would have to con- swerve was hard enough to send my car out use a snug and more stylish black band. duct three cryopreservations in one week. I of control. It spun around and ran head first In case you crash and don’t walk away, asked resident math genius Mike Perry to into the high concrete divider wall of the 51 also ensure that your paperwork is current.