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Focus on ETHICS Ffaallll 2006 • Volume 27:4 Focus On ETHICS FFaallll 2006 • Volume 27:4 Cover Story: Page 13 RecentRecent DevelopmentsDevelopments inin thethe EthicsEthics ofof Life-ExtensionLife-Extension Ethics of Anatomical Donations page 7 Ethics of Non-Ideal ISSN 1054-4305 • $9.95 Cryopreservation cases page 10 Bioethics Battleground page 16 inside cryonics Ffall 2006 • Volume 27:4 2 From the Editor Ethics of Cryopreservation 3 Executive Director’s Report: Learn more about the research developments unveiled at the 6th Alcor conference and how to pre-order a DVD of the conference proceedings at a special rate. COVER STORY 4 Book Review: After Virtue In this volume, Alasdair Recent Developments in the Ethics of MacIntyre suggests virtue Life-Extension: Dr. Nick Bostrom, a world- ethics as a starting point for renowned bioethicist, challenges the opinions resolving moral fragmentation. held by leading ethicists who oppose prolongevity, a debate with heavy implications 5 Advances in for cryonics. Cryopreservation: Dr. Gregory Pages 13-15 Fahy explains how vitrifi cation (glass formation) resolves one of the most long-standing challenges in cryonics: tissue damage caused by freezing and ice formation in living Cover design by Randal Fry systems. 7 Ethics of Anatomical Donations: 16 Bioethics Battleground: 19 Remembering Joe and Terry Cannon: A married couple Honest disclosure of the risks, What is bioethics and where who enjoyed a long union respect of each person’s right did the concept come from and fruitful lives are now to choose, fi rst do harm...Does historically, resulting in the under Alcor’s care. We invite cryonics comply with medical current battleground landscape? you to take a moment to learn ethics? Plus exploration of Explore the issues looming over about their lives. some potentially useful new cryonics and some constructive approaches to anatomical courses of action. 20 Case Summary: donations, as practiced by the Cryopreservation of A-1237 organ donation industry. Back Inside Cover— Progress in Research and Development: 22 Tech News: Can silk help 10 Ethics of Non-Ideal Read about Alcor’s patent- repair damaged nerves? Will Cryopreservation Cases: pending prototype for expedit- a nanoscale view of the world Cryonics under ideal conditions ing patient cooling during the enable doctors to examine critical fi rst minutes of post- is ethically and scientifi cally individual cells? Can light mortem care, cardiopulmonary and matter be teleported? defensible. But when can bypass laboratory for testing Find out. cryonics, a life saving attempt, cryopreservation protocols, in- be rightfully deemed ethically termediate temperature storage confl icted? annealing test cell, and more. www.alcor.org Cryonics/Fall 2006 1 From the Editor thics: intangible, and yet so powerful. It is a guiding force that leads humans to draw Editor Econclusions—make life and death decisions—and yet it guides each person differently. Jennifer Chapman And the most diffi cult part is that the force guiding one person is intertwined with the force guiding others. Talk about a tug of war. Art Director With the recent restoration of democrats to power in the United States government, the Dorothy Wolden “gravity” of the ethical pull is likely to change in terms of the legality of potentially life-saving research, namely research into therapeutic stem cells and other life extension technologies. Contributing Writers Dr. Nick Bostrom, co-founder of the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies and Jennifer Chapman, Nick Bostrom, Ph.D., a world-renowned bioethicist, has defi nite opinions about such research. In his article (pg. Gregory M. Fahy, Ph.D., Deborah Johnson, 13), Bostrom extends opposing viewpoints held by leading ethicists on the subject of life- Tanya Jones, R. Michael Perry, Ph.D., extension. It is a social debate with heavy implications for cryonics and other cutting-edge Stephen Van Sickle, Brian Wowk, Ph.D. research endeavors. Anytime a radical new approach to solving a problem is suggested, it is prudent to Contributing Photographers question the consequences. Sometimes it means taking on an emerging debate, as is seen Deborah Johnson in Tanya Jones’ article exploring evolving organ donation laws and how those new laws coincide with today’s accepted medical edicts and cryonics practice (pg. 7). Or sometimes it means questioning your own ethical boundaries. Dr. Brian Wowk, an Alcor Board Director, scrutinizes when cryonics—which is seen by its proponents as a life-saving attempt—could Copyright 2006 be rightfully deemed unethical (pg. 10). And if you ever wondered how bioethics became by Alcor Life Extension Foundation such a prominent topic, Deborah Johnson succinctly sizes up the landscape of bioethics and All rights reserved. how it has changed over the years (pg. 16), creating a platform for new ideas. Reproduction, in whole or part, without It’s an inescapable debate. We felt it was important to touch on some of the challenges permission is prohibited. and share some perspectives. Opinions are not hard to come by, and your opinion matters to us. Until January 31st, 2007, the Alcor News blog will be open for questions and comment Cryonics Magazine is published quarterly. on these articles and ethical questions that are of interest to our readers. To subscribe: call 480.905.1906 ext. 101 Address correspondence to: Cryonics Magazine 7895 East Acoma Drive, Suite 110 Our Blog. Your Opinion. Scottsdale, Arizona 85260 Phone: 480.905.1906 Until January 31st, 2007, the Alcor News blog will be open for Toll free: 877.462.5267 questions and comments on the articles in this issue and ethical Fax: 480.922.9027 questions that are of interest to our readers. Letters to the Editor welcome: Please visit www.alcornews.org/weblog [email protected] Advertising inquiries: 480.905.1906 ext. 113 [email protected] ISSN: 1054-4305 Visit us on the web at www.alcor.org Alcor News Blog www.alcornews.org/weblog 2 Cryonics/Fall 2006 www.alcor.org Executive Director’s Report Developments Unveiled at the 6th Alcor Conference s this issue goes to press, we have just work at Critical Care Research, Inc. that we Acompleted the 2006 Alcor Conference in are in the process of licensing. Our system Scottsdale (October 6-8). Much more detail will is intended to rapidly induce hypothermia be available in the next issue of Cryonics maga- in cryonics patients by partially ventilating zine, but I can tell you now that it was probably the lungs with a chilled breathable liquid. It the most successful conference Alcor has spon- utilizes the large surface area of the lungs to sored. In the words of former Alcor president rapidly extract heat and prevent much of the Steve Bridge: structural damage caused by higher body tem- “I had a great time at Alcor the past peratures. In addition to increasing the early week. The conference was probably cooling rate of cryonics patients, our system the best overall I have attended, and will simplify the task for our fi rst responders the combination of people there was who will access the lungs through an airway, a inspiring. I was especially impressed non-invasive skill common among paramed- that we had three elected Arizona offi - ics and nurses. This technology has the po- cials as speakers, all of whom appeared tential to save thousands of heart attack and torically announced grand plans in these pages to be pleased to be there. stroke victims annually. and elsewhere, only to never be heard of again. It was also good for me to meet This is just one of several new develop- I prefer to spend time talking about Alcor’s ac- Barry Aarons, Cheryl Walsh, Deborah ments demonstrated at the conference. We complishments, not its dreams. Johnson, and the newer Alcor staff that also showed attendees the early stages of a new The best place to experience our accomplish- I hadn’t met yet. I could go on about Air Transportable Perfusion system; a lighter, ments fi rsthand is at the annual conference. So, each one of them. The mood of action and more effi cient portable ice bath; the be- if you attended this year, plan to go again next and accomplishment at Alcor was very ginning stages of the new whole body vitri- year. There will be much more to see and hear, strong. Directors and Advisors who fi cation system; our new lab space, and some and you can again connect with both old and have not been at Alcor during the past research regarding fracturing in cryopreserva- new friends. If you didn’t go this year, well, you few months are missing the tangible tion. Watch for more details regarding these missed out. Luckily, if you act fast you can pre- excitement that real research and de- projects in a later issue of Cryonics magazine. order your copy of the conference DVD set at a velopment are generating. Alcor has One word here on Alcor’s intellectual special Early Bird rate (see inside cover for ordering fi led its fi rst preliminary application property policy. Alcor has, in the past, done instructions). The DVD set will include footage for a patent, and several other major very little to protect its intellectual property, of the conference presentations, social events, developments are taking place. preferring to broadcast its work everywhere and tours of the Alcor facility. It’s the next best Tanya Jones has grown as a leader even in the most preliminary stages. This, thing to being there in person. And you still have much more than I understood before; however, I think, is irresponsible. It is unlike- the 2007 conference from October 5-7 to look Michelle Fry is determined to make ly that the vast majority of our developments forward to. I know we look forward to seeing you standbys and transports as professional will have much value outside of cryonics, but there.
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