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The Molecular Epair of the Rain, Part II by Ralph Merkle, Ph.D

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The Molecular Epair of the Rain, Part II by Ralph Merkle, Ph.D THIS ISSUE'S FEATURE: The Molecular epair of the rain, Part II By Ralph Merkle, Ph.D. Michael Perry, Ph.D. introduces us to "The Realities of Patient Storage" in this issue's For the Record lUS: Book Reviews, Relocation Reports, and Cryonics Fiction by Linda Dunn and Richard Shock ISSN 1054-4305 $4.50 "What is Cryonics?" Cryonics is the ultra-low-temperature preservation (biostasis) of terminal patients. The goal of biostasis 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, a time when cures will exist for virtually all of today's diseases, including aging. 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 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. Subscribe to CRY 0 ICS Magazine! CRYONICS magazine explores the practical, research, nanotechnology and molecular scientific, and social aspects of ultra­ engineering, book reviews, the physical low temperature pre­ format of memory and personality, the servation of humans. nature of identity, cryonics history, and As the quarterly much more. ·s FEAfURE' • .r h< • • f h THISISSUE oena\f'JI pu bl 1cat1on o t e •Ao\ecu\ar"' ~"h~>~'"''·~··o· C r If you're a first- The IV\ Bg Ra~1 RYfl'J\ Alcor Foundation-the THIS issuE's • ~L vJcs time subscriber, you p\1.\l. world's largest and most "io\lael Per<~· 7!!. M FEAruRE:· can get a full year ~~~ _I sus to ,. introouce . t Storage advanced cryonics or­ !ities oll'atle~ O/ecufar Re . of CRYONICS for '\he Rea in this ·,.sue s a ganization-CRYONICS for tne Recor 0/'~he Bra· 'Pa1r $15 ($20 if you're takes a realistic, real­ In RaiphM!Zt•. Pho overseas), and we'll world approach to the · throw in a free copy of challenge of maintaining (in Cryonics: Reaching For a biologically unchanging Tomorrow, Alcor's book­ state) patients who have length ( 100+ pages!) reached the limitations of one-of-a-kind introduc­ modern medicine. tion to the science of CRYONICS contains cryonics. (See the descrip­ thoughtful, provocative discussions of tion of Reaching For Tomorrow cryonic suspensions performed by Alcor, related on the back inside cover.) To place an order, call Alcor at 602-922-9013 with your VISA/MC, or send your check or m.o. to: ALCOR FOUNDATION • 7895 E. ACOMA OR., #110 • SCOTTSDALE. AZ 85260·6916 See the back inside cover for more information about the Alcor Foundation and Alcor Membership. r Feature Articles "' Long-Time Cryonicist Jerry White Enters Suspension [ 1'1'] Jim Yount and A/cor Life in the Time of the Schism [ 1'2] Stephen Bridge, President The Historical Maturation of the Human Brain [ 1'3] Tom Mackey Thawed Zombie Stalks Own Soul! [ 1'5] Fiction by Richard Shock Determined Not to Lose Our Patients [ 1'6] Ralph Whelan . The Molecular Repair of the Brain, Part II [ID Ralph Merkle, Ph.D Cool Heads Prevail [31'] Fiction by Linda 1. Dunn olumns ---Departments Notes from the President.. .............................................. 4 Up Front. .......................... 2 Reviews ......................... 33 Stephen W. Bridge For the Record .................. ~················u·········-···--············8 Letters to the Editor ........ 3 Ads and Personals ....... 35 Michael Perry, Ph.D. The Donaldson Persfective ........................................... 14 Membership Status ..... 32 Meetings ...................... 38 Thomas Donaldson, P .D. " ...d Letters and Correspondence CRY ICS Please address all editorial correspondence to: Editor: Ralph Whelan Volume 15:2 ·Issue #162 Editor, CRYONICS April (2nd Quarter), 1994 Alcor Foundation ISSN 1054-4305 t 89 5 E. Acoma Dr., # 11 0 CRYONICS is the Alcor Scottsdale, AZ 85260-6916 Foundation quarterly. Subscriptions: PHONE: (602) 922-9013 FAX: (602) 922-9021 EMAIL: [email protected] $1 5/year U.S., Canada, and Mexico $20/year all other countries Letters intended for publication should be clearly marked as such. Back issues are $3.50 each. Contents copyright 1994 by the Alcor Life Extension Foundation, Inc., except Most of the first 160 issues-(September, 19H) through where otherwise noted. All rights reserved. The opinions expressed herein are not (December, 1993)-were published on a monthly basis. necessarily those of the Ale or Foundation or its Board of Directors or management. April, 1994 • Cryonics 1 The Door Into Nowhere We're gratefuLto Richard Shock, for sending in thefollowing ex­ cerpt from a Spider Robinson piece in Yoji Kondo's Requiem, and Tributes te the .GrandMaster: "In Ed Regis's recent wonderful Two weeks ago, I tuned into Arizona's NBC-affiliate 1 0:00 news to catch a short piece on book· Great Mambo Chicken and Alcor. This would be the third time we've been featured on this station in the past six months, the Transhuman Condition, there but I hadn't seen the earlier bits, so I was feeling ... urn ... "guardedly optimistic." (I.e., I is an entire chapter on the repeated expected we would be panned.) Boy, was I in for a surprise. efforts of Keith Henson and the We've had a lot of really good press lately, so I was less guarded in my optimism than I Alcor Foundation to get Robert might've been, but what I saw that night still made my jaw drop. It's not just that the piece [Heinlein] to agree to be cryogeni­ was serious and positive throughout (which it was), and it's not just that they made frequent cally frozen. after his death, in references to "this group of scientists" and "the promises of future medical technology." hopes of eventual resurrection. I What blew my mind was what happened after the prepared segment, when they returned to the anchor persons for that wrap-up banter that's supposed to make you feel like these folks was aware oftheeffortwhileitwas like nothing better than hanging out in front of a million people discussing last week's going on: Henson wrote to me, unusual amount of precipitation. Typically, after a cryonics segment, this is when they'll trot entreating me to help him per­ out their "cold shoulder" jokes and the obligatory Walt Disney reference. suade Robert. I politely declined Not this time. Today, Anchor Man turned to Anchor Woman and said, with the utmost to argue with Robert on so per­ sincerity, (roughly:) "So I guess when they only freeze the brain, they're counting on being sonal a matter, but I certainly able to use cell regeneration so they can create a whole new body to go with the brain." Anchor wishedHensonluck: ifanyhuman Woman: "Correct, they're really waiting on futuristic medicine at this point." Anchor Man: I ever knew deserved even an out­ "Wow. Definitely futuristic." Ralph: "Wow. I just swallowed my gum." side chance at living forever; it was I checked with other people. It was not a dream. Robert Heinlein. And I could not Steve Bridge talks more about the fantastic press we've been receiving since our reloca­ help butwonderwhy he had turned tion in his column. Steve also provides a perspective-piece on the rapid changes now occuring in the cryonics community in "Life in the Time of the Schism." For an overview of the Henson and the others down. They past and present status of patient storage technology, don't rent any movies; see "The were willing to waive the usual fee Realities of Patient Storage," this month's For The Record column by Alcor's Patient Care­ for him. Sure, it was a long shot­ taker Dr. Michael Perry. Thomas Donaldson shares with us the reasons why a cryonicist but consider the prize! And what might have a waning interest in science fiction in "The Donaldson Perspective." Tom Mackey did he have to lose? introduces himself with an insightful look at the evolution of humanity's relationship to God i "The day Robert died I was on and Nature, in his short essay "The Historical Maturation of the Human Brain." We have two $e phone with Jim Baen, sharing terrific pieces of cryonics fiction in this issue by Linda I. Dunn and Richard Shock. And of dle grief. At some point I brought course, part two of Dr. Merkle's "The Molecular Repair of the Brain" is not to be missed. die subject ofcryonics up, and said Alcor's move to Scottsdale was not the only thing delaying this issue. Five Alcor Staffers I wished now I'd had the guts to at and Suspension Team Members had to return early from Extropy Institute's Extro 1 confer­ least ask Robert why he'd said no. ence to participate in a cryonic suspension this past weekend. As I write this, Alcor's 28th '"I asked him once,' Jim admit­ patient cools to near the dry ice temperature of-f 9 oc. This suspension began on Saturday, April 30, shortly after the 91-year-old Alcor Member experienced a heart attack in her ted ... SowhenifinallymetHenson New York home. There were several hours of ischemic time while her transfer to the Alcor a few months ago, at a party at his Transport Tearn was coordinated. Still, her perfusion went surprisingly well, with a terminal home, I was able to tell him that I glycerol concentration of about 5 molar achieved. More details will appear in the next knew the answer to the mystery ISSUe.
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