X-Message-Number: 10168
From: 
Date: Sun, 2 Aug 1998 12:13:59 EDT
Subject: y2k, dry ice

Thanks to Jeffrey Soreff (#10161) for his review and clarification regarding
possible disruption of liquid nitrogen supply.

Here's another thought:

If it should be really grim, and no reliable way to ensure nitrogen supply is
found, it might be more easily feasible, as a fall-back position, to stock dry
ice.

We know that changes of temperature are undesirable. We also know that
deterioration (at least of some kinds) does occur at non-negligible rates at
dry ice temperature. But it is not at all clear how far this proceeds, and
which kinds of deterioration are affected or continue to be affected. Audrey
Smith (a leading cryobiologist of the 60s) said she could not conceive that
dry ice storage would allow unlimited deterioration. Recent Tyrolean Iceman
reports suggest considerable preservation of structure even after 5,000 years
at temperatures much higher than that of dry ice. 

At CI we will, of course, make every effort to assure an uninterrupted
nitrogen supply, but as a last-ditch interim fall-back, dry ice might make
sense.

Robert Ettinger
Cryonics Institute
Immortalist Society
http://www.cryonics.org

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