X-Message-Number: 10671
From:  (Randy)
Subject: Spin states affecting cryonics viability?
Date: Sun, 01 Nov 1998 09:42:43 GMT

> >>I am not sure I understand you. If biochemistry is halted, how can
>>degradation continue? > > >sidenote:  RXJames & i were just discussing
how terminology differs among the >sciences.  I think, for example, of
biological phenomena as being the cells and >structures, the sodium,
potassium, and chloride ion soup as being chemical, but >the spin
phenomena is physics.  Of course, this is just my convention and >subject
to change without notice.  Actually, *everything* is just applied
>physics. ::snicker:: > >So answer the damn question will you?     ok.....
> >From:  (http://www.cis.rit.edu/htbooks/mri/mri-main.htm) taken from the
>sections on spin & the introduction.  This is a page on MRI, but contains
good >information on the e-m brain processes.  (Comments in parentheses
are mine.) > >"...The proton (and everything else...down to the subatomic
level) possesses a >property called spin which:  >   1.can be thought of
as a small magnetic field (sort of), and  >   2.will cause the nucleus to
produce an NMR signal.  ><snip> >What is spin? Spin is a fundamental
property of nature like electrical charge >or mass. (For some particles:)
Spin comes in multiples of 1/2 and can be + or >-. Protons, electrons, and
neutrons possess spin. Individual unpaired >electrons, protons, and
neutrons each possesses a spin of 1/2.  (More than you >needed to
know...the "rules" of spin are how we determine what's really going >on at
the quantum level.) ><snip> >It is cumbersome to describe NMR on a
microscopic scale. A macroscopic picture >is more convenient. The first
step in developing the macroscopic picture is to >define the spin packet.
A spin packet is a group of spins experiencing the same >magnetic field
strength. In this example, the spins within each grid section >represent a
spin packet..." >~~~ > >ok....enough already.... >One way of looking at it
is that the spin states throughout the brain >contribute to a magnetic
"map" or "environment".  The brain's electrical >signals propagate through
this environment, and are not unaffected by it!  (I'm >assuming i don't
have to explain the electro-magnetic connection.) > >NMR/MRI manipulates
this spin environment using a big pulsed magnetic field.  >From this
effect (i may have the order of events correct, but maybe not) it was
>hypothesized that since the electrical pulses in the brain induce
magnetic >fields, the magnetic pulses would in turn induce spin-ordering
processes.  >Since this is causal, it's surely one of the many processes
that are involved >with consciousness! > >(**THE POINT:) >Nitrogen temps
might prevent the cells from breaking down (biological >degradation).  N
temps may or may not prevent the chemicals in the brain from
>redistributing or breaking down (chemical degradation).  N temps will
*not* >prevent the spin states from changing (magnetic degradation).  So
after much >time, the magnetic environment that the electrical signals
propagate through >may be radically altered. Therefore, the magnetic
environment is not preserved >in the brain.  Will this prevent the
reactivation of the brain?  I have no >idea...but it is yet another
consideration. >  

I really haven't come across this idea yet. I'll post it to Cryonet and
see if anyone else knows anything about this. *************** Randy
Cryonics:  Gateway to the Future?
http://www.mindspring.com/~cryon/cryonics/cryopage1.html  

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