X-Message-Number: 13980
Date: Tue, 20 Jun 2000 09:46:08 -0400
From: Thomas Donaldson <>
Subject: some comments on postings

About our need to understand how brains work:

The main problem we are faced with now (and may always have SOME 
patients with this problem) is that freezing does not preserve brain
structure well enough that we can easily put it back together. I am
not claiming that we'll never be able to put such patients back
together at all --- quite the contrary. I am simply pointing out 
that to do so we'll need more than nanotechnology; we'll also need
a deeper understanding of how brains work.

If we develop a method of preservation which does NOT destroy the
essential brain structures, such as vitrification, then for patients
preserved by this method we won't be faced with this problem. That's
fine if you are one of such patients; but for now, no such method
is in use, and you will still face the problem given above. The 
central problem in reviving all PRESENT patients requires a 
combination of abilities, neither one of which would be sufficient.

And I will even predict that we'll NEVER catch every patient with
a method which leaves essential brain structures undamaged. The need
for understanding how brains work will remain. People can need to
be preserved in all kinds of circumstances and settings, and many
of these may simply not allow the vitrification (or other methods)
that are optimal. Sure, if we did statistics, eventually the number
of such patients may become only a small percentage, but never
ZERO. 

And about going faster than light:

Those who believe this has happened could help us by pointing out
the exact article in which this is done, when it appears in NATURE
or whatever other journal. Speaking for myself alone, I prefer to 
read the original articles rather than someone else's opinion of
them. And don't be offended: I would say the same regardless of who
you are, even if you've been doing physics and relativity research
for years.

		Best and long long life for all,

			Thomas Donaldson

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