X-Message-Number: 1400 From: (Nick Szabo) Newsgroups: sci.cryonics,sci.med,sci.bio Subject: After 5,000 years of primitive cryonics Message-ID: <> Date: 5 Dec 92 10:10:01 GMT Can we learn anything about long-term organ storage or cryonics from the "ice man" who was freeze-dried at -10C for 5,000 years? * Are the effects of mummification (drying) as bad as claimed? How does the destruction of neural cells and the structural displacement of neural connections compare to ice crystal growth in wet freezing? * Does his chemical degradation match the rule of "factor of two in temperature means factor of ten in rate of decay"? Isn't decay a more complex function of mobilized enzymes and parasites? * Can this man's brain been examined via CAT scan or directly? Can we learn anything about his psychology, language, etc. from examining what is left of the neural structure? * Can any of the ice man's organs, bone marrow, skin cells, etc. be extracted and grown in vitro? * Will parasites common 5,000 years ago being reintroduced? The thawed corpse may release a potpouri of ancient plagues for which we have lost resistance. -- Nick Szabo Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=1400