X-Message-Number: 14477
Date: Fri, 15 Sep 2000 08:36:51 -0400
From: Paul Wakfer <>
Subject: Re: #14464 - Does sharks grow old?
References: <>

> Message #14464
> From: "Marta Sandberg" <>
> Subject: Does sharks grow old?
> Date: Wed, 13 Sep 2000 14:21:47 GMT

Once again rather pointless and clearly off-topic speculation captures
the attention of posters to CryoNet while an endearing and pleasantly
amusing (thank you Marta) post to CryoNet goes unanswered. 

Hi Marta,

Strange as it may seem, my years of involvement with cryonics have
taught me that, in general, cryonicists know very little about
life-extension outside of the narrow confines of the current methods
used in cryonics.
A much better place to seek information on aging damage accumulation in
general and its potential for reduction, cessation and reversal is the
Usenet newsgroup sci.life-extension.
In particular, your question about the lack of decline with the passage
of time for different life forms has been considered there and elsewhere
several times.
In October 1996, Life Extension Magazine (on-line at http://lef.org) ran
a front-page article "The Bird that Doesn't Age - Why Do We?" which
should help answer your question and give you factual ammunition for the
interviews which you are getting. Briefly the bird in question is the
fulmar, a type of sea-bird similar to a seagull. This bird appears to
maintain a 97% chance of living another year regardless of what age it
has attained. The article shows a remarkable picture of Dr. George
Dunnet, an animal ecologist, banding and releasing a bird in 1950 when
a young man, and 42 years later (in 1992) finding and examining the very
same bird. Dr. Dunnet is clearly greatly aged and debilitated, but the
bird looks exactly the same after 42 years.
Since birds are warm-blooded animals, as far as I know, this example of
lack of aging decline in a life-form is the one which is closest and
most applicable to humans.

Good luck with your interviews. As you described your approach, I think
you are taking exactly the right approach and are being an excellent
proponent of cryonics. I personally wish to applaud you and thank you
for that.

-- Paul --

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