X-Message-Number: 16335 Date: Fri, 25 May 2001 10:37:28 -0400 From: Thomas Donaldson <> Subject: CryoNet #16321 - #16333 Hi everyone! A few comments: 1. The basic idea that our brains work chemically to store memories but use electrical methods to process them and recall them goes back to the 1950's. Believe it or not, a cryobiology experiment gave the crucial information: our memories survive even if we are cooled down enough to show no obvious signs of life (below 0 was then clearly too low, but it doesn't take going that low to show no obvious signs of life). All the subsequent work basically explicated how this happens. Yes, we're getting a much better handle on the phenomenon, but it has been known since before some people on Cryonet were even born. 2. NO ONE has a good idea of the details by which our memories are stored. By "good" I mean fully detailed, with experiments supporting the details. For a long time many neuroscientists thought that our memories consisted of the connectivity of our brain due to synapses between neurons; discovery that synapses move and change constantly, at least in our hippocampus (we still need more experiments!!) plus the formation of new neurons raises issues about this basic theory. In about 10 years we may see some interesting changes in our understanding of how memory works. No, I too have no idea just what they will be. But particularly for cryonics they should be very interesting indeed. 3. Yes, the neuroscience involved in storage of long term memories does deal with an issue critical to cryonics. And it deals much more with CRYONICS than with the "simple" issue of suspended animation, which assumes that the patient is in good shape befoe they have been vitrified. We may someday have suspended animation, but for CRYONICS we need more than that: means to suspend not only those in good condition, but means to suspend those not so fortunate, with hope that we can someday repair them even if we cannot do so now. Such an ability is central to CRYONICS. Yes, means for suspended animation would help us a lot. But they should not be identified with cryonics itself. My comments here about the state of neuroscience do need references. Anyone who wants them can contact me. Best wishes and long long life for all, Thomas Donaldson Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=16335