X-Message-Number: 18155 From: Date: Fri, 14 Dec 2001 10:00:51 EST Subject: revival & cloning Ron Havelock and Carol Ecklund had questions about my short answer to a previous question--whether cloning would play any part in revival of our patients. I said no. To elaborate a bit: Cloning is usually understood to mean growing a twin of a person, starting with a copy of that person's genome or DNA, roughly speaking. Conceivably a "neuro" patient could have his revived brain installed in the empty skull of a clone, or a modified "anencephalic" clone, one grown without a brain. The point is, however, that with full and detailed control of development, it is not necessary to grow a clone. Instead, we can just regenerate any missing parts, including the whole body outside of the brain, and for that matter including large parts of the brain too. And there may be no clear dividing line between "repair" and "regeneration"--some of the vital brain parts may need repair, and "regeneration" could even apply to the interiors of cells. The patient of course will be unconscious until the revival and regeneration are complete. If still further elaboration is necessary, just remember that we already have limited power of regeneration--e.g. we can regrow a little lost skin, or liver. Some animals have considerably greater regenerative powers--certain amphibians can regrow legs. For that matter, the entire growth of any individual--generation--is very similar in most respects to regeneration. Developing your parts in the first place, as you grow, is not so different from re-dedveloping lost parts. Before very long we will have full understanding of this process, and after that will develop full control. As I and others said long ago, one aspect of this progress will be the capability of growing any desired tissues--e.g. steaks instead of cattle. Much more efficient, not to mention humane. Robert Ettinger Cryonics Institute Immortalist Society www.cryonics.org Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=18155