X-Message-Number: 19023 Date: Mon, 6 May 2002 09:13:34 -0400 From: Thomas Donaldson <> Subject: CryoNet #19021 Hi Toby! We know that the information has not been lost because many experiments with dogs, in which they were cooled down so much that their brains ceased all electrical activity, then showed that they remembered by tests given after they warmed up again. It is true that our very short term memories (say, what we were thinking about at the same time as we started to be cooled down) may get wiped out. But our longer term memories are stored by various chemical reactions which aren't affected by electrical activity. Just what they may be remains something of a mystery, but they MAY consist of formation of new synapses between the relevant neurons. The point that our memories don't persist due to electrical activity was worked out in the 1950's. It usually isn't mentioned in papers on brain activity, not because it is wrong but because it was found out long enough ago that nobody questions it any more. And because it can be tested without killing the dogs, it's perfectly easy to verify that they remember afterwards. Best wishes and long long life, Thomas Donaldson Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=19023