X-Message-Number: 2110
Date: 15 Apr 93 09:39:20 EDT
From: Andrew Davidson <>
Subject: CRYONICS: Trehalose article

The Guardian newspaper (a UK quality broadsheet, known for its left wing
bias and poor proof-reading) contained some interesting items in its Science
section today.  First, Thomas Donaldson might like to note that the Daedalus
column can be found there - has it moved from Nature?  It was not one of his
better ideas though - some nonsense about reproductive competition between
left and right ovaries.

Secondly, there was an article about trehalose and the way
that small organisms use it for suspended animation.  The author, Paul
Simons, was very sympathetic, for example:

"... If life is defined as organisms with a metabolism, then yes, these bugs
are dead.  But if they are dead how can they be resurrected?

There is a way out of this logical absurdity, by redefining life.  Put
simply, a living thing has organised structure, and as long as the structure
has not been damaged, the organism is alive; when the integrity is broken,
it is dead.  And with that concise definition we may have the answer to
preserving ourselves in sugary suspended animation."

Andrew Davidson

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