X-Message-Number: 22538 From: Date: Wed, 17 Sep 2003 21:34:48 EDT Subject: Re: Shermer article response In a message dated 9/16/2003 5:01:46 AM Eastern Daylight Time, writes: Alan Mole Mushy Thinking In Skeptic, Michael Shermer derides cryonics as a means to immortality, saying "And when your tissue is thawed, your cells will be mush." He's too skeptical by half. For years it has been common practice to freeze embryos and tissues up to the size of an aorta -- and thaw them successfully, not turning them to mush but returning them to life. Granted, present techniques result in some freezing damage and some dead cells, but certain tissues can survive that. And recent advances in vitrification solutions hold promise to eliminate the freezing damage. So cryonics already works for some tissues and needs only reasonable advances to freeze and revive whole human beings. Or, if you are frozen now, it is plausible that future technology may be able to repair any damage that occurs. What does the Skeptic think of all the healthy children running around who started life as embryos in liquid nitrogen? Are they a mushy hoax? I think there are good hopes for life extension, and Mr. Shermer is like a man denying the possibility of heavier than air flight -- just as the Wrights are taking off. Alan Mole Boulder Colorado (Rudi Hoffman Comment) Great letter, Alan! I hope you have better luck getting your letter published than my response to Shermer's earlier cryonics screed some months ago in SA. I like and respect Shermer, but he has gotten more cynical than scientific and skeptical. Unfortunately, the quality of his contributions seems to have diminished over time. We need genuine scientific skepticism, not facile and sophmoric cuteness and dismissal. I think your letter sums up how realistic and scientific the concept and practice of cryonics is now...and how reasonable an option it is for rational, skeptical, scientifically oriented people. Hope to read your letter in next months issue! Rudi Content-Type: text/html; charset="US-ASCII" [ AUTOMATICALLY SKIPPING HTML ENCODING! ] Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=22538