X-Message-Number: 2640
Date: Fri, 11 Mar 94 00:00:42 CST
From:  (Will Dye)
Subject: CRYONICS - Brain-only suspension?

Well, I've been lurking for a couple of years now, I've 
read as much as I have the time to read (which ain't much, 
but covers the basic issues), and I still can't come up 
with a good reason for saying that cryonics won't work.  

I hope to post a more detailed report of my search, 
including a commentary on Ralph Merkle's paper in the 
Journal of Medical Hypothesis, but that will have to 
wait.  For now, I just have a couple more questions 
before I take the plunge and sign up.

First question: is it possible to get a brain-only 
suspension?  I'm sure that this would create significant
problems for the revival team, not to mention the 
suspension & storage teams.  I'd just like to see what 
others have to say about the (1) suspension, (2) storage, 
and (3) revival problems.  For DNA purposes, samples 
would be allowed from the rest of the body.  I'm also 
interested in how this would affect the cost.  I'm 
willing to assume that what's left of "me" would have to 
be revived by full-bore Drexler-style nanotech, sometime 
in the next century.  

For the curious, the reason for my question is that 
my family has expressed a deep reluctance for a 
headless body at the family viewing, much less a 
bodyless funeral.  Organ donations, however, are 
no problem - even if the organ is the brain.  

My second question will wait for later.  I need to 
settle my job hunt and get a steady income before I 
can proceed further.

--Will (ain't my name ironic, now?) Dye

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