X-Message-Number: 28717
From: "Chris Manning" <>
References: <>
Subject: Re: revival of Captain Oates
Date: Tue, 5 Dec 2006 21:54:58 +1100

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "CryoNet" <>
To: <>
Sent: Tuesday, December 05, 2006 9:00 PM
Subject: CryoNet #28714 - #28716


[snip]

> I would agree that it is an interesting idea, and I don't suppose that the
> play mentioned above treated the concept very well, as it was billed as a
> comedy. Of course no one can be sure what future technology could achieve,
> but present understanding of the nature of reality suggests that the
> reanimation of Captain Oates after burial in Arctic ice for hundreds of
> years is extremely unlikely.
>

It was Antarctica, and therefore Antarctic, not Arctic ice, and it will not 
have been 'hundreds of years' as his death occurred on 17 March, 1912. I 
suppose whether there is any prospect of his reanimation depends mainly on 
how high the temperature gets where his remains are. I realise that simple 
freezing is insufficient to ensure long-term viability.

There are other people who have perished more recently in similar 
circumstances, whose bodies will have had less time to deteriorate.

It appears that Oates may have living descendants, although if they exist, 
they are probably unaware of the fact:

http://website.lineone.net/~polar.publishing/captainoates.htm

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