X-Message-Number: 3570
From:  (Thomas Donaldson)
Subject: CRYONICS: re freezing damage
Date: Sun, 1 Jan 1995 18:10:35 -0800 (PST)



Hi!

A short comment about Bob Ettinger's ideas about the damage of freezing and
how I see them.

Basically, I accept the "information" idea of our preservation. What many 
people who agree with me accept that I do NOT is the question of whether or
not we know enough to recover or preserve that information reliably. The
"jigsaw puzzle" of a cracked brain may be a VERY hard problem. And for
this particular reason I'm very pleased that Bob and CI have actually done
something to test the level of damage to brains caused by at least one
suspension procedure. I'm sure there is other damage too, but from what I
understand of freezing to LN, that damage should not affect the INFORMATION
content of the stored brain. I don't expect great changes in the chemicals
present at synapses, for instance.... not to mention that such issues can
also be tested experimentally.

And finally, I take that information criterion seriously in thinking about
revival also. It's clear to me that we could lose a lot of cell structure
without destroying the required information. That is actually one reason
I suspect (but no, I don't KNOW) that biological technology will probably
prove equal to the task of revival. (I am NOT denigrating nanotechnology.
Such technology IS nanotechnology).

Just a little clarification, that's all.

			Happy New Year to all and 
				long long life,

					Thomas Donaldson


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