X-Message-Number: 5355
From:  (RAMole)
Newsgroups: sci.cryonics
Subject: Help on Hibernation
Date: 6 Dec 1995 02:34:23 -0500
Message-ID: <4a3h1v$>

I'm interested in interstellar colonization.  The basic situation is that
fusion may soon give us flight times of 40-100 years.  We can probably
send frozen embryos and artificial wombs (I've been told those should be
easier than hearts), but we'll need either adults or good robots to raise
the kids.  

But we can't send adults in a wakeful state -- they eat and breathe too
much, and  we can't afford to send huge masses of consumables. Besides
they would go mad or die of old age during the journey.  Either fully
frozen "sleep" or at least hibernation is required. Can anyone point me to
a good current summary of hibernation research? Especially metabolic and
aging rates. 

 And, what is the limiting factor on survival time in the  "almost
freezing" (+2C ) experiments in which dogs and a baboon have been revived?
 Is there still a metabolic rate, and if so, what?  If you can near-freeze
and revive after hours at this temperature, why not see whether you can
after days or months?  Or do some bacteria work slowly when cold to cause
decay?

I'm new to the field, so any help appreciated, 

Alan Mole 


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