X-Message-Number: 5823
From: Peter Merel <>
Subject: New Scientist & cryonics
Date: Sun, 25 Feb 1996 23:50:35 +1100 (EST)

John de Rivaz writes,

>> From 
>
>> Sat Feb 24 07:33:24 1996
> 
>> One of our of correspondents on the West Coast of 
>> the USA is looking into cryonics at the moment. If we
>> find anything interesting then you'll see an article.
> 
>> Alun Anderson, Editor, New Scientist

I may have an explanation for this. Or maybe not, since I don't know the ins
and outs of NS.

As regular readers of New Scientist will be aware, a hatchet job on
cryonics appeared in the Christmas edition, entitled "Cold comfort for
Christmas".  In it, Phil Bagnall decribed cryonic suspension:

"The only snag is that cryonics doesn't work and never can ... When a human
body is rapidly frozen to -196 C and then held at that temperature, it 
undergoes a sort of thermal shock. Most of the major organs ... develop
fissures and, quite literally, fall apart. In some cases major organs
have been reduced to little more than dust ... "Ah, but we've got that
problem cracked," the cryonics companies claim, ... Their solution is
to get rid of your body altogether and freeze just your head ... I don't
believe a word of it. To my way of thinking, the brain would fall apart."

Well, NS has a web page on which they elicit reader comments. Their form
was very short, so I just suggested quite politely that Mr Bagnall
didn't seem to be well informed, and gave pointers to some of the cryo
web sites.

About a month later, I had some email directly from Phil Bagnall, asking
what I was het up about and warning me that he'd already had dealings
with some cryo companies, who were such appalling shonks that one of
them had asked him for 1200 pounds just to be interviewed on the phone.
I assured him that I had no investment in any company, and that I'm not
even signed up, and described cryonet to him and told him what little I
know about the various suspension firms, and assured him that none of
those of whom I have any knowledge would be interested in such shonky 
behaviour. And I gave him some more URLs.

That was maybe six weeks ago, and I haven't heard back from him, so I don't
know. Of course any of the suspension providers NS approach will be careful
anyway, but I figured I'd tell you so you have an idea what their views on 
the matter may be like. The best of luck!

Peter Merel.


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