X-Message-Number: 6343
From:  (Thomas Donaldson)
Subject: importance of cooperation with some ideas for longterm research
Date: Tue, 11 Jun 1996 21:45:44 -0700 (PDT)

Hi!

This message exists basically to add my voice to those who are urging 
cooperation. Cooperation on research, of course, first of all.

What I would really like would be for us to somehow find a way to support
research on vitrifying brains. I doubt that one society, even Alcor, could
raise enough money to do so, but I see that as our best current shot at
good methods of suspension. We may, of course, work on firming up the problem
of reviving those who have been frozen, but at best that is a long term 
project which at best will help us argue the merits of cryonics better than 
we can now .... and maybe mean that revival will happen in 150 years rather
than 200.

I will add that there is another approach, also long term: to find out how
to assist our brains' already existing abilities at self-repair so that 
they can repair themselves with assistance from drugs, viruses, etc. Even
20 years ago, some cryobiologists working on kidney preservation were 
suggesting that the problem may turn into one of not just minimizing the
the damage on freezing but finding out how to make the brain repair itself
after thawing. RIGHT NOW WE (HUMAN BEINGS COLLECTIVELY, NOT CRYONICISTS)
STILL UNDERSTAND VERY LITTLE OF THE PROCESSES BY WHICHANY TISSUE 
REPAIRS ITSELF. 

I would be happy to discuss this issue at more length
in a later message. The first step may have already been done (though
so far as I know has never been published). Salamanders and fish have
considerable abilities to repair their nervous system which we lack:
what happens then if we freeze a salamander? (Yes, I mention this because
one cryonicist took this on as a project, but I have not heard of
this results).

			Best and long long life,

			Thomas Donaldson


Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=6343