X-Message-Number: 9623
From: Eugene Leitl <>
Date: Tue,  5 May 1998 18:23:20 +0400 (MSD)
Subject: PROPOSAL: technical site on cryonics
References: <>

I, too, have been jolted by Saul Kent's essay. The slow growth paired
with failure to attract fresh blood was particularly disheartening
news to me.

I have been interested in cryonics since as a teenager, before I knew
that this beast had a name, and was actually practiced in the real
world. I have learned the latter from Charles Platt's "The Silicon
Man" novel (doubtlessly, Jim Halperin's oevre will have similiar
impact), which contained an explicit pointer to Alcor. As treekiller
information on the subject was scarce, I began with reading of 
sci.cryonics on Usenet, once I got an academic account, and later 
subscribed to CryoNet. I joined the German cryonics grassroots 
spearheaded by Klaus Reinhard (hello, Klaus), which, unfortunately, 
once again seems quiscent.

My chiefest critique of the online community is the periodic occurance
of intra-movement strife (which _can_ be constructive), predominance
of make-believe attitude (akin to the three monkeys amulet) and lack
of online technical information.

I'd like to address the latter part. Cryobiology research sites are
scarce, but sites featuring technical aspects of cryonics
nonexistant. Thanks go to Doug Skrecky for his ongoing stream of
information snippets -- however I think we need more of it, and on 
a different channel. I doubt the CryoNet majority regards them more than
noise, anyway.

We need a (moderated) technical mailing list and a website acting as a 
global open information depository (protocol/image database, etc.),
and research coordination nexus. Joining the flood of electronically
and cellulose-published documentation in a searchable archive, and be
it abstracts solely, should already be valuable enough, submission of 
nonNDA parts of suspension reports should enhance the functionality
further. My field is biomolecular modeling: denaturating aspects of 
water-ice phase transition and vitrification and molecular function of 
colligative and noncolligative cryoprotectants are my (so far, hobby) 
areas of interest -- along with part-time moderation this could be
my token contribution. Another thing to look for should be development 
of quantitative transfection vectors, making mammal cells savvy of the 
mechanisms Darwin-developed by cryo-hardy organism ('tranfusion from 
within') -- do we have practicing DNA tinkerers here? Amateur
submissions, if of adequate quality, should also be tolerated; apart 
from a rudimentary peer review mechanism we need a tutorial, teaching 
the basics of cryobiology, perhaps schematics how to build a Peltier 
microscope table, how to interpret microscopic images, how to maintain 
organ slices, etc.

I am just brainstorming here, but you probably got the general
idea. While we currently do not have enough mass, such a site could
act as a nucleus for future development.

Comments welcome.
Regards,
Eugene

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