X-Message-Number: 498
Date: 16 Oct 91 03:28:27 EDT
From: STEVE BRIDGE <>
Subject: FAHY CLARIFICATION

TO: KEVIN
DATE: October 16, 1991

     Mike Darwin from Alcor has asked me to pass along this message  until 
he or Dr. Fahy have time to supply more details.

     Don't  get overly excited about the progress reported by  Greg  Fahy.  
The wording may have misled people into thinking that Dr. Fahy has  solved 
the  problems  of vitrification.  Unfortunately this is  not  an  accurate 
reading.  Dr. Fahy stated that the kidneys survived after being  "perfused 
with  a vitrifiable solution."  That does not mean he  actually  VITRIFIED 
them.   It just means that the kidneys survive loading and unloading  with 
the  vitrifiable  solution.   Some damage is still  being  caused  by  the 
cooling  process  before the solution vitrifies.   Currently  the  kidneys 
cannot consistently survive storage even at -30 degrees C.

     On the bright side for cryonics, it seems sure that he is doing  much 
much less damage to the kidneys than current cryonics procedures are doing 
to  the brain.  With some research effort ($$$ from all of us),  we  could 
still use these imperfect methods to significantly lower brain damage from 
freezing.   There  are  probably  many other ways  we  could  improve  our 
techniques and results if we had the time, personnel, and money to do  the 
research.

     Also  on a positive note, Mike reports great progress  in  rebuilding 
Alcor's  suspension  team following the suspension of former  team  leader 
Jerry Leaf.  Everyone is working hard to retrain so that all tasks on  the 
team are again competently handled.

Steve Bridge
Midwest Coordinator, Alcor Life Extension Foundation

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