Monthly Archives: May 2008

Why is cryonics so unpopular?

Posted on May 29, 2008 by Aschwin de Wolf

In his 1998 essay “The Failure of the Cryonics Movement” (part 1, part 2), Saul Kent stresses that cryonics has remained so unpopular because nobody thinks it will work. One observable implication of this view is that we would expect … Continue reading →

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Ev Cooper’s cryonics classic published online

Posted on May 27, 2008 by Chana de Wolf

Few, if any, cryonicists today can retrace their personal interest in cryonics to Evan Cooper. Despite the broader recognition of Robert Ettinger’s book, “The Prospect of Immortality,” which was commercially published in 1964, Cooper’s privately published 1962 manuscript, “Immortality: Physically, … Continue reading →

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Aging 2008

Posted on May 26, 2008 by Aschwin de Wolf

Press Release Methuselah Foundation Announces Aging 2008 at UCLA Have you ever dreamed of climbing Mt. Everest – on your 125th birthday? Los Angeles, CA (May 19, 2008) On Friday June 27th, leading scientists and thinkers in stem cell research … Continue reading →

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Life not death

Posted on May 23, 2008 by Aschwin de Wolf

The idea that cryonics does not involve the freezing of “dead” people but is form of low temperature care to prevent death is almost as old as the idea of cryonics itself. In May 1968, Cryonics Reports, the publication of … Continue reading →

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Cryoprotectant toxicity: biochemical or osmotic?

Posted on May 22, 2008 by Aschwin de Wolf

The current generation of vitrification agents in cryonics permit elimination of ice formation using realistic cooling rates. But attempts to vitrify the brain require high concentrations of cryoprotective agents to inhibit ice formation. Such high concentrations of cryoprotectants can produce … Continue reading →

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H.P. Lovecraft’s “Cool Air” and cryonics

Posted on May 14, 2008 by Aschwin de Wolf

In “Heritage of Horror,” Lovecraft scholar S.T. Joshi writes that Lovecraft’s short story “Cool Air” “anticipates cryogenic research.” We can forgive Joshi the common mistake of writing “cryogenics” when he means “cryonics,” but how much cryonics is there really in … Continue reading →

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Iceland’s Blue Lagoon, skin aging and psoriasis

Posted on May 13, 2008 by Chana de Wolf

The practice of balneotherapy, also known as water treatment or spa therapy, has experienced a resurgence in popularity in recent years, especially amongst those with skin diseases such as psoriasis and atopic dermatitis. Salts, minerals, and bacteria particular to certain … Continue reading →

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Viability in brain cryopreservation

Posted on May 12, 2008 by Aschwin de Wolf

Because the current generation of vitrification agents permit cryopreservation of the brain without ice formation, the current objective of cryonics research is maintenance of viability of the brain during cryopreservation. The most popular viability assay that has been used in … Continue reading →

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Aging: The ultimate disease

Posted on May 8, 2008 by Aschwin de Wolf

Cryonics Reports was the publication of the Cryonics Society of New York (CSNY). In April 1968 a call to arms to conquer aging was published. This editorial stressed that the problems of aging will not be solved until we decide … Continue reading →

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Benefits of voice recording technology

Posted on May 7, 2008 by Chana de Wolf

In his January 2008 Journal of Emergency Medical Services (JEMS) article, “Nothing but the Truth,” Criss Brainard provides examples of two cases where voice recording technology could aid in clearing the names of emergency personnel who had been accused of … Continue reading →

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Liquid ventilation in cryonics

Posted on May 6, 2008 by Aschwin de Wolf

After legal pronouncement of death, cryonics patients benefit from rapid stabilization to protect the brain from injury. The most fundamental intervention is induction of hypothermia. Unlike other interventions such as cardiopulmonary support (CPS) and administration of neuroprotective medications, induction of … Continue reading →

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Consideration of the vanity and shortness of man’s life

Posted on May 2, 2008 by Aschwin de Wolf

Before the scientific conquest of death became a serious topic of conversation, philosophers, writers and poets had to resign themselves to the inevitable demise of the individual in this world. Jeremy Taylor (1613-1667), the “Shakespeare of Divines,” gave poetic expression … Continue reading →

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Warm biostasis through nanotechnology

Posted on May 1, 2008 by Aschwin de Wolf

One concern about chemical fixation as a low cost alternative to cryonics is that current fixatives may not be able to permanently fix all biomolecules that are important to preserve the identity of the person. A related concern is that … Continue reading →

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