X-Message-Number: 2563 From: Ralph Merkle <> Subject: CRYONICS: pet immortality Date: Mon, 17 Jan 1994 12:31:21 PST The following article might be of interest. I was particularly amused by the claim that "Skeptics agree that many new things are possible, but most discount the prospects of bringing identical pets back." In context, this simply implies cloning a new pet from the genetic material of the original, a capability included in even rather pedestrian forecasts of future abilities. This reminds me of the 1945 statement by Adm. William Leahy on the prospects for the atom bomb: "That is the biggest fool thing we have ever done....The bomb will never go off, and I speak as an expert in explosives." ----- Begin Included Message ----- >From world.std.com!nsg-d-request Sat Jan 15 05:36:46 1994 X-NS-Transport-ID: 0800200E8C5C0061F753 Date: Sat, 15 Jan 1994 05:20:46 -0800 Sender: From: (Fred Hapgood) > Subject: pet immortality To: Reply-to: Content-Length: 2671 >Xref: world clari.tw.science:5864 clari.local.washington:1050 >Path: world!news.kei.com!ub!decwrl!looking!clarinews >From: (UPI) >Newsgroups: clari.tw.science,clari.local.washington >Subject: Company storing pet blood samples for cloning >Keywords: scientific industry, misc industry, research, science >Copyright: 1994 by UPI, R >Message-ID: <> >Date: Fri, 14 Jan 94 17:47:52 PST >Location: northwest states, pacific states >ACategory: regional >Slugword: wa-petclone >Priority: regular >Format: regular >ANPA: Wc: 338/353; Id: z8065; Src: upi; Sel: xsbos; Adate: 1-14-N/A >Approved: >Codes: &bosrxs., &nsrrxl., tsza.... >Lines: 33 PORT TOWNSEND, Wash. (UPI) -- A Washington state researcher has begun freezing and storing blood from pets in anticipation of the day when genetic scientists can recreate the animals from stored blood cells. The company, Geneti-Pet, started offering the service to pet owners this week. Owner Paul Asmus believes the genetic engineering process will someday allow pet owners to raise an identical animal with the same physical characteristics and temperaments, all over again. ``This is the future,'' said Asmus, a 37-year-old former airline mechanic. ``It is going to happen. Pet owners are ready for this.'' He said his research grew from his attempts to save his own pets. ``I am not just trying to get little old ladies money,'' he said. For $75, Asmus will send a kit to pet owner asking that a veterinarian withdraw a small amount of blood from the animal. Once the vial is returned,Geneti-Pet puts it into a cryogenic cylinder, which uses liquid nitrogen to freeze the blood to 196 degree below zero, where it is kept indefinitely. Customers must also pay an annual fee of $200. Asmus predicts it will take less than 10 years for scientists to develop the replication process. Skeptics agree that many new things are possible, but most discount the prospects of bringing identical pets back. Still, Asmus wants to be ahead of the times. ``DNA research is heading to where humans will be able to create almost anything,'' Asmus said. ``Hardly a day goes by when science doesn's discover a piece of the puzzle.'' Geneti-Pet is getting a wide range of responses from its offer, Asmus said. Many people are concerned about human cloning but have fewer qualms about the prospects of cloning pets. ``Our idea is basically this: 'Your pet is gone, in a sense, but not really, He's not totally gone if we still have his blood and his DNA,'' Asmus said. ``If we don't save him now, no amount of money will bring him back once the DNA is lost.'' ----- End Included Message ----- Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=2563