X-Message-Number: 26953
Date: Wed, 7 Sep 2005 09:53:13 -0400
From: Thomas Donaldson <>
Subject: to E Leitl and J Sparks

TO Various:

To E. Leitl: Interesting, and thanks for the information. I didn't know
at all that David Stodolsky (or anybody, for that matter) was doing this.

To Jordan Sparks: You may not know me, and certainly don't subscribe
to my newsletter PERIASTRON. However one issue discussed (using scientific
work in neuroscience) is that of how we might nondestructively preserve
brains. I personally doubt very much that nanotechnology will be needed
to revive those vitrified today, but it will certainly have a use in
reviving those suspended before vitrification. Of course, given that
cryonic patients are suspended due to very serious illness, nanotechnology
may also be needed to cure their illness --- that that's going to 
depend a lot on just what their illness was.

I'll add that I'm using nanotechnology to denote the broad class of
engineering which includes biotechnology as part of it.

AS for whether or not some kind of fixation method would be useful,
I'd strongly suggest you look into the molecular events caused by
particular fixation methods. Depending on their choice, they could
destroy memories completely or preserve them better than any present
method. If you write me and don't want to subscribe to PERIASTRON,
then I can tell you of relevant neuroscience literature you might
wish to read to check out your fixation method. And if no one has
studied that question, it may be up to you to do the experiments.
I will add (no, I haven't studied fixation methods myself) that I
understand one problem is that of getting the fixation into the
whole brain, rather than only its outside surface.

            Best wishes and long long life to all,

                Thomas Donaldson

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