X-Message-Number: 5623 Date: Thu, 18 Jan 96 10:19:12 From: dave <> Subject: neuro vs WB reply to recent neuro vs whole-body postings The debate on neuro vs whole-body has been going on since the beginning of cryonics. There now is a new reason to consider whole-body. Alcor's biochemist, Hugh Hixon has recently learned new information about cracking and how to avoid some, maybe a lot of it. We have reported on this before, but Hugh, and others, don't want to disclose any more on this until we are sure of the results. In addition, there may be some noncryonics value to this for Hugh and Alcor. I want to restate that we are not positive we have eliminated or reduced cracking as we can't completely test. Other cryonics companies are also working in this direction. Bob Ettinger recently commissioned some work on sheep brains that looked like they were minimizing cracking. In addition, there are some reports that scientists in South Africa and other places are reducing cracking in organ freezing. A lot of this is speculation. But speculation can sometimes help us predict what is coming. The bottom line is that cryonics companies may soon be able to freeze persons without any cracking. When that happens there will be a strong motivation to opt for whole body as it may be easier and sooner to unfreeze and restore a whole body patient than to unfreeze and restore a neuro and then try to grow a new body and do the hook up. Dave Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=5623