X-Message-Number: 5741 Date: Fri, 16 Feb 1996 11:35:54 -1000 From: (Rick Friedlander) I have been reading posts here for some time and I have the following comments: first of all, why try to argue logically with someone of religious persuasion. Religion and belief in the afterlife is a matter of faith. For all we know they are right, but then again maybe fortune tellers and gypsies are also right. Right. More importantly, I would like to see more posts from Mike Darwin and Dr. Steve Harris. This is the nitty-gritty of what we are trying to accomplish. I personally feel that this newsgroup should also embrace longevity research since they are on a course that will embrace each other. If there are a finite number of genes in the human genome, then there are a finite number of metabolic pathways, perhaps even fewer than supposed. Mike Darwin's archive on Ischemic cerebral damage is highly enlightening and shows how technology to prevent ischemic damage while performing cryonic suspension has implications for patients who are not on the verge of death (at least initially ), but are suffering from MI or stroke. In Stuart Kaufmann's "Origin of Order" he describes systems which are far from equilibrium such as organisms. In such systems which can evolve there ensue a configuration of "frozen" areas and other areas that are changeable. The frozen areas limit the domain of potential changes, but do not prohibit some interaction between others. This might help to explain why in the course of evolution molecules become parts of several metabolic pathways. The other important point is that such networks work when the number of states of each connection is 2, thus implying a digital mechanism arrived at by nature. Thus a gene may be on or off, but because of feedback mechanisms both positive and negative one gene can control many. The clear implication is of a mighty puzzle that is solvable. One of the things we can do on this newsgroup is brainstorm and say "what if..." and proceed along productive lines of inquiry. I can see a time in the future when people are alive that had surgery before invasive surgery became passe and other people ask to see their scar because scars will become such a rarity. Stay cool. Rick Friedlander Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=5741