X-Message-Number: 6660
Date: 01 Aug 96 07:41:11 EDT
From: Andrew Davidson <>
Subject: Frozen embryo destruction in UK

Currently there is a lot of news coverage in the UK about the
destruction of frozen embryos left over from in-vitro fertility
treatments.  The particular issue is a government act which mandates
their destruction after 5 years if the parents have not asked for
them to be kept.  The first 5 years is now up.

What is interesting is that those campaigning against this destruction
have no trouble with the idea of frozen human beings.  The news
coverage shows pictures of steaming dewars - very akin to cryonics
coverage - but there are no overtones (to me) of Dr Frankenstein.  The
other news shots tend to show protestors holding candle-lit vigils or
proud mothers and children that have benefitted from this technology.

Now this is closely related to anti-abortion protests and the key 
issue is whether an embryo is human or not.  The cryonics we have
in mind is different in many ways but there are enough similarities
that the legal and PR precedents warrant attention.

Apropos the Prometheus project, can I ask why it is that the technology
of freezing embryos and other viable biological matter seems to have been 
mastered now but that the technology of freezing brains has not?  What
are the essential differences and problems when one scales up the process?

Andrew


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