X-Message-Number: 6740
From:  (Thomas Donaldson)
Subject: About vitrification
Date: Mon, 12 Aug 1996 23:25:47 -0700 (PDT)

Hi everyone!

I have several times on Cryonet said that to evaluate the claims of Prometheus
it would be important to understand what vitrification is about.

Of all the technologies for cryopreservation put forward in detail so far,
vitrification stands out as one which really does match the traits of a single
project with a high chance of success given that the effort is made ... ie.,
in its way it resembles the Apollo project.

The cryobiologist who is also a cryonicist, in a message to me, pointed out
a very good summary of the state of that work, including the problems which
must be dealt with, in:

Gregory Fahy, Phd "Organ Cryopreservation", in RM Klatz (ed) ADVANCES IN 
	ANTIAGING MEDICINE Vol I, pp. 249-255.

This book is published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., 1996.

If anyone on Cryonet wishes to read this article, and tries but cannot find
it in any library accessible to them, I will happily photocopy my copy
(I own a copy of this book) and mail it to them for my cost of photocopying
and postage.

Among some of those interested in Prometheus, these results have caused
a great deal of enthusiasm --- while among others on Cryonet, who do not know
the details of just how far advanced these researches have come, feel that
Prometheus (or any project) should not limit itself to just one goal. They
have raised many questions, too, about whether or not other activities, or
other fields of research, might show more value per dollar. Possibly some
of those with such cavils know about vitrification in detail, but still feel
as they do. While that is their right, I do think that anyone who wants to
reach a valid assessment of the worth of the Prometheus Project which Paul
is promoting should first inform themselves about research into vitrification.
This article will help them do that.

The central, important reasons for spending money at high priority on 
research into brain vitrification CANNOT be evaluated without some familiarity
with the state of vitrification research in cryobiology NOW. And I would
go so far as to say that anyone who wants to discuss Prometheus, and does
not learn about vitrification, contributes to the discussion about as much
as someone who stares off into space blowing bubbles with his/her own saliva.

I wouldn't insist that everyone read this article; there are other ways to
inform yourself about the scientific issues Prometheus raises. And for that
matter, as I mentioned before in this posting, facts about vitrification 
don't automatically imply anything about values and thus about what to do.
But those facts remain highly relevant, and should not be ignored whatever
decision you finally make.

			Best and long long life,

				Thomas Donaldson


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