X-Message-Number: 7405
From:  (Charles Platt)
Newsgroups: sci.cryonics
Subject: Re: Full Body vs. Head Only suspension
Date: 1 Jan 1997 01:35:21 -0500
Message-ID: <5ad0j9$>
References: <>

Jen1orbit () wrote:
>         Am I correct in assuming that the *only* advantage to doing a head
> only suspension is financial?? It seems to me that there is absolutely no
> other *advantage* to the head only option. Is this correct? 

Almost, but not quite.

1. I believe it is still true that different organs in the body are frozen
optimally with slightly different cryoprotective protocol. In a neuro
case, the protocol can be optimized for the brain. Of course, you could
still optimize it for the brain if you're freezing your whole body ... but
that rather undermines your desire to have the whole body preserved. 

2. Neuros are MUCH easier to move than whole bodies. If cryonics is
outlawed, or if your cryonics provider encounters difficulties with local
authorities or other unwelcome guests, a neuro can be taken to safety in a
small dewar in the back of a pickup truck. In one famous case where a
local coroner demanded to autopsy a woman whose head was being held in the
frozen state, the head was moved out of reach while the cryonics
organization fought the case in court (and won). If she had been a
whole-body case, the story would have ended very differently. 

Of course, I'm biased: I opted for neuro myself.

--Charles Platt
CryoCare


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