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Amnesia 9
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Amnesia - Issue 09 (1993-02-01)(Eclipse)(Disk 2 of 2).adf
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cryonics.txt
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CRYONICS AND THE ALCOR LIFE EXTENSION study of low temperatures.)
FOUNDATION
Cryonics is not a cult or a religion
CRYONIC SUSPENSION is an experimental of any kind. The people involved in
procedure whereby patients who can no cryonics hold widely varying views on
longer be kept alive with today's religion, politics,and social issues.
medical abilities are preserved at Their occupations include scientists,
low temperatures for treatment in the physicians, computer programmers,
future.Although this procedure is not business owners, teachers,librarians,
yet reversible, it is based on the and secretaries. However, they all
expectation that medical technology agree that being alive is a wonderful
of the future will be able to cure thing and that this technology may
today's diseases, reverse the effects help them stay that way.
of aging, and repair any additional Cryonics might better be seen as an
injury caused by the freezing experimental medical technology. This
process. That superior technology label may seem strange at first,since
could then resuscitate suspended many people have gotten the mistaken
patients to enjoy health and youth impression that cryonics patients are
indefinitely. The field which deals dead. Cryonics is not a new way of
with this procedure is called storing dead bodies. It is a new way
CRYONICS. (NOTE: This should not be of saving lives. Cryonicists refer to
confused with "cryogenics," which is these frozen people as PATIENTS,
the branch of engineering which is because we firmly believe that they
concerned with the production and are,in a very real sense,still alive.
People really are being frozen; it is as an aged, infirm person.
no longer science fiction.
Approximately 50 persons have been Cryonics is not yet accepted as a
frozen since the first cryonic legitimate life-saving procedure by
suspension in 1967. About 300 other today's medical authorities. With our
people have made the financial and current technology we cannot prove
legal arrangements to be suspended in that a frozen human can be repaired
case they should become terminally and revived (although a great deal of
ill or injured. However,any stories research suggests that this will be
you may read about frozen people possible in the future).
being revived are definitely science Unfortunately, this situation creates
fiction. No human has ever been numerous medical, legal, and even
thawed out and revived (with the political difficulties. For instance,
exception of human embryos), and it if a patient were to be suspended
will be a long time before this while he was legally alive,someone
happens. Medical technology has might claim that the suspension
not yet advanced to the point where process itself had killed the
cryonic suspension is reversible; patient, creating the possibility of
today's deadly illnesses and injuries criminal or civil charges against the
are not yet curable;and even if these suspension team. Therefore, current
things had been accomplished,there is cryonics practice is to suspend dying
no point in reviving anyone until patients as soon as possible after
the aging process is fully under cardiac arrest (stopping of the
control.No one wants to be reawakened heart) and declaration of "legal
death." people have survived heart attacks
and other conditions which would have
This course of action can be seen as been fatal 40 years ago.Children have
reasonable once one realizes that survived over an hour of "drowning"
"legal death" is not the same as in cold water.Were those heart attack
"biological death." A physician and drowning victims really dead
declares legal death when a patient's forty years ago, but nature has
condition cannot be repaired with changed the rules today? Of course
current medical knowledge and tech- not; those people were still alive --
niques. However, the process of doctors just did not know what to do
deterioration which we call "dying" about it. In the same way,most people
is not a sudden happening. It is much who are declared dead TODAY would be
more like slipping into an ever called "alive" by doctors of the
deepening coma. Even several hours future.With that observation in mind,
after declaration of death, most of we think these patients should be
the cells in the body (including considered potentially "alive" NOW,
those in the brain) are still and we should do something to KEEP
individually alive and capable of them that way.
resuming function.
Even within the next 10-15 years, you
As late as the 1940's, people who are likely to be amazed by the amount
stopped breathing because of heart of progress in recovering patients
attacks or drowning were routinely from strokes, heart attacks, and lack
declared dead. Today thousands of of blood circulation to the brain.
Ultimately, it should be possible to revival. We do not know enough to
recover patients as long as basic state with absolute certainty that
brain structure remains intact this procedure is workable. However,
(several hours past the point at the case for the possible future
which today's doctors give up).In the revival of suspended patients grows
next century, the medical knowledge stronger all of the time. One recent
of the 1990's will seem as primitive argument in favor of future repair
as the medical understandings of one and revival of suspended patients was
hundred years ago seem to us. Cryonic provided by K. Eric Drexler in his
suspension itself will cure nothing, fascinating book, ENGINES OF CREATION
but it buys time for the patient, (Doubleday, 1986). This book details
keeping his body virtually un- the beginnings of the new field of
changed until a future when his "nanotechnology" (also called
suspended state may be considered "molecular engineering"). Nanotech-
only an extremely deep coma. Even now nology is the next step smaller than
there is solid evidence that cooling micro-technology, and it will create
the human body to liquid nitrogen industries which will operate by
temperature (-320 degrees F), with working with atoms and molecules one
the use of techniques to reduce at a time. Among other astounding
freezing injury,can preserve the fine developments, this will lead to
structure of the brain indefinitely. computers and cell repair machines
one thousand times smaller than a
There is no guarantee that cryonic human cell. Such devices could repair
suspension will ever allow for future any disease or injury (including that
from freezing) by working directly on Riverside,California.Alcor was formed
the cells themselves. as a mutual aid society, where the
members are committed to helping each
It must be pointed out that cryon- other. All Alcor board members,
icists are not people with some officials, and suspension team
fixation on cold temperatures. None personnel are required to be full
of us want to be frozen. We are suspension members. We do not want a
simply people who like being alive, situation which could pit "Alcor"
and who want to see the future and against "the members." Alcor IS its
all of its wonders. For us, cryonics members. All decisions on the safety
provides a safety net, a last-ditch of the patients and stability of the
attempt at life-saving which may give organization are made with the
us the chance to see that future. knowledge that they will affect
everyone in the organization.
Our cryonics organization, the Alcor
Life Extension Foundation ("Alcor"), If you would like further information
is a California not-for-profit you may order the following
corporation, registered with the publications (among others) from
Internal Revenue Service as a tax- Alcor:
exempt scientific organization. Alcor
has a fully equipped and operational ALCOR: THRESHOLD TO TOMORROW
research laboratory, operating room, (introductory booklet)
and patient storage facility in FREE for 1st copy.
Extra copies $5.00 each. 12327 Doherty Street,
THE SCIENTIFIC BASIS OF CRYONICS Riverside, California 92503
(selected reprints) $10.00. Telephone 800-367-2228
(In California, 714-736-1703)
SIGNING UP MADE SIMPLE (How to
provide the legal and financial - Wake up from this bullshit guys,
arrangements for cryonic suspension, you're all gonna diiiieeeeeeeee!!!!
with filled-out sample forms.) Just accept the facts.... - Polaris
$10.00.
Subscription to CRYONICS magazine Article by : FROSTIE JOE
at $25.00 per year (12 issues ). Clipart by : PUNISHER/ECLIPSE
Fascinating articles and discussion
on the current state of cryonics,plus
science updates.
Please send a check or money order;no
cash, please. Phone toll-free to use
Visa or MasterCard. Make all checks
payable to Alcor Life Extension
Foundation and mail to:
Alcor Life Extension Foundation