On May 16, Doug Platt came to talk with PhACT about Cryonics - which is the study and practice of freezing people for ( hopefully) revival at some time when technology can not only fix the ailment which did (or would have) killed them, but also (and this is the big step) undo all the serious damage reeked by freezing. Normally, crystallization which occurs with freezing destroys cells as would any chemical measures to avoid crystallization.
Doug has been into this subject 20 years, has 2 frozen dogs, will himself be preserved and has participated in the "preservation" of others. Doug's futuristic stance in life was well underscored by the elaborate micro computer screen which he wore on his head while speaking (a few of us computer people in the audience started wondering if we should get one). Doug ingratiated himself by declaring himself a skeptic and mentioned having subscribed to Skeptical Inquirer 15 years ago.
Doug early on started begging the question of definitions: most people feel there is no universal definition of death (obviously, if you are revived from death, you weren't really dead) and the essence of the individual. Doug believes there is no soul which departs from people at the moment of death and hold little hope of a spiritual resurrection as described by religionists. He lamented that there are only about 1000 active people in the cryogenics movement which has gone on about 30 years, and says, "we'd have more members if we were nuts". He suspects that people feel discomfort considering death and confusion over the definition of self holds people back from involvement. He assured us that with one exception, there has been no real fraud or hucksterism in the movement. But, there's something gruesome about it which makes people reluctant. Doug referred to the "icky poo factor" of people being freaked out by the whole concept. But, if you think about it, these people are attempting to make a one way trip into the future.
As with any controversial practice, there are plenty of myths associated with cryonics: like Walt Disney having been frozen - he was considering it but never did. Or someone pulling the plug and bodies thawing out - Doug says they are suspended head down in liquid nitrogen - there's plenty of thermal mass and if the level of nitrogen, got too low, only the feet would thaw. Doug addressed the question of massive damage with a small ray of hope that maybe the fledgling science of nanotechnology (with micro miniature machines) may be able to repair the damage. (This reviewing engineer feels that warming a body enough for micro robots to work would also allow further decomposition.)
Among the questions raised from the audience were:
Wasn't the Egyptian pyramids and mummification an attempt at the same thing?
A: Yes, but their technology was wrong - yet still, there is DNA intact, so . .
Who would want to pay the money to revive such people?
A: maybe funds could be left to do so - maybe interesting for historical value.
Wouldn't you feel out of place if revived in a millennia ?
A: tribal people seem to adapt when assimilated into modern society and you
could always be revived at the same time as friends.
Wouldn't the world be filled up with people trying to cheat death?
A: not at this rate: a few hundred preserved after 30 years of promotions.
Wouldn't you miss your friends if you woke up in a millennia?
A: Freeze em too!
Doesn't it cost a lot?
A: under $100,000, less if you only save your brain. Liquid nitrogen is cheaper
than beer.
Subscribing member, Bob Pandolfi, who plans to be "preserved", distributed neat cyronics literature at the talk. Doug reminded us that even if it is impossible to revive people, at the very least, we would be leaving behind well preserved corpses (he refers to as "patients") for possible future scientific posterity. He feels that present forms of "corpse care" insure less chance of resurrection and that cryonics is for people who love life and don't limit themselves to the accepted notion of getting old and simply dying.
Although, this reviewer is aptly skeptical of people frozen today ever being resurrected, he concedes that some sort of suspended animation would be necessary to send sentient beings to other solar systems in a few centuries.
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