265 lines
11 KiB
Plaintext
265 lines
11 KiB
Plaintext
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(word processor parameters LM=8, RM=78, TM=2, BM=2)
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Taken from KeelyNet BBS (214) 324-3501
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Sponsored by Vangard Sciences
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PO BOX 1031
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Mesquite, TX 75150
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October 5, 1990
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Cryonics - Suspension by Freezing
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CRYONICS AND THE ALCOR LIFE EXTENSION FOUNDATION
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CRYONIC SUSPENSION is an experimental procedure whereby
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patients who can no longer be kept alive with today's medical
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abilities are preserved at low temperatures for treatment in the
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future.
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Although this procedure is not yet reversible, it is based on
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the expectation that medical technology of the future will be able
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to cure today's diseases, reverse the effects of aging, and repair
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any additional injury caused by the freezing process.
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That in future time, superior technology could then rejuvenate
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suspended patients to enjoy health and youth indefinitely.
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The field which deals with this procedure is called CRYONICS.
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(This should not be confused with "cryogenics," which is the branch
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of physics which studies very low temperatures.)
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Cryonics is not a cult or a religion of any kind. The people
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involved in cryonics hold widely varying views on religion,
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politics, and social issues. Their occupations include scientists,
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physicians, computer programmers, business owners, teachers,
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librarians, and secretaries. However, they all agree that being
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alive is a wonderful thing and that this technology may help them
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stay that way.
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Cryonics might better be seen as a experimental medical
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technology. This label may seem strange at first, since many
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people are under the mistaken impression that cryonics patients are
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dead.
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Cryonics is not a new way of storing dead bodies. It is a new
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way of saving lives. Cryonicists refer to these frozen people as
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PATIENTS , because we firmly believe that they are, in some manner,
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still alive.
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People really are being frozen; it is no longer science
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fiction. Approximately 50 persons have been frozen since the first
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cryonic suspension in 1967. About 300 other people have made the
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financial and legal arrangements to be suspended in case they should
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become terminally ill or injured.
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However, any stories you may read about frozen people being
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revived are definitely science fiction. No human has ever been
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thawed out and revived, and it will be a long time before this
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happens. Medical technology has not yet advanced to the point
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where cryonic suspension is reversible; today's deadly illnesses and
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Page 1
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injuries are not yet curable; and even if these things had been
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accomplished, there is no point in reviving anyone until the aging
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process is fully under control. No one wants to be reawakened as an
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aged, infirm person.
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Cryonics is not yet accepted as a legitimate life-saving
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procedure by today's medical authorities. With our current
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technology we cannot prove that a frozen human can be repaired and
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revived (although a great deal of research suggests that this will
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be possible in the future).
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Unfortunately, this situation creates numerous medical, legal,
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and even political difficulties.
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For instance, if a patient were to be suspended while he was
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legally alive, someone might claim that the suspension process
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itself had killed that patient, creating the possibility of criminal
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or civil charges against the suspension team.
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Therefore, current cryonics practice is to suspend dying
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patients as soon as possible after cardiac arrest (stopping of the
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heart) and declaration of "legal death."
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This course of action can be seen as reasonable once one
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realizes that "legal death" is not the same as "biological death."
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A physician declares legal death when a patient's condition
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cannot be repaired with current medical knowledge and techniques.
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However, the process of deterioration which we call "dying" is
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not a sudden happening. It is much more like slipping into an ever
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deepening coma.
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Even several hours after declaration of death, most of the
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cells in the body (including those in the brain) are still
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individually alive and ready to regain function.
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As late as the 1940's, people who stopped breathing because of
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heart attacks or drowning were routinely declared dead.
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Today thousands of people have survived heart attacks and other
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conditions which would have been fatal 40 years ago. Children have
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survived over an hour of "drowning" in cold water.
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Were those heart attack and drowning victims really dead forty
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years ago, but nature has changed the rules today?
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Of course not; those people were still alive -- doctors just
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did not know what to do about it. In the same way, most people who
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are declared dead TODAY would be called "alive" by doctors of the
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future. With that prospect in mind, we think these patients should
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be considered "alive" NOW, and we should do something to KEEP them
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that way.
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Even within the next 10-15 years, you are likely to be amazed
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by the amount of progress in recovering patients from strokes, heart
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attacks, and lack of oxygen to the brain.
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Ultimately, it should be possible to recover patients as long
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Page 2
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as basic brain structure remains intact (several hours past the
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point at which today's doctors give up). In the next century, the
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medical knowledge of the 1980's will seem as primitive as the
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medical understandings of one hundred years ago seem to us.
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Cryonic suspension itself will cure nothing, but it buys time
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for the patient, keeping his body virtually unchanged until a future
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when his frozen condition may be considered only an extremely deep
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coma.
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Even now there is solid evidence that cooling the human body to
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liquid nitrogen temperature (-320o F), with the use of techniques to
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reduce freezing injury, can preserve the fine structure of the brain
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indefinitely.
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There is no guarantee that cryonic suspension will ever allow
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for future revival. We do not know enough to state absolutely that
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this procedure is workable. However, the case for the possible
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future revival of suspended patients grows stronger all of the time.
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One recent argument in favor of future repair and revival of
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suspended patients was provided by K. Eric Drexler in his
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fascinating book, ENGINES OF CREATION (Doubleday, 1986).
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This book details the beginnings of the new field of
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"nanotechnology" (also called "molecular engineering").
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Nanotechnology is the next step smaller than micro-technology,
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and it will create industries which will operate by working with
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atoms and molecules one at a time. Among other astounding
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developments, this will lead to computers and cell repair machines
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one thousand times smaller than a human cell.
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Such devices could repair any disease or injury (including that
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from freezing) by working directly on the cells themselves.
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It must be pointed out that cryonicists are not people with
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some fixation on cold temperatures. None of us want to be frozen.
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We are simply people who like being alive, and who want to see the
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future and all of its wonders. For us, cryonics provides a safety
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net, a last-ditch attempt at life-saving which may give us the
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chance to see that future.
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Our cryonics organization, Alcor Life Extension Foundation
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("Alcor"), is a California not-for-profit corporation, registered
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with the Internal Revenue Service as a tax-exempt scientific
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organization.
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Alcor has a fully equipped and operational research laboratory,
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operating room, and patient storage facility in Riverside,
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California.
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Alcor was formed as a mutual aid society, where the members are
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committed to helping each other. All Alcor board members,
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officials, and suspension team personnel are required to be full
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suspension members. We do not want a situation which could pit
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"Alcor" against "the members." Alcor IS its members.
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All decisions on the safety of the patients and stability of the
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Page 3
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organization are made with the knowledge that they will affect
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everyone in the organization.
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If you would like further information, you may order the
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following publications (among others) from Alcor:
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ALCOR: THRESHOLD TO TOMORROW
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(introductory booklet) FREE for 1st copy.
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Extra copies $5.00 each.
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THE SCIENTIFIC BASIS OF CRYONICS
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(selected reprints) $10.00.
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SIGNING UP MADE SIMPLE
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(How to provide the legal and financial arrangements for cryonic
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suspension, with filled-out sample forms.) $12.00.
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Subscription to CRYONICS magazine
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at $25.00 per year (12 issues).
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Fascinating articles and discussion on the current state of
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cryonics, plus science updates.
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Please send check or money order; no cash over $1.00 please.
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Phone toll-free to use Visa or MasterCard. Make all checks
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payable to Alcor Life Extension Foundation and mail to:
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Alcor Life Extension Foundation
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12327 Doherty Street,
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Riverside, California 92503
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Telephone 800-367-2228.
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--------------------------------------------------------------------
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If you have comments or other information relating to such topics as
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this paper covers, please upload to KeelyNet or send to the Vangard
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Sciences address as listed on the first page. Thank you for your
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consideration, interest and support.
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Jerry W. Decker.........Ron Barker...........Chuck Henderson
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Vangard Sciences/KeelyNet
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--------------------------------------------------------------------
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If we can be of service, you may contact
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Jerry at (214) 324-8741 or Ron at (214) 484-3189
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--------------------------------------------------------------------
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Page 4
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