[extropy-chat] Doubt and About

[Eugen Leitl]

On Wed, Dec 10, 2003 at 11:57:10AM -0800, aperick at centurytel.net wrote:

> About cryonics: surely their must be a rather small window of time after
> death in which it is possible to determine how each cell process and synapse
> was functioning prior to death. Just how much of the random chemistry of
> death is required to relegate the former ego to the abyss?

Absolutely. An uncooled, unmedicated person in good shape dropping
dead in his track at normal conditions has a somewhat variable,
but very short window of viability. There's a threshold at which
you can't load the tissue with adequate cryoprotectant concentration,
thus resulting in a straightish freeze. Of course, this assumes
that the suspension is conducted without major oopslas, which is 
not the norm.

A best-case suspension is a euthanized person is good enough shape.
These are currently very illegal, and very much not the norm.

-- Eugen* Leitl <a href="http://leitl.org">leitl</a>
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