[ExI] Cryonics is getting weird

The Avantguardian avantguardian2020 at yahoo.com
Tue May 18 00:24:39 UTC 2010


----- Original Message ----
> From: Damien Broderick <thespike at satx.rr.com>
> To: ExI chat list <extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org>
> Sent: Mon, May 17, 2010 2:10:40 PM
> Subject: Re: [ExI] Cryonics is getting weird

(But then again, I suppose that in the real case there's 
> the faintest remote chance that some sort of entanglement might persist despite 
> decay, and that in the future marvelous science/technology might reconstruct a 
> holographic replica of the original using whatever had not been entirely 
> dissipated. Almost impossibly hard to take seriously, but then 
> again--)

My two cents: If the mind is quantum mechanical, then there is not much hope for the guy, but there might not have been anyway. on the other hand, if the mind is no more than the straightforward physicalist interpretation of interneural connections, then the quality of his embalming will make all the difference. Embalming fluid is largely formaldehyde and formaldehyde is a fixative that cross-links proteins to one another with chemical bonds. This makes the proteins resistant to bacterial digestive enzymes, since the amino acids are no longer "normal". This prevents putrefecation and also serves to preserve cell morphology by reinforcing the structure. This why formaldehyde is used so extensively in biology to preserve specimens. And since formaldehyde is used to preserve tissue sections for microscope slides, it preserves structure at a microscopic level quite well. So if classic physicalism is correct *AND* he was correctly perfused with high enough
 concentration of formaldehyde, his synaptic connections may be intact enough for a destructive upload down the line, albeit with some sort of software error-correction for the anomolous CH2 bonds between proteins. Take for example the corpses of Eva Peron and Lenin, who were so well embalmed that they showed no signs of putrefecation years after they died. That being said, he would have been better off if some shred of his living tissue had been frozen down for potentially cloning him a new body, etc.



      





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