[ExI] extropy-chat Digest, Vol 90, Issue 18

[spike]

-----Original Message-----
From: extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org
[mailto:extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org] On Behalf Of Emlyn

>...Best chance of freezing in South Australia is to take a boat south until
you run into something.

--
Emlyn


EMLYN!  That's a great idea!

Why not set up a long-term cryonics facility in Antarctica?  Other than
periodically tanking up with LN2, does a dewar need any kind of regular
attention, once it is full of clients?  Once a dewar is full of long-term
paid-up clients, Alcor could haul it south, lower it into a 30 meter deep
hole in the snow.  Such a facility could reduce the amount of heat gained
from the environment.  The delta T between liquid nitrogen and a typical
room is about 220K, whereas the delta T between liquid nitrogen and a
typical Antarctic snow cave might be ~170-ish.

Newton's law of cooling tells me we could save about a quarter of the heat
gain from the environment.  

But wait, there's more.  (I always like to use that comment.)

If we had the dewar completely buried in snow, the air-entrained in snow
would make an excellent insulator.  Anyone who has ever camped overnight in
a snow cave knows that fluffy snow makes a great blanket.  Furthermore, land
would be really cheap down there.  Also the clients would be less vulnerable
to radicalized Amish intent on destroying infidels, invasion of hungry
hordes from the south, nuclear war, and such unpleasantness as that.  If you
set up down there, I can guarantee you would never be invaded from the
south.

Max, what are the annual liquid nitrogen needs for one of your dewars?
Could we set it to boil off for a year at a time between fill-ups?

spike