PhilGoetz comments on Is cryonics evil because it's cold? - Less Wrong

19 Post author: ata 31 October 2010 11:59PM

You are viewing a comment permalink. View the original post to see all comments and the full post content.

Article Navigation

Comments (24)
Tags: cogsci linguistics cryonics bias affect metaphor

Comments (24)

You are viewing a single comment's thread.

Comment author: PhilGoetz 03 November 2010 02:51:07PM 3 points [-]

Sounds plausible.

You say cryonics uses vitrification. Is that true? I thought people want to use vitrification, not that they'd figured out how to avoid freezing.

most people assume it does because they only know about cryonics — er, I mean, “cryogenics” — from Austin Powers and Futurama and Batman and other popular fiction where it’s either a comedic trope or a villainous thing the villain does

Changing society is a villainous thing the villain does. Being smart is a villainous thing the villain does. The superhero/villain trope reveals a deep prejudice against thought.

Comment author: timtyler 03 November 2010 03:51:14PM 1 point [-]

Vitrification (not freezing) can preserve biological structure very well. Adding high concentrations of chemicals called cryoprotectants to cells permits tissue to be cooled to very low temperatures with little or no ice formation. The state of no ice formation at temperatures below -120°C is called vitrification. It is now possible to physically vitrify organs as large as the human brain, achieving excellent structural preservation without freezing.

Powered by Reddit Powered by Reddit