jkaufman comments on More Cryonics Probability Estimates - Less Wrong

20 Post author: jkaufman 17 December 2012 08:59PM

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Comment author: jkaufman 18 December 2012 01:51:36PM *  3 points [-]

Branching points are important and could definitely make the whole thing more probable. So if you or anyone else sees others, please point them out.

This particular branching point is one I've thought about (cell D26) and don't think is likely enough to even show up in the final odds. The chemicals they use as cryoprotectants are toxic at the concentrations they need to be using, and while that's fine if you're going to be uploaded it's potentially a big problem if you're going to be revived. Future medicine would need to be really good to keep these cells from dying immediately on rewarming. Expense issues are also mostly worse for in-flesh revival.

(One branching that would help would be if plastination became possible, because it removes the problem of needing cryonics organizations to stay existant, functional, and legal.)

Comment author: loup-vaillant 19 December 2012 05:02:40PM 2 points [-]

Hmm, even plastination could have legal problem where I live. I'm not sure we can do anything other than burning or burying the corpse.

Now if one is willing to break the law, this is only a cubic foot to keep hidden around. I would be willing to face the risk if it meant my family.

Comment author: jkaufman 21 December 2012 07:31:26PM 0 points [-]

The advantage of plastination is that once you're preserved you stay that way. Laws keeping you from being preserved hit plastination and cryonics equally.

Comment author: lsparrish 21 December 2012 02:02:01AM 1 point [-]

Low temperature permits a wider range of molecular machinery to function. For example, you could have a burrowing micro-scale machine (it doesn't need to be nano-scale, although components obviously could be) which slowly removes extracellular cryoprotectant and water, replacing it with a nontoxic cryoprotectant. The replacement matter could be laced with other helpful drugs like ischemia blockers and cell membrane fortifiers, which would activate upon warming.