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Gurkenglas comments on PSA: Very important policy change at Cryonics Institute - Less Wrong Discussion

19 Post author: Coscott 03 October 2013 05:47AM

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Comment author: Gurkenglas 04 October 2013 04:59:43PM 0 points [-]

I am an absolute amateur, but wasn't vitrification about replacing the ice-crystal-generating water in the brain/body with a liquid that turns into a glass when cooled? If you can get that liquid into the furthest reaches of the brain, wouldn't you also be able to distribute coolant through its interior, turning the effective cooling surface area proportional to the volume?

Comment author: V_V 06 October 2013 12:18:17AM 2 points [-]

In this case cooling speed would be limited by the coolant flow and its thermal capacity and conductivity. You would have to use the cryoprotectant has a coolant. IIUC typical cyroprotectants are not good coolants at that temperature range. Nothing can be a good coolant close to its own glass transition temperature, since by definition their viscosity becomes very high (solid-like) at that temperature.