New Hamp SCIENCE and SCI-FI in the world

I thought it might be fun to have a place to talk about thinks that bring us closer to the Space opera future.

I included Sci-Fi because often the first glimpse of tomorrows science come from the imaginations of sci-fi authors. So come discuss your personal favorites.

 

Okay my motive come to light. I've been dieing to discuss this topic with some people.

Cryonics is my most recent obsession (past ones include finding the equivalent of such things as The Voice From Dune and other things like that).

Cryonics is the process of Vitrifying OR freezing a person shortly after leagal death is declared so that decay is halted and future advances in medicine could be applied to heal the person.

The premise is that death is a process (taking time) and not a true or false. The length a person can survive deing and be revivable grows all the time with advances in tech. So do cures for diseases that kill us today.

The process of freezing is very damaging the cells 'prespire inner moisture outside into the space between each other where it form sharp spined crystals that can rupture cells. The earliest people to participate in this where frozen. They still may not be beyond the future of Nanotech to save. With the ability to repair cells like a person can fix a cement house with a trowel and cement.

Vitrification is the next step that exists and is constantly being improved.

The compound that exist now minimise ice formation and preserve most tissue well. Though the consentrations needed make the tissue toxic and cause some rewarming damage. Vastly improved over straight freezing but still dependant on nanotech to fix.

The last phases of testing are underway for a compound call M22 that vitrifies (meaning prevents ice crystal from forming) by making all water into a glassy solid (you may know that glass is just a really slow moving liquid, thousands of years from now a pane of glas may show rippling) this means no crystals to puncture cells and near perfect preservation of tissues in their location.

Studies have also shown that the toxic effect is nearly completely eliminated. I've heard that they have vitrified a kidney and froze it. after thawing and flushing it out it appears to be functional.

This lost greatly promising.

The oganisations are non profit and run by those who are going in when they die and/or the children of such people.
The temperatures are kept by replenished supploes of Liquid nitrogen so no worry of blackouts or being forgotten.

and I belive both organisation (Alcor and Cryonics Istitute) have been doing it for more then Thirty years.

Both require lifetime memberships (payable in a few differant ways) and the remainder can be payed with a life insurance policy. They invest to generate intrest that pays for maintanance and the principle would idealy be used to revive a patient.

It sound intresting to me and I may just have to invest in it. It would certainly help me a little with some of my hypocondria and anxiety to know I'm investing in the only second chance offered outside of my religious beliefs (which are a bit in crisis at the moment,but once I get over whatever illness is plauguing me right now; hopefully my fears will quiet down to a level to allow me to function again).

If you are intrested in learning more I can give links or you can google the companies (Alcor or cryonics.org) or Cryonic itself.

Thoughts?
Anybody got another topic?