Cryonics: cheating death or messing with the balance of life?

[neoteric lefty]

I am beginning a research project on this topic with some people and I was wondering what you all think. What do you think about freezing the dead for life in the future? Is it a miracle or science or fucking with nature?

[KissMyAsscroft]

1. Its a miracle of enourmous stupidity...

Freezing the body destroys it, period.

Cryogenics is a scam, pure and simple. I actually support the scam because only rich, mindless fools get it done.

[everythingsxen]

2. I was under the impression that cryonics had no..

chance of working because water expands when it freezes.

[AlienGirl]

4. Exactly

The ice crystals shred the cells.

Until there's a way of supercooling the body without forming ice crystals, it isn't going to work.

Tucker

[everythingsxen]

5. Yeah..

I heard a long, long, looooooong time ago from a reliable source, that they would never have it done and that it was stupid for that very reason.

[AlienGirl]

7. Which source? Now I'm curious...

And how long ago? In these circles that's nebulous, y'know...

[everythingsxen]

8. According to what I read...

Stephen Hawking.

[AlienGirl]

9. Oh, OK

[AlienGirl]

3. I think it's a pipe-dream

I doubt they can ever be successfully revived. If they are, to what kind of world will they be re-awakened? What skills can a person of a hundred years previous use to survive in the new society they face? Will the world be so populated that it will not need these "surplus citizens"?

Tucker

[ConcernedCanuk]

6. I'm not sure, I'll type while I think

.
.
.

Or think while I type?

See, I'm confused already!

I'll ramble with pros and cons.

There are probably some people that would be of value to keep for future generations. Great inventors, writers, statesmen, that sort of person.

But, if it works out as well as the study of the atom. someone would save the wrong people.

It should not be used just to live longer. The person(s) would have to be, have been of exceptional benefit for the world, let's say someone like David Suzuki.

As for your "freezing the dead" part, would they not have to be "frozen" while they were still alive? I don't know. That is just a question.

Has this been done with animals yet?

Like "Dorothy", I believe it was, the cloned sheep.

I think there IS a value, but like I said, not just to increase one's longevity. They would have to be of great character. GOOD character.

We as a species obviously are not responsible enough yet for this I'm afraid. We are too familiar with the abuses of power.

Morally, I see no problem with it. But it must have a high purpose, and be controlled by responsible people that will not lose control. And those people don't exist yet.

When the world is governed so well that we need not keep secrets, documents need not be "classified", and dishonesty is the worst of crimes, then we will be ready to attempt this.

Not before.

[AlienGirl]

10. The danger with this idea...

Is it hinges on the social value of one life over another.

It implies that society has a vested interest in keeping certain members alive and allowing other members to die. And that gets into dangerous territory...who determines the value, and how?

Tucker

[ConcernedCanuk]

11. Re: "who determines the value, and how?"

I think I indicated that we are NOT ready for this, we need to be able to trust people as I indicated.

And we both know we are nowhere near that.

If the world get to that stage, then your concern(s) won't exist, for the world will be in harmony, all working together.

I know, I know, that's a LONG way off,

if ever.

[AlienGirl]

12. I don't expect that day will ever come

None of the Great Apes are like that; not even bonobos...

Tucker

[ConcernedCanuk]

13. I don't "expect" it either, not in my lifetime anyhoo . .

But one can hope?

. . . :shrug: . . .

[AlienGirl]

14. "Hope lies to mortals, and most believe her,

But man's deceiver was never mine."--A.E. Housman

[everythingsxen]

15. Uh...

Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things. Hope and love. Those two things are our only chance of survival.

[AlienGirl]

16. Love I'll grant

But hope is the most dangerous of follies.

Tucker

[everythingsxen]

17. I see.....

Thats an interesting opinion, one we will have to discuss at greater length another time..