Hello everyone,
I have been away from the net for the last week and it feels so good to be back and reading the many excellent posts which expand my horizons.
To my shock I read on cryonet how Alcor now has a solid grasp of vitrification technology! This has been seen almost as the "holy grail" of cryonics for a long time, though I have read the problem has always been with minimizing toxicity levels which can be as threatening as the other nemesis of cryonics- fracturing damage from conventional freezing.
I wonder what the views are here regarding just how impressive this upgrade in cryonics technology is? Is this the perfected vitrification that has been so sought after? With only reversible suspended animation being for now beyond our reach...
One concern on cryonet is that a vitrified brain would fracture if stored in conventional liquid nitrogen dewars due to the extremely cold temperatures maintained. They have wondered if this could be as bad in it's own way as microfracturing which occurs with conventional methods used now.
Perhaps a "dewar within a dewar" could help to protect a vitrified head or body. I realize this would create a challenge to Alcor designers and also raise storage costs.
Still, the news from Alcor is extremely exciting. Despite the monetary limitations faced by the cryonics community it is clear the work has been moving forward very impressively.
best wishes to all,
John Grigg
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