Friday, January 27, 2006

Cryogenics - A thought or maybe a question


I was visiting one of my favorite haunts and I came across Markoos' post about
Cryonauts . Please check it out so you know from whence I speak.



Now that you have, maybe you saw my question to him. I'll repeat it here because, seriously, I have my doubts of such a scheme.
********************
"After being re-animated, I wouldn't want to be looked at like a freak from a zoo.
To be studied and prodded and gawked at should the "re-animation" work.
In 100 years, who's to say whatever government is in force would let him have all his money anyway? Or that money, as we know it, still exists?
The future is as scary as it is exciting.

Has anyone ever thought of how society will treat these re-animated people? Would they be seen 'as people'?" Will they still have their rights and priveledges under our constitution?

These are my Questions.

In Susan Grant's, Legend of Banzai Maguire , it's based on a female heroine who was cryogenically frozen and thawed 170 years later.
It's a great theory that captures the imagination of science fiction lovers and writers the world over.

Its reality is another thing altogether.


I can't imagine using a freezer for a coffin.














The facilities do look very intricate and scientific. However, how secure and reasonable are the expectations for success?


I don't mean for re-animation. They haven't gotten cloning right..and when it comes to humans, I really don't want to go on THAT soap box.

I refer to the basic things, like frost build-up, freezer burn and power flectuations, you know, not expecting all the back-ups to work all the time, every time.

Do you have any thoughts about this?

Has a writer written a sci-fi horror story yet about a successful re-animation that wasn't a "happy ever after"? If not, someone should.

Truly, it would be a horror for me. Human nature being what it is.

Give me natural. The circle of life that's been written and lived out since time immemorial. Let a higher power decide on re-incarnation - not man. (Whoa, that's a little deep for my usual posts, yes?)

Money is not a motivator for me like that guy in Markoos' post. What good is money if you're not "a person" anymore?

6 comments:

Brandy said...

I believe in the natural order of things. Cryogenics is a nice "idea", but c'mon all your money could be gone, family gone, no skills for a job.... what's the point? I believe that if you want to live forever, you will. Just look in your childrens eyes. The future and all it's possibilities are there. (probably too sappy, huh?)

Angela's Designs said...

I forgot about Bonzai having been frozen. Darn. I had idea I want to write about after I found an article like Markoos' one day. Rich guy gets frozen, comes back and his money isn't his to use as times have changed too much for people to care about his old will. Hmm... another case of idea that has already been used, sort-of anyway. LOL. As for me, I don't want to be frozen even if I had the money. I like what Brandy said about it. I wouldn't mind seeing the future, but not enough to put my hopes in a science that isn't perfected yet.

Michele said...

Not sappy, Brandy. Not at all.
Actually, the "looking in your children's eyes" is beautiful and really, very poignant.
Thanks!!


LOL, Annalee! You'll find your niche in the cryogenics arena if that is a story you want to do. Your muse will think of something. She always does...
What about a vampire that was frozen? What would he/she do if their line was eradicated? Not by man, but something else? Since science hasn't perfected the process, it's fodder for imagination. Go paranormal!!!

_ said...

Cryonics would be of particular interest to atheists who don't count on "a higher power" to decide on re-incarnation.

Look at it this way:
Freezing yourself after you're dead hurts just about as much as cremation, so no worries there. The only concern is how scary the future is...
But if it turns out to be so horrible, why not kill yourself? You've already died once. Sounds unappealing now, but after you've been to the "other-side" (assuming its existence) maybe you won't be so opposed.

And if there is a Christian hell, I'm probably going to be VIP. Maybe I can redeem myself in the thawed-out incarnation...

The Girl You Used to Know said...

I have no desire to see anyone freeze dried and brought back. Somethings just weren't meant to be. Like cloning.

Sorry, that's a scary, scary thing for me.

Let's worry about finding a cure for cancer before we start turning oursevles into Taster's Choice humans.

Shesawriter said...

The whole thing sounds way too creepy for me. Ewwwwwww.

Tanya

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