Refactoring cryonics as structural brain preservation
By AndyMcKenzie @ 2024-09-11T18:36 (+7)
This is a crosspost, probably from LessWrong. Try viewing it there.
nullSummaryBot @ 2024-09-12T15:48 (+1)
Executive summary: A new paper reframes cryonics as structural brain preservation, focusing on maintaining the brain's physical structure to potentially enable future revival technologies, with fluid preservation emerging as a promising and cost-effective method.
Key points:
- Structural brain preservation aims to maintain brain structures encoding memories and personality, rather than focusing solely on low-temperature storage.
- Various preservation methods are reviewed, including cryopreservation, aldehyde-stabilized cryopreservation, fluid preservation, and fixation with polymer embedding.
- Fluid preservation in formalin shows promise for long-term structural preservation, based on studies of brain tissue preserved for up to 55 years.
- Oregon Brain Preservation offers free fluid preservation as part of a research study in select areas.
- All current brain preservation methods are considered experimental, and more research is needed to corroborate and improve these techniques.
- The authors encourage discussion and involvement in the field to advance research and public understanding of structural brain preservation.
This comment was auto-generated by the EA Forum Team. Feel free to point out issues with this summary by replying to the comment, and contact us if you have feedback.