6 replies to this topic

[Mike79]

Whats happens in the future "if" nanotechnology doesn't work, how would some one in cryonics be brought back to life? Especially with the damaged cells and what not. That thought has been in my head alot lately.

Mike

[forever freedom]

What do you mean by nanotechnology not working? It is already working with applications in various fields of knowledge and practical fields as well. The computer industry is just one example. NASA and uses a lot of nanotechnology as well.


Nanotechnology does "work", in whatever term you mean, it's just that there's still a LOT of advances to be made in the field.

[Cyberbrain]

Whats happens in the future "if" nanotechnology doesn't work, how would some one in cryonics be brought back to life? Especially with the damaged cells and what not. That thought has been in my head alot lately.

Mike

Nanotechnology has a very broad definition and applies to a wide range of fields. It is not a specific type of technology that will revive people from cryonics. Overall, nanotechnology primarily refers to the field of material science and the fabrication of specialized materials on the nano scale. Some futurists took it as far as saying that through nanotechnology we will be able to create 'nanobots' and 'nanomachines' that could help us in a number of ways from medical purposes to manufacturing and so forth. However, it won't be until a decade or two until we start seeing three dimensional nanomachines. As for patients who have been in cryonic suspension, there will be a number of technologies that will aid in their revival, not just nanobots.

[bgwowk]

Whats happens in the future "if" nanotechnology doesn't work, how would some one in cryonics be brought back to life? Especially with the damaged cells and what not. That thought has been in my head alot lately.

Mike

The question is ambiguous because "nanotechnology" has many different meanings, the most popular of which are irrelevant to cryonics. The most widely accepted meaning of nanotechnology today is technology involving nanostructured materials. That technology already "works" today. There are many products available based on nanostructured materials.

Since you are asking about cryonics, you probably mean "molecular nanotechnology." This is the original meaning of nanotechnology as popularized by Eric Drexler in his 1986 book, Engines of Creation. This is nanotechnology that uses discrete molecules as active machine components. However even this specific form of nanotechnology can be further subdivided into diffusion-based molecular technology vs. molecular mechanical systems. Diffusion-based molecular nanotechnology already works. It is the basis of all biology. In contrast, molecular mechanical systems are still theoretical. When people talk about nanotechnology and cryonics, they are usually talking about molecular mechanical systems or "Drexlerian" nanotechnology.

So, getting to what is probably your real question, if still-theoretical Drexlerian nanotechnology proves infeasible in practice, can cryonics still work? Of course. Cryonics predates Drexlerian nanotechnology by almost 20 years. Cryonicists had their own biology-based ideas for cell repair before Drexler's molecular mechanical systems. Cryonicists quickly latched onto the molecular mechanical vision of nanotechnology because it has advantages over purely biological approaches, and because a very active community of enthusiasts grew around it.

To get a flavor of what biological approaches to repairing cryoinjury look like, read the essays of cryonicist and Drexlerian nanotechnology skeptic Thomas Donaldson. Here is one:

http://www.alcor.org...rymedicine.html

I personally think that molecular mechanical visions of nanotechnology can and will eventually be made to work, but that almost all the sweeping consequences molecular mechanical nanotechnology could also be achieved by sufficiently-advanced biotechnology using only diffusion-based systems. One of those sweeping consequences is reversal of severe biological injury, including cryoinjury.

[Mike79]

What do you mean by nanotechnology not working? It is already working with applications in various fields of knowledge and practical fields as well. The computer industry is just one example. NASA and uses a lot of nanotechnology as well.


Nanotechnology does "work", in whatever term you mean, it's just that there's still a LOT of advances to be made in the field.

I understand it does work! But, yes I agree with there a lot of advance's to be made and thanks for your opinion.

[Mike79]

[/quote]
Nanotechnology has a very broad definition and applies to a wide range of fields. It is not a specific type of technology that will revive people from cryonics. Overall, nanotechnology primarily refers to the field of material science and the fabrication of specialized materials on the nano scale. Some futurists took it as far as saying that through nanotechnology we will be able to create 'nanobots' and 'nanomachines' that could help us in a number of ways from medical purposes to manufacturing and so forth. However, it won't be until a decade or two until we start seeing three dimensional nanomachines. As for patients who have been in cryonic suspension, there will be a number of technologies that will aid in their revival, not just nanobots.
[/quote]

Thanks for your help Kostas! I appreciate it.

[Mike79]

The question is ambiguous because "nanotechnology" has many different meanings, the most popular of which are irrelevant to cryonics. The most widely accepted meaning of nanotechnology today is technology involving nanostructured materials. That technology already "works" today. There are many products available based on nanostructured materials.

Since you are asking about cryonics, you probably mean "molecular nanotechnology." This is the original meaning of nanotechnology as popularized by Eric Drexler in his 1986 book, Engines of Creation. This is nanotechnology that uses discrete molecules as active machine components. However even this specific form of nanotechnology can be further subdivided into diffusion-based molecular technology vs. molecular mechanical systems. Diffusion-based molecular nanotechnology already works. It is the basis of all biology. In contrast, molecular mechanical systems are still theoretical. When people talk about nanotechnology and cryonics, they are usually talking about molecular mechanical systems or "Drexlerian" nanotechnology.

So, getting to what is probably your real question, if still-theoretical Drexlerian nanotechnology proves infeasible in practice, can cryonics still work? Of course. Cryonics predates Drexlerian nanotechnology by almost 20 years. Cryonicists had their own biology-based ideas for cell repair before Drexler's molecular mechanical systems. Cryonicists quickly latched onto the molecular mechanical vision of nanotechnology because it has advantages over purely biological approaches, and because a very active community of enthusiasts grew around it.

To get a flavor of what biological approaches to repairing cryoinjury look like, read the essays of cryonicist and Drexlerian nanotechnology skeptic Thomas Donaldson. Here is one:

http://www.alcor.org...rymedicine.html

I personally think that molecular mechanical visions of nanotechnology can and will eventually be made to work, but that almost all the sweeping consequences molecular mechanical nanotechnology could also be achieved by sufficiently-advanced biotechnology using only diffusion-based systems. One of those sweeping consequences is reversal of severe biological injury, including cryoinjury.

[/quote]

I appreciate your help Brain, I'm reading that article now and it seems very interesting.