Scientists create 'zombie' dogs

HemlockGrey · Post by **HemlockGrey** » 2005-06-27 08:01am

Assuming there hasn't been an economic crash in the meanwhile.

Well, banks and bank interest rates tend to be a little more reliable than stocks or stuff like that.

wautd · Post by **wautd** » 2005-06-27 08:24am

solar sails, bionic arms, now this...

what a week

Post by **LadyTevar** » 2005-06-27 04:19pm

InnocentBystander wrote:I'm rather surprised that the dogs haven't suffered brain damage...

[feline wit] How would you tell? [/witty feline]

Enforcer Talen · Post by **Enforcer Talen** » 2005-06-27 05:30pm

See, I like following transhumanist thought, I can picture immortality, world wide telepathy, terraforming planets, et al -

but actually coming back from the dead is beyond my imagination. Ive always pictured when your dead, your dead.

It is seriously becoming an rpg game, complete with ressurrects and god modes.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2005-06-27 05:33pm

I just think creating the T-Virus would be better.

Xenophobe3691 · Post by **Xenophobe3691** » 2005-06-27 05:53pm

LadyTevar wrote: [feline wit] How would you tell? [/witty feline]

Because the cats still rank lower in tests?

AMX · Post by **AMX** » 2005-06-27 05:59pm

HemlockGrey wrote:Even if it remains obscenely expensive, it's still no problem. Put a thousand bucks in the local bank and tell them to wake you up in 150 years. By that time all the money you've made on interest ought to take care of any hospital bills.

Only if the interest rate is sufficiently higher than the inflation rate.
Which is very unlikely, to say the least.

Guy N. Cognito · Post by **Guy N. Cognito** » 2005-06-28 10:08am

Actually, I just finished reading an article in Scietific America that dealt with this. They are also looking to use this on organ transplants. Since a heart needs to transplanted within 4 hours of it's removal from one body to another, this will allow them to extend the time out of the body.
And something that wasn't covered in the posted link is Peter Safer from U of Pittsburg did this on 14 dogs and then removed the spleens from 8 of teh dogs while they were in suspended animation. The non-surgery dogs were fine, but 50% of the ones that underwent surgery have had neurological defects. Guess it still needs to be perfected.

HemlockGrey · Post by **HemlockGrey** » 2005-06-28 10:15am

Only if the interest rate is sufficiently higher than the inflation rate.
Which is very unlikely, to say the least.

Whyzat? It is my understanding that debts do not increase as inflation increases. That's why farmers like inflation.

AMX · Post by **AMX** » 2005-06-28 11:04am

HemlockGrey wrote:
Only if the interest rate is sufficiently higher than the inflation rate.
Which is very unlikely, to say the least.
Whyzat? It is my understanding that debts do not increase as inflation increases. That's why farmers like inflation.

I suspect they're getting premium rates, possibly due to gov't interference.
Normally, interest on debt > inflation rate > interest on accounts.
Which is a fundamental part of how banks make profit.

HemlockGrey · Post by **HemlockGrey** » 2005-06-28 11:36am

Hmm...good point. Well, I suppose you could just go to sleep for 500 years and wake up hoping your debtors have all died off or gone bankrupt.

Vicious · Post by **Vicious** » 2005-06-28 04:36pm

HemlockGrey wrote:Even if it remains obscenely expensive, it's still no problem. Put a thousand bucks in the local bank and tell them to wake you up in 150 years. By that time all the money you've made on interest ought to take care of any hospital bills.

Ever read The Door Into Summer by Robert Heinlein? There's a firm in the book that will cryogenically freeze you and invest all your money for you. Then, when you're revived, you get all your money back, minus a percentage to pay for the process. It's a good story, and your comment totally remined me of it.

General Brock · Post by **General Brock** » 2005-06-29 06:12pm

Darth Raptor wrote:Awesome!

They're going to test this on humans? "Who wants to die for three hours? Anyone? No?"

I sense difinitive proof on whether or not there's an afterlife on the horizon...

If your brain isn't recording, how can you remember what happened?

Oh, yes... and PETA must be real pleased with this research... hehehe

Tasoth · Post by **Tasoth** » 2005-06-29 08:20pm

Cool shit. Zombies in my home town! I knew it would start here.

Anyways, brought this up with my brother and he got the whole 'Zombies bad' look. This really wouldn't work if the subject suffered brain damage. I would rather die then survive a horrible wound and end up as a vegetable for the rest of my life.

Darth Raptor · Post by **Darth Raptor** » 2005-06-29 09:54pm

General Brock wrote:If your brain isn't recording, how can you remember what happened?

You can't.

Sharpshooter · Post by **Sharpshooter** » 2005-06-30 12:12am

GET AWAY FROM THE WINDOWS!!!!1shiftplusone

That out of the way, I suppose it's rather neat, but I'd much prefer the idea of a stasis field being used instead of some sort of cryogenic hybernation stuff. Just step into the box, hear a snap-hiss, another snap-hiss, then step out to find that it's fifty years later and that you're fifty million dollars richer

This whole deal of messing around with the body and injecting all sorts of chemicals and stimulants and depressents and what have you - I just don't like it. Do what you will with the flow of time around me, but leave my body alone...

...unless you're talking about a cyber-brain and 'borging, in which case, I'm all ears.

Lord of the Abyss · Post by **Lord of the Abyss** » 2005-06-30 12:54am

That out of the way, I suppose it's rather neat, but I'd much prefer the idea of a stasis field being used instead of some sort of cryogenic hybernation stuff. Just step into the box, hear a snap-hiss, another snap-hiss, then step out to find that it's fifty years later and that you're fifty million dollars richer

Except for the fact that a stasis field is pure sci-fi, I'd agree with you. Freezing is something we understand; time-stopping stasis fields aren't.

Short of a black hole's event horizon that is; but if you're there you'll be wishing you were in that cold box instead.

Master of Ossus · Post by **Master of Ossus** » 2005-06-30 02:00am

This is incredible, but that is ONE FREAKY PICTURE in the link.

I can't believe they're pushing forward with human trials that quickly. Within a year? Would you volunteer for such treatment?

Winston Blake · Post by **Winston Blake** » 2005-06-30 05:17am

Sharpshooter wrote:That out of the way, I suppose it's rather neat, but I'd much prefer the idea of a stasis field being used instead of some sort of cryogenic hybernation stuff. Just step into the box, hear a snap-hiss, another snap-hiss, then step out to find that it's fifty years later and that you're fifty million dollars richer

This whole deal of messing around with the body and injecting all sorts of chemicals and stimulants and depressents and what have you - I just don't like it. Do what you will with the flow of time around me, but leave my body alone...

Actually i'd prefer the freezing to messing with time. Just think of the bizarre superphysics we'd need to achieve that. I'd be more afraid of 'step into box, snap-hiss-CRUNCH, drip-drip-drip'. At least with freezing you don't have to worry about creating a black hole and blowing up the Earth or something. In scifi stasis-field tech is typically long perfected- no reason why cryosleep shouldn't be just as reliable.