Aug. 2, 1998: Most readers know that K. Eric Drexler (Ph.D.) is a leader in the development of molecular engineering or "nanotechnology"--manipulation of matter on the molecular level, with the potential capability of repairing frozen patients cell-by-cell or even molecule-by-molecule. His first book, Engines of Creation, explains the thesis, including applications to cryonics. (On our "Links" page, see Foresight Institute.)
The current issue of Cryonics (publication of Alcor) contains the second part of a recent interview with him by Russell Cheney. Dr. Drexler reiterates--as he did in the previous interview--that he is optimistic about the chances of current cryonics patients, and explains some of the details of prospective repair scenarios.
Once again, he notes that damage to frozen people is not comparable to a piece of paper, with important writing on it, being burnt to a crisp and the ashes blown away. It is much more like the piece of paper being crumpled, or at worst torn to bits--in which case it is easy to put the pieces back together and read the writing.
(Once at CI headquarters a postal money order received from a member was accidentally put into the shredder. Problem? No--the shreds were recovered and taped together, and the post office cashed the money order. The postal clerk didn't even have to consult her supervisor.)
Drexler thinks, in fact, that the procedures needed to revive our patients will become cheap and easy, perhaps as early as 2020. And he thinks it may take just as long to achieve fully perfected suspension procedures, or "suspended animation." If that is correct, the patients already suspended may be revived just about as soon as the patients of the next year or the next decade. Families revived together, with no waiting of one for another! (Of course, we play it conservatively, and reduce the burden on the future as much as we can, which means we exploit every improvement in suspension procedures that is feasible.)
Reminder: Some people will complain that Drexler is not a cryobiologist. But cryobiologists do not offer the most reliable opinions in this area, because their focus is strictly on what is feasible now, not on "speculation" on what may become feasible in the future. Yet future capability is precisely what is at issue, and people like Eric Drexler and Ralph Merkle (see our Links) are the best experts in this area.
Cryonics Institute