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Better Living Through Stink Bombs
Well, at least slower living. Researchers have put mice into suspended animation using hydrogen sulfide. And, the key part of course, brought them back.
Posted by Rand Simberg at April 21, 2005 12:42 PM
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This sounds cool! Hydrogen sulfide is pretty dangerous even in low quantities. Note that only 80 ppm was required to put the mice into suspended animation. But to reduce their metabolism by roughly a factor of 100 (based on oxygen consumption going from 150 beaths per minute to a couple of "really shallow" breaths per minute) for six hours is a significant feat. I wonder though if this is a feature of mice or do higher mammals like, of course, humans have similar enough physiology for this to work (probably in conjunction with other techniques.
Posted by Karl Hallowell at April 21, 2005 01:40 PM
Unfortunately, this is merely hibernation, not suspended animation as you write. Astronauts will still age, so this won't exactly help us get to the stars. Anywhere in the Solar System, though, could be easier to get to without needing all that extra food, water, and air.
Posted by David Jones at April 21, 2005 03:54 PM
No, it isn't cryostasis, but if someone could hibernate for extended periods it would dramatically slow down aging. People with cancer might hibernate until better treatments become available, and it would be sorely tempting to become a time tourist, jumping forward a year at a time. With luck, in a few decades there will be true life extension. Of course, if the world goes downhill, you can't go back ...
Posted by VR at April 21, 2005 04:20 PM
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