Wed Aug 17, 2005 4:59 pm   Reply with quote      

I found this article, and I was stunned.. maybe we could do this on humans?!


SCIENTISTS have created eerie zombie dogs, reanimating the canines after several hours of clinical death in attempts to develop suspended animation for humans.
US scientists have succeeded in reviving the dogs after three hours of clinical death, paving the way for trials on humans within years.

Pittsburgh's Safar Centre for Resuscitation Research has developed a technique in which subject's veins are drained of blood and filled with an ice-cold salt solution.

The animals are considered scientifically dead, as they stop breathing and have no heartbeat or brain activity.

But three hours later, their blood is replaced and the zombie dogs are brought back to life with an electric shock.

Plans to test the technique on humans should be realised within a year, according to the Safar Centre.

However rather than sending people to sleep for years, then bringing them back to life to benefit from medical advances, the boffins would be happy to keep people in this state for just a few hours,

But even this should be enough to save lives such as battlefield casualties and victims of stabbings or gunshot wounds, who have suffered huge blood loss.

During the procedure blood is replaced with saline solution at a few degrees above zero. The dogs' body temperature drops to only 7C, compared with the usual 37C, inducing a state of hypothermia before death.

Although the animals are clinically dead, their tissues and organs are perfectly preserved.

Damaged blood vessels and tissues can then be repaired via surgery. The dogs are brought back to life by returning the blood to their bodies,giving them 100 per cent oxygen and applying electric shocks to restart their hearts.

Tests show they are perfectly normal, with no brain damage.

"The results are stunning. I think in 10 years we will be able to prevent death in a certain segment of those using this technology," said one US battlefield doctor.

Source: www.news.com.au

Wed Aug 17, 2005 5:14 pm   Reply with quote      

I'm pretty sure that this has been experimented and researched for some time now. Interesting research, but I don't know how we can use it.

Thu Aug 18, 2005 1:38 am   Reply with quote      

These are potential benefits in theory.

Fri Aug 19, 2005 6:23 pm   Reply with quote      

That's too scary.

Fri Aug 19, 2005 6:42 pm   Reply with quote      

It is scary. This is probably partly because I'm not that young, but many news in medical science I read recently sound like science fiction.

Fri Aug 19, 2005 6:54 pm   Reply with quote      

yep, some scientists are so bizarre. I guess they want to live up to the stereotype of "Mad Scientist." I love science and all, but sometimes it seems like they do unncessary things that are bordering on unethcial, IMO. Cloning comes to mind...

Fri Aug 19, 2005 7:02 pm   Reply with quote      

I wouldn't go that far. If we put this in perspective, probably it was just absurd for everyone to expect to live up to 80 years old a couple of centuries ago. Today, that's an absolutely normal expectation. I actually like stuff like cloning, reanimation, and what not, and this is one of potcast programs I listen to; the program covers cloning and its relates issues pretty extensively.

Wed Aug 24, 2005 9:29 pm   Reply with quote      

wow, ooen, I see that you are quite open-minded when it comes to medical topics. I guess I'm a little more conservative & weary of some of the things scientists are practacing. Guess it's the sci-fi movies that I used to watch:D

But you mentioned that you wanted to be a scientist, right? What specific type?

Wed Aug 24, 2005 9:47 pm   Reply with quote      

Some of experiments make me feel a bit uneasy, but I am of the opinion that we will explore new biotechnologies including cloning and we will utilize those technologies in one way or the other. I believe that it is our destiny. The question is how? I certainly do not believe that we should explore new biotechnologies just for the benefit of a small minority group or for the sole purpose of profitability. We should be exploring new biotechnologies for the benefit of our society as a whole.

Mathematician, but of course, it didn't happen for variety of reasons, and I didn't get even closer ... .

Fri Aug 26, 2005 2:21 am   Reply with quote      

Mathematician

OUCH! That's some hard stuff:D

Fri Aug 26, 2005 4:26 am   Reply with quote      

But like I said, I never ever even got any closer.

Sat Aug 27, 2005 12:45 am   Reply with quote      

If you don't mind sharing, how far did you get? Your Bachelor's?

Sat Aug 27, 2005 5:12 am   Reply with quote      

Just BS (Bachelor of Science) degree in theoretical mathematics. That's about it.

Sat Aug 27, 2005 11:03 pm   Reply with quote      

Cryogenic Suspension - the key to our future deep-space explorations!

Could that be one area of application? Automated cryo during insterstellar travel? Would be kinda weird an experience, eh? Do a few years in one system, a few there...

Sun Aug 28, 2005 4:42 pm   Reply with quote      

well, you should be proud:)