Saturday, August 16, 2003

Cryonics.

So: Alcor, the cryonics firm that has Ted Williams' body frozen in Scottsdale, now admits that they mistakenly decapitate the Splendid Splinter despite his family's expressed wishes to keep him in one piece. (See story) And Alcor's ex-COO posted pictures of Williams' head on the Web. And this COO is ready to testify as to all sorts of shoddy practices concerning the handling of DNA (including Williams'), human remains, and body parts. Meanwhile, a Boca Raton firm, Suspended Animation, has applied for the necessary permits to become Florida's first cryonics facility for humans. (See story) As reported by Popular Mechanics, the technical problems of freezing and thawing something the size and density of a human body are mind-boggling. This raises the question whether it is unethical to sell this service at this time, even with appropriate informed-consent disclosures, or should the regulators just let the suckers continue to be gyped.

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