Re: Re: starship-design: Suspended Animation

[Kelly St <KellySt@aol.com>]

In a message dated 5/4/98 10:19:30 AM, stephen.harley@dial.pipex.com wrote:

>> An acquaintance of mine underwent an accident last year and the doctors
chose
>to put him under an "induced
>> coma" to improve his chances of recovery. I was told that this also lowered
his
>metabolic rate somewhat. This
>> seems like a start.
>> Also, I remember reading (about 10 years ago) about promising research was
being
>done on mammal - not
>> amphibian - hibernation. My internet searches have not revealed much about
the
>progress attained since then.
>> If research has not been suspended, I _suppose_ that another 50 years of it
could
>bring about enough
>> knowledge to induce multi-year long periods of "suspended animation" or
"hypo-metabolic
>state". If a 9:1
>> ratio of "sleep time" to "waking time" can be obtained by then, the ship
could
>function with "only" 20% of
>> its complement "awake" at any time. I have the impression that, say, half
of
>those would be undergoing
>> exercise and recovery (or prep for their next sleep fase). Would 10% or 8%
of
>the complement be enough to
>> function as crew?
>>
>
>This sounds like a good start, when Kelly says we have no-idea I think 
>she means

He by the way.

>we have no idea how to
>completely stop and then start a body up again, perhaps "suspended 
> animation" isn't the right name or not what we
>should be trying
>to do "deep sleep" or "induced coma" is probably the way to go. 

Induced coma is very hard on the nervious systems, and you still have full
aging and life support loads.

Kelly