| One of the things that has been bouncing around my head as of late, is to do with reanimation. Especially after some particularly thought provoking (and imagination inducing! woo!) bits on the news...
Let me elaborate a bit on that...
Quote: As seen on Fox News:
Blood Swapping Reanimates Dead Dogs
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
By Bill Hoffmann
In a series of nightmarish experiments straight out of a horror flick, scientists at a leading university have killed dozens of dogs â then brought them back to life.
The hapless pooches, who have their blood drained for up to three hours, are being reanimated in a bid to develop the use of suspended animation to help humans who are injured in combat or crime.
"From our standpoint, we believe it's a very important area of research," said Dr. Patrick Kochanek (Read his biography) , director of the Safar Center for Resuscitation Research (search) at the University of Pittsburgh.
But animal-rights activists last night slammed the research as "indefensible," cruel and inhumane.
In the unsettling tests, dogs of all breeds and sizes are put under, their veins drained of blood and filled with an ice-cold salt solution which drops their body temperature from a normal 101 degrees to near freezing.
That puts them in a state of extreme hypothermia, making them scientifically dead â with no breathing, heartbeat or brain activity. But their tissues and vital organs are preserved.
The corpses are then brought back to life by returning the blood to their bodies, giving them pure oxygen and applying electric shocks to restart their hearts. (tdc edit: VERY interesting...
For a long time, the test subjects couldn't be brought back to life after more than two hours. But recently, the researchers added glucose and more oxygen to the blood and have pushed the maximum time the dogs can be dead to three hours.
"We've tried to get it to four hours, but we just haven't been able to do it," Kochanek told The Post.
The lucky ones turn out to be perfectly normal with no brain damage â although other dogs are stricken with serious physical or behavioral problems.
"We do not in any way say that every outcome is normal," Kochanek said.
He said his goal is to be able to put humans, such as critically wounded soldiers or stabbing or shooting victims, in a state of suspended animation for a few hours until they can receive proper medical help.
And his team is now in talks with hospitals about starting trials for trauma patients.
Mary Beth Sweetland, a spokeswoman for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (search), said:
"These experiments are indefensible nonsense and the results for humans will be negligible. I would also imagine there are serious consequences for these animals that aren't discussed."
Kochanek angrily denies he's creating a race of zombie dogs fit for a Stephen King novel. (tdc edit: *grooaaan* )
"It's very scientific and those types of words are totally inappropriate. This is an attempt to buy a little time for people who would otherwise just die. We are suggesting that the alternative to this is death," he said. Yeah you tell them, Doc!!!
Though some of the way this article was written was a bit on the mocking side (at least it seems that way to me)... the news itself is something particularly interesting.
As far as reanimation goes, yes, I don't think the dogs constitute as zombie dogs.
I did brainstorm quite a bit on this though. I got to thinking, what if they could recreate the process in an automated cycle, maintaining the dogs preserved, while putting them through the process repeatedly over a series of many hours, or even days? Naturally, the way that it is done now would have to be refined and perfected over time, to something more stable... but if they can accomplish this... then how long before it can be done with humans?
Which brings me to how it relates to zombies & the infection epidemic.
If the process were to be worked to the point that what I mention above, could actually work, and work on humans... then there is a possibility of this being a means to either slow down, or completely treat the infected person before they turn.
Since we do not fully know how the zombie infection(s) physiologically affect the infected person or organism, I would assume that it's important that this process be implemented while the person is still considered 'Human'.
So not only would the rate of turning be slowed down, but perhaps, either a vaccine would be found to treat it with, a blood transfusion, or maybe the infected blood itself can be treated before it's re-introduced into the host.
I know that we're talking about some high level and high tech treatment here, and not something that entirely applies to our immediate survival under the first impacts of the zombie situation... But I do think that it's something worth thinking about & exploring.
Beyond this... what kinds of zombie-related threats does anyone see that reanimation can bring about?
Potential dangers of reanimation that could lead to a zombie-like state?
Thanks for hearing my thoughts. 
I am not flesh, nor stone or smoke...
I am as I am, I am the DarkCloak.
(-''-)
Come say hello sometime www.thedarkcloak.com |
Hehe. Think about that surprise. Years after the zombie threat, they find a zombie that was frozen for these purposes.
Doctor: "Interesting. This person seems to have been infected by....something."
Other doctor: "Yes, interesting, look how the muscles seem to be working, despite the lack of brain activity."
First Doctor: "Indeed. Quite interesting. I wonder wha--....hey....what the.....oh my god.
Second Doctor: "What in Gods HOLY NAME?!?!?!"
<unintelligable screams>
|| Time Passes ||
First Doctor: "Wow. That certainly gave us a scare, huh? Well, we better go get these bits taken care of."
Second Doctor: "Indeed."
All that needs to be said is this: FIRE = BAD
Well, putting someone in suspended animation would be an interesting way to prevent zombie-ism, but I think that if we were able to maintain that level of technology, it'd be better to just spend that effort looking for a cure.
Actually, I think that blood transfusions would be an initial way of giving someone zombie-ism, assuming that the virus were man made.
One could test the effects of it, before it became contagious.
So yeah, that'd be bad.
not just talking suspended animation, but ways that could be conducive to finding a vaccination for the 'zombie-ism'
I am not flesh, nor stone or smoke...
I am as I am, I am the DarkCloak.
(-''-)
Come say hello sometime www.thedarkcloak.com
So, would taking someone who was bitten, and draining out all of their blood, and replacing it with fresh new blood be our answer? Say for example John Doe was bitten half an hour ago, we rush him to an emergency care facility where he undergoes this procedure, do you honestly think that John will remain John, or would he be D.O.A.? In other words, would the efforts being made be futile?
How the hell, would you drain the blood of someone, then refill them with a salt solution, and deep freeze them...in just about any situation??? especially when they'll still be bleeding, you then have to transport this body (plus massive freezing unit needed to cool the body that fast) across the battlefield or wherever to what ? Ambulances are all ready nearly overloaded...I don't think the fridge will help, and the best I can think of is a medical tent, from there you try to save the unbleeding (which means no clotting) body and bring them back to life before they attain brain damage, or permanent low body temprature...I doubt it'll help anyone...too impracticle...
oh yeah...don't forget the behavioural side effects...
e.g. Trying to rip apart, and drink all living beings blood in the nearby vicinity...
nothing too bad
'The simpler the answer, the less likely the answer, to the questions it may cause, to be complicated'
It is an interesting subject (but not shocking in any regard) I first heard about it quite some time back. I tend to agree that it is pretty much na. Although the scientists involved may disagree. I doubt that anyone here in the zpi are involved in the project, have access to it, or have the particular skill set, knowledge, and resources to make this a realistic endeavor. However if someone wishes to contact Dr. Patrick Kochanek and try to convince him of the impending zombie threat feel free. And for the sake of my own amusement I officially declare those poor brain damaged dogs "zombiedogs" by official stodgyayatollah standards.