Artificial torpor

[james_davis_nicoll]

Apparently they've induced hibernation in animals that don't normally hiberate.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4469793.stm

Comments

[liveavatar.livejournal.com]

(reposted for correct icon) So let me see if I have this straight: we humans produce the very element we need to induce our own hibernation? All right then -- how many bean burritos do I need to eat to hibernate till the year 2100?

[james-nicoll.livejournal.com]

I wonder if this even works on humans? It seems to me that I keep hearing new items about how they've found ways to make mice live 3x longer or not put on excess weight or go into torpor and then it never appears for humans. I don't think I want immortal, fit mice who can sleep their way to the stars.

[liveavatar.livejournal.com]

Immortal, fit, and smelly mice at that.

I'm paranoid enough to wonder whether the secret of immortality, or merely living three times as long, would get out to the general public. Perhaps not until we really can sleep our way to the new frontier and not burden our governments too much with excess population.

Or rather: "Who died in here?" said Daniel Boone.

AAAGGGGHHHHH!!!!!

[james-nicoll.livejournal.com]

There's lots of room for more people. Canada has what, 3 people per km^2? And many of the empty regions are at least somewhat habitable, given the same sort of technology that would let you settle Mars.

OK, Mars is unlikely to have the same blackfly problem as Canada. Insufficient lift for their little wings, you know. Moose wearing marssuits may be a problem but I think the mammoth problem is overstated.

Anyway, we seem to be close to the inflexion point on world population growth. In a century, the problem might be producing sufficient kids to keep the economy going [1].

1: Actually, it will be probably be something whose roots are staring us in the face today that we're overlooking.

Re: AAAGGGGHHHHH!!!!!

[liveavatar.livejournal.com]

I was thinking of countries other than Canada, but of course you're right that sheer acreage isn't the problem at the moment. The question is what we're willing to put up with. How inhospitable an environment will people accept in large numbers? Here in the US, for instance, how high will gas prices have to rise until people stop buying SUVs, for example? Some people say $3/gallon, I'm betting on $4.

Interesting tradeoff idea: sure, you can have the immortality formula, but you have to live on Ellesmere Island. Hibernating.

Re: AAAGGGGHHHHH!!!!!

[james-nicoll.livejournal.com]

There's no part of Canada that will kill you dead as quickly as any place in the system off Earth. If you can settle Mars, Manitoba should be easy.

Re: AAAGGGGHHHHH!!!!!

[liveavatar.livejournal.com]

You're paying for the prestige address. I mean, which is more hip, a cryo-condo in Manitoba or a Sattlemeier disk house in Amazonis Planitia?
"Dahling, all the best people are moving to Tharsis."

Okay, getting serious for just a moment: the thing about settling any part of Mars, even the dodgy part, is that it's making history. People will pay with time, money, elbow grease, and family ties for the privilege of settling there. Not only that, they'll know they're in for long-term hardship and therefore won't expect much from their surroundings. But for a lot of the hardy pioneers, the wilds of Manitoba might be simultaneously too near and too far.

I'm already distracting myself from other work by posting here, or I'd look up what people expect from life in Siberia these days.

Re: AAAGGGGHHHHH!!!!!

[james-nicoll.livejournal.com]

'm already distracting myself from other work by posting here, or I'd look up what people expect from life in Siberia these days.

A ticket to any place warm, is my impression.

Oil Prices

[james-nicoll.livejournal.com]

You can price the maximum cost that oil is likely to reach by looking at the cost of synthesizing it directly from air, water and some source of energy. BOTECs put the energy cost of assembling a barrel of oil from raw materials at around $70.00 [1] or about 50% higher than the present price of oil. Obviously we're unlikely to be able to turn electricity into oil with 100% efficiency but on the other hand, there are shortcuts we can take to avoid making oil from the most basic raw materials. It seems to me reasonable to expect prices to be stable at no more than twice the present cost. Oh, sure, short term shoartages may cause temporary price surges but I don't expect that to last.

How much of the price of gasoline is taxes? Perhaps if the economic effect of high energy costs is undesirable, the tax on gasoline could be relaxed a little, to be replaced by (something comic and highly repressive: fill this in later).


1: The problem is that the Saudis can produce a barrel of oil for much, much less than %70.00.

[izer.livejournal.com]

Oh, they'd release immortality in a heartbeat. I'm thinking that the general political reaction would be "Yhea! No More Pension Obligations!" Also "Cheap healthcare!" Actually given the structure of biologicial/medical research I have my doubts that keeping this sort of thing secret would even be possible.

[liveavatar.livejournal.com]

You win. You're way more cynical than I am.

I can hardly wait for Bush's speech on the Culture of Eternal Life.

[(Anonymous)]

It seems to me that I keep hearing new items about how they've found ways to make mice live 3x longer or not put on excess weight or go into torpor and then it never appears for humans.

"If you're a mouse and you've got cancer, we can cure you."

That's a quote from the CEO of a biotech company. I expect you can explain it by mice not having the right to sue.

Gareth Wilson

[mayakda.livejournal.com]

It's because the lab mice are running the show.