Registered: Sep 2000
Location: The Bottom of the Toyem Pole
Posts: 9454

Great, but will I still qualify for unemployment?

Gene research scientists close to human hibernation breakthrough

THE INDEPENDENT

news | UK | Science

Gene research scientists close to human hibernation breakthrough

By Jonathan Thompson

3 December 2000

If you find winter too much of a struggle, hang on a while. Human hibernation
is on the way. The concept of people being able to drop out of the year's
gloomiest season is no longer the stuff of science-fiction fantasy. In America,
the US Army is funding research into the subject, and scientists from Minnesota
to Moscow are looking at its practicality.

On Friday, a professor at the University of Marburg, Germany, specialising in
animal physiology, reported a key breakthrough. "There is no real reason to say
that humans are so different from other mammals that they are unable to enter
hibernation," Gerhard Heldmaier said last night.

Professor Heldmaier is chairman of the International Hibernation Society and
his discovery was of two genes which are believed to trigger hibernation. The
finding of the genes, which are involved in controlling, or "switching" enzymes
to equip the body for hibernation by allowing it to burn fat rather than
carbohydrates, is the latest in a series of discoveries about human
hibernation. "For many years we have been fiddling around, trying to find a
handle or a switch to turn on this metabolism," he said. "Now, for the first
time, we have genes involved in this control. "

Full text: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/U...ene031200.shtml

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Theology is just a bunch of arguing over who to blame for creating reality.

All Hail Eris!

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Los Angeles, Ca
Posts: 2109

I love winter, but I hate summertime. I would love to be asleep all summer. Hmmm, that would be one hell of a drool pool when I wake up...

CAL

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"The desert is my church, and hunting is my god."

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Bangor, ME
Posts: 10173

that would be cool
not for personal uses but for spacetravel also
or diet program, hehehehhehe

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ManHo Inc.®©

Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Beatrice, Nebraska
Posts: 18808

quote:

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Originally posted by AlcoholSoopaFiend:
that would be cool
not for personal uses but for spacetravel also
or diet program, hehehehhehe

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Denver
Posts: 1277

*looks outside*

*signs up for the waiting list*

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3030303

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Location Location
Posts: 26420

Hmmm. I'm with CAL. I fucking hate summers. I love winters. When it's really hot I can feel it sucking the energy right out of me. Winter is GOOD!

Thus, I wholeheartedly endorse this.

While all you pussies are sleeping in your caves, I will go steal all your stuff.

Harry Browne supports hibernation!

Vote for Harry Browne!

(what, you though Harry Browne was dead just cuz the election is over! Fuck off, they're still re-counting!)

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Los Angeles, Ca
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Hasn't Harry Brown run in every election for the last 20 years? I think that bastard goes into hibernation every 4 years so he can be fresh for the next go around. Him and Strum Thurmond... hehe

CAL

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"The desert is my church, and hunting is my god."

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Registered: Aug 2000
Location: Richmond, VA
Posts: 1353

the first thoughts that crossed my mind when I read that were "wow .. I bet that'll cost big bucks .. all the rich people will now live to be 200 years old" and then "huh, if all the high paid people are sleeping all winter (or summer) then who's running the machines?" then "do I really want to be monitored by the equivalent of a fast food employee for 6 months out of the year? just my luck I would end up being watched by some punk-assed kid who's pissed at the rich people because the best job he can get will keep him off his snowboard longer than he would like. Just the sort of guy you could imagine playing with the controls and like shutting you off for a few minutes to see what would happen, or mangling your genitals while you slept because he was bored and he thought you would heal by next april"

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¤¬=(©) .. boOM!!

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Location Location
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quote:

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Originally posted by CAL:
Hasn't Harry Brown run in every election for the last 20 years? I think that bastard goes into hibernation every 4 years so he can be fresh for the next go around. Him and Strum Thurmond... hehe

CAL

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Registered: Aug 2000
Location:
Posts: 4875

this is a really cool thread, why isnt it full of posts?

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"Theres no emoticon to express what I'm feeling!

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location: my mother's bloody womb
Posts: 7148

maybe you could do a time share thing- since people like paint chips hate summers, those that wanted to could share a job with you- work six months while they hibernate, they work for you while it's your turn. that's a cool idea, actually. time-share jobs would fucking rock, never mind the hibernation thing.

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Not everything is love, and not everything in this place is either forgiven or forgotten. - redguard@blackvault.com

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location:
Posts: 5526

Hm. My question is, would this hibernation extend life and to an extent to make it worth sleeping away months of it?

Like for example (using easy math), if you slept 6 months every year during your 20s, would it be worth it even if you lived an extra 5 years because of it?

I don't think hibernation is the same as suspended animation exactly.

[This message has been edited by missphinx (edited 12-14-2000).]

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Registered: Aug 2000
Location: a little to the left of the right ventricle
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I had something to say and then it went away again. booooooooo
Oh no it came back and it wasnt that great.
This would be cool, I want to do this. Winter is cold and it sucks. You's that hate summer are a lil weird as winter has NO redeeming factors. Not that I like sunshine I just like to know its there

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I just don't fucking KNOW...

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Registered: Aug 2000
Location: Boston, MA USA
Posts: 337

It greatly increases the chances of dying in my sleep. Forget Handguns, Cancer or Drunk Driving, sleep is the #1 killer in the world, but nobody will admit it!

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Registered: Dec 2000
Location: where the buses don't run
Posts: 1002

quote:

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Originally posted by Paint CHiPs:
What's great about it is that my "Don't Blame Me -- I Voted For Harry Browne!" bumper sticker has been fresh and valid since 1968.

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Registered: Sep 2000
Location: The Bottom of the Toyem Pole
Posts: 9454

need details on this jobby job here. Does it involve animal slaughter?

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Theology is just a bunch of arguing over who to blame for creating reality.

All Hail Eris!

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Registered: Nov 2000
Location: Varies
Posts: 39

quote:

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Posted by MadBomber:

"wow .. I bet that'll cost big bucks .. all the rich people will now live to be 200 years old"

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