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Common Questions about Cryonics

1) What if it doesn’t work? If re-animation following cryonic suspension fails, then I’ll be dead and therefore oblivious to the inevitable process of decomposition - just as is any other corpse. 2) What if your body is re-animated but meanwhile you’ve reincarnated into another body? I always was good at multi-tasking. Seriously, why assume that Mind (or Higher Consciousness if you prefer that term) is restricted to one location? Or that Mind cannot flit instantly from one location to another - time and space being relative to Mind. Observe your own behaviour for proof of how little time you spend being truly conscious of your own body and your immediate surroundings. Most people run on auto-pilot most of the time. Maybe one body could run on auto-pilot while the Mind was in the other body doing something more interesting. Besides, I don't have a fixed belief in reincarnation.  It's an interesting possibility and an engaging philosophy, but there is no evidence to pro...

Homemade Jam

My latest batch of homemade jam - apple and cherry, in this instance - straight from the pan and waiting for wax-paper seals.  The apples were from our garden; the first time we've had a decent crop from this young tree.  There is still some fruit on the branches, as yet unripened. I make my own jams so they're totally free of synthetic colours and other additives.  Made properly, unopened preserves can be safely stored for years.  It's a pleasant feeling to know the household cupboards are well-stocked. I also enjoy maintaining old traditions.  Preserving foods for the coming winter months is a task which has been observed for millennia.  These-days we're so used to simply popping out to the shops 24/7 that on the rare occasions that there's been some kind of hold-up in the supply chain, people started panicking within only a few days.  Maybe we should think about becoming a little more self-reliant?  We've become so d...

Rosa Gallica

Rosa gallica, also known as the apothecary's rose or Rosa mundi, is in full bloom right now in my garden. It was one of the most-painted roses in Renaissance art, and was cultivated by Romans then later by monks for its alleged medicinal values. I grow it simply because its fragrance is divine.  Surely that is reason enough, hmm?

If They WILL Knock on My Door....

Conversation between a door-to-door schoolleaver salesman and me:- Me: Can I help you? Salesman: Don't worry, I'm not a salesman. This is free. Me: Oh? Salesman: All it is, is that we're doing roofing.... Me: Free roofing? Salesman: Erm, no. I mean the quote's free. Someone will come out to you to give you a free quote. Me (with evil grin): Ah, so you're the sales guy to has sell me a sales guy! Salesman: Erm, well, erm, yes, I mean no, I mean... Me (putting the poor kid out of his misery): No thanks! But thanks anyway. Salesman (smiling with relief): Oh, ok then.

Ancient Underground Cities

I’ve always been fascinated by underground homes, and by grottoes natural or man-made. The attraction is not simply that of the ecologist - some contemporary eco-homes are built partially underground for insulation and to enable the new-build to blend in more readily with its environment. This plays a role for me, but is not the whole story. An aura of secrecy and mystery surround underground homes, and the child in me revels in such atmospheres. Imagine, then, an entire city underground. We tend to think of such places as backdrops for Fantasy and Science-Fiction stories, but there are historical precedents. Edinburgh had an underground city; so did Liverpool. Tourists can visit the remains of these places. Picture an entire community of 20,000 people or more, living together beneath the Earth’s crust. Fresh air is carried down via long vents. Water is conducted by underground streams, wells and cisterns. The temperature stays around a comfortable 63 degrees. Flights of carved s...