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Freeze tolerance is thought to be a highly complicated process in animals - only a few insects can do it at all, while the accumulation of ice crystals in most vertebrates' bodies is either very harmful or fatal. Koštál and colleagues wanted to find out how complex it would be to help D. melanogaster, one of the most important model organisms in modern biology, survive freezing temperatures. Pretty easy, actually, as long as they were fed a cocktail of cryopreservative before entering the big chill.
Originally posted by Illustronic
Certain small creatures on earth have a hibernation instinct. Even mammals as large as bears have this. It is suspended animation of sorts, but not transferrable to other species that didn't evolve it, and not as lasting.
75 minutes is nothing, irreversible cellular destruction doesn't happen this quickly. Humans can survive that, its called the Mammalian reflex, in which the body shuts down blood flow to lesser vital organs, lastly the brain.
Tardigrades (Water Bears), have been sent to unprotected space outside of a capsule, returned after months, also with no air or atmospheric pressure, and have been rehydrated to spawn offspring that survived. These little animals are large enough to see, though small, a millimeter or two at the most in length. They can as a seed in the desert, dehydrate into a suspended animation, and be re-hydrated back to life. Only other animal life form so far that has been able to do that is bacteria.
So how far are we from mounting an expedition to one of our brother planets so we can go mess that one up too?
No government today. Major technological developments in the future will redefine what kinds of endeavors are both practical and politically viable. Not to mention our values as a culture will change dramatically.
Originally posted by zigguratvertigo
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Take Gliese 581... It's 20.5 light-years away.... you are looking at a theoretical 1000 year trip. No government is going to invest trillions of dollars to launch humans on a trip like that.