While it is barely 50 years since the first reliable reports of the recovery of living cells frozen to cryogenic temperatures, there has been tremendous growth in the use of cryobiology in medicine, agriculture, horticulture, forestry, and the conservation of endangered or economically important species. As the first major text on cryobiolog

By tracing the English word permafrost back to its Russian roots, this unique intellectual history uncovers the multiple, contested meanings of permafrost as a scientific idea and environmental phenomenon.

In this engrossing and accessible book, Doug Macdougall explores the causes and effects of ice ages that have gripped our planet throughout its history, from the earliest known glaciation—nearly three billion years ago—to the present. Following the development of scientific ideas about these dramatic events, Macdougall traces the lives of many of the brilliant and intriguing characters who have contributed to the evolving understanding of how ice ages come about. As it explains how the great Pleistocene Ice Age has shaped the earth's landscape and influenced the course of human evolution, Frozen Earth also provides a fascinating look at how science is done, how the excitement of discovery drives scientists to explore and investigate, and how timing and chance play a part in the acceptance of new scientific ideas. Macdougall describes the awesome power of cataclysmic floods that marked the melting of the glaciers of the Pleistocene Ice Age. He probes the chilling evidence for "Snowball Earth," an episode far back in the earth's past that may have seen our planet encased in ice from pole to pole. He discusses the accumulating evidence from deep-sea sediment cores, as well as ice cores from Greenland and the Antarctic, that suggests fast-changing ice age climates may have directly impacted the evolution of our species and the course of human migration and civilization. Frozen Earth also chronicles how the concept of the ice age has gripped the imagination of scientists for almost two centuries. It offers an absorbing consideration of how current studies of Pleistocene climate may help us understand earth's future climate changes, including the question of when the next glacial interval will occur.

At first, the job as clinical director at Alcor Life Extension Foundation was an exciting change for veteran paramedic Larry Johnson: a well-funded research facility pushing the limits of modern biotech. But as he gained the trust of his eccentric coworkers and was promoted to acting COO, Larry was thrust into a nightmare world of scandalous controversy, gruesome practices, and deadly secrets.One secret Larry unearthed was the full, tragic, never-before-heard story of what truly happened to the body of baseball icon and American hero Ted Williams.Compelled by this and other horrific discoveries, Larry began copying documents, taking secret pictures, and ultimately wearing a wire every day at Alcor. He started living two lives-Alcorian by day, whistleblower by night.Beyond the senseless animal experiments, beyond the dumping of toxic chemicals and AIDS-contaminated blood into the public sewage system, these people saw themselves as the elite, the immortal saviors of mankind who would lead us into the future. Inside this cultlike mentality, anything seemed justified. Maybe even murder.Then Alcor found out. The death threats began.Fleeing from state to state, Larry was stalked and threatened again and again. They chased him through the streets. They left death threats under his windshield wipers. They terrorized his family. Larry Johnson never wanted to be a whistleblower. But he knows this story must be told.Written in Larry's own memorable voice, illustrated with never-before-seen photographs from inside Alcor, and verified by actual transcripts of his secret recordings, Frozen reads like a medical thriller-but every word is shockingly true.

The Frozen Toe Guide to Real Alaskan Livin' both embraces and instructs readers on everything one needs to know to be a true Alaskan, or at least to look the part. Combining both handbook format with anecdotal bits about the author’s own experiences moving to the state, the book advises readers on such topics ranging from winter survival skills to regional fashion to Alaskan dating advice to extreme sports. Learn how to make ice cream from snow, or how to seek out a career in dog mushing. Find out where to travel for weekend trips, and what Alaskans do for entertainment.

In addition to outlining the fundamental principles associated with the conservation of biological resources, freeze-drying and cryopreservation, this text is a compilation of cryptopreservation and freeze-drying methodologies applicable to different biological materiels, developed by expert laboratories.

Cryopreservation methods have become well established as an increasingly important therapeutic strategy in assisted reproduction. Vitrification in Assisted Reproduction: A User's Manual and Trouble-shooting Guide addresses this cryopreservation technique from an academic and technical viewpoint, with specific reference to assisted reproduction in h