It is unfortunate that a web search for The Science of Resurrection yields but one result that does not contain the words faith, God, Jesus or Christian, and that this is Stray Leaves from Stray Literature and Fantastics and Other Fancies, by Lafcadio Hearn, published in 1922. "The science of resuscitation" does yield 1,310 web results at the time of writing. But this is mostly applied to cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR.
They say that only two things are sure in life: death and taxes. Taxes are indeed sure anywhere but in a deserted island. As to death, we know nobody truly old who has not been affected. The question is, must it truly always be irreversible?
I claim it need not. With this essay, I wish to stimulate the development of a science of resurrection.
Many deaths would be reversible if the right care was applied soon enough. Organs can be replaced, antibiotics applied, etc. So the key is preventing irreversible damage until proper care arrives. This means we need to understand what damage is truly irreversible and how it can be prevented until care arrives. One way, for example, might be to have back-up organs --a heart that goes into action if the main one fails, for example. The same goes for the carotid artery, and any organ or body part which causes irreversible damage if it fails.
Altadena, October 28, 2007