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Cryonics

Cryonics involves the preservation of recently and legally deceased animals and humans by cooling them to low temperatures with the goal of bringing them back in the future using highly advanced technology. Currently, no technology or method of reviving those who have been cryopreserved exists. As a result of this, many people doubt the verity of cryonics. As of 2015, 250 people in the United States are cryogenically preserved.

In 1964, Robert Ettinger, also termed “The Father of Cryonics”, first introduced the idea of cryonics in his novel, “The Prospect of Immortality.” After his book reached success, Ettinger and a number of scientists went on to establish The Cryonics Institute (CI), a Michigan not-for-profit organization that aids in cryonics. Immediately after his death in 2011, Ettinger’s body was cryogenically frozen and now remains at CI.

Robert Ettinger during WWII

Cryopreservation is achieved through a process called vitrification. Scientists use a cryoprotectant mixture, similar to antifreeze, to cool the body without freezing or ice formation. Studies have shown that using vitrification over freezing helps to maintain vascular tissue function. This method helps limit damage to a patient’s brain structure so their knowledge and memories will be restored upon revival.

For years, cryopreservation techniques have also been used to store embryos to use during in-vitro fertilization procedures. This has also been the subject of backlash regarding ethics. For years, cryopreservation techniques have also been used to store embryos to use during in-vitro fertilization procedures. This has also been the subject of backlash regarding ethics.

The idea of success within cryonics has raised ethical issues and many philosophical questions. Those who oppose it argue that the definition of death will no longer be the same. Others argue that saving each life will be too expensive and that immortality may lead to the collapse of society.

The financial dues associated with cryonics are large, with prices starting at $28,000 and going up to as much as $200,000. Patients can choose to have their whole body preserved or only their heads, which is referred to as neuropreservation.

In addition to The Cryonics Institute, there are a number of organizations that practice cryonics in the United States, including Alcor Life Extension Foundation and The American Cryonics Society.

Purpose

The ultimate goal of cryonics is to preserve those who are legally dead only to bring them back in the future with advanced technology.  The most important component necessary for achieving that is with the preservation of tissue, mainly neural. With successful cryopreservation, scientists believe that our memories and personalities will remain present within the brain. They argue that as long as the brain structure stays intact, there is no reason a person should not be capable of restoring their memories and knowledge upon revival. Although the techniques used in cryopreservation have been subject to harsh criticism, many experiments involving cooling the body to hypothermic temperatures have shown promising results. Researchers have been able to successfully revive mammals and their memories even after being clinically dead and maintained at very low temperatures.

Cryopreservation Process

Death and Transport

Most people who elect to become cryogenically preserved are suffering from a terminal illness.  This gives cryonicists the opportunity to wait by the patient’s bedside when they are nearing the end of life so they can interfere as soon as possible.  The immediate moments following clinical death of a patient are the most crucial for successful application of cryotechniques.  

When the patient undergoes cardiorespiratory arrest and is considered legally dead, they are administered an anti-coagulant and their bodies are submerged in an ice water basin to render them hypothermic prior to transport to a funeral home. 

Washout

Upon arriving to the funeral home, tubes are inserted into the patient’s vessels to wash out the blood and replace it with a cryoprotectant mixture, used to prevent freezing damage to the tissue in a process called, vitrification.  Vitrification allows the patient to be cooled to below freezing temperatures without the formation of ice.   Holes are drilled in each side of the brain to give the cryoprotectant access to the tissue.  The patient’s head is then placed in an enclosure filled with ice and n-propyl alcohol to accelerate the cooling process while the patient is transported to the cryonics institute.

Storage

At the cryonics institute, the patient is placed in a body bag, powered by a computer-controlled box, and left to cool to liquid nitrogen temperatures for 4-5 days.  Once cooling is complete, the patient is transferred to a storage unit, called a cryostat where the temperature is kept at -196°C.

Cryostat

Ethical Considerations

Many cryonicists argue, “Medicine should not be limited to treating conditions that can only be treated in real-time with a certain outcome.” Those who advocate its practice view death as a process and not simply an ultimate end to life. This would then put patients who have been cryopreserved somewhere in between life and death.  Advocates also favor the idea of immortality and its potential benefits to society and technology. Those who oppose cryonics fear that the meaning and definition of death will be altered.  They also argue that it is too expensive, can have a negative impact on society if it works, and that it is against religious faith. In 2004, a law prohibiting the "sale" or "arrangement" of cryonics was passed in British Columbia, making it the only place in the world to have a legal jurisdiction against cryonics. 

In Popular Culture

Although cryonics is still not a very well understood practice, it has served as a popular theme in science fiction literature and films.  However, many of these media portrayals contain inaccurate facts and common misconceptions regarding its use.  Some commonly known examples of cryonics being used in popular culture include, Vanilla Sky, Futurama, and Nip/Tuck.