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Cryonics: Freezing Corpses, Again?
- Alyssa Cavalieri
- Jun 13, 2020
- 3 min read
Cryonics is not technically a method of body disposition or interment. Cryonics uses liquid nitrogen to cool a dead person to the point that decay is nearly halted, with the hopes that future technology will be able to revive them. Either a whole body or just the head can be frozen through cryopreservation, but it is preferable to treat the body immediately after clinical death to avoid damage in either case. It is believed that the bodies are frozen between a state of life and death, since decay has yet to set in. Since it is not meant to be permanent, it is care after death in preparation for life once more, rather than preparation for decomposition or another method of body disposition.
The Alcor Life Extension Foundation justifies cryonics through three steps. First, they explain that there are certain circumstances in which life can be stopped and started again when needed, as long as the basic structure is preserved, such as when embryos are frozen for years at a time until needed. Second, although it is frequently referred to as freezing, vitrification is the technical term for the process used to halt decay and is used to preserve the aforementioned structure. No ice is involved in cryopreservation when using vitrification, due to cryoprotectants. Lastly, Alcor predicts that nanotechnology will be available in the foreseeable future to repair and recover people who have undergone cryonics.
"Death occurs when the chemistry of life becomes so disorganized that normal operation cannot be restored. (Death is not when life turns off. People can and have survived being "turned off".) How much chemical disorder can be survived depends on medical technology." -Alcor Life Extension Foundation
Those at the Cryonics Institute use a similar technique to Alcor, using cryoprotectants and vitrification before immersing the body in liquid nitrogen. The cryoprotectants are inserted into the bloodstream in a manner almost like embalming and the body is massaged to circulate the chemicals for optimal protection. The Cryonics Institute also recommends that patients who are terminally ill and nearing the end have a team from the facility nearby to begin the cool down process as quickly as possible to prevent any decay.
Caitlin Doughty from Ask a Mortician answers more questions related to cryosis on her YouTube channel, as well as further expanding on the process itself:
Cryosis has been around for decades and the method is becoming more refined over time. However, it still has a few downsides, namely cost and environmental impact. Cryosis requires many chemicals in the form of cryoprotectants and calls for the immersion of the body in liquid nitrogen for the foreseeable future. Since there is no one who has yet to be brought back from cryosis, the impact could be much larger than a few decades. In addition to this, cryopreservation is quite expensive, since both the process and maintenance of the body over decades are included in the price. The Cryonics Institute has one of the lowest prices for cryonics starting at a minimum of $28,000, while the Alcor Life Extension Foundation charges a minimum of $200,000 for the same service. Alcor also offers a service that freezes only the brain, priced at $80,000. Cryonics is aimed towards the wealthy, but is a good option to choose for those who want to avoid death and experience the future.
Until death do us part,
Alyssa
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