Life and death are fundamental laws of existence. Throughout history, humanity has sought ways to escape death due to an inherent survival instinct. The concept of living “forever young” has garnered significant interest among the ultra-rich in Silicon Valley today.
The founders of Amazon – Jeff Bezos, CEO of OpenAI – Sam Altman, and co-founder of PayPal – Peter Thiel, are all luminaries in the tech industry. They are willing to invest millions of dollars in attempts to discover methods for extending their lifespans.
CEO of OpenAI – Sam Altman and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos support cryonics companies.
Robert Ettinger is known as the “father of cryonics.” His first patient at the Cryonics Institute was his mother, Rhea Ettinger.
One of the most promising longevity methods today is called Cryonics, or the process of cryopreservation. This involves freezing a person’s body after death, keeping them at very low temperatures with the hope of reviving them in the future.
However, to date, there have been no recorded cases of successful revival after long-term cryopreservation, and no technology has been developed that can revive a person from a cryogenic state.
Many people believe that cryonics simply involves freezing a body, but in reality, the process is much more complex.
Preservation of the body can only begin once a person is legally declared dead. According to Dennis Kowalski, president of the Cryonics Institute, the sooner the preservation process begins, the higher the chances of success.
Initially, blood-thinning agents are injected to prevent clotting, along with acid reducers for the stomach. At the Cryonics Institute, a cryonics technician, referred to as a “death attendant,” performs most of the necessary procedures.
Next, the body’s temperature must be lowered as much as possible for preservation. Kowalski states that the technician will attach an automated cardiopulmonary resuscitation device to maintain blood circulation, then place the body in an ice bath to reduce its temperature.
In the past, when cryonics technology was still developing, bodies were “directly frozen,” meaning they were simply frozen after death. However, this could cause internal damage due to the formation of ice crystals.
A procedure performed to access the patient’s vascular system to prevent ice crystal formation.
Today, after being transferred to the cryonics facility, the body is removed from the ice bath to undergo a process called “vitrification,” where it is filled with “cryoprotectant solution.” According to Kowalski, this process is inspired by the hibernation behaviors of animals in freezing weather.
The next step is placing the body in a special cooling container. This container will gradually lower the body’s temperature down to that of liquid nitrogen, which is -196°C. Kowalski notes that maintaining such low temperatures keeps the body in a stable state.
Finally, once this process is complete, the body is preserved in a chamber akin to a “giant thermos.” Bodies are placed inside the container, and liquid nitrogen is periodically added to ensure it remains full.
Image of the cryogenic chamber.
Kowalski mentions that individuals who choose cryonics preservation tend to be optimistic about future scientific breakthroughs. Among them are many science fiction enthusiasts.
Members of the Cryonics Institute must pay a fee of $28,000 (660 million VND) for the processing and preservation of their body after they pass away, and this fee can be arranged through a life insurance policy.
Alcor Life Extension Foundation, another cryonics company based in the United States, charges $200,000 (4.7 billion VND) for full body preservation and $80,000 (1.8 billion VND) for brain preservation alone, according to Reuters.
Dr. Max More, former CEO of Alcor, once stated that his intention was to preserve only his brain because, for him, the body is entirely “replaceable.”
Dr. Max More, former CEO of Alcor.
Kowalski also added that reviving a person who has been cryopreserved may require reversing the aging process and repairing any damage or diseases in a person’s body.
Scientists have not yet discovered any methods to reverse aging or heal damage from diseases like Alzheimer’s and cancer, and above all, no one can guarantee that one day it will be possible to revive a body from cryopreservation.
Kowalski noted that the Cryonics Institute also invests money cautiously to ensure the company has sufficient funds to operate until science and technology advance enough to find solutions for cryonics technology.
Kowalski concludes: “We don’t know if it will work, but certainly every effort in this regard is worthwhile.”
Costs need to be carefully calculated.
Dennis Kowalski standing on a cooling device.
The building of the Cryonics Institute, which currently has over 3000 registered patients.
