Human hibernation has long been a thing of science-fiction. However, with the ever advancing technology it may become reality faster than we think. With possible implications such as saving people with lethal injuries by slowing down their body functions, or travelling deep into space in a state of suspended animation, it is obvious that many scientists are investigating the matter.
One of them is Professor Sam Tisherman, whose research in “emergency preservation” is supported by the US Army. So far his surgeons have routinely chilled patients down to about 30°C, yet he plans to go much lower - to the point where the heartbeat, breathing and brain activity stops, as person’s blood is drained and replaced by a cold saline - potentially saving shooting victims from the effects of a heavy bleeding. Though the procedure has already been proven to work on dogs in the lab, human trials will need to overcome some additional obstacles. For example, the need for perfect cooperation in the chaotic environment of the emergency room.
But this is just about buying surgeons an additional hour or two. Freezing a body for several years is a completely different story. And it’s exactly what Alcor, one of the world’s largest cryonic companies is doing. The initial phase is pretty similar to the emergency surgery - a body is chilled and moved into a hospital. Then, several protective drugs are administered, and the blood is replaced with antifreeze. Once the preparations are complete, a slow cooling process takes place, lowering the body temperature to -196 degrees over the course of two weeks. A person is then stored in liquid nitrogen, with hope that one day his tissues will be thawed and fully repaired.
So, for now, those hoping to sleep through their journey to the distant stars will have to wait. However considering how many of those who died 50 or 100 years ago could have easily been saved with today’s medicine, it is not unreasonable to think soon we’ll be able to bring back to life those who were preserved for years in cryogenic tanks.
- If you could afford being frozen after death, would you?
- Do you think we’ll be able to hibernate humans for extended periods of time?
- Will the people in liquid nitrogen recover, or are we just storing lots of dead bodies?
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ReplyDeleteThat's interesting topic. The term "death" is also very subjective. I think it will take really long time for humanity to invent something like that. Even then, I don't think if I decided for doing something like that, as it's basically gambling with the death. Moreover, we still don't know how "dying" works. Every religion and every culture has it's own version of it, some people actually believe that soul is connected with the body, and if that would come true, "frozing" would prevent our soul from disconnecting from the (not yet dead) body, possibly preventing us from progressing further. Also it's totally possible that we would never be unfrozen again, or for a really long time. There's no method, and I doubt that there will be one, that would preserve whole body to be able to keep it's 100% state. I mean that it's very likely that our body will not be able to fully recovery after being unfrozen, causing for example lost memory, amnesia, some brain disease, you name it.
ReplyDeleteAlso, it could end like in the "Idiocracy" movie, I wouldn't want to go back to such world - http://www.cda.pl/video/224839ce?wersja=480p ;)
1. "after death" why would I like to be frozen AFTER death :P ? If you mean before death, before a disease kills me, maybe? I really don't know, never thought about it that much.
ReplyDeleteSecond and third question: I don't know. I am not a biologist
@Łukasz Domeradzki exhausted this subject and there is nothing I could say more about it.
Well, mostly because it's much easier to get a permission to throw a corpse into liquid nitrogen, than it is for a living person. The point is, if today we can revive someone who would be pronounced dead a couple years ago, then keeping your brain intact may be enough to bring you back to life.
DeleteI think that is distant for the successfully, because however it is tied up from human genetics. But... such things would help in the treatment of people, and it would be a jump in medicine.
ReplyDeleteI think that it is also interesting, because to wake up in a few years and to live normals...wow.
Maybe someday it will be possible but now I think it’s just a way to get a lot of money from very rich people. This “clinics” just give them false hope. There’s very little scientifically known whether cryopreservation is really effective and even if it would be there’s no guaranty that this clinic won’t bankrupt after let say 50 years and just throw away all preserved bodies.
ReplyDeleteLooking at how fast the medicine is developing, these 50-100 years would probably bring the sick people to the times, where many of the fatal diseases could be cured. It's difficult to decide whether investing any money in the cryo research now is a good idea, but it's so with every type of science. It's the same as with NASA for example, if I only had enough money I would invest these in something that leads into broadening our knowledge.
ReplyDeleteI think it will be possible to freeze people for a longer period of time, but we don't know enough about the processes that would need to endure so far. But maybe in next 10-20 years some breakthrough will come due to that.
Hibernation is very interesting theme. However, it’s carrying risk. Nobody knows what’s after death. Scientists are arguing for that subject. That’s why it’s pretty scary. Also you would never wake up again. Anyway that isn’t how things stand today. In my opinion science needs a lot of time to create something like that. But also medicine goes up every year, so one day that will be possible.
ReplyDelete1. I don' t want to by frozen after death, i would rather been frozen when i get someting very bad, like a cancer, to be unfrozen when would be a cure, but in other way i think no, because now i have all my friends and probably would take a long time to get used to live at times i would be unfrozen.
ReplyDelete2. I am not good at this type of biology but i think that we will be able to hibernate humans for extended periods of time. Problem could be probably at unfrozen, because it could be hard to renew all the vital functions.
3. It like a Schrödinger's cat, we don't know before we don't check("wake" them up), because now we can only think if they are dead or still ok.
I agree with your opinion. It can't give anything after death. Of course, maybe when I'll be dying then it were change, but that's not sure.
Delete1. After dead ? I don't know what it can give me , so probably no
ReplyDelete2. Yes , I think in a future it could be possible to hibernate humans
3. I don't know , but if yes it would be a crucial for medicine. But i don't know who would decide on to get hibernate , becouse i think that many of ous would be affraid of it
I can't see a reason for getting frozen after death but I would definitely concider hibernation if it was my only way of surviving. The only question is will I be able to accomodate in a society after being frozen for 100 years. The movie Seksmisja always comes to my mind when I think of hibernation it wasn't so pleasant for them after awakening.
ReplyDeleteUsing hibernation to preserve oneself from death, in hopes of curing an incurable disease in the future sounds like a great solution, provided the hibernation technique has been proven. I wouldn't trust the machinery and the science behind it yet, though. It still lies deep in the sci-fi area - and yes, for now it could give us a pile of dead bodies after defrosting, but I guess that in the future, should cryopreservation ever be perfected, it's purpose would be for it to actually work, right?
ReplyDeleteLooking at development of medicine, we can imagine that soon we would be able to freeze ourselves and wake up in 100 years. I guess that if I was about to choose if I want to die in 5 years or to be frozen now, I would choose to live those 5 years. However, if there was any progress in development of cryopreservation, I would have to reconsider it.
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting topic for me.
ReplyDeleteI've always dreamed to be frozen and wake up 300 years later. Of course it has a lot of disadvantages, but I'm very interested how world may change. :)
1. As someone has already pointed out, I see no point in being frozen after death. If in the future someone thawed me I wouldn't be less dead than before freezing. And it is doubtful that the technique to resurrect humans ever came out beyond the sience-fiction.
ReplyDelete2. I do not think so. This is too narrow a scope in comparison to the risks it brings to whoever wanted to dedicate to it their time and money and health. If we talk about living people, of course. If not - as above.
3.Well, as I said in my opinion rather resurrection will never be possible so we are just storing lots of dead bodies.
Development of medicine is high, so maybe hibernation were be something normal in a 50-100 years. Almost 50 years ago heart transplant was abstraction. Now that 'abstraction' is hibernation, so who knows
Delete1. I would not but there is some likelihood that I will change my mind before death .
ReplyDelete2. Definitely yes, medicine develops really fast now.
3. Time will tell, it's very hard to predict the future.
Freezing human bodies is in my opinion a very distant subject. I do not think it is unrealistic, because once people laughed at the thought of a heart transplant, which today is the normality. But I can not definitely answer if I would be frozen - both through and after death. Such a decision consists of a number of factors and does not take this usually alone. As I said - I think that people are very resourceful, and science and technology are constantly evolving, so everything is possible, even freeze a man for a long time and raising him.
ReplyDelete1. I don't see what I could get being frozen after death. Maybe better dreams :) No I don't want.
ReplyDelete2. I think it will be able to hibernate humans but guess that would be complications with correct unfroze without negative effects.
3. Definitely it will not never be possible, because the medicine won't develop solving issues. I think t It's only my prognostic :).
1. No, I wouldn't. Being frozen after death is not fulfillment of my dreams and I don't think this is something with sense.
ReplyDelete2, In my opinion we’ll be able to do this. Science is moving very fast forward, but we must learn a lot about this issue, because there is a big risk that something can go wrong and it could be dangerous for mankind.
3. It's hard to say. I think that we should check it.
I would like to be frozen before end of my life, and unfrozen when people will be immortal, why not? Want to live forever :P
ReplyDelete1. I don’t get the concept of being frozen after death, if I would going to die (serious injury, cancer, anything) I won’t get myself hibernated.
ReplyDelete2. I can imagine that people would be frozen like for years, but it is hard to predict how they would act after being awakened after years of sleep. Just imagine you fall asleep and wake up after 20 years, it may cause mental diseases.
3. I hope they are still alive it would be catastrophic if after first person being awakened turns out to be dead.