Written by Dirk Jan Buter

Living forever: The critical view of cryonics

Living forever: The critical view of cryonics

Written by Dirk Jan Buter on March 26, 2024. Photo by Harmonynotapathy.

What is the truth behind the cryonics prejudices? Because I notice in my environment that people are too quick to judge. Why are they dismissive of it and are these gut feelings correct? In this article we look for the opposing views and the truth behind these concerns.

Motivation

Cryonics for me is extending my life beyond the limits of what is possible with current techniques. I think life is way too short and I don't want it to end. Other than living healthily, there are not many options other than relying on a well-researched experiment called cryonics. I therefore registered with the Cryonics Institute in Michigan in the United States.

Procedure

At the Cryonics Institute, after your death, your body is kept frozen and cooled with liquid nitrogen at a temperature of -196 °C. During the freezing process, the blood is replaced with cryoprotective agents such as glycerol, so that no ice forms and body cells remain intact. Your body is cooled, transported by plane to Michigan. There it is further cooled to the temperature of liquid nitrogen to preserve it for tens to hundreds of years. Actually just as long until the technology is ready to repair your body from the freezing damage and also to heal your body.

Critical questions

Comments that I often hear are that it is not possible, because no one has ever been brought back to life. People find it scary: "What are they going to do to you?" "You have no control over it!" People think you come back to life as a soulless zombie or consider it sinful because of their faith.

Environmental tax

I received other interesting feedback from a friend who said that it is too harmful to the environment to keep all those bodies cool with liquid nitrogen. Because the nitrogen evaporates slowly and must be replenished every now and then. I started looking into this.

How is liquid nitrogen actually made? Well, it is obtained from the air, a process called adsorption liquefaction. Air is pumped at low pressure and then passed through a bed of absorbent material. The nitrogen is attached to the material through adsorption and then condensed into liquid nitrogen.

Just a rough calculation: Suppose that the extraction of liquid nitrogen costs 3.3 kilowatts per kilogram of energy and suppose that you need 100 liters to freeze a body, that is approximately 81.1 kilograms in weight at a temperature of -195 .8 °C, then the freezing process costs 568 euros at a kilowatt-hour price of 0.59 euros. The purchase price of liquid nitrogen will logically be higher.

Liquid nitrogen used to freeze a human body is expensive at first, but then it only needs to be maintained and the environmental impact is not too bad. Other advantages of freezing with liquid nitrogen: The body can be stored for a longer period and, for example, it prevents the bodies from thawing if the power goes out.

Future vision

Another critical question that I find interesting is this: "Who wants to walk around on this planet forever?" The pessimism radiates from it. Of course, many bad things happen in the world every day. But if you look at it from a different angle. There are more than 7 billion people living on this planet, so there are relatively few incidents. So the world isn't that bad now. I also believe that a lot can change in the world, but that is separate from the fact that I find life valuable. In addition, it may sound like a long time. The question of course is whether you ever get tired of life. That's not a bad thing, because if you undergo cryonics, it doesn't mean that you could never die or anything like that. Death always remains an option.

Zombies

Will all cryonicists turn into zombies? Take the example of Rogier Arnsten, a Norwegian boy who drowned in 1962 and was dead for about 2.5 hours, including twenty-two minutes underwater. He fell into an icy river and his body became hypothermic. After many attempts it was finally possible to resuscitate him again and with success. He eventually recovered completely, with the exception of less sharp vision and a slight limitation in muscle coordination. (Ettinger, CW 1962, The Prospect of Immortality, p. 78). A similar story with Anna Bågenholm: In 1999, the Norwegian doctor was buried by an avalanche while skiing. She was buried under snow for 80 minutes before she was found. Despite having suffered cardiac arrest, she was resuscitated and eventually made a full recovery. The cold saved their lives. Fortunately, both Rogier Arnsten and Anna Bågenholm did not become zombies and were very lucky to live to tell the story.

Lottery ticket

Cryonics is a great opportunity to defeat death and offer the possibility of being brought back to life one day in the future. By preserving the body at extremely low temperatures, we can shorten the time between death and a possible bridge repair of the body. Everyone has their own opinion, yet the comments show that people don't know much about it and simply assume some inaccuracies. Cryonics can best be compared to a ticket in the lottery: To have a chance to win it, you have to buy a ticket for it.

What is cryonics?

Cryonics is a procedure in which people who are clinically dead are frozen. People who undergo this procedure hope that in the future, science will reach the point where they can later be revived and restored to a healthy and youthful state. A process is also known as vitrification, in which the organism is cooled using cryoprotectants to prevent cellular damage due to ice formation.

The prospect of immortality

In the book "The Prospect of Immortality", Robert Ettinger explores the possibilities of using science and technology to achieve life extension. He discusses the science of cryonics and ways to advance the idea of ​​life extension. According to Ettinger, if enough people are convinced to experience life extension, immortality can be fully achieved. In addition, he discusses the expected benefits and risks, as well as moral and ethical considerations. Ultimately, he states that achieving immortality is a positive step for humanity, and that it is important to explore and realize all possibilities.

Cryonics organizations

  1. Dutch Cryonics Organisation
  2. Cryonics Institute
  3. Alcor Life Extension Foundation
  4. Tomorrow Bio
  5. KrioRus

Can we fight crime without punishing?

Today's newspaper reported on a crypto fraudster, Sam Bankman-Fried, who will spend 25 years in prison. Once again someone who is convicted with today's standards and the imposition of high sentences. The result of a trial is punishment with money, years of life or the death penalty. It's as if time has stood still! Restorative justice is a better and more moderate approach. We must focus on rehabilitation and recognize the power of people to make positive contributions to society even after committing crimes. ## Healing and rehabilitation: an alternative to revenge The high penalties or even killing as punishment are not only inhumane, but also perpetuate the cycle of violence. It deprives us of the opportunity to learn and grow as a society. Instead of seeking revenge, we should...

How to overcome life's limits

We all experience limits in life. Whether it concerns financial, emotional or physical boundaries. *Overcoming those limits often requires determination and a lot of courage*. If you want to get the most out of yourself, you have to practice and train a lot. ## New challenge For example, you can push your boundaries by learning a new language, by deepening your knowledge of a field, by traveling far, by taking up a new hobby or by taking on a new challenge. What limitations and/ or boundaries do you encounter and would you like to work on? What challenges do you agree with yourself to push your boundaries? Where are you going? How far can you get? ## Pushing boundaries *When you step out of your comfort zone, it feels uncomfortable or it gives you energy*. I once read in a b...

The mind machine: Exploring ai and consciousness

Ever wondered if machines could think and feel like us? Welcome to the futuristic world of artificial intelligence (AI). Scientists are exploring if machines can have their own “mind” and understand the world as we do. This article dives into how AI could someday act like humans and what that means for us. Our brains are pretty amazing. They remember things and help us connect different ideas, like linking a song to a happy memory. This ability, called associative memory, helps us make decisions based on past experiences. *Imagine if AI could do the same, remember things and use those memories to solve problems!* ## What Makes Us Conscious? Consciousness is what makes us aware of our surroundings and ourselves. One cool theory suggests that consciousness comes from how different par...

Capturing the Invisible World a Quest for the Perfect Microscope Camera

In the invisible world, where the human eye falls short, the microscope is an indispensable tool for the biohacker. An instrument that opens doors to tiny wonders. With a microscope camera, we capture evidence and advance science. In my search for the perfect microscope camera, I learned new things that broaden my horizons. What does it take to capture good images of the microcosm? ### Essential Features The most important thing about a good microscope camera is capturing images with **high resolution** and a smooth frame rate. My search focused on 4K resolution and a frame rate of 30 FPS (frames per second). I set out to find a camera with these specifications. ### Secrets of Light and Sharpness During my search, I delved into camera technology. I learned about concepts lik...

I Learned Flies to Talk

It all started with a message from Niels containing a link to a fascinating GitHub project. The repository featured a virtual fruit fly living on your desktop whose movements, such as walking, resting, grooming, and taking off, were entirely driven by a live emulation of a real fruit fly brain. I was curious to understand how the application worked under the hood and how realistic the emulation actually was in practice, so I decided to take it on as a side project. To appreciate why this is so remarkable, one has to look back at the history of fruit fly neuroscience. For decades, mapping the complete wiring diagram of an insect brain, known as a connectome, was considered an almost impossible feat. While scientists managed to map the simple 302-neuron nervous system of a roundworm back...

An Innovative Future with Sanator Sanders?

For forty years, you have been a champion of the cause, a man on the barricades. You have dedicated your entire political life to fighting for the worker and against the greed of big money. But today, at the most critical crossroads in human history, you are blind. You look at artificial intelligence (AI) and see an enemy. You see Big Tech, you see billionaires, and your reflex is to tax, slow down, and halt progress. But Senator, hear this hard truth: you are fighting a war from the last century. You are trapped in an industrial mindset from the 1970s, when the factory gate marked the edge of the world. Through that outdated lens, you view AI as a thief stealing jobs. Yet the reality is that AI holds the key to breaking the chains of the working class. Your fear makes you conservative,...