Cryonics aims to pause individuals by lowering body temperature for potential future revival.
STEM-oriented individuals find cryonics appealing for life extension and future progress.
Cryonics costs vary from $20,000 to $200,000, often funded through life insurance policies.
Efforts to simplify cryonics sign-up procedures aim to reduce barriers and promote accessibility.
Cryonics advancements could benefit organ preservation techniques, increasing organ donation availability.
Deep dives
Cryonics Process and Companies
Cryonics involves putting a person on pause by lowering their body temperature to halt chemical processes, aiming to revive them in the future. Major cryonics service providers are Alcor and the Cryonics Institute in the US, each with specific procedures to preserve individuals for potential future revival. Other smaller providers like Cryonics Germany and Tomorrow Biostasis offer choices. The process includes cooling the body just above freezing, transit to the provider, further lowering body temperature, and immersion in liquid nitrogen.
Optimistic View and Motivations for Cryonics
People interested in cryonics often hold an optimistic view of the future, value life experiences, and look forward to potential advancements in technology and longevity. STEM-focused, future-oriented individuals find cryonics appealing due to the desire to extend life and potentially witness the future's progress. Factors like sci-fi interest, education level, and non-religious beliefs influence cryonics interest.
Costs and Life Insurance for Cryonics
Cryonics costs range from $20,000 to $200,000, with individuals typically funding it through life insurance policies to ensure future preservation and revival costs are covered. Affordable life insurance options, especially for younger and healthier individuals, make cryonics financially accessible. Life insurance investments provide reassurance for future revival and potential advancements in revival technologies.
Ease of Signing Up and Streamlining Process
Efforts to streamline the cryonics sign-up process aim to reduce bureaucratic barriers and simplify procedures for interested individuals. Initiatives like same-day sign-ups led by organizations such as Tomorrow Biostasis strive to enhance accessibility and efficiency in joining cryonics. Emerging streamlined processes can mitigate cryocrastination and encourage more individuals to consider cryonics for their future.
Spillover Benefits and Organ Donation Concerns
Cryonics advancements can lead to spillover benefits for organ preservation techniques, potentially increasing organ donation availability and improving organ preservation technology. While individuals may express concerns about cryonics interfering with organ donation, advancements in artificial organ development and increased cryopreservation technologies can mitigate such concerns, ensuring ample organ availability and preservation options for future medical advancements.
Advancements in Technology to Alleviate Organ Shortages
Technological advancements are expected to alleviate the problem of organ shortages for individuals needing transplants. These innovations offer hope for addressing various conditions that require organ intervention.
Challenges and Potential Solutions for Brain Damage in Revived Individuals
Concerns about brain damage upon revival raise questions about irreversible effects such as schizophrenia or delusional thinking. While contracts may specify tolerance levels for brain damage to allow revival, optimism exists regarding future technologies capable of reversing different forms of brain injury.
Philosophical Considerations on Identity and Consciousness in Brain Preservation
The debate on identity continuity and consciousness during brain preservation involves philosophical inquiries into the meaningful sense of self. Divergent views within the community express varied perspectives on mind uploading, with discussions stemming from complex philosophical intuitions and ethical considerations.
Expectations and Considerations in Post-Revival Social Integration and Roles
Concerns over societal reintegration and roles post-revival prompt considerations about adaptability and community support for individuals from different historical eras. Historical parallels and potential scenarios emphasize the need for social acceptance and adaptation in a rapidly changing world.
Addressing Social Stigma and Perception Surrounding Cryonics
Social stigma surrounding cryonics highlights challenges in societal acceptance due to preconceived notions about death and cultural norms. Encouraging open dialogue, education, and advocacy can gradually mitigate stigma and foster a more accepting attitude towards innovative end-of-life options.
What is cryonics? And how does it work? What do we know right now about reversing death? And what would we have to learn to make resurrection from a cryogenically frozen state feasible? How much does cryonics cost? What incentives would future people have for reviving a cryo-frozen person? How likely is it that a cryo-frozen person will be brought back in the future? Why do people (even pro-cryonics people) "cryoprastinate" and put off considering cryonics for a later time? What sorts of risks are involved in being frozen and later revived? What philosophical and ethical issues are at stake with cryonics? Would a revived person be able to integrate into a future society? Why is there stigma around cryonics in some cultures?
Max Marty is an entrepreneur and futurist who lived and worked in the Bay Area for 10 years. He's now in Austin and has been working to build the Cryonics community, including co-hosting the Cryonics Underground podcast and running the largest Cryonics discord community: The Cryosphere. He looks forward to getting back into startups in the future, this time in biotech.
