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What is it? -

You may have seen bodies frozen in 'Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery' (1997) or 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' (1987), but did you know that it is actually possible?

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What is it? -

The concept is that your body is frozen until scientists find a way to wake you from your dead state and cure the disease that caused you to die (at this point you are legally dead, but have not fully gone through the dying process) in the first place.

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Robert Ettinger (1918-2011) -

The idea started with a scientist named Robert Ettinger. He was a high-school teacher and harbored big dreams of a future where life would be never-ending.

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'The Prospect of Immortality' (1962) -

In 1962, Ettinger wrote a book that popularized the idea of freezing human bodies to let them live longer. He is now regarded as the "father of cryogenics."

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Ettinger's family -

As the founder of cryogenics, Ettinger was determined to preserve his family. In his Cryonics Institute, he has his mother, his first wife, and his second wife frozen in vats. It may be a little tricky when they all wake up...

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Uncertain death? -

Although for years death has been seen as an inevitable force, modern science suggests aging is not necessarily inescapable. Many now see aging and dying as a treatable illness rather than a certainty.

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How do they do it? -

If you sign up for it, a cryogenics team will be on standby when you are nearing death. When you are legally dead, they whisk you away in a van.

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Ice -

When transporting your body, you're packed in a coffin-like box with a lot of ice. This is so the body pauses the dying process.

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Additives -

When you arrive, they drain your blood and mix it with antifreeze and cryoprotectants. It is then reinjected into your body.

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Back to the box -

Then your body is placed in a cooling chamber with lots of dry ice. The idea is that you become as hard as a rock. Every part of your insides and outsides should be completely frozen.

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Cozy tank -

To finish the process off, your body is insulated in a thick sleeping bag and then placed headfirst into a large freezing tank.

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When will you wake up? -

There is no certainty of when you will wake up. Some say 50 years, others say hundreds. The plan is that you will stay frozen until a cure for your sickness, or aging in general, is found.

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Problems -

Unsurprisingly, there are many critics that say it is not scientifically viable. There are also lots of ethical problems that arise.

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Protective agents -

For one, it doesn't sound good to have antifreeze in your blood. Cryoprotectants such as glycerol are the real problem. They are very toxic and no one knows what they will do to the cells when the humans are unfrozen.

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Without protective agents -

It is impossible to freeze the body without the toxic substances. When cells freeze, they form larger frozen clusters. The formation of the clusters destroys the cell walls.

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Without cell structures -

Without cell structures, our bodies would just be pulp. Consequently, life after defrosting would be impossible without antifreeze and cryoprotectants.

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The brain -

The brain is incredible because it is so dense and complex. There are millions of neural pathways. Therefore, it is difficult to expect that the freezing process will not damage these delicate connections.

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Brain damage -

Critics of cryogenics say that even if the body can be brought back to life, the level of brain damage would make life hardly worth living.

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Ben Best -

In response, the head of the Cryogenics Institute in Michigan has said that cryonicists have never claimed the method was full proof. There is a chance that it will all fail, but it makes living longer a possibility.

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Ethical/spiritual issues -

It is difficult to know what is ethically and spiritually right, especially when it seems like you're perverting the natural course of nature.

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Spiritual critics -

Many religious thinkers believe that cryogenic freezing spits in the face of God's plans for us. They and others will argue that aging and death exist for a reason, and shouldn't we all look to death with joy as it is the opportunity to meet who we worship?

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Heaven waits -

The response from religious cryogenic enthusiasts is that heaven is still waiting. We will all eventually die, and it does not matter when. They do not believe it is sacrilegious to lengthen your life on Earth.

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Philosophical problems -

But our whole society would be turned upside down if we never aged nor died. Think about what would happen to a marriage contract, for example. I take you to be my partner until we are both near-death and frozen... and then what? Another lifetime?

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Who else? -

There is also the very likely problem that not everyone will want to live forever. Would you enjoy your life if your family and friends chose not to live in the future?

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Overpopulation -

Logistically, no one dying is also a huge problem. Humans will still have children because it is a lifestyle, not just a biological task. As a result, the population might grow exponentially.

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Baby steps -

Despite these problems, it is worth noting that cryogenic freezing is in its very early stages when it comes to full bodies. It is used quite regularly for freezing sperm and eggs for IVF, but more than that hasn't been achieved.

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Could you afford it? -

Many people don't do it because it is outrageously expensive. If you want to be frozen at the Alcor Life Extension Foundation, for example, you have to pay US$200,000 for your body and $80,000 for just your head.

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Beheaded -

If you're wondering why some people only freeze their heads, it is because they hope it is possible for their brain to be downloaded in the future. This way they can live electronically.

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Good news -

If you do decide to cryogenically freeze yourself, you can also freeze your pet. Man's best friend, eternally!

Sources: (The Atlantic)(The Guardian)

See also: The craziest alternative burial methods

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