Aug 11, 2023 07:00:00

A movie that infiltrated a startup aiming to execute `` cryonics '' that cryopreserves the dead and revives them in the future

Cryonics (human body cryopreservation) is an idea that aims to revive and completely heal in the future when medical technology has developed by freezing the human body, which cannot be treated with modern technology. In science fiction (SF), it often appears under names such as `` cold sleep '', but in fact, as of 2016, about 350 people around the world were ``frozen based on a living contract after being declared legally dead''. saved. A company that performs such cryonics has newly appeared in Switzerland, and YouTuber Tom Scott , who posts movies on topics such as science and history, visited a facility that actually cryopreserves the human body and founder I have released a movie that I heard about.

Storing dead people at -196 ° C - YouTube


At the beginning of the movie, Scott said, ``I think death is a bad thing and I think we should try to overcome it.'' ``But this is a controversial opinion. is not a subject I am qualified to discuss here.I am not a philosopher and would like to avoid complex discussions of the ethical issues involved in cryonics.Also, this movie is not an advertisement. No. I was simply invited to see where the dead are kept in hopes of resurrection in the future.'

Emile Kenziora, M.D., founder and CEO of

tomorrow Biostasis , a cryonics company, said: 'The number of cryopreserved patients at Tomorrow Biostasis is not zero, but it is still very few. The exact number is 'We plan to release the numbers once they reach a high enough number that the patient's privacy is not compromised by doing so, but at the moment there are very few.'

Mr. Kenziora and the website of Tomorrow Biostasis refer to frozen patients as 'patients,' but cryopreservation is permitted only in cases where death has been confirmed medically. It is literally a 'corpse'. A dedicated ambulance will be dispatched when a person who has contracted with Tomorrow Biostasis before death is nearing death.

The following image is the inside of a dedicated ambulance. The time from when the heart stops until the cryopreservation procedure is performed must be as short as possible, and for cryopreservation the three procedures are started at the same time. First, by initiating the cooldown as early as possible, it slows down the metabolic rate of the cells and slows the rate at which they die. Second, we also use similar approaches such as CPR, chest compressions, and oxygen administration to provide some metabolic support. Third, replace all blood and water in the body with medical antifreeze before the temperature of the corpse drops below zero. According to Kenziora, cryonics doesn't technically 'freeze' anything, it actually 'vitrifies' cells.

The facility for storing frozen bodies looks like the image below.

Frozen bodies are placed in stainless steel containers and kept cold by liquid nitrogen. The refrigeration process inflicts massive damage on the human body that is irreversible with modern technology, and there is no hope of perfecting the means of recovery. It is possible that it will be possible to recover in the distant future because it is possible to suppress the cells from changing and deteriorating by being attached to liquid nitrogen, but there is a good possibility that it will not be possible to recover.

Even if postmortem cryopreservation goes according to plan, you will continue to use the service for almost an indefinite period of time until recovery. Regarding this fee, Tomorrow Biostasis costs a small membership fee while alive and about 200,000 euros (about 30 million yen) at the time of death. Most of the approximately €200,000 will be donated to non-profits, who will use the money to invest in the hope of a return of around 1-2% above the inflation rate, enough to maintain cryopreservation. secure sufficient funds. In addition, investment funds are being accumulated for the costs of recovering and reintegrating into society in the future.

Commenting on his vision for Tomorrow Biostasis and Cryonics, Kenziora said, 'We aim to not only improve cryopreservation procedures, but also make them significantly more affordable. Perhaps over time, we'll see five-figure euros (about 1.5 million euros). I think it will settle down to a range of ¥15 million.”

Mr. Scott commented that ``Mr. I'm talking about being able to do it.

Kenjiora said of cryonics, ``I never say, ``What percentage of the time it will work.'' Cryopreservation is not a medical practice, it is a research procedure. No one in the world knows if you want to live longer, if you don't want to die, and even if it turns out in the future that cryopreservation will never work, there are alternatives. is infinitely close to zero,' he said frankly.

Scott concludes, ``I think cryonics is an option for the very few wealthy people at the moment and it probably won't work. But I think humanity should try to overcome death. , it is difficult to argue against those who choose this option.'