Info about Cryonics
Cryonics
Cryonics is a developing field of science which refers to the preservation of a living body at low temperatures. The technique is used for organisms, either Humans or other animals, who can no longer be kept alive by current medicinal techniques, with the hope that they can be resuscitated at some point in the future, when medical science has developed sufficiently to treat currently untreatable conditions.
The main theory behind cryonics is that an individual’s memory, personality and identity are stored in durable structures of cells within the brain that do not require continuous brain activity to persist. This is a theory that is widely accepted in current medicinal science, as cases have occurred in which a brain has ceased to function, but recovered later with long term memory still retained. Further theories behind cryonics suggest that the brain structures which contain a person’s memory continue to survive for some time after clinical death, can survive preservation by cryonic procedures, and could potentially be restored by scientific advances in the future. However, cryonics remains controversial as without the means to revive an individual after undergoing clinical death, the fact that memory patterns can survive is of no real relevance. Further to this, in the present day, cryopreservation is irreversible, and the preservation of memory is seen as meaningless until the process can be reliably reversed.
Proponents of cryonics believe that in the future, the means to revive an individual after undergoing clinical death will become available. They believe that this is likely to happen as a result of advances in nanomedicine, bioengineering, molecular technology or even mind uploading. Mind uploading refers to the theoretical transfer of memories from the brain to an electronic device in order to keep the consciousness of an individual alive. Another form of cryonics is neuropreservation, which refers to the cryopreservation of the brain after the disposal of the rest of the body. This would theoretically be a cheaper process, and the belief is that the main centre of identity resides in an individual’s brain, and is therefore the most important part to preserve.
There are a number of obstacles which continue to pose obstacles to the success of developing reliable cryonic techniques. Injury known as preservation injury can occur during the process. This happens when ice crystals form in between the cells, causing serious damage to the mechanical and chemical functions of the individual. In order to protect the patient from suffering preservation injury, a solution known as a ‘cryoprotectant’ is circulated through the blood stream. This replaces water in the cells with a chemical formula which prevents freezing, and greatly reduces the damage caused.
However, the freezing of a whole person will inevitably cause damage which are not reversible with current technology. Another type of injury that can occur is ischemic injury. This refers to an inadequate supply of blood which causes tissue inside the body to be deprived of oxygen and nutrients. Unless the technicians providing the cryonics to the patients act almost immediately, the brain will suffer ischemic injury, making resuscitation impossible using current medical practices.
A further barrier to the success of cryonics procedures is that the financial cost is very high. Currently, prices range from $28,000 to $155,000, and often include a membership fee during the life of the person who wishes to be preserved. The expenses associated with carrying out cryonics procedures are comparable to the costs of performing major transplant surgery, and include the cost of maintaining the subject for an indefinite amount of time. However, advocates of the technology point out that if saved for, cryonics is certainly affordable for anyone who really wants it.