Exploring the nations paving the way for the future of AI
For centuries, humans have dreamed of defying death. Now, thanks to advancements in science and technology, that dream may be closer to reality than ever before. A growing number of scientists believe that cryonics, the practice of preserving bodies at extremely low temperatures with the hope of future revival, may hold the key to extending life indefinitely.
But what about the mind? Can we truly preserve consciousness and memories? According to a survey of neuroscientists, it's not impossible.
Intrigued? Click through this gallery to discover what scientists say about this mind-bending possibility.
In the hopes of beating death, cryogenic freezing was one method a few scientists started to dabble with in the '60s. It promised that scientists would be able to stop the dying process. When a cure for whatever ailment that caused the death was found, bodies would be defrosted back to life.
In 1962, scientist Robert Ettinger published the book 'The Prospect of Immortality,' which popularized the idea of freezing human bodies to extend their lives. He is now considered the "father of cryogenics."
Although controversial and disputed by other scientists, the method has already been used. Ettinger reportedly had his mother, his first wife, and his second wife cryogenically frozen and stored in vats at his Cryonics Institute.
It's still considered a huge gamble. There's no certainty about when one would wake up. Some say 50 years, others say hundreds. The plan is to keep people frozen until a cure for the cause of death, or aging in general, is discovered.
Without these toxic protective agents, however, it's impossible to freeze the body. When cells freeze, they form large ice crystals that destroy cell walls.
The method was also always surrounded by ethical questions, not just about life and death but also about the responsibilities of cryonics providers and the rights of cryopreserved individuals.
One of the main concerns raised by critics of cryogenics is the brain. Since it's composed of millions of neural pathways, it's difficult to imagine that the freezing process wouldn't damage these delicate connections.
Critics of cryogenics argue that even if the body could be revived, the level of brain damage would make life hardly worth living.
However, a recent poll of 300 neuroscientists revealed that 40% of them believe it's possible to one day resurrect memories from preserved brain structures, and perhaps even fully emulate a brain.
Ariel Zeleznikow-Johnston, a neuroscientist from Monash University in Australia and the instigator of the poll, believes that technology has advanced enough to make brain preservation worth considering. He would choose cryopreservation if he knew he was dying and had the chance.
However, he said, this doesn't mean we'll be able to chat with the dozens of people who have already undergone cryopreservation.
Zeleznikow-Johnston argues that most previous techniques, like those used in the 1960s, would have destroyed brain structures. Only recently have we developed methods capable of preserving connectivity patterns.
Zeleznikow-Johnston is under the impression that "many colleagues consider ideas like brain preservation, structural encoding of memory, and even mind-uploading plausible, but they don't want to discuss them publicly."
Part of the argument, he said, concerns how memories are stored. Do they exist solely in the connectivity patterns of neurons, or is more information required—perhaps at the atomic level, hormonal, or electrical?
There seems to be a growing consensus among neuroscientists that the brain's structural properties are crucial for storing information, according to Zeleznikow-Johnston, who also wrote 'The Future Loves You: How and Why to Abolish Death.'
In particular, he cites deep hypothermic circulatory arrest, a technique that involves cooling patients before surgery to protect the brain.
This stops electrical activity in the brain, but memories reportedly remain intact.
"There's strong evidence that preserving a person's brain would preserve their key personal identity," said Zeleznikow-Johnston.
Professor Timothy O'Leary from the University of Cambridge, a polled neuroscientist, acknowledges the potential of detailed brain mapping but cautions that it doesn't guarantee functional revival. He argues that this limitation applies to any complex physical system, not just the brain.
This reality is closer than we might think. The brain of Li Zehou, one of China's most renowned modern philosophers, has been preserved in a leading US cryonics facility since his death in 2021.
The philosopher expressed his desire to preserve his brain as early as 2010, telling the domestic media outlet Southern Weekly that he hoped it could be studied for clues about Chinese culture.
Li's biographer, Ma Quanlin, said the late professor's brain was frozen at the Alcor Life Extension Foundation in Arizona after his death.
According to the center's website, whole-body cryopreservation costs U$220,000, while brain cryopreservation costs $80,000.
O'Leary highlights the complexity of capturing detailed neural patterns that form memories, arguing they require a functioning nervous system and potentially a physical body to manifest. Measurement errors could result in partial or inaccessible memory storage.
To illustrate this idea, The Times compares it to waking up after a century only to discover that a measurement error has prevented you from accessing your life savings because the "revived you" forgot your PIN.
As scientists continue to explore the possibilities of brain and body preservation, discussions about regulation are also ongoing. An international conference on human cryopreservation, or biostasis, was held in Madrid in November 2022 to discuss a regulatory framework for future procedures.
Sources: (The Times) (Sixth Tone) (Alcor Life Extension Foundation)
See also: Bryan Johnson: the man who is trying to cheat death
Could freezing your brain be beneficial? Here's what scientists think
Freezing and reviving the human mind may soon be possible
LIFESTYLE Cryogenics
For centuries, humans have dreamed of defying death. Now, thanks to advancements in science and technology, that dream may be closer to reality than ever before. A growing number of scientists believe that cryonics, the practice of preserving bodies at extremely low temperatures with the hope of future revival, may hold the key to extending life indefinitely.
But what about the mind? Can we truly preserve consciousness and memories? According to a survey of neuroscientists, it's not impossible.
Intrigued? Click through this gallery to discover what scientists say about this mind-bending possibility.