What does science need to achieve to make revival possible?
Imagine this. You’ve been transported to the future. Cars can fly. People speak on phones implanted in their brains. On every corner hologram ads display products that look just like the physical things. It’s Back to the Future becomes a reality! As of now current technology is far from being able to transport living beings backward or forward in time. But living longer and seeing the future is becoming more of a possibility than you might think. While it is possible to cryogenically freeze someone, (James Bedford being a notable example) being revived from cryosleep is the part that needs some work. There are a few hurdles scientists will need to overcome in order to successfully bring a legally dead person back once they have been cryogenically frozen. But that’s not to say longevity won’t be possible. Cryopreservation is already a reality.
If you’re over the age of 25 you remember a time when not owning a cell phone was normal. If you’re around the age of 18 it’s likely you grew up with a phone. Although, when you think back you’ll remember needing to own a phone, music player, camera, not to mention GPS (when you got tired of printing out directions). In less than 20 years this tech has grown to be incredibly multifunctional. We have technology that consumers could have never begun to imagine. You can unlock your wallet by looking at your phone and you can pay for anything with contactless pay. Our phones do what supercomputers in the 80’s could only dream of. Technology in general has seen exponential growth. This is largely attributed to the growth of capitalism and the nature of the free market system. But can we apply this growth logic of science and technology to the start and end process of cryopreservation and living longer?
David Wood is the chair of London Futurists and a man considered to be a pioneer of the smartphone industry. He is optimistic about the future of cryonics, but cautiously so. David acknowledges that it’s true certain technologies have experienced rapid growth. He also notes there are others that have experienced the opposite. Decline to the point of non-existence. David gave a talk about longevity and cryonics at the European Biostasis Foundation’s Biostasis 2020 virtual conference.
He recounted how as a child it was widely believed that there would be jumbo jets that could get a person across the world. This would happen in a fraction of the time a normal plane could. As is evident today, the aerospace industry has made little growth in this type of innovation in the last 50 years. David’s thoughts are backed by an impressive track record.
He’s a man that was at the forefront of smartphone tech. His address at the conference outlined what he believes are the important factors needed in order for cryonics and biostasis to head towards successful growth. He brings attention to a timeline that contains what he calls are “tipping points” needed for expeditious growth in cryopreservation.
David would go on to highlight that in the last 20 years there has not been much growth or interest in the field of cryonics. He does note that there are several factors that will determine whether or not cryopreservation will prevail. Reducing the friction that comes with the process of signing up to be cryonically preserved and addressing the costs of vitrification are the first problems to address. As of now, there aren’t really big players in terms of life extension foundations.
If you asked any person on the street if they could tell you the name of a cryonics provider you’d struggle to find an answer. For those that are aware of the possibility of being preserved the logistics of it all seem complicated. Questions such as: Isn’t the cost high to be frozen when you die? And Isn’t it difficult to sign up for cryopreservation? serve as a barrier to entry for many interested parties. Watch David's lecture at Biostasis2020:
Many that are willing to find out more about cryopreservation are often convinced it will be far more expensive than traditional burial/cremation methods. In addition, for many people the idea of being preserved cryogenically never comes to mind. These things make it difficult for companies trying to make a breakthrough in a field where people are concerned about the difficulty of the process and cost of cryonics, or just unaware.
At Tomorrow Biostasis we are tackling the logistical processes and simplifying costs for consumers in order to be able to give more people the option of longevity. We want to target this market and in doing so must be able to efficiently make the public aware of how simple it is to sign up for cryopreservation. We want to show how financially viable it can be to live longer .
Addressing the logistics and costs of cryonics can easily be concretely done. That’s the simple part to fix. A more complicated area needing to be resolved is that of changing the public’s opinion on the topic. There are many enthusiasts amongst the small population that are aware of the possibility of being resuscitated in the future. Namely through methods of vitrification and biostasis. There are also some that feel there are some moral concerns about cryopreservation. Some believe that this process is Frankenstein-like or could be something that goes ethically wrong very quickly. (Think sci fi dystopian hollywood movie).
It will be crucial to the future of cryonics that the public is swayed into viewing longevity as a way to get more out of life. It will also serve as a possibility for prolonging one’s time with loved ones and the future generation. This positive light is desperately needed for any future progress in order to capture the targetable market. Funding and energy can only be poured into cryonics where there is demand by people who believe that living longer will genuinely benefit themselves and their loved ones.
It can be difficult to tell what the future holds for the process of being cryogenically preserved. And while it is possible cryonics will die off, there’s also a very good chance it will be the new normal in less than 100 years. It’s crucial for those in the biostasis, cryonics, and longevity industry to show consumers that living longer can be easy, cost effective, and provide an overall positive way to extend the gift of life.
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