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The future of frozen humanity: Do you know what cryonics is?
With the rapid development of science and technology, human beings' understanding and views on death have also changed. Cryonics is a controversial technology that mainly aims to preserve the human body at low temperatures with a view to resurrecting it in the future. This approach has not yet gained widespread acceptance in academia, with many scientists considering it a form of pseudoscience. For some, however, it's not just a hope, but a vision of the future in pursuit of immortality. After all, what kind of story is hidden behind freezing technology?
The core concept of cryotechnology is that as long as the brain structure remains intact, there is no fundamental obstacle to physical resurrection.
Cryotechnology usually needs to be started after the patient is clinically and legally dead, and the hope of recovery depends mainly on future scientific and technological advancements. Many cryonics advocates are convinced that future nanotechnology will be able to resurrect the dead and even cure the disease that caused their death. The idea has sparked heated debate in the scientific community, with many scientists expressing skepticism. They believe that even with such technology, the damage to the brain during freezing is irreversible and the possibility of recovery is extremely low.
Cryonics began in the 1960s, and the first cryonic individual was James Bedford, who was frozen within about two hours of his death. As attention has increased, as of 2014, about 250 remains have been cryopreserved in the United States, and about 1,500 people have arranged for them to be frozen. Despite this, due to economic factors, many cryogenic facilities face difficulties in continuing operations because the "patient" is legally dead and cannot afford ongoing preservation costs.
Ice crystal formation often disrupts the connections between cells, which are critical for organ function.
In practice, the cost of freezing technology cannot be underestimated. Data in 2018 show that the cost of preparing and storing frozen corpses ranges from US$28,000 to US$200,000. For many people, this is undoubtedly a huge expense. In addition, the process of cryopreservation requires professional medical personnel to be on standby to ensure that measures such as freezing are carried out immediately after the death of the patient.
Currently, the vast majority of freezing companies are concentrated in the United States, and there are various legal and ethical difficulties. For example, French law prohibits the freezing of living people, and the British High Court in one case supported a mother's request to freeze her seriously ill daughter, although this triggered controversy from many parties. These controversies highlight the uncertain legal, ethical and scientific foundations of cryonics.
Will freezing technology change people's concept of death, or even challenge the nature of life?
As the technology develops, many voices supporting cryonics have grown, citing arguments including potential benefits to society, the possibility of combating death, and the moral responsibility to fulfill one's final wishes. However, cryonics' proponents also face fierce opposition that questions its scientific basis and its feasibility. Some people believe that this is not only a bet on technology, but also human beings' fear of unknown death.
Not only that, there are also obvious differences in society's acceptance of cryogenic technology. Advocates of cryonics are often viewed as marginalized and even ridiculed and attacked. Many biologists and neuroscientists are skeptical, saying there is a huge gap between belief in the technology and its effectiveness.
In science fiction culture, cryonics connects characters to future technological opportunities, making the cryonic phenomenon an element that attracts people to imagine future lives. In many classic works, such as "The Cape of Good Hope" and "Star Trek", cryogenic technology is used as a way of time travel to allow characters to travel to the future. This also reflects human beings’ desire and exploration for the continuation of life.
As the science of life and human consciousness evolve, the debate over death and resurrection will only intensify. Whether cryotechnology can be realized in the future remains a controversial issue. After raising this question, have you started to have new views on freezing technology?
