Ashwin Lewis
Cryogenic sleep, also known as cryosleep, is a concept that has been widely explored in science fiction. It involves the artificial induction of human hibernation through extremely low temperatures, aiming to preserve individuals for extended periods. While the idea of cryogenic sleep is intriguing, particularly for space exploration and medical applications, it is not without challenges. The primary obstacle is the freezing of water within cells, which can rupture and damage the cell membranes. Despite some progress in cryopreservation techniques and success in animal studies, we are still far from achieving effective cryogenic sleep for humans.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Cryogenic sleep | A form of deep sleep called torpor that significantly slows metabolic functions |
| Cryopreservation temperature | Below −130 °C |
| Cryonics | The low-temperature freezing and storage of human remains in the hope that resurrection may be possible in the future |
| Cryonics status | Regarded with skepticism by the mainstream scientific community |
| Cryonics facilities | 4 as of 2016 (3 in the U.S. and 1 in Russia) |
| Cryonics interest | Growing |
| Cryonics cost | £200,000 |
| Cryogenic sleep chambers | Can be built now |
| Cryogenic sleep revival | Not possible yet |
| Cryogenic sleep in nature | Several animals can decrease their metabolism by reducing the temperature of their bodies |
| Cryogenic sleep in sci-fi | Often used as a plot device |
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What You'll Learn
Cryopreservation
The main techniques used in cryopreservation to prevent damage are controlled-rate and slow freezing, as well as a newer flash-freezing process known as vitrification. The former, also known as slow programmable freezing (SPF), involves cooling cells to around -196 °C over several hours. SPF was developed in the early 1970s and resulted in the first human frozen embryo birth in 1984. Machines that use SPF are now commonly used for freezing oocytes, skin, blood products, embryos, sperm, stem cells, and general tissue preservation.
Vitrification, on the other hand, is an ultra-rapid cooling process that helps prevent the formation of ice crystals, which can damage the brain and its neural circuits. This method was introduced to reproductive cryopreservation in the mid-1980s and has resulted in successful live births from vitrified oocytes since 1999. For clinical cryopreservation, vitrification usually requires the addition of cryoprotectants, which are molecules that reduce the osmotic shock and physical stresses cells undergo during the freezing process. Cryoprotectants are inspired by nature, with plants and animals that have unique cold tolerance, such as trees, wood frogs, and tardigrades, serving as models.
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Vitrification
Cryonics is the ultra-low-temperature freezing and storage of human remains in the hope that resurrection may be possible in the future. Cryopreservation is accomplished by freezing with or without cryoprotectant to reduce ice damage, or by vitrification to avoid ice damage. Vitrification is a process where the body is frozen without the formation of ice crystals, which can damage cells and tissues.
The process of vitrification for cryopreservation typically involves the use of cryoprotectant solutions. These solutions are designed to protect the biological material from freezing damage by replacing some of the water within the cells with substances that have a lower freezing point. This helps to prevent the formation of ice crystals during the rapid cooling process.
The specific steps and procedures for vitrification can vary depending on the type of biological material being preserved and the specific protocols used by different cryopreservation facilities. However, the fundamental principle involves rapidly cooling the material to extremely low temperatures, typically using liquid nitrogen, which has a boiling point of -196°C.
While vitrification has been successfully used in cryobiology for preserving various biological materials, its application to human cryopreservation is still highly experimental and not without controversy. The primary challenge lies in the complexity of the human body and the potential impact of freezing on different tissues and organs. Additionally, the revival process after vitrification remains a significant obstacle, as the technology to safely and effectively rewarm and restore a human body to its original functioning state is yet to be fully realized.
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Hypersleep
The concept of hypersleep is often explored in science fiction, where it is portrayed as a means of interstellar travel, allowing humans to traverse vast distances without experiencing physical ageing. In these fictional depictions, individuals enter a state of suspended animation, where they remain alive and can be awakened upon reaching their destination.
However, in reality, cryogenic sleep and hypersleep are not yet fully understood or achievable. Cryonics, the scientific field concerned with cryogenic preservation, is regarded with scepticism by the mainstream scientific community. While it offers hope for future resurrection or revival, it is generally viewed as pseudoscience.
Proponents of cryonics and hypersleep argue that as long as the brain structure remains intact, there is no fundamental barrier to recovering its information content. They suggest that memory and personality can be retained even if the brain is inactive or badly damaged, as long as the original encoding can be inferred and reconstituted. Cryopreservation, a key aspect of cryonics, involves freezing the body at extremely low temperatures (below −130 °C) to preserve brain information and permit potential revival.
Despite the advancements and theories in cryonics, the long-term viability of cryogenic sleep and hypersleep remains uncertain. The success of such technologies relies on the longevity of cryonics companies and the development of advanced future technologies capable of revival.
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Cryonics
The scientific justification for cryonics is based on the idea that death is not when life turns off, but when the chemistry of life becomes so disorganized that normal operation cannot be restored. With advancements in medical technology, what constitutes death has changed over time. For example, a hundred years ago, cardiac arrest was considered irreversible, but today, it is possible to survive more than 10 minutes of warm cardiac arrest without brain injury.
While cryonics may seem like a far-fetched idea, it is based on modern science and has the potential to revolutionize our understanding of life and death if successful.
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Revival
Cryonics, derived from the Greek word for "cold", involves the preservation of a human corpse or brain at extremely low temperatures, usually below −130 °C, to slow metabolic processes drastically. Cryopreservation is accomplished by freezing with or without cryoprotectants to reduce ice damage, or by vitrification to avoid ice damage.
Despite the promise of cryopreservation in animals, current technology has not been able to translate these successes to humans. Cryonics has shown promising results in preserving and reviving certain organisms from the animal kingdom, such as tardigrades. In 2016, Japanese researchers revived two tardigrades that had been frozen for over 30 years. Ongoing research aims to bring back a 42,000-year-extinct woolly mammoth using cryonics.
While we are still far from being able to revive cryopreserved human bodies, some people have expressed a desire to be cryogenically frozen after death. As of 2014, about 250 corpses have been cryogenically preserved in the U.S., and around 1,500 people have signed up to have their remains preserved.
The revival of cryopreserved humans is not yet feasible. The main challenge is preventing ice damage in the body's cells, which can destroy the cell membrane. Researchers are working on techniques to prevent this, but there is still no meaningful research into the long-term preservation of living human bodies.
Despite these challenges, some people are optimistic about the future of cryonics. Some believe that the theory behind cryopreservation is sound and that the problem of revival will eventually be solved.
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Frequently asked questions
Cryogenic sleep, also known as cryosleep, is a form of deep sleep that significantly slows metabolic functions. It is often associated with the idea of suspended animation, where a person is preserved at very low temperatures, sometimes as low as −196 °C. Cryogenic sleep is often portrayed in science fiction as a means of interstellar travel, allowing travellers to remain alive but inactive during long journeys.
Cryogenic sleep involves lowering the body's temperature to induce a state of biostasis, similar to hibernation in animals. In this state, metabolic processes slow down, and the body's functions are chemically slowed. Cryogenic sleep aims to preserve individuals for extended periods, potentially even centuries or millennia.
Cryogenic sleep is currently the realm of science fiction. While the technology to create cryogenic sleep chambers exists, reviving individuals from cryopreservation is not yet feasible. Cryopreservation has shown promise in the animal kingdom, with successful cases involving microscopic animals called tardigrades and ongoing research into reviving a woolly mammoth.
One significant challenge of cryogenic sleep is the potential damage caused by freezing a human body. When water freezes, it expands, and this expansion can rupture cell membranes, causing cellular damage. Additionally, there are other adverse effects on organs and cells when they remain inactive for extended periods, even at low temperatures.
