Scientific Contemporary Issues Report
Cryonics
What is Cryonics?
Cryonics is a procedure whereby a person or living organism is frozen soon after death in order that it may be thawed and rejuvenated at a later date should a cure for the cause of death be found. A person or living organism that is preserved by the process of cryonics is said to be in cryonic suspension.
In order to understand the true nature of cryonics it is wise to give a simple example of what scientists are attempting to achieve.
In news stories the world over there are cases of pets and occasionally humans that have fallen into icy lakes and been submerged for up to and over an hour. Often the human or pet will perish due to the cold temperature of the water but in some cases are pulled free and are resuscitated; surviving their ordeal and being effectively ‘restored’ from what is considered by normal standards certain death. The idea that conscious beings could survive such trauma is that the icy water lowers body temperature and places it into a state of suspended animation, slowing metabolism and brain function to levels where they require very little or no oxygen at all.
Philosophy
The central philosophy of cryonics is not only that a conscious being can be revived to full health after being in cryonic suspension, but that they may be revived and rejuvenated with identity, personality and long term memory intact. Personality and identity are stored in cell structures throughout the brain that effectively do not require continuous brain activity to survive. The premise that a brain can survive with little brain function is a generally accepted one in medicine. Recorded cases of individual brain’s stopping functioning and then later, recovering with rete...
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... the end of the rainbow and a desperate thing to go in search of it. But as with all developments in science and technology, successful cryonic rejuvenation and animation is another boundary that is yet to be broken and exploited to its full capacity. If, in time, reanimation and rejuvenation become tenable then it will not be long before funeral homes are out of business and the cryonic home is established.
Cost is a major issue also and without huge amounts of money cryonics remains a possibility only for the fairly wealthy. This class divide could prove problematic in the future but as with any new technology, it is always the well off who experience it first. There are risks involved in trusting a cryonic process but when cancer or another terminal illness decides an individuals fate… what exactly is there to lose by choosing freezing over fire or worms?
...m these advancements that are from human body parts. Instead, it is imperative to honor and preserve those who have made these interventions possible
After this the men will find themselves doing hours of calisthenics to warm up, only to go back in the cold water for a few more hours. This is a very effective way to teach a potential Seal to mentally resist the effects of hypothermia,...
The first was to see how long it would take to lower body temperature, and the next to decide how best to resuscitate a frozen victim. The doctors submerged a naked victim in an icy vat of water. They would insert an insulated thermometer into the victim’s rectum in order to monitor his or her body temperature. The icy vat proved to be the fastest way to drop the body’s temperature. Once the body reached 25 degrees Celsius, the victim would usually die.
Scientists are on the brink of doing the unthinkable-replenishing the brains of people who have suffered strokes or head injuries to make them whole again. If that is not astonishing enough, they think they may be able to reverse paralysis. The door is at last open to lifting the terrifying sentence these disorders still decree-loss of physical function, cognitive skills, memory, and personality.
Cold injuries can occur at temperatures up to 60 degrees! So don’t think just because it’s not freezing you can’t be a victim.
Cryonics is the process of freezing body parts and organs for future use. At this time they are doing whole body and neurosuspensions. As soon as heartbeat and breathing in a member who has paid for this procedure cease, a transport team from Alcor takes over the care of the patient. Circulation and breathing are artificially restored and the patient is cooled and transported to Alcor's facilities. The patient is treated with drugs to minimize freezing injury and is then further cooled to the boiling point of liquid nitrogen (-320°F, -196°C) (Alcor, 1). Neurosuspensions are the freezing of the human head and brain. The reason for doing this is because it is much cheaper and they feel that all other body parts are replaceable by transplant. Alcor charges $50,000 for neurosuspensions and $120,000 for whole body suspensions (Alcor, 27).
There have been some cases where people have been declared brain dead but then regain some brain activity (Greenberg, 2014). This has sparked debates that brain death does not necessarily mean death.... ... middle of paper ... ...
There are an estimated 8,000 deaths per year in the United States from drowning. Near-drowning occurs anywhere from 2-20 times more frequently (for estimated 16,000-160,000 events per year)7. The definitions for drowning and near-drowning have for the longest time been very confusing to understand. Recent health officials have attempted to resolve some of this confusion by redefining drowning as “the process of experiencing respiratory insufficiency or difficulty following a submersion or immersion in a body of liquid.” Near-drowning has also been redefined as “survival from a drowning event which involved impaired consciousness or water inhalation for 24 hours or more”2. Both near drowning and near-drowning occur when someone experiences a submersion event. A submersion event is when someone, in this case a pediatric patient, experiences an unexpected submersion in water. When an unexpected submersion, regardless of water type (salt or fresh) occurs, the individual experiences breath hold, panic, and a struggle to resurface1. Humans, naturally, can only hold their breath for a short period of time. This prolonged breath hold results in hypoxia and eventually leads to involuntary gasping. As the individual attempts to gasp for air they sometimes aspirate7. This paper will attempt to look at the clinical presentation of a near-drowning patient who has suffered from a submersion event.
If the body temperature decreases dramatically (hypothermia) then this will slow metabolic activity and impairs brain function.
with reasons." If not careful, cold can be deadly to animal and human life, but
“John first took leftover prescription painkillers and numbed his left foot in ice water to reduce impending pain. He then buried his foot in dry ice for six hours to induce severe frostbite and force surgeons to operate” (Adams, 2007).
Most people might say that cryogenically freezing people is unethical, But it is ethical because it is their choice and It might not even work. Cryogenically freezing people is the action of freezing people is freezing someone and then thawing them out to continue living, essentially putting their life on pause to allow tie to give themselves a chance at life.
Companies affirm that cryonics will save many people's lives, but their proclamation is only backed by the hypothesis that technology will be able to finish the cryonics process in the future. Another main way how cryonics companies swindle their clients is the price at which they charge the scientific practice at. For one's full body to be cryopreserved at the company Alcor, it costs a hefty 200,000 dollars. (Alcor page 1.) Alcor is charging this price even without the knowledge of the cryonics process completely working. Along with the 200,000 dollars, there is a 10,000 dollar surcharge fee, and years prior to your procedure, you must pay a 525 dollar annual fee. (Alcor page 1). With all of these fees accounted for the cryonics process at Alcor is very burdensome to one’s economics. In all Cryonics is an unethical scientific practice, falsely advertising the process, and overcharging for the services and procedure.
...ld to go unconscious and anywhere from four to six minutes for irreversible brain damage. Floatation devices are not adequate substitutes for adult supervision, yet are commonly used as such.
Best, B. (n.d.). Cryonics − Frequently Asked Questions. In Ben Best. Retrieved December 30, 2013, from http://www.benbest.com/cryonics/CryoFAQ.html#_VD_.