A Melbourne woman’s body has been preserved through cryonics. She’s the second human to have this process done at Southern Cryonics, a small facility located outside Holbrook in New South Wales. This latest advancement has left many wondering and intrigued by what lies ahead in the quest to preserve humanity and achieve longer life. Founded by Peter Tsolakides, Southern Cryonics provides an ethically dubious but interesting new choice for people curious about living forever.
Southern Cryonics has the capacity to store up to 40 bodies and at present has two individuals preserved in its facility. The remains are suspended in a tank of liquid nitrogen at -200 degrees centigrade. This chilling space makes it impossible to continue the decomposition process. Tsolakides and his team ensure the chambers contain a two-month supply of liquid nitrogen, with a maintenance person checking levels several times a week.
Subscription Model for Future Lifespan
The facility is subscription-based and has a base of 32 active “subscribers” that pay an annual fee of $350. The suspension procedure at Southern Cryonics is about $170,000. This large price weighs it down as it is quite a significant investment for anyone curious about experiencing cryonic preservation. Two years ago, 35 founding members invested between $50,000 and $70,000 each to establish the facility, demonstrating a growing interest in extending human life through unorthodox means.
As a teenager, Peter Tsolakides drew inspiration from Robert Ettinger’s seminal 1962 book, “The Prospect of Immortality.” He is an advocate for cryonics because he shares its transformational potential. He believes passionately that cryonics provides the exhilarating prospect of radically extending human lifespan. He stated, “Let’s say that it [cryonic revival] is possible but very unlikely — say it’s 10 percent possible.” He further added, “You got 10 percent possibility of living an extremely long life versus being buried underground or burned. Which one would you choose?”
The Science Behind Cryonics
Although cryonics provides an alluring hope, specialists say that the overwhelming hurdle lays within the actual freezing process. Dr. Saffron Bryant, an expert in the field, emphasizes that water within cells expands as it turns to ice, which can cause significant damage. She expressed skepticism regarding the current efficacy of whole-body cryopreservation, stating, “Unfortunately, the technology to freeze organs — or whole bodies — does not currently exist.”
Bryant pointed out that cryopreservation is currently restricted to the single cell level and uncomplicated tissues. As scientific advancements continue to evolve, the feasibility of successful cryonic procedures remains uncertain. Over 600 people around the world have received this radical procedure, showcasing the lasting allure with the idea.
Ethical Considerations and Future Prospects
The ethical considerations surrounding cryonics are complex. Many individuals are motivated to avoid traditional methods of body disposal, as outlined in their suspension agreement which states that families can either “dispose of the patient’s body by burial, cremation or transfer of the body to a responsible person.” This idea is consistent with some religious objections to autopsy practice that point out the need for such procedures could postpone preservation efforts.
I understand that cryonics does pose certain risks, and that any substantial failure would mean a massive disaster has struck the earth. He said, “It’s possible that something could go wrong, but it would mean a world disaster had occurred.”
With a burgeoning new push towards longevity and life-extension, Southern Cryonics is at the center of a strange but growing movement. Tsolakides remarks that “most of the people want to live very long lives, not necessarily be immortal. They’re also interested in seeing what the future is.”
