US billionaires are taking a radical approach to cheating death. They are freezing their bodies in the hopes of reviving them in the future, according to Bloomberg. The trend has led lawyers to create "revival trusts". The reason? When the dead return to life, their wealth is still intact.
How does the freezing of bodies work?
The freezing of bodies, termed Cryonics, is a revolutionary science that preserves human bodies at extremely low temperatures, to keep them intact until future medical advancements can potentially revive and cure them. This innovative process, called vitrification, involves replacing the body's blood with a special solution to prevent ice crystal formation, which can damage cells and tissues. Once the body is frozen, it's stored in a specialised container filled with liquid nitrogen and cooled to a temperature of -196 degrees Celsius.
Can the bodies be revived?
Whether it is possible to revive someone who has undergone cryopreservation is a big question. Currently, medical science doesn't have the technology to reverse the process or repair the cellular damage that may occur, reports MSN. However, cryonics supporters believe that future breakthroughs in nanotechnology and regenerative medicine could make revival possible.
The Department of Anatomy at AIIMS Rajkot explains that future medical technology may advance to the point where it can repair the damage caused by the preservation process and the underlying causes of death. However, this is still uncertain.
Why freeze with no guarantee of waking up?
People go for cryonics because it offers a chance to extend one's life and see future advancements. They hope that terminal illnesses and ageing might one day be curable. The wealthy are drawn to cryonics because it offers a chance at immortality.
As of now, 5500 people have planned for cryogenic preservation, with 500 frozen bodies in storage.
Steve LeBel, a 76-year-old retired hospital executive from Michigan, wants to join the 500 people already frozen through cryonics, Bloomberg reported. He has spent a year searching for a trust model that will last centuries. He plans to put $100,000 into his revival trust, with the rest going to his family and foundation. He wants to ensure that there's enough money to pay for the resurrection process in the future. "I want to figure out a solution, otherwise I'll be in there with my fingers crossed, hoping there's money left over, 200 years from now, to pay for the resurrection process," Mr LeBel said.
However, George Bearup, a senior legal trust adviser at Greenleaf Trust, is sceptical about the prospect, saying he would "run the other direction". "How do you draft for something that could take place 1,000 years from now? Who knows what the rules will be?" he asked.
Billionaires like Jeff Bezos and Sam Altman have already invested hundreds of millions of dollars in companies working to defy death and ageing.
