Cryogenic freezing, or cryonics, involves preserving human bodies at extremely low temperatures in hopes that future advancements in science can revive them. The process was first proposed by Robert Ettinger in his 1962 book, The Prospect of Immortality, and the first person to undergo cryonic preservation was James Bedford in 1967.
Cryonics works by cooling a body to a temperature where metabolic processes are halted, using a process called vitrification to avoid ice crystal formation inside cells, which would cause irreversible damage. The body is preserved in liquid nitrogen at -196°C. The idea is that future medical breakthroughs, possibly in nanotechnology and regenerative medicine, could reverse the damage and cure the diseases that led to death.
Despite being controversial and unproven, over 5,500 people have signed up for cryonics, including many wealthy individuals, who see it as an investment in future revival. However, the success of cryonics is speculative, as science currently cannot reverse the preservation process or repair the damage from freezing.
Famous figures, like baseball legend Ted Williams, have also been preserved cryonically, raising ethical and legal questions. While the future of cryonics remains uncertain, it symbolizes humanity’s quest to conquer death and achieve immortality.