The idea of living forever is something that several experts have been working to achieve. In fact, just last week, a former engineer from Google claimed that humanity may reach immortality by 2030 through nanobots that reverse age.
This concept may sound like something out of a sci-fi movie, but there are also other possibilities that scientists have been looking into. Here are some technologies that are at the forefront of this pursuit.
Brain Freezing
Per MailOnline, there are certain businesses that offer people the chance to get their brains frozen before they pass away. These efforts are done in the hopes that the people with frozen brains may be revived at some point in the future.
In fact, 91 human patients are being kept at -196 degrees Celcius in one of these firms, KrioRus, a Russian cryonics company. Such temperature levels are low enough to preserve the state of a body and stop cellular activity until temperatures are increased and the body defrosts.
The patients' brains and full bodies float over liquid nitrogen. They are kept in a metal shed that is corrugated.
This cryogenic preservation costs over $28,000. This is done in hopes that future advancements in technology, such as the capacity to cure any sickness or death, will enable the person's revival,
The company also keeps pets. At present, it has stored around 58 cats, dogs, hamsters, birds, chinchillas, and rabbits.
Another company in Arizona known as Alcor Life Extension Foundation has also had 199 patients as of October 2022.
Alcor CEO Max More says that the first thing to do would be to drain the body from blood and other fluids. The body is then pumped with substances for anti-freezing to stop the cells from crystallizing and getting damaged as it gets frozen.
The youngest patient at Alcor is a two-year-old Thai girl who died due to brain cancer. Her family is hopeful for a reunion with her in the future.
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Cloud Human
There are also other companies, such as the US-based Nectome, that have been trying to come up with ways to preserve the human brain so that memories may be stored in the cloud.
According to an MIT Technology Review, Nectome has discovered ways to preserve the brain in intricate microscopical detail. This is done through embalming procedures that are remarkably high-tech. It utilized a chemical solution that may preserve the body and keep it intact for hundreds or thousands of years. The body remains stored as a frozen glass statue.
Robert McIntyre, the co-founder of Nectome, says that what they do is a "fancy form of embalming" that does not just keep the external details but also the internal ones.
To recreate the consciousness of a person, the "connectome" should be accessed. This connectome is an intricate neural connection web within the brain. It is usually referred to as the wiring system of the brain.
Nectome has also discovered ways to embalm this connectome. However, in order to enable the technology, participants may need to be euthanized. Because of this, the company lost its contract with MIT in 2018.
MIT reportedly claimed that this technology is still premature and that there is no assurance that Nectome can successfully make consciousness.
Stem Cell Technology
Cell regeneration via stem cell technology is also a possibility. Unlike other cells, stem cells are quite unique due to their capacity to differentiate various body cells. When they get injected into the body, they can link up with damaged tissues and help with their regeneration and repair.
This technology has seen remarkable breakthroughs, such as the regeneration of lost blood vessels and heart muscles in rats who had damaged hearts.
Dr. Steven Cohen, an owner of various wellness clinics across London and California, claims that stem cell technology could be vital in lengthening the human life span up to 150 years.
His technology covers injecting exosomes into people. These exosomes are tiny vesicles that stem cells naturally produce. The aim is that these exosomes, which are full of nucleic acids, lipids, and other vital components, may enter the organs and help with their de-aging. This, in turn, may enable a longer life span.
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