I stumbled upon an article in the Washington Post’s small business section about a quirky venture, titled ‘A start-up says it can back up your brain. However, there’s one small catch.’ 🌟
And that little catch? You have to be dead for it to work. 💀
The idea of cryopreserving people has been floating around ever since James Harrison came up with the ether-based vapor compression refrigerator. 🙌 Although it wasn’t as easy as making a freezer, thanks to relentless efforts, the Alcor Life Extension Foundation in Arizona was established in 1972 to offer the service. 🧊
Even the head of Ted Williams, the legendary hitter from the Red Sox, is stored there. It became a huge topic when rumors spread that employees played around with it. Apparently, this happened because the family failed to pay the storage fees, earning the foundation’s displeasure. Still, cracking a skull as a prank seems a bit too much, don’t you think? 🤔 I mean, calling a wrench hit a ‘prank’ is questionable. But really, the foundation couldn’t just dispose of the head for unpaid fees, could they? 🤷♂️
The article mentions that a start-up called Nectome claims it can do the job way more precisely than existing cryopreservation companies, even preserving the mind. 🧠✨ The trick? Unlike others, Nectome performs chemical preservation while the person is still alive and immediately after, induces death for freshness. They liken it to physician-assisted euthanasia, but it feels more like a wrongfully executed prisoner, doesn’t it? 🚨 Though they’re prepping for business, so actual ‘customers’ are still a distant story. ⏳
As absurd as it sounds, these businesses are surprisingly low-risk since they’re not reviving people – just preserving them until defrosting and revival tech becomes mainstream. It’s like running a storage facility for onions over winter… 🧅 Just occasionally inform customers it’s not time yet, and you can comfortably earn till doomsday by simply managing the power of the cryo-chamber – undoubtedly more complex than a freezer. Any risk from premature revival lies with the customer and revival company. 🧊💡
Regardless of the tech prowess, giving up what’s left of your life – even just a few days – for uncertain rebirth doesn’t sound appealing. Yet, it’s baffling how many are funding this. Still, imagining Ted Williams waking up to hear of the Red Sox’s 2004 victory is kinda amusing. 🎉 He might grumble, ‘But why’s there a crack in my head?’ though. 🤔
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