What is Cryogenics? December 4th, 2010

Background

Above is Helium that is constantly pumped into

the containers that store the cryopreserved humans.

Cryogenics has five main parts: Cryobiology, Cryonics, Cryoelectronics, Cryotronics, and Cryogenics.  I know what you are thinking, but no, they are not all the same thing.  Cryobiology is the study of the effects of low temperatures on organisms; Cryoelectronics is the field of research having to do with superconductivity at low temperatures.   Next up we have Cryotonics which is simply the application of Cryoelectronics, so it is the act of research regarding superconductivity at low temperatures.  Finally the base of them all, Cryogenics; the branch of physical science that involves the study of very low temperatures, and how certain materials preform in these subnormal temperatures. 

The Process

You might have heard of people being Cryogenically frozen after they are dead, so that they have a slight hope of coming back to life later on when they can “thaw them out”.  Well do you know how they are really frozen?  First off the entire process takes 3 to 4 days, and some of the things used to prep them for being frozen are liquid nitrogen, liquid hydrogen, and wait for it helium.  Yes I know the stuff you put in the balloons for your child’s birthday is also going into Cryogenics patients the day they die.  

All the chemicals work together to cause a chemical reaction which is then held constant when placed below 0⁰ Celsius.  That causes the chemical reaction to stay active until heated to above 0⁰ degrees Celsius so that it can warm up, and cause the chemical reaction to wear off.  The entire prep to freeze process takes 3-4 days.   

Chances of it Working

            The chances of Cryogenics working are slim to nothing, and even if it does you won’t be getting nearly what you gave up in return.  The chances of being brought back to life after being cryogenically frozen are a small .23%.  If it does work you will only be able to expand your lifespan by about 3%.  An average person lives until they are 75 years old, that’s only 2.25 more years.  Sure a little over two years is great but would you really pay around $100,000 for that?  You can read more about cryogenics and the hope of surviving it by clicking here.