Cryonics

Cryonics is the practice of cryopreserving people or animals (usually in liquid nitrogen) with the hope that future technology may be able to restore them back to life. Cryonics is controversial and it is not known whether or not preserved human bodies can eventually be revived.

History
Attempts to preserve human bodies in liquid nitrogen began in the 1960s. Many of the early cryonics organizations failed. The Cryonics Society of California preserved nine bodies in an underground vault at a cemetery, all of which were thawed due to a vacuum pump failure. Another early cryonics organization, the Cryonics Society of New York, depended on friends and family of cryopatients to make regular payments. Most people quickly stopped making payments, and most of the cryonics patients of the 1960s and 1970s thawed out. One survivor is James Bedford who is currently stored at the Alcor Life Extension Foundation.

Alcor was founded in 1972 and the Cryonics Institute was founded in 1976. Both organizations have investments to ensure long-term survival. KrioRus was founded in 2005 and Tomorrow Biostasis was founded in 2019.

Procedures
Bodies are usually vitrified before being preserved. Cryoprotectants are added to prevent ice crystals from forming.