Cryonics

HB

On the BBC news at present is a story about a 14 year old girl from the UK who has sadly died of cancer, but has chosen to be cryogenically preserved in the US in the hope that in the distant future, science will find a way to cure the cancer and resuscitate her frozen body.

See: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-38012267

The chances of this technique ever becoming a practical reality are very remote at present and it would take major breakthroughs in technology. However, the professor in charge of tissue banking at the University of Bristol, says that although there is little chance of it happening based on current knowledge, he believes "you can never say never in science".

Hypothetically, if in the future, science does manage to 'resurrect' bodies from a frozen state, without brain damage or other physical problems, so the person could live again with the same personality and memories as before, how would religious believers deal with the issue?

Christians who believe the soul goes to Heaven (or hell?) after death would presumably have some complex theological questions to tackle, but I'm not sure how JWs would react?

LoveUniHateExams

Good OP, HB.

I read this interesting article earlier today.

I think this 14 year old girl was very sharp and has made a good decision.

I hope science can somehow revive her in the future.

Phizzy

I hope so too, just because we cannot believe it to be possible at present means absolutely nothing.

In my youth, in the 1950's,I would not have believed possible loads of fantastic things that have actually happened !

And yes, HB, if it does happen the religious types will shit themselves !

sir82

Well, so long as there are no power failures for the next 300-400 years, it just might happen.

smiddy

How much would this cost in $$$$$ ? I just couldnt see how anybody could afford to keep such a project like this going even if you were a Billionaire .

I read this article about this young girl and I could certainly synpathise with her.

very sad

prologos

LUHE: "I think this 14 year old girl was very sharp and has made a good decision.

Yeah, with that kind of a resurrection, she would out-fox wt's scenario. she would come out with ovaries intact, reproducing-ready, unlike a wt resurrectee, sex-free.

That said, freezing her brain and ovi would probably be enough, because by the time that biotechnology is here, to undo freezing damage-etc- ,conceivably humans can be reconstructed from DNA, and the mind from the brain. or?

Vidiot

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Budujzflmy4