5 ms·

Biggest problem of cryonics is to know if that extensive damage made by extreme cold is reversible, even with the most advanced tech. Another problem is the lac

by xvilka 4y ago

Biggest problem of cryonics is to know if that extensive damage made by extreme cold is reversible, even with the most advanced tech. Another problem is the lack of guarantees that 100 years later the same company would care about frozen people at all, likely will not even exist itself - on average companies don't live so long.

tryfinally 4y ago
> Another problem is the lack of guarantees that 100 years later the same company would care about frozen people at all It’s not like they’re likely to change their business model to online advertisement. And assuming the tech actually becomes available, what do you think the future post-singularity post-scarcity society will do? Keep them old-timer heads frozen out of spite? Either way, it’s a matter of probability. 0.000000001% of survival is a lot more than 0%. By the looks of it there’s a lot of Everett branches out there, too. It seems worth a shot to some people.
- water-your-self 4y ago
  Honestly id wager that being "green boots"" is a much more practical way to convince a "post scarcity" society to thaw you
- schwartzworld 4y ago
  In many countries, including America, there is already hysteria around the idea of having to share resources with people who are perceived as not belonging or deserving it, usually based around arbitrary criteria like color of skin or country of origin. For me, it's not a stretch to imagine Americans not wanting frozen pheezers to come and "steal" jobs or housing. I can just imagine the anger around the resources spent to acclimate these people. Anybody from 100 years ago is going to require a lot of help to reintegrate, including vocational training, language classes and subsidized housing. We can't even agree on providing meals in school for starving children.
jaclaz 4y ago
>Another problem is the lack of guarantees that 100 years later the same company would care ... Only as a curiosity, I always wondered how the payments are arranged with such a company. I mean, is it a lump sum paid at the time of the freezing or is it monthly (or yearly) subscription fees? If the first, the risk might be that once the company has made enough money, it simply folds, with the second, who is going to pay the subscription, heirs, but then they could change their mind or die themselves, or spend the money on something else. Probably there should be a trust, or an escrow service of some kind (which BTW might have the same 100 years duration issue), but even in this case, how do you calculate the amount of money needed on it, will the money be invested in such a manner to compensate for inflation, what would happen in case of a financial crisis, etc.
- yellowapple 4y ago
  > I mean, is it a lump sum paid at the time of the freezing or is it monthly (or yearly) subscription fees? Per Alcor's website, it's a monthly membership fee while you're alive (rate depending on your age when you sign up) plus listing Alcor as your beneficiary on your life insurance policy.
  - jaclaz 4y ago
    Thanks, I just checked their website, and also one of the competitors (Cryonics Institute), the "alive subscription" seems like being secundary, the main part seems to be a lump sum at time of death (directly or through life insurance). No idea if those two offer exactly the same service, but surely the cited prices are very different: - Alcor 200,000 full body or 80,000 head only - Cryonics between 28,000 and 35,000 full body This latter even puts the other prices in their FAQ, to show how convenient is their offer.

by xvilka 4y ago

tryfinally 4y ago

> Another problem is the lack of guarantees that 100 years later the same company would care about frozen people at all It’s not like they’re likely to change their business model to online advertisement. And assuming the tech actually becomes available, what do you think the future post-singularity post-scarcity society will do? Keep them old-timer heads frozen out of spite? Either way, it’s a matter of probability. 0.000000001% of survival is a lot more than 0%. By the looks of it there’s a lot of Everett branches out there, too. It seems worth a shot to some people.

water-your-self 4y ago
Honestly id wager that being "green boots"" is a much more practical way to convince a "post scarcity" society to thaw you
schwartzworld 4y ago
In many countries, including America, there is already hysteria around the idea of having to share resources with people who are perceived as not belonging or deserving it, usually based around arbitrary criteria like color of skin or country of origin. For me, it's not a stretch to imagine Americans not wanting frozen pheezers to come and "steal" jobs or housing. I can just imagine the anger around the resources spent to acclimate these people. Anybody from 100 years ago is going to require a lot of help to reintegrate, including vocational training, language classes and subsidized housing. We can't even agree on providing meals in school for starving children.

jaclaz 4y ago

>Another problem is the lack of guarantees that 100 years later the same company would care ... Only as a curiosity, I always wondered how the payments are arranged with such a company. I mean, is it a lump sum paid at the time of the freezing or is it monthly (or yearly) subscription fees? If the first, the risk might be that once the company has made enough money, it simply folds, with the second, who is going to pay the subscription, heirs, but then they could change their mind or die themselves, or spend the money on something else. Probably there should be a trust, or an escrow service of some kind (which BTW might have the same 100 years duration issue), but even in this case, how do you calculate the amount of money needed on it, will the money be invested in such a manner to compensate for inflation, what would happen in case of a financial crisis, etc.

yellowapple 4y ago
> I mean, is it a lump sum paid at the time of the freezing or is it monthly (or yearly) subscription fees? Per Alcor's website, it's a monthly membership fee while you're alive (rate depending on your age when you sign up) plus listing Alcor as your beneficiary on your life insurance policy.
- jaclaz 4y ago
  Thanks, I just checked their website, and also one of the competitors (Cryonics Institute), the "alive subscription" seems like being secundary, the main part seems to be a lump sum at time of death (directly or through life insurance). No idea if those two offer exactly the same service, but surely the cited prices are very different: - Alcor 200,000 full body or 80,000 head only - Cryonics between 28,000 and 35,000 full body This latter even puts the other prices in their FAQ, to show how convenient is their offer.