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The problem with human hibernation is that it is almost impossible to ethically test. What medical ethics board is going to approve a research project "put hea
by skissane 2y ago
The problem with human hibernation is that it is almost impossible to ethically test.
What medical ethics board is going to approve a research project "put healthy experimental subject in coma for 5 years, observe what they are like when they wake up?"
Reminds me of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_sleep_therapy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_sleep_therapy and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chelmsford_Royal_Commission https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chelmsford_Royal_Commission
I think this is an example of a technology which, if it is ever developed, is most likely to be developed by some kind of totalitarian regime which has no ethical qualms about human experimentation.
- zardo 2y agoThat's not really how hibernation works in mammals, they have to raise their body temperature and come out of hibernation every couple weeks, the leading theory is this is to (ironically) catch up on sleep. Inducing torpor would have major medical uses in surgical and emergency medicine, it's not just useful for passing the time.
- jaybrendansmith 2y agoHeinlein story time! Door into Summer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Door_into_Summer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Door_into_Summer Protagonist signs their life away for a 'cold sleep' that will allow them to wake up many years later. Tech is iffy. They do it because they are desperate, and the interest gained over time should make them rich (doesn't happen of course).
- sungho_ 2y agoPeople with incurable diseases or just strange individuals can volunteer for such experiments. After that, if they write about their experiences, it could be featured first on Hacker News.