The ultra-wealthy are investing in cryogenic freezing, hoping future science

can bring them back to life. Around 500 people have already been preserved this way, with 5,500 more planning to do so.

Cryonics, the practice of freezing bodies at ultra-low temperatures, was first

proposed by Robert Ettinger in 1962. He drew inspiration from French biologist

Jean Rostand and science fiction. James Hiram Bedford, a psychology professor,

was the first to undergo cryonic preservation in 1967 after dying from cancer,

marking the beginning of cryonics as a method to potentially defeat death.

Cryonics works by preserving bodies at extremely low temperatures after legal death,

with the hope of revival when medical science advances. Cryonics differs from accidental

preservation, like those who survive falling into icy lakes, because it aims to keep

the body in suspended animation by preserving brain activity, not simply halting bodily functions.

When someone undergoes cryonics, their body is first stabilized to prevent cellular damage,

then stored in a cryogenic chamber. The process uses cryoprotectants to replace water in

cells, preventing ice formation and preserving the body in a suspended, glass-like state.

This process holds the hope that future science will one day enable revival.