Cryopreservation...Han Solo's carbonite freezing by Darth Vader has become deeply enmeshed in geek culture: there are carbonite candy bars, carbonite Lego reproductions and carbonite computer cases.
But is something like this possible? The still-nascent practice of cryonics is trying to make it reality. Even though cryonics is merely a theory, and a highly experimental one at that, about 150 people have been cryogenically preserved--in hopes that they can be resuscitated in the future when medical science has advanced sufficiently.
The two major cryonics providers are the Alcor Life Extension Foundation in Arizona and the Cryonics Institute in Michigan. Fees range from around $10,000 to $150,000, but the concept remains the same: at death, a team of specialists perform something resembling a mortuary procedure that substitutes cryoprotectant chemicals for embalming fluid. Then it's a deep freeze at -200 Celsius (about -328 Fahrenheit).
Whether a cryopreserved body can be restored likely depends on how much degradation happens immediately after death, the effectiveness of cryoprotectants, and the state of technology. But even if there's a 1-in-1,000 chance of it working, it's probably better than the certainty of death.
Photo by Lucasfilm
