Southern Cryonics director Peter Tsolakides (inset) has confirmed the research company has cryogenically frozen its second patient at its Holbrook site. Photos: Southern Cyronic.
Cryo-freezing – the process of preserving a dead body at low temperature with the hope of bringing it back to life years later – has been the subject of many sci-fi films, novels and conspiracy theories.
But now, the possibility of bringing someone back to life, far into the future, has led research company Southern Cryonics to recently cryo-freeze its second legally dead patient at a Holbrook site technically listed as a cemetery.
According to Southern Cryonics’ website, cryo suspension involves encasing the body and deep-cooling it to a vitrified state over several days.
“The body is placed head-downward in a stainless-steel vessel or ‘dewar’ designed especially for cryopreservation and long-term maintenance of a liquid-nitrogen storage environment in the dewar,” the website states.
”This environment can essentially prevent the deterioration of the tissues for centuries if necessary.”
Southern Cryonics founder and director Peter Tsolakides explained the science behind cryo-freezing and the possibility of it becoming a reality.
“Theories suggest that in 200 to 300 years, it may be possible,” he said.
“Chronic freezing is the suspension of someone after legal death, in very low temperatures, with the expectation that, in the future, medical science and technology and medicine will advance such that they can be brought back in a young, healthy body.
“At the cusp of the patient’s legal death, the patient is cooled down at various stages.
“Once the patient is legally deceased, it becomes a bit of a race against time because the quicker we cool a patient down or get them down to a reasonable temperature, the more chance that there’s very little deterioration or damage to the cells, particularly to the brain. We’re very interested in the brain.
“Following that, the patient is then taken to the facility in Holbrook.”
Mr Tsolakides said the Holbrook site had been chosen for its rural setting and proximity to Sydney and Melbourne.
“It’s midway between Sydney and Melbourne, so it gives us sort of almost 50 per cent of Australia’s population to work around,” he said.
“Secondly, it’s on a liquid nitrogen route. Being on the Hume Highway, we are able to deliver liquid nitrogen more effectively than if we were on King Street or Elizabeth Street in Sydney or Melbourne.
“Our most important thing that we need is liquid nitrogen for continual top-ups, and Holbrook is right in the middle of the three major providers.
“The local council was also extremely helpful with everything that we did there, so that was another factor in all this.
“A lot of things came together. We searched for about three or four years to find a location, but it has worked out pretty well.”
Mr Tsolakides admitted that while most people wouldn’t choose to live forever, there had been little to no protest against the research.
“In Australia, 99.5 per cent of the population will say, ‘Yeah, not a bad idea, but not for me’, and a small group will say, ‘Yes, it’s a good idea and it’s good for me’,” he said.
“In Australia, they’re fairly open to new ideas. Most people don’t want to live very long lives. I think it’s only 3 or 4 per cent of people that do, but those people who do are eager to see the future.”
