Preface
In 1967, American billionaire James Bedford underwent cryonics experiments after his death, becoming the first person in the world to be frozen.
In 2024, the frozen man will finally usher in the thaw after 50 years of sleep!
50 years have passed, can the light of science and technology penetrate the barrier of time and give him the miracle of rebirth?
"Frozen Man" Bedford
James Bedford grew up in a wealthy family and grew up in the best educational environment.
His tireless efforts and talent led him to become a professor at the University of California, Berkeley.
He has successfully published a number of far-reaching works and contributed to the development of psychology.
In addition to his academic achievements, he also had excellent business acumen and became a successful investor and entrepreneur, making him a well-known billionaire in the United States.
He had a happy married life and had children with his first wife, but his wife died young. Later, they married their second wife, Sarah, and raised five children together, and the family lived happily.
In 1965, he was unfortunately diagnosed with cancer, and the news came like a bolt from the blue, putting him in a serious threat to his life.
Driven by a desire for life and a vision for the future, he came into contact with and delved into cryonics technology, and decided to implement cryopreservation after his death.
In 1967, James Bedford died of illness, and his body was subsequently frozen at ultra-low temperatures, becoming the first person in the world to be cryopreserved.
The remains underwent a series of complex freezing treatments, were kept in liquid nitrogen tanks at minus 196°C, and were expected to be resuscitated at some point in the future.
But we all know that when human beings die, various organs of the body will gradually lose their original functions and go to failure.
Therefore, the best way to make cryonics more successful is to freeze immediately after death. At this point, the organs are not completely dysfunctional and resuscitation is more likely to occur after a few decades.
However, Bedford's death was unexpectedly hasty, resulting in the freezer being prepared for him not yet ready. In an urgent effort to protect his remains, Robert Nelson, president of the Cryonics Society, took swift steps to inject metformyl into Bedford's body.
Dimethyl sulfoxide is a compound that has a protective effect on long-term cold temperatures, but Bedford's brain is easily damaged by using this compound.
After the injection, his body was sent to Phoenix, Arizona, where it was stored for two years.
Soon, the $100,000 Bedford had left behind ran out, and his son and wife had to invest a lot of money in order to continue the project.
For this reason, his son also took Nelson to court, arguing that they were suspected of fraud. But in order to fulfill their father's wish for "resurrection", they did not choose to terminate the freeze in the end.
In 1997, Bedford's son transferred his father's body to Southern California and kept it in liquid nitrogen until 1982.
In May 1991, Bedford's body was meticulously transferred to a brand new storage facility, and a full and detailed assessment of Bedford's body was carried out.
The plan to implement the thaw and attempt the resurrection in 2017 was met with unexpected challenges at a critical moment, resulting in this important milestone having to be put on hold and the resurrection timeline being postponed.
Causes of freezing
Bedford was diagnosed with cancer in his later years and was facing the end of his life. In this case, he has a strong desire for the continuation of life.
In 1965, a team of researchers in the United States announced an important scientific achievement: they had developed an innovative facility designed to urgently freeze and store human and animal life in a short period of time.
This technology uses extreme low temperatures to ensure the safe preservation of organisms in a frozen state, and dreams of one day thawing and resurrecting these cryopreserved organisms, and even treating diseases that were once insurmountable.
Cryonics offers the possibility of reactivating frozen cells and reviving life after further development of technology.
For Bedford, this possibility is the last glimmer of hope he can hold on to before the end of his life.
Bedford believes that with the advancement of science and technology, future humans will have the ability to overcome terminal diseases such as cancer and resuscitate frozen human bodies.
At that time, cryonics technology was not yet mature, but it had already shown some potential. Bedford chose to be one of the first to try this technology because he had enough faith in the future of technology and wanted his life to continue.
Since James Bedford, cryonics has gradually gained traction, and others have opted for cryopreservation.
Was the trial successful?
In the process of Bedford's body being frozen, his body was also damaged to varying degrees, especially his brain, which was no longer able to regain consciousness.
In 2017, Alcor announced plans to thaw Professor Bedford's body, a news that quickly ignited global reverie and anticipation for the miracle of the resurrection.
However, as time went on, follow-up reports on the thaw process fell silent, and hopes were dashed.
Until June 2024, after more than five decades of freezing, his body was carefully thawed in Arizona, USA.
After 72 hours of meticulous thawing, scientists regret to announce that Professor Bedford's brain and body tissues have suffered severe damage due to prolonged freezing and a series of complex physiological changes, and can no longer support any form of life activity.
This result was obviously disappointing, but it was also expected. After all, from the moment Bedford was frozen, no one would be completely sure about his resurrection.
Moreover, at that time, cryonics technology was not well developed, and vitrification could not be realized, so the probability of resurrection was very low.
At present, cryonics technology is not perfect, and there are many technical problems that cannot be solved. Thawing results in almost total cell death, which is the biggest challenge in this experiment.
It is also difficult for them to regain consciousness, and even if humans are frozen immediately after death, the cranial nerves will stop working.
If the frozen person is finally able to wake up, the signals transmitted by his brain will also be deranged, and he may not be able to think normally in the end.
To this day, there is not a single study that proves that frozen people can be resurrected, and there is not a single successful case. Many people may have had the desire to come back from the dead, especially after the death of a loved one, hoping that a technology can save them.
But until now, this is still a good wish, and no one can be resurrected after death.
Nowadays, some people still believe that frozen people can be resurrected, but according to relevant scientific evidence, freezing cells may be successful, but freezing organisms of human size is still not possible.
The ultimate chapter of life, for human beings, is the irresistible covenant of death, which is like the oldest and most solemn natural law in the universe, ruthlessly weaving the final chapter of every life.
In this long and short journey, no one can be beyond it, whether it is a glorious emperor or an ordinary person, will eventually step into that eternal tranquility and become an indispensable link in the natural cycle.
Global Network - "Major Progress in the Field of Low Temperature! "Resurrection of frozen human brain tissue" has made a breakthrough in China》
epilogue
Professor Bedford's story is a profound reminder that courage and vision are indispensable beacons in the journey of scientific and technological innovation.
His dream may have been regarded as whimsical at the time, but it was this courage to break through the routine and explore the unknown that became an important force in promoting scientific and technological progress.
Although his experiments did not come to fruition, his curiosity and pursuit of the unknown world were like bright stars, illuminating the path of those who came after him.
His story teaches us that failure is not terrible, but the spirit of courage and unremitting exploration that matters.
Professor Bedford's experience is also a profound reminder that we should cherish every moment we have in front of us while pursuing the continuation of life.
The value of life lies not in its infinite length, but in how we spend it in a fulfilling and meaningful way.
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