Frequently Asked Questions
Index Page

Page 1 - Basic Questions

• What is Cryonics?
• Has anyone ever been revived?
• Aren't cryonics patients dead?
• How soon after the heart stops must cryonics begin?
• Isn't the preservation process fatal?
• When will patients be revived?
• Who will revive the patients?
• What about aging and disease?
• If cryonics works for me, won't all my friends and relatives be dead?
• What is the evidence?
• Is cryonics guaranteed to work?
• How might cryonics fail?
• What do experts say?
• How much does cryonics cost?
• How many members are currently signed up with Alcor?
• How many people are cryopreserved at Alcor?
• Under what laws does Alcor operate?
• Can I be cryopreserved before I legally die?
• Why did you choose the name Alcor?

Page 2 - Technical Questions

• What are nanotechnology and nanomedicine?
• Won't memories be lost if brain electrical activity stops?
• Doesn't the brain die after 4 to 6 minutes without oxygen?
• What is "brain death" and why is cryonics less likely to work for patients declared legally brain dead?
• What is a cryoprotectant?
• How is cryoprotectant administered?
• How do cryoprotectants protect cells?
• What is vitrification?
• Why so cold?
• What is a Bigfoot Dewar?
• Will a cryopreserved patient be exposed to background radiation?
• What about fracturing?
• What is neuropreservation?
• Will bodies be replaced by cloning?
• Why isn't vitrification reversible now?
• Has an animal ever been cryopreserved and revived?
• Why not chemical fixation instead of cryopreservation?
• Where can I learn more about cryobiology?
• How can I prepare for a career in cryonics?

Page 3 - Moral and Ethical Questions

• Is there a moral argument for unfixed life spans?
• Is there a moral argument for cryonics?
• Is it moral to extend only the life of the rich?
• Is it moral to extend life when the resources could be used to help the underprivileged of the world?
• Is it moral to extend the life of the aged?
• Is it moral to deprive children of their inheritance?
• Is it ethical to profiteer by selling false hope?
• Is it moral to oppose cryonics?

Page 4 - Spiritual Questions

• What happens to the soul?
• But doesn't the soul depart at death?
• When does the soul depart?
• What is the Christian view of cryonics?
• Will cryonics make people immortal?
• Why do some futurists speak of "immortality"?
• Is cryonics a religion?

Page 5 - Financial Questions

• Why does cryonics cost so much?
• Is cryonics only for the rich?
• Why can't Alcor just bill for the service like a hospital does?
• How will the cost of resuscitation be met?

Page 6 - Membership Questions

• Why should I join Alcor when I'm young and healthy?
• What are the fees associated with becoming an Alcor member?
• Will insurance companies allow Alcor to be the beneficiary of my policy?
• What is a Lifetime Membership?
• Can Alcor cryopreserve me prior to legal death?
• Does it matter how quickly Alcor gets to me after cardiac arrest?
• What is a "standby", and do I need one?
• How will people know I am an Alcor member in an emergency?
• Is there a time limit beyond which cryonics will not work?
• What can I do to optimize my chances of being cryopreserved under good conditions?
• What if it is impossible to cryopreserve me?
• How will Alcor sustain itself for the duration of my cryopreservation?
• How will Alcor remain organizationally stable for the duration of my cryopreservation?
• Does Alcor cryopreserve pets?
• Is it possible to place some of my personal effects into storage with Alcor?
• Is cryonics illegal in Canada?
• Why choose Alcor?
• Can I visit Alcor?

Page 7 - Misinformed Questions

• Doesn't ice burst cells like water freezing in a bottle?
• Don't ice crystals spear cells?
• What if the electric power fails?
• What if I want to grow old?
• What about overpopulation?
• What would the future want with people from today?
• Does Alcor collect "DNA samples" from patients?
• Does Alcor "mishandle remains"?