Frequently Asked Questions
Index - 1. General - 2. Technical - 3. Ethical - 4. Spiritual
5. Financial - 6. Membership - 7. Misinformed
See also Scientists' Cryonics FAQ
Index Page
Page 1 - General 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?
- Does cryonics have a reasonable chance of working?
- What do experts say?
- How much does cryonics cost?
- How many people are cryopreserved at Alcor?
- How many members are currently signed up with Alcor?
- Why haven't more people signed up for cryonics?
- Under what laws does Alcor operate?
- Can I be cryopreserved before I legally die?
- Why does Alcor sometimes get involved in litigation?
- 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?
- Isn’t the burden of proof on Alcor to show that cryonics will work?
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?
- Can I keep some of my financial assets after I’m cryopreserved?
- Why would Alcor’s Patient Care Trust and Alcor appointed Trust Advisors want to revive patients rather than keep long-term care funds?
- Can the Patient Care Trust fund research to revive patients?
- How independent is the Patient Care Trust Board from the Alcor Board?
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 an Associate Membership in Alcor?
- 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?
- Can Alcor provide enhanced safeguards for the privacy of the rich and famous?
- How old do I have to be to sign up 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"?
