Brain preservation | World of Nectome
Science fiction stories often bring to mind the world of Nectome – a futuristic startup that promises to preserve the user’s mind, creating a digital copy.
MIT Technology Review announced that Robert McIntyre, co-founder of the company, will be presenting their technology for preserving brains next week at the Y Combinator. This process would allow for unprecedented brain preservation through a high-tech embalming process.
How it would work
The company’s chemical solution can keep a body in good condition for centuries, perhaps millennia, without decaying like a frosted glass statue. Some scientists predict that by scanning the brain of an individual they can create an exact copy of their thoughts so as to recreate them. Once this is possible, an individual has the chance to live again.
You should keep in mind that the process will work only if the brain is fresh. The company has a plan to use a chemical mixture with a heart-lung device so it can inject its composition into the necks of people who are terminally ill. The procedure, as McIntyre points out, is “100% lethal” and is contemplated under California’s laws that allow for physician-assisted euthanasia.
Nectome has received a lot of federal funding and is using the expertise of an MIT scientist,Edward Boydden, who won a $80,000 science award.
However, the Nectome company’s data storage service is not yet available for sale and will probably take a few years to happen. They have no evidence that their method of finding memories in dead tissue is possible. In the meantime, they’re inviting those interested in their services to sign up on a waiting list with a $10,000 deposit. If someone changes their mind, they get a refund.
If you liked this article, then you might also enjoy this one.
Author: PC-GR
The World of Technology
