As of today, cryonics companies are preserving between 600 and 700 people in liquid nitrogen, maintaining their bodies at temperatures close to −196°C (−321°F). These individuals have been legally declared dead but are stored in specialized facilities with the hope that advances in medicine, nanotechnology, and biotechnology will one day be able to repair the damage that caused their deaths—and revive them.
Beyond those already frozen, more than 5,000 people have signed up for cryopreservation, along with hundreds of pets, who are also being preserved in the hope of future resurrection. For many, the decision is deeply personal, driven by fear of death, curiosity about the future, or a belief that science has not yet reached its full potential.
The cost of cryonics is steep. Full-body preservation typically costs around $200,000, while neurocryopreservation—where only the brain or head is stored—can cost significantly less. Many participants fund the process through life insurance policies, naming the cryonics organization as the beneficiary.
Cryonics remains controversial within the scientific community. Critics argue that there is currently no proven method to revive a cryopreserved human, and that freezing causes cellular damage that may never be reversible. Supporters counter that many medical procedures once thought impossible—such as organ transplants or resuscitation after cardiac arrest—are now routine, and that preserving the body gives at least a chance, however small, compared to burial or cremation.
In a world driven by short-term gains and immediate results, this small but growing group of people is making a radical choice: quietly investing in the possibility of a second life. Whether cryonics will ever fulfill its promise remains unknown—but for those on ice, the future is the only hope they need.
