Dicuss pros and cons of cryonics?

Answer 1

A frequent concern of people imagining waking up in the future after decades of being cryonically preserved is that there would be no friends or family. That problem does not exist for those who are able to assist with preserving family members or for families who are mostly in favor of having the whole family preserved. A significant portion of cryonics patients are parents of persons who have made arrangements to be preserved. Many a husband and wife have made arrangements together. As for friends, people who get involved in cryonics and make arrangements to be preserved often make friends of other cryonicists, and these new friendships often involve many mutual interests. On the other hand, there are many people who feel that they cannot live without certain friends and loved-ones who have absolutely no interest in cryonics (the vast majority of people have no interest in being preserved). Others feel that there are always new and interesting people to befriend.

Some people imagine that they would be old and sick or that it would be boring to live hundreds or thousands of years. Revival would not happen before before all diseases had been cured and people could be rejuvenated to the prime of life. Good health and youth will provide vitality for living. The future is likely to be exciting, just as new technologies make life increasingly interesting today. There will be new forms of entertainment, and space travel will provide new opportunities for exploration. But people bored with current life may not even respond to the opportunities of future life.

Some people fear that they will experience future shock, or be totally unable to adapt to a new and strange world. But if technology has advanced to the capability of reviving and rejuvenating cryonics patients, computer-education (virtual realities, etc) will also have advanced, providing fun and simplified means for people to learn all sorts of skills. Technology is aimed at making life easier, not harder, and that includes making technology easier to learn how to use. Even today, people moving from underdeveloped countries often appreciate the benefits of the wealth and technology that was missing from their old country. Fear of being unable to be gainfully employed may also be misplaced. If anyone can be gainfully employed in the future, technology may make it easier for anyone to learn how to become productive. It is likely that the trend will continue toward work shifting more towards human service type occupations.

Concerning overpopulation, with the tiny numbers of people interested in cryonics, it is unlikely that cryonics will be a significant contributer to population. Advanced technologies like fusion and solar power farms in space that microwave energy to earth could mean that energy production is far less polluting than it is today. Vast amounts of non-polluting energy could make food production more cheap and easy. There is vast amount of space on earth for more population. (Oceans have not begun to be inhabited.) Cheap energy could also make space more accessible, and there is ample room in the solar system for trillions upon trillions of people. Cheap non-polluting energy would mean there is nothing to fear from more population. And if each person is a producer rather than a consumer, greater population means that there are more people to contribute to the well-being of all mankind.

Answer 2

Pros: Cryonics offers a chance at potential future revival and medical advancements that may be able to cure the condition that led to death. It also provides a way for individuals to potentially preserve their memories, knowledge, and relationships.

Cons: Cryonics is not currently proven to be effective, there are ethical concerns surrounding the process, and it can be very expensive. Additionally, there is no guarantee that future technology will be able to revive individuals or that their quality of life upon revival would be desirable.