Question for Athiests: As a fellow Athiest, I dont see the appeal of dying, so why choose death over cryonics

"Cryonics" is the correct term for preservation of legally dead humans in anticipation that future science can cure their diseases, rejuvenate them to the prime of life and fix any damage caused in the process of cryopreservation. "Cryogenics" is low temperature physics. Those who use the word "cryogenics" to refer to "cryonics" are people who have not seriously investigated the subject.

Cryonics has been not been proven to work because it is dependent upon future technology to work. The real question for someone seriously evaluating the value of cryonics is whether the necessary future technology is likely to exist. That technology must involve molecular-level repair of damaged molecules or wholesale replacement of tissues with new tissues. Nanotechnology (or nanomedicine) and biochemistry are moving in the direction of increased capacity for molecular level repair, and stem cells seem promising for tissue regeneration.

Legal death is typically pronounced when the heart stops. But stoppage of the heart is not the same as all of the tissues in the body being dead. The process of decomposition takes days. If the body can be quickly cooled after pronouncement of death, and blood replaced with an antifreeze solution before cooling to liquid nitrogen temperature, then the basis of consciousness (the brain) can be retained for future molecular repair and rejuvenation.

Cryonics is not a "final solution" against death, any more than penicillin, kidney transplant or seat belts. Cryonics can make a very great difference in lifespan (if it works), much moreso than almost any medical procedure. But cryonics cannot prevent death from nuclear war, drowning while lost at sea, dying in an airplane accident or being trapped in the World Trade Center on 9/11. Things that destroy your body will kill you in a way that cryonics cannot hope to deal with. Once you have been buried for a few weeks or cremated, cryonics is not going to be of any use.

Science offers much evidence that cryonics is plausible, but future technology can never be proven. Cryonics can be an attractive alternative to burial or cremation, but if being alive is the goal, cryonics is the last resort (although it definitely helps to make plans ahead of time). As many of the previous answers show, being alive does not have great appeal to many people, including atheists, who apparently only remain alive in passive continuation of their current condition. Such people will not be candidates for cryonics, but they will generally accept existing life-saving medicines. On the other hand, there are theists who are eager to make the most out of life on earth who eagerly seek all available options to extend their lives, and in some cases this includes cryonics.

I'm having a lot of trouble coming up with a single explanation for this. Here is my take on it.

First, people are afraid of being old. Living to 150 or 200 years is not a great idea if the last 50 years are not spent comfortably, in an engaging environment.

... A Cryonicist knows that any technology sufficiently advanced to "fix" death will be able to "fix" aging.

Second, Cryonics arrangements require a person to accept that their life is finite and will end. i.e. Life insurance is a hard sell to a healthy person.

Finally it requires both detachment and logic to choose the small chance that Cryonics might work over 0% chance of spontaneously coming back to life.

I am signed, sealed, notarized and good to go with Cryonics. So, unfortunately, I can't really answer your question.

I would put forth the thought that alot of folks might be in the position I was when it was first suggested to me. It sounds so Star Trek silly as most nanotech strides aren't heralded by the media. Once I sat down and looked into the science that was current and breaking on it, I made up my mind.

Note to Acid Zebra, actually no..it is not cryogenics. It is cryonics.

Cryonics is not currently at a point where it is possible. The methods used now do too much damage to tissue for the process to be reversible. Some people just don't fear the idea of death as much as others. People who lack the emotional strength to deal with the reality of dying are living in a self-imposed delusion. You don't have have to want to die to be comfortable with it. An obsession like you are talking about is either going to be dealt with irrationally by religion or as irrationally by people who will spend their whole life running from death. With that kind of fear, even if you got to be 900 years old you would have to be as mind-numbingly obsessed as you were when you were 20. What a waste.

Hahaha I'm not an atheist but I think I can answer your question.

Go read Battle Angel Alita: The Last Order.

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Okay okay, I'll tell ya...

Then there would be no need for children.

In fact it would be forbidden to have a child.

If there are any children, they would be use in blood sports. (example: in the last order, kids are use for entertainment in zones where they are fighting to get a flag in hopes of getting to their parents which is a lie of course)

And you can guess, that means kids won't have rights anymore. Some even think the kids as meat (In The last order).

Oh, I'm talking about the extending your lifespan part but not cryonics.

Naw, I'm going to have someone inject my DNA into a fertilized egg, to create a genetic clone of myself. The clone won't have my memories or anything, but pfft, it's better than having a child (only approximately 50% of my DNA). I still haven't thought out the details (like who's going to carry my clone for 9 months?).

when I die, i'm hoping my organs survive in somebody else. different than that i will probable basically rot. something greater desirable than that would basically be an advantage. the fee i discover in residing exists interior this international, and the shown fact that it's going to sometime end does not shrink that elegance.

I'm with you. If I can remain alive, I will.

Personally, I'm wondering if I can pass my consciousness into another vessel. You know, download all my experiences and personality into a biological computer. Get some stem cells, build a brain, and download into it. Later transfer it into a clone of my body.

I think you will soon become a theist.You appear to have an irrational fear of death and oblivion.This is classic theist crap.Personally,I see no appeal in living forever.Would kind of take the excitement away.I do not believe you are an atheist.Your rant is entirely too similar to the fears of oblivion theists carry

Cryonics is a possibility, sure, why not? Too bad its still irreversible, and they sometimes screw it up - bad!... like shatter your head to pieces.

Once I'm dead... if there is a possibility of coming back, why not?