Suspended Animation?

Mundane Pointless Stuff I Must Share (MPSIMS)
#1

If you had an option of suspended animation/dormancy to not count against your allotted years of life, would you avail yourself?

I know many would for medical issues, but would there also be a desire for perceived rest periods, or to see certain time periods of the future? Assume financial, legal and reentry issues are accounted for. If so, how long, how many times, when?

Apologies if this has been discussed here before. I could only think of searching suspended animation and didn’t see anything related to the question.

#2

I think you should re-phrase your question, as it seems a tad unclear.

#3

I would like to sleep for about 7 billion years, and wake to watch the sun expand to engulf the earth.

Or if there is some massive planet destroying disaster before that (you know, a massive asteroid collision or some such), please wake me earlier.

I am doubtful, however, that my requests would be considered a priority by people 7 billion years in the future.

#4

I seem to recall movies or stories regarding people with untreatable diseases, being put in a state of suspended animation until a time when science can likely cure the particular disease. Fortunately for me, I don’t have any medical issue that would apply, but if we were able to do this, would I consider suspending X number of years with the hope of awakening in a time when life expectancy might be 150 or 200 healthy years? Would I consider it just to satisfy curiosity about the future? Are there any other reasons why one would consider such a thing?

As an example, if one was born in the year 2000 with a lifespan of 100 years, one could choose to “sleep” at the age of 50 for 10 years, extending life until 2110, instead of 2100. Or “sleep” at the age of 30 for 500 years, living until the year 2600.

I do have some curiosity (though not a lot of optimism) about the future of life and our world. The questions that interest me are; If I could, would I? If so, at what stage of life would I select and for how long? Don’t have too many stages left to choose from, though :frowning: Would I consider more than once (if it were an option) and/or how far in the future would I dare, especially considering Boyo Jim’s response? :eek:

#5

Not me.

Society would have changed so much, I’d go crazy trying to adjust.

#6

End up like Mary in Transmetropolitan. Or, if they saved the whole body instead of just the head, us corpisicles will be sent to the organ banks, or perhaps harvested to feed the hungry masses of Malthus IV.

No thank you. I am alive now, and am very accustomed to it.

#7

If I could take my family with me, sure, I’d love to jump, say, 50 years into the future.

#8

No. Except for my husband, I’ve already outlived my entire family. I miss them. I would miss them in 10,000 years as well.

#9

Sure, every hundred years or so just to see where we are going. Curiosity is a normal human condition.

#10

One significant risk is that they might not decide to reanimate you. If civilization goes to Hell in a handbasket, why bother reanimating yet another mouth to feed who would probably not have many useful skills for that time?