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Can you freeze your body and come back to life? - Shannon N. Tessier

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TEDEd Animation

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In 1967, James Bedford had a plan to cheat death. He was the first person to be cryogenically frozen. This process promised to preserve his body until a theoretical future when humanity could cure any illness, and essentially, reverse death. So is it possible to freeze a human, preserve them indefinitely, and then thaw them out? Shannon N. Tessier explores the challenges of human cryopreservation.

Why are human cells sensitive to cold temperatures, fragile to ice crystals, and/or susceptible to high concentrations of cryoprotectant agents?

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TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Shannon N. Tessier
  • Director Gavin Edwards, Movult
  • Narrator Pen-Pen Chen
  • Music Stephen LaRosa
  • Sound Designer Stephen LaRosa
  • Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
  • Senior Producer Anna Bechtol
  • Associate Producer Sazia Afrin
  • Editorial Director Alex Rosenthal
  • Senior Editorial Producer Dan Kwartler
  • Fact-Checker Charles Wallace

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