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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.

Can you think of any living systems that are preserved in hospitals and used for patients? Why is it necessary to preserve it before use? How does preservation of that system make it more easily and readily available to patients?

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About TED-Ed Animations

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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