The concepts of transhumanism and the search for immortality will quickly present you with different paths to explore, including the development of regenerative therapies, the incorporation of cybernetic components as direct replacements for biological parts, and of course, the transfer of the mind to a digital space. That brings us to the doors of a new startup called Nectome, which is offering the possibility of preserving brains until it becomes possible to extract the content and store it in a futuristic cloud. Of course… there is a small detail: You must die.
If there is one conclusion we can draw after observing several companies in Silicon Valley and their main representatives, it is that mortality has gone out of fashion. Projects focused on life extension and experimental treatments have multiplied, and it is a trend that will surely continue. Even Elon Musk himself is trying to reduce the distance between the human brain and computers with his company Neuralink, but today we have something different: a complete physical backup of the human brain.
The Fatal Process
The company Nectome, which has received funding from the accelerator Y Combinator, has as its main service the conservation of brains using a complex mixture of chemicals that transforms it into a statue of “frozen glass”, a hybrid between the flashy cryonics and the old method of embalming. The brain will be left in such a state that future scientists will probably be able to record every synapse and dump the contents into a very realistic simulation. Those who prefer to store their brains to install them in an alternative body might have better luck with the technique of the Alcor foundation, but there is something more in Nectome’s proposal, an asterisk that no one can ignore.
The process is 100 percent fatal. In other words, the startup’s offer is equivalent to assisted suicide. For all this to work, the brain must be “fresh”, meaning they need to inject their chemicals through the carotid arteries while the patient gives up their life under general anesthesia. Nectome has been in contact with several lawyers to verify the compatibility of its service with the “End of Life Option Act” that exists in California since two years ago, and they believe there will be no legal problems. In fact, they already have a waiting list that anyone can join, with a deposit of $10,000.
