Chilling Out - The Science of Cryogenics
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This week, we're chilling out in the world of cryogenics, the science of the super-cold. We'll find out what happens to living tissue when it freezes, and how we can use low temperatures to keep organs, and maybe even one day whole bodies, in suspended animation. We also talk to the company behind an attractive new design of super-efficient fridge that runs on magnetism. In the news we hear how computer gamers have contributed to a breakthrough in HIV, why humans are programmed for overconfidence, and how the nervous system controls the immune system. Plus, we ask, is modern medicine altering the human gene pool?
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Has any living organism ever been recovered back to life after freezing? What are the current problems we are facing in order to make this a reality?
Can fish and frogs that naturally freeze give us some clues for freezing human organs?
Can you mix water with something to stop it expanding when it freezes?
Why don't natural anti-freezes cause problems in animals that use them?
Why can some plants resist freezing and others can't?
Will it ever be possible to revive a cryopreserved human?
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