The early dream: freezing time

The idea of freezing people to cheat death has fascinated writers and dreamers for centuries. From ancient myths about eternal sleep to early science fiction, the notion of pausing life has long captured the imagination.

But cryonics as we know it today emerged in the 1960s, when science, philosophy, and daring optimism collided.

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Robert Ettinger: the father of cryonics

In 1962, Robert Ettinger, a physics professor from Michigan, published The Prospect of Immortality — a book that laid out the basic concept of cryonics:

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“We now have the technological means to preserve the dead. Why not do it, if there is even a chance we could revive them in the future?”

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Ettinger argued that death was a technical problem — one that future medicine might solve if bodies were preserved properly.

His ideas inspired the formation of the first cryonics societies and would soon lead to real-world attempts at preservation.

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The first cryopreservation

In 1967, Dr. James Bedford, a psychology professor from California, became the first human to be cryopreserved. His body was cooled shortly after legal death and placed in storage using early preservation techniques.

While those early methods were primitive compared to today’s standards, Bedford’s preservation marked a historic moment: the birth of cryonics as a real practice.

Remarkably, his body remains preserved today.

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The 1970s–80s: growth and growing pains

Following Bedford, several small cryonics organizations formed in the United States, offering preservation services based on volunteer-run operations.

However, the movement faced challenges:

• Poor funding
• Inadequate scientific methods
• Public skepticism
• Facility closures that resulted in patient loss

These years were marked by both dedication and trial — a time when cryonics hovered between radical vision and unreliable practice.

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The 1990s–2000s: science catches up

As cryobiology advanced, so did cryonics. Key improvements included:

• The development of cryoprotectants to prevent ice damage
• Better understanding of vitrification, the process of turning tissues into a glass-like state
• Improved standby and perfusion protocols
• The introduction of life insurance-funded contracts for long-term sustainability

Organizations like Alcor and the Cryonics Institute refined their methods, formalized procedures, and began building more secure facilities.

Cryonics began to attract scientists, futurists, and public figures who saw it not as science fiction — but as a scientific experiment worth pursuing.

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Europe joins the movement

While cryonics began in the U.S., it gradually expanded to Europe.

In the 2010s, Tomorrow.bio was founded with a mission to offer high-quality cryopreservation in Europe, backed by medical teams and ethical guidelines. It partners with the European Biostasis Foundation (EBF) in Switzerland — a country known for its supportive legal environment and long-term planning infrastructure.

Europe’s entry marked a new era of professionalized cryonics, with greater focus on:

• Legal clarity
• Ethical transparency
• Medical-grade procedures
• Reliable long-term care

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Cryonics today: from fringe to future-facing

Cryonics is still controversial. It still faces scientific, cultural, and logistical challenges.

But the field has matured. Today, providers like Tomorrow.bio offer:

• Medical standby
• Professional perfusion
• Vitrification with validated protocols
• Secure liquid nitrogen storage
• Transparent, documented processes

Cryonics is no longer a dream in someone’s garage — it’s a scientific service operating under rigorous standards.

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What comes next?

Looking forward, cryonics may benefit from advances in:

• Neuroscience and brain mapping
• Regenerative medicine and tissue engineering
• Artificial intelligence and mind emulation
• Legal protections and international regulation

As science moves forward, the line between death and reversible biological pause may become increasingly blurred.

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From radical idea to scientific hope

Cryonics began as an idea on the margins — bold, strange, and widely dismissed. But over the past 60 years, it has become a field grounded in science, sustained by passionate supporters, and guided by a single question:

What if the end isn’t the end?

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About Tomorrow.bio

At Tomorrow.bio, we are dedicated to advancing the science of cryopreservation with the goal of giving people and pets a second chance at life. As Europe’s leading cryopreservation provider, we focus on rapid, high-quality standby, stabilization, and storage of terminal patients — preserving them until future medical technologies may allow revival and treatment.

Our mission is to make cryopreservation a reliable and accessible option for everyone. We believe that no life — human or animal — should end because current medical capabilities fall short.

📧 Contact us at: hello@tomorrow.bio
🌐 Visit our website: www.tomorrow.bio
🤝 Schedule a consultation: Book a call

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