Podcast Summary: Full Measure After Hours

Episode: "Frozen for the Future"

Host: Sharyl Attkisson
Guest: James Arrowood (President of Alcor Life Extension Foundation)
Release Date: November 20, 2025

Overview

In this episode of Full Measure After Hours, Sharyl Attkisson explores the controversial and fascinating world of cryopreservation—freezing human bodies (or brains) after legal death in hopes of future revival. Sharyl interviews James Arrowood, president of the Alcor Life Extension Foundation, to demystify the science, ethics, motivations, and evolving mission behind cryonics today. The discussion seamlessly blends scientific ambition with reflections on hope, skepticism, practical applications, and philosophical implications.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. What is Cryopreservation?

• Alcor specializes in the long-term storage ("cryopreservation") of human remains in liquid nitrogen at -320°F.
• The process involves replacing blood with cryoprotectants to prevent cellular damage (“freezer burn”) in hopes of preserving structures for possible future reanimation.

2. Evolution of the Mission

• Past vs Present Focus:
  Decades ago, cryonics was often marketed with an emphasis on achieving human immortality. Today, Alcor’s messaging stresses scientific research and medical potential:
  • This includes advancing organ banking and transplant science, not just speculative revival.
  • The hope is to make the preservation of organs like kidneys and perhaps, eventually, brains for transplantation more viable.
• Quote:
  • “Anytime you look at the origins of what are now established technologies, they were at one point aspirational or emerging... The focus changed a bit because we need to show what we can do today that builds credibility.” — James Arrowood [04:38]

3. Cost & Accessibility

• Pricing Structure:
  • Head/”neuro” only: ~$80,000
  • Whole body: ~$220,000
  • Most members fund this through life insurance (comparable to funeral costs, premiums totaling $30,000–$50,000).
  • Actual operational costs are subsidized; a substantial portion goes into a long-term care trust for indefinite patient care.
• Membership Demographics:
  • Not just “for billionaires”—the majority of members are everyday people.
  • “Most people, including myself, fund this with life insurance. So even as the president I don’t get a crowd preservation for free. I have to pay for it.” — Arrowood [02:17]

4. Potential for Future Revival

• Alcor does not guarantee nor promise eventual revival.
• Funds are set aside ("well-endowed corpus") in the case that revival becomes possible.
• Arrowood cautions against predictions, referencing historical examples (like early skepticism about manned flight):
  • “When people talk about the notion that early adopters or early visionaries, for instance, said 30 years or 50 years, you'll notice that I don't give a time range... But somebody has to go after it. The Wright brothers had to believe they could do it when everybody else said they couldn't.” [07:52]

5. Scientific Breakthroughs & Research Applications

• Beyond revival, a chief current focus is organ preservation for transplants.
• Present limitations for organs (5-10 hour viability window) may be overcome for kidneys through cryopreservation:
  • “If your match is in London and you’re in Los Angeles, you’re just going to die or you’re not going to get that organ. It’s a terrible outcome, but it’s a preventable outcome scientifically that can be fixed.” — Arrowood [05:28]
• Alcor collaborates with some of the world’s leading bioscientists on these projects, emphasizing near-term lifesaving medical benefits.

6. Technological Complementaries and Changing Possibilities

• Advances in neuroscience (e.g., Neuralink, brain-computer interfaces) challenge previous notions of what the brain (and consciousness) could achieve post-preservation.
• “It was inconceivable that you could electrically connect to the brain, cause that to move a cursor on a screen. And that moved a robotic arm. But it’s happening. That’s undeniable.” — Arrowood [09:07]
• While Arrowood personally prefers a biological revival (“I would prefer that I have a biological body”), he acknowledges various future possibilities, including digital continuity.

7. Ethics, Religion & the Soul

• Members come from a variety of religious backgrounds.
• Alcor sees no inherent conflict with religious beliefs; philosophical and theological questions (e.g., the fate of the soul) are met with openness:
  • “If you believe in a monotheistic God, that's all powerful, if this isn't supposed to work, it's never going to work. God's never going to let it work, number one.” — Arrowood [11:16]
  • Argues that religious texts don't present a strict timeline on the departure or return of the soul, leaving space for this kind of scientific pursuit.

8. Takeaways & The Driving Purpose

• Alcor is a nonprofit, research-driven organization, motivated by the desire to save lives and advance medicine, not just sell immortality.
• Their staff are dedicated, working for below-market pay out of a mission-driven ethos:
  • “Nothing we’re doing here is to cause harm or conflict with religious beliefs or anything else. That’s not what this is about… Every day we don’t achieve the goal, there’s people who are dying that don’t have to die.” — Arrowood [13:15]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the affordability of cryonics:
  “Most people, including myself, fund this with life insurance. So even as the president I don’t get a crowd preservation for free. I have to pay for it.” — James Arrowood [02:17]
• On hope vs. hard science:
  “We need to show what we can do today that builds credibility.” — Arrowood [04:38]
• On the unpredictable timeline of breakthroughs:
  “The Wright brothers had to believe they could do it when everybody else said they couldn’t.” — Arrowood [08:31]
• On religious questions:
  “If you believe in a monotheistic God, that's all powerful, if this isn't supposed to work, it's never going to work. God's never going to let it work, number one.” — Arrowood [11:16]
• On broader purpose:
  “Somewhere, someday when we achieve a breakthrough, that means somebody’s going to live who would have died otherwise. And maybe that person changes the world for everybody else.” — Arrowood [14:16]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:04] — Introduction to the episode theme and guest
• [02:17] — Cost and funding structure for cryopreservation
• [03:19] — Long-term trust & the logistics of potential revival
• [03:54] — Changes in public interest & member demographics
• [04:38] — Shift in Alcor’s mission toward research credibility
• [05:24] — Medical potential: organ preservation for transplants
• [07:52] — Realism about revival timelines and lessons from history
• [10:47] — Ethics and religious considerations surrounding cryonics
• [13:15] — Final thoughts on mission and motivation

Conclusion

"Frozen for the Future" provides a nuanced, forward-thinking look into both the promise and pragmatism of cryopreservation. Instead of hype and sci-fi fantasy, listeners are offered a grounded take: today's cryonics may not resurrect anyone soon, but its research could save countless lives and push medical science forward. Arrowood and Attkisson probe the boundaries of science, spirituality, and skepticism in a way that is both candid and thought-provoking.