The iconic scene of Han Solo being frozen in carbonite in 'The Empire Strikes Back' has intrigued scientists, like Dr. Alex Baker from the University of Warwick, who sees parallels to real-life cryopreservation. Current methods using cryogens like liquid nitrogen are limited to small objects, as freezing an entire human poses challenges due to size and consistency in freezing. However, gallium, a liquid metal that solidifies at low temperatures, shows promise for preserving small organisms in a state of suspended animation, potentially leading to advances in freezing techniques for larger entities in the future.
In the real world, liquid nitrogen and solid carbon dioxide (CO2) are examples of 'cryogens' - substances that can be used to freeze objects, like human eggs in IVF treatment.
The issue is getting your insides to freeze before you died. You wouldn't freeze consistently basically, which poses a challenge for freezing an entire person.
Gallium is a liquid metal at room temperature that can solidify below 29.76°C. It shows promise for freezing small organisms in suspended animation.
Studies have shown gallium can store tiny organisms like nematode worms in a state called 'anhydrobiosis', losing almost all water before being recovered.
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