I believe that many people have read the science fiction novel "The Three-Body Problem", which is the masterpiece of science fiction writer Liu Cixin. With this work, Liu Cixin won the Hugo Award for Best Novel at the 73rd World Science Fiction Convention, becoming the first person in Asia to win the award.
The plot of "The Three-Body Problem" has ups and downs, which invigorates the author's rich imagination and opens the door to the science fiction world for us. Among them, there is an impressive storyline: the protagonist is terminally ill and freezes himself until the future human beings can cure this terminal illness and then thaw him.
(Liu Cixin)
This brain hole makes the reader marvel, but the most unpredictable thing is science and technology, and perhaps even the novelist never thought that something similar would actually happen in reality. In China, there is a person who has been frozen. However, due to current technological limitations, only her head has been preserved, and the medical organization plans to thaw her in 2065.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="132" > First, Du Hong's introduction</h1>
In 1955, Du Hong was born in Chongqing into a family of scholars, and her parents were teachers, so she received a good education from an early age. For some special reasons, when Du Hong was a child, she could only live with her grandmother's mother, who was a primary school teacher. Her education process was also very bumpy, and she went to many mountain village primary schools to complete her studies.
In 1973, to subsidize her family, 17-year-old Du Hong worked as a salesman in a grocery store. However, because she had a thirst for knowledge since she was a child, even when she was working, in order not to fall behind others in her grades, he often took leave to go to class.
Her efforts were worth it. In 1977, the first year of the resumption of the college entrance examination, Du Hong passed the college entrance examination and was admitted to Chongqing Normal University. After graduating from university, she became a teacher, because at that time, China's education industry was in the ascendant and there would be good development in this area. After her work, she took the revival of literature as her mission, not only put teaching and educating people in the first place, but also created many excellent literary works, which were published in journals.
(Du Hong and her daughter)
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="131" >2, unfortunately suffering from cancer</h1>
Long-term fatigue made Du Hong feel unwell, and one day, she went to the hospital for examination, but found that she had advanced pancreatic cancer. With our current medical conditions, there is nothing we can do about this cancer. Du Hong knows that this is an incurable disease, but she has read countless books by science fiction writers, may be influenced by science fiction, she believes that in the future, after the development of science to a certain extent, human beings can defeat cancer, or they can freeze the dead, and when the conditions are ripe, they can also bring the dead back to life.
With this glimmer of hope, Ms. Du told her family about her thoughts, and her husband and daughter also expressed understanding and support. Therefore, Du Hong's daughter began to search for various materials and learn various related knowledge.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="130" > Third, freezing technology</h1>
The technique of freezing seems simple, like putting fish and meat in the refrigerator. However, the truth is not so simple, because the human body contains a large number of water molecules, water will expand when it freezes, and once it expands, the cells will rupture and eventually lose the liquid, leading to death.
Therefore, the most critical step in the freezing process is to completely replace the water in the body with a cryoprotectant, so the operation needs to be carried out in several steps in turn: First, prevent blood clotting. Inject anticoagulants and antithrombotic drugs into the blood vessels and use devices to maintain blood circulation. Second, perfusion. Replace the blood with protective fluid, carotid artery injection, jugular vein output, complete body fluid replacement. Third, the body gradually cools down until it reaches -40 ° C. Finally, it is placed in a liquid nitrogen tank for ultra-low temperature preservation.
(Freezer)
James's freezing procedure was basically like this, but Du Hong underwent surgery alone to preserve the skull. In fact, in the world, some people have already participated in this "freezing" project. James was the first to work on the project, and he was the first "frozen man" in history. James died of sudden heart failure in 1967, and before his death, he made a will and spent $500,000 to freeze and protect his body.
There is no ideal freezing technology, because this technology lacks a very critical link - the patient's consciousness must be taken out and preserved before freezing, and then the patient's body is well preserved until the disease can be treated in the future, and then the consciousness is entered into the body after treatment.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="129" > Fourth, Du Hong died</h1>
At Du Hong's insistence, her daughter and son-in-law contacted a scientific research institution specializing in cryonics research in the United States through the online volunteer platform, for which they also froze Du Hong's brain for 50 years, and the operation cost more than 800,000 yuan.
In fact, Du Hong herself was worried at first, but later she also figured out that even medical technology after 50 years could not help her, then when the time came, she would become a martyr. She believes that even becoming a martyr on the road of human medical technology is more valuable than dying meaninglessly.
On May 30, 2015, the 61-year-old Du Hong's heartbeat gradually weakened. After receiving the notification of the critical illness, the family rushed to the hospital to understand the situation, at that time, Du Hong's consciousness had fallen into a coma. The doctor is ready to give Du Hong "cryo-surgery".
Two surgeons from the United States immediately injected Du Hong with anticoagulants, antibiotics and antithrombotic drugs, and pressed her heart with a special device to keep the blood flowing. Du Hong's body was then placed in a frozen wooden coffin and quickly sent to the scene of the operation. After 4 hours of intense surgery, Du Hong's brain was completely isolated, still in a state of physical activity, and then saved in liquid nitrogen.
So far, Du Hong has waved goodbye to the path of life, but maybe one day she will return to the world, maybe not.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="121" > conclusion</h1>
For a long time, human beings have longed for a magical power that can bring the dead back to earth. Although today's technology has not yet been able to make human beings stand in an omnipotent position, with the progress of science, we can see that the original illusory dreams have gradually begun to be glimpsed. Maybe one day, humanity will really be able to overcome death.
Even today's top medical scientists cannot guarantee that in fifty years, Du Hong will be able to return to the human world, but Du Hong's outlook on life is also very worth learning. She was an excellent literary writer and a soul engineer. Even at the end of her life, she hopes to contribute to the development of human medical technology through her body.
We're not sure if Du Hong will be able to come back, but what we can be sure of is that it is because of her dedication that it is possible for humanity to take a big step forward in the forefront of science and technology. If China can achieve achievements in "freezing technology", Du Hong is indispensable.
There are too many uncertain things in this world, and it is the most uncertain thing that the dead can be resurrected, even if the technology is so developed today, there is a precedent for "freezing technology". However, this kind of thing that is not 100% certain, the variables are still very large. But even if there are variables, as long as humans continue to pursue, one day, the variables will become quantitative.