Inside Alcor
A Channel 12 News feature looks in depth at the cryonics provider Alcor in a two part video that can be viewed online: "The non-profit organization, founded in 1972, relocated to Arizona in 1994, in response to concerns that its California facility was too small and vulnerable to earthquake risk. Cryonics is the process of using very cold temperatures to stop the dying process when ordinary medicine can no longer sustain life. The idea is to preserve patients until cures are found for their illnesses and the technology to revive them becomes available. Alcor says it uses an ice-free process, called vitrification, in which more than 60% of the water inside a patient's cells is replaced with protective chemicals, preventing freezing during deep cooling. ... Alcor has about 800 members and nearly 75 patients." You can learn more about the basics of cryonics, the science and personal financial details behind cryonics at the Alcor website. Alcor also maintains a newsletter and blog for those who like to keep up to date with research and organizational developments.
Link: http://www.azcentral.com/12news/news/articles/insidealcor02212007-CR.html