Bob Nelson was no ordinary T.V. repairman. One day he discovered a book that ultimately changed his entire life trajectory --The Prospect of Immortality by Professor Robert Ettinger. From it, he learned about cryonics: a process in which the body temperature is lowered during the beginning of the dying process to keep the brain intact, so that those frozen could potentially be reanimated in the future. A world of possibilities unfolded for Nelson, as he relentlessly pursued cryonics and became the founder and President of the Cryonics Society of California. Working in coalition with a biophysicist, in 1967 Nelson orchestrated the freezing of Dr. James Bedford, the first human to be placed in cryonic suspension. Soon thereafter he began freezing others who sought his help, obtaining special capsules and an underground vault. Underfunded, Nelson struggled desperately, often dipping into his own savings, and taking extraordinary measures to maintain his patients in a frozen state. His fascinating memoir reveals his irrepressible passion for life and chronicles the complicated circumstances that comprised his adventures in cryonics.
In the tradition of Jon Ronson and Tim Wu, an absorbing and revelatory journey into the American Way of Defying Death . . . As longevity medicine revolutionizes the lives of many older people, the quest to take the next step—to live as long as we choose—has spurred a scientific arms race in search of the elixir of life, funded by Big Tech and Silicon Valley. Once the stuff of Mesopotamian mythology and episodes of Star Trek, the effort to make humans immortal is becoming increasingly credible as the pace of technological progress quickens. It has also empowered a wild-eyed fringe of pseudo-scientists, tech visionaries, scam-artists, and religious fanatics who have given their lives over to the pursuit of immortality. Starting off at the Church of Perpetual Life in Florida and exploring the feuding subcultures around the cryonics industry, Peter Ward immerses himself into an eccentric world of startups, scam artists, scientific institutions, and tech billionaires to deliver this deeply reported, nuanced, and sometimes very funny exploration of the race for immortality — and the potentially devastating consequences should humanity realize its ultimate dream.
At first, the job as clinical director at Alcor Life Extension Foundation was an exciting change for veteran paramedic Larry Johnson: a well-funded research facility pushing the limits of modern biotech. But as he gained the trust of his eccentric coworkers and was promoted to acting COO, Larry was thrust into a nightmare world of scandalous controversy, gruesome practices, and deadly secrets.One secret Larry unearthed was the full, tragic, never-before-heard story of what truly happened to the body of baseball icon and American hero Ted Williams.Compelled by this and other horrific discoveries, Larry began copying documents, taking secret pictures, and ultimately wearing a wire every day at Alcor. He started living two lives-Alcorian by day, whistleblower by night.Beyond the senseless animal experiments, beyond the dumping of toxic chemicals and AIDS-contaminated blood into the public sewage system, these people saw themselves as the elite, the immortal saviors of mankind who would lead us into the future. Inside this cultlike mentality, anything seemed justified. Maybe even murder.Then Alcor found out. The death threats began.Fleeing from state to state, Larry was stalked and threatened again and again. They chased him through the streets. They left death threats under his windshield wipers. They terrorized his family. Larry Johnson never wanted to be a whistleblower. But he knows this story must be told.Written in Larry's own memorable voice, illustrated with never-before-seen photographs from inside Alcor, and verified by actual transcripts of his secret recordings, Frozen reads like a medical thriller-but every word is shockingly true.
The polar icecaps are melting - fast.In a drowning, desperate world, the Soldyne Corporation sees an opportunity: Melt Antarctic icebergs into drinking water using their microwave satellite array, ship the water to thirsty nations around the globe, and make a fortune.But deep within the ice waits an enemy more deadly than anyone could imagine--and an apocalyptic horror Earth may not survive.Includes an excerpt from BOILING POINT by K. L. (Karen) Dionne.PRAISE FOR KAREN'S NOVELS:"Karen Dionne is the new Michael Crichton." -- David Morrell, New York Times bestselling author"What a ripper of a story! I loved every page." -- Douglas Preston, New York Times bestselling author"A terrific read!" -- James Rollins, New York Times bestselling author"A heart-thumping, timely thriller." -- Steve Berry, New York Times bestselling authorThis e-book is a "Killer Thriller." For more great e-reads by award-winning, bestselling, and internationally published thriller authors, visit Killer Thrillers at www.killer-thrillers.com.
Alaskans Luke, Chickie, Sonny, Donna, and Amiq relate their experiences in the early 1960s when they are forced to attend a Catholic boarding school where, despite different tribal affiliations, they come to find a sort of family and home.
The most dangerous place on Earth A devious and deadly plan to save humanity from itself A lone scientist battling the clock and ruthless enemies to avert global catastrophe The Deep Zone was hailed as “an absolutely phenomenal read by the new Michael Crichton” (Brad Thor), a book that “should come shrink-wrapped with a seat belt” (Steve Berry). Now, bestselling author James M. Tabor ups the ante and the action in his second extreme thriller, as brilliant and battle-tested heroine Hallie Leland confronts intrigue and murder in the most unforgiving place on Earth. The South Pole’s Amundsen Scott Research Station is like an outpost on Mars. Winter temperatures average 100 degrees below zero; week-long hurricane-force storms rage; for eight months at a time the station is shrouded in darkness. Under the stress, bodies suffer and minds twist. Panic, paranoia, and hostility prevail. When a South Pole scientist dies mysteriously, CDC microbiologist Hallie Leland arrives to complete crucial research. Before she can begin, three more women inexplicably die. As failing communications and plunging temperatures cut the station off from the outside world, terror rises and tensions soar. Amidst it all, Hallie must crack the mystery of her predecessor’s death. In Washington, D.C., government agency director Don Barnard and enigmatic operative Wil Bowman detect troubling signs of shadowy behavior at the South Pole and realize that Hallie is at the heart of it. Unless Barnard and Bowman can track down the mastermind, a horrifying act of global terror, launched from the station, will change the planet forever—and Hallie herself will be the unwitting instrument of destruction. As the Antarctic winter sweeps in, severing contact with the outside world, Hallie must trust no one, fear everyone, and fight to keep the frigid prison from becoming her frozen grave. Praise for Frozen Solid “The Andromeda Strain meets The Thing. Effectively blending horror with the science thriller, Tabor keeps readers on edge from beginning to end.”—Booklist “We can’t get enough of mad scientist cabals who want to take over the world with the power of genetic engineering.”—io9 “A taut page-turner . . . Tabor’s not the first genre writer to take advantage of the forbidding conditions at the South Pole, but few have done so to better effect.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review) “A fine thriller.”—Kirkus Reviews “As you read this chilling novel it won’t be the frigid setting that sends tremors up your spine but rather the dark premise of this horrifying and engrossing story.”—BookIdeas.com “A fast-paced, visceral thriller with a likeable heroine and some stellar high-stakes action sequences.”—ScienceThrillers.com “The suspense was never-ending. . . . [There’s a] heart-stopping build-up towards the ending.”—Books4Tomorrow
What Doesn't Kill Us, a New York Times bestseller, traces our evolutionary journey back to a time when survival depended on how well we adapted to the environment around us. Our ancestors crossed deserts, mountains, and oceans without even a whisper of what anyone today might consider modern technology. Those feats of endurance now seem impossible in an age where we take comfort for granted. But what if we could regain some of our lost evolutionary strength by simulating the environmental conditions of our ancestors? Investigative journalist and anthropologist Scott Carney takes up the challenge to find out: Can we hack our bodies and use the environment to stimulate our inner biology? Helping him in his search for the answers is Dutch fitness guru Wim Hof, whose ability to control his body temperature in extreme cold has sparked a whirlwind of scientific study. Carney also enlists input from an Army scientist, a world-famous surfer, the founders of an obstacle course race movement, and ordinary people who have documented how they have cured autoimmune diseases, lost weight, and reversed diabetes. In the process, he chronicles his own transformational journey as he pushes his body and mind to the edge of endurance, a quest that culminates in a record-bending, 28-hour climb to the snowy peak of Mt. Kilimanjaro wearing nothing but a pair of running shorts and sneakers. An ambitious blend of investigative reporting and participatory journalism, What Doesn’t Kill Us explores the true connection between the mind and the body and reveals the science that allows us to push past our perceived limitations.
“A fascinating look into the strange and sometimes unbelievable history of hypothermic medicine. Jaekl weaves together a story that is part history lesson and part science thriller. This is truly a must-read for any fan of science and science fiction!” —Douglas Talk, MD/MPH, chief medical consultant, SpaceWorks Inc., Human Torpor Project The meaning of the word “hypothermia” has Greek origins and roughly translates to “less heat.” Its symptoms can be deadly—shivering, followed by confusion, irrationality, and even the illusion of feeling hot. But hypothermia has another side—it can be therapeutic. In Out Cold, science writer Phil Jaekl chronicles the underappreciated story of human innovation with cold, from Ancient Egypt, where it was used to treat skin irritations, to eighteenth-century London, where scientists used it in their first explorations of suspended animation. Throughout history, physicians have used cold to innovate life extension, enable distant space missions, and explore consciousness. Hypothermia may still conjure macabre images, like the bodies littering Mt. Everest and disembodied heads in cryo-freezers, but the reality is that modern science has invented numerous new life-saving cooling techniques based on what we’ve learned over the centuries. And Out Cold reveals a surprisingly warm future for this chilling state.
This thought-provoking book looks at humanity's quest for immortality and examines the latest research on extending one's life and possibly living forever, presenting an overview of technological innovations such as cryonics, cell rejuvenation, organ transplants, using an exoskeleton, and brain transplants. With the seemingly limitless potential of 21st-century technology, the chance of human immortality being an actual possibility rather than a science fiction concept is tantalizingly close. And with this increased possibility of achieving immortality, a growing community of people interested in immortality has formed worldwide. Organizations dedicated to great extension of human life now exist, focusing on technologies that reverse the damage caused by aging, transfer human consciousness to an artificial body, or cryogenically freeze those who hope to be brought back to life when technology to revive the body without cellular damage is developed. The Science of Living Longer: Developments in Life Extension Technology provides a fascinating look at the current state of the scientific research on how people can live significantly longer—and possibly even forever. The book begins with an introductory section on the historical efforts to achieve immortality in Western and other cultures. Following chapters investigate different strands of research toward the common objective of achieving a longer life or even immortality. Other chapters address topics such as the health, wellness, and fitness movement designed to help individuals live longer; the biological methods—such as cell rejuvenation—designed to defeat aging; and the use of technology to provide an exoskeleton as body parts age or to download the brain into a computer or other body. Each chapter also suggests steps an individual can take to live longer, too.
