Some thoughts on Nectome's risk and resilience
Startup's chemical brain preservation avoids cryonics' catastrophic thaw risks with cheaper, more resilient tech.
Nectome, a controversial brain preservation startup, has outlined its technical and strategic pivot away from traditional cryonics in a detailed post by founder Aurelia. The company is promoting aldehyde-based chemical fixation followed by storage at -30°C, positioning this as superior to conventional cryonics' reliance on liquid nitrogen at -196°C. The key technical advantage is avoiding the "danger zone" between -130°C and -40°C where devitrification—the formation of damaging ice crystals—occurs during thawing. Nectome claims their method is both cheaper (using commercial freezers instead of constant liquid nitrogen supply) and more resilient to infrastructure failures, as temporary warming to room temperature during transport or power outages causes less catastrophic damage.
Beyond the technical specifications, the post serves as both a marketing push for pre-sales ending in April and a request for community input on long-term organizational strategy. Founder Aurelia admits that while she's spent a decade on preservation science, planning for centuries of organizational stability is a distinct challenge. The company is actively seeking feedback from the rationalist and longevity communities on LessWrong to strengthen its plans for safeguarding clients who undergo preservation. This move represents a significant shift in cryonics methodology and a transparent attempt to build trust and resilience for a service that, by its nature, must outlast its original creators.
- Uses aldehyde fixation and -30°C storage instead of -196°C liquid nitrogen cryonics, avoiding the dangerous devitrification zone where ice forms.
- Claims method is cheaper and more resilient to power/ supply failures, as temporary warming is less catastrophic than in traditional cryonics.
- Company is taking pre-sales through April while openly soliciting community feedback on long-term organizational survival strategies.
Why It Matters
Represents a major technical shift in life extension, aiming to make brain preservation more accessible and failure-resistant for long-term bets on future revival.