Earlier this week we learned about worms taken from Siberian permafrost that have been revived after being frozen for 46,000 years. In the Scientific American, the co-author of the study with these finding, cell biologist Teymuras Kurzchalia, stated, “The radiocarbon dating is absolutely precise, and we now know that they really survived 46,000 years.”
So what does this mean for life that is somewhat more complex than a worm? Given that the findings are still being challenged, maybe nothing. Yet, if true, it may say something about life on this planet, life on other planets, and human life spans should we want to travel to distant locations. While such hibernation is a staple of science fiction, it seems to be a bit closer to reality with this study out there.
The European Space Agency (ESA) and others are already looking into human hibernation for space travel. In one ESA press article from 2019 regarding hibernation for travel to Mars, we read how one study concluded the following:
Not only does hibernation have positive psychological effects, it also allows for a complete mission and system re-design, optimised for human hibernation, which could minimise both mass and cost.
I think the “cost” point may be the key decider on this distant travel matter. Besides, how long can you play “I see a red star” before you go mad?
Our Awesome Universe 