Ideas worth spreading

Suspended animation is within our grasp

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Mark Roth |

TED2010

• February 2010

Mark Roth studies suspended animation: the art of shutting down life processes and then starting them up again. It's wild stuff, but it's not science fiction. Induced by careful use of an otherwise toxic gas, suspended animation can potentially help trauma and heart attack victims survive long enough to be treated.

Mark Roth studies suspended animation: the art of shutting down life processes and then starting them up again. It's wild stuff, but it's not science fiction. Induced by careful use of an otherwise toxic gas, suspended animation can potentially help trauma and heart attack victims survive long enough to be treated.

This talk was presented at an official TED conference. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

About the speaker

Mark Roth

Biochemist, cell biologist

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Mark Roth's research has reawakened an unusual notion from the annals of science: reversible metabolic hibernation. Yes, putting living organisms into suspended animation -- and bringing them back safely.

This talk was presented at an official TED conference. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.