What Would It Actually Take for Humans to Hibernate?

Suspended animation has the potential to transform everything from surgical medicine to deep space travel. So how close are researchers to making this a reality?
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So, what would it take for humans to actually hibernate? To answer this, we first need to know why some animals hibernate in the first place. For warm-blooded animals, it can take a lot of energy to maintain a constant body temperature. That can be a really big challenge when their source of energy - food - is scarce. Hibernation is a survival mechanism that conserves energy by lowering the body’s core temperature, slowing the heart rate, and shifting into a lower metabolic state, known as torpor.
For example, when arctic ground squirrels enter hibernation their temperature plummets from 37°C to -3°C and their metabolic rate drops by about 99%. Humans, however, are stuck with a relatively fixed body temperature of 37°C.
Aside from minute variations, like when we sleep, our temperature only changes as a way to signal danger. Like when we’re sick, we get a fever. Just a few degrees off either way can mean death. But this isn’t a hard and fast rule. In 1999, a woman fell while skiing, crashing head first into a frozen stream. When medics arrived 80 minutes later, her body temperature had dropped to 13.7°C, rendering her clinically dead. But she miraculously survived! The extreme cold lowered her metabolism so her brain wasn’t oxygen starved. This can lead to permanent brain damage in a matter of minutes… usually not enough time to make it to the operating table.
#seeker #science #elements #hibernation #humanbody
Read More:
You Could Probably Hibernate
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"'It's very possible that humans could hibernate,' says Kelly Drew, a professor at the University of Alaska's Institute of Arctic Biology. Drew studies arctic ground squirrels, chunky little creatures that disappear into burrows for eight months of the year."
How hibernating animals are helping doctors treat diabetes and Alzheimer's
www.wired.co.uk/article/anima...
"During hibernation, connections between neurons in the brain deteriorate, just as they do in Alzheimer's, but what happens as the animals start waking up? You guessed it; synapses are restored."
This scientist is searching for secrets of life in close brushes with death
www.geekwire.com/2021/scienti...
"Roth sees a thread connecting these catastrophes with something seemingly quite different: immortality. Both conditions “press pause” on life, he said. It’s playing dead without being dead."
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[@dhawthorne1634]

If hibernation still allows enough energy for healing and dreaming, then we could nearly double the human life expectancy by replacing sleep.

[@thesnare100]

actually, I don't know, hibernating animals actually have to come out of hibernation to and then sleep

[@DBT1007]

Depends on variety of "hibernation". Some hibernation can be just like.. the body condition is like in low maintenence. The body sleep like 20 hours per day maybe. And awake for 4 hours daily or something. Obviously for body like human that dont have fur and much oil and fat, we probably cant be fully sleep 24/7 for years. We probably have the kind of hibernation where the body is in low maintenance.

[@xSilverFyrex]

I wasn’t even thinking about space travel when I saw the title, i just want to sleep through winter tbh

[@lucaseikenberg848]

Question: Suppose we do figure out hibernation and used it for space travel. Would the effects of microgravity and extreme muscle atrophy be much more of an issue for the travelers?

[@Yash-hn6ch]

I would think that muscle would atrophy much slower in a hibernated state as metabolism has been greatly reduced

[@donkisiko]

From what I understand, animals that hibernate have significantly reduced atrophy compared to animals in a coma say, or inactive. When I think of metabolism, I see the body as one big chemical reaction, if you can slow the reactions to a stop, this should have the same affect as slowing down the decay/degredation also. But maybe its to do with some kind of chemical inhibitors :/ the mystery continues!

[@mangoshek69]

During hibernation, metabolism kinda almost stops…and muscle/bone degradation occurs due to metabolic activities…hence i don’t think space travellers will face these issues in a hibernated state

[@axumitedessalegn3549]

@@donkisiko You can't slow reactions to a complete stop. Reactions are basically just energy transfers from one "closed" system to another and being "alive" requires a continuation of this energy transfers. Slowing it down by external "force" is probably the wrong way to approach this. I think the best way to approach this issue is through genetic engineering.

[@helio2942]

@Axumite Dessalegn but we already see animals which hibernate and they're fine, with tardigrades being the most extreme example.

[@catalinacurio]

I keep saying every winter that we should hibernate, why my instincts are to quilt up. 😊

[@wholegrainvideos]

Love the video🙂, can't wait to hear how these trials progress. Had no idea this was possible.

[@Melissa0774]

Years ago I saw a segment on the show Ripley's Believe it or not where a little girl in Russia had heart surgery and they dropped her body temperature by putting her in ice after she was anesthetized. I think it was to be able to increase the amount of time they could stop her heart or something. So this is not a new thing and has been done in medical situations before.

[@greenfoxes5903]

Evidence suggest that humans used to hibernate to some extent. Suspended animation will need to be much more efficient than hibernation to avoid serious complications.

[@geckovision]

Interesting. Where is there evidence of this?

[@intelligentcomputing]

Great video and great presenter -- bright, enthusiastic, and clear enunciation! Thank you!

[@madanmbboruah6652]

Explaining with so much passion

[@drstone7014]

Vibration. Would help body adjust the shift in Gs and lack of Pressure

[@kurosakiichigo5067]

I remember reading an article in my teenage years about NASA studying Haitian zombies and even listed the ingredients to make the drug. They wanted to use it on the astronauts to save air, food and fuel for deep space missions.

[@Cassady1AndOnly]

That's friggin' cool!

[@armni4619]

What would prevent the sticking of blood to our vessels or its crystallization at low enough temperatures(still made of majorly water), during hibernation? Also, since the human brain needs to be constantly on, we still need nutrients during extended hibernation. If our hearts stop, where would the nutrients come from? Will we develop s.thing following the lines of halo's UNSC where a person is fed a nutrient paste and injected with solution preventing crystallization, before cryo. or something different?

[@ivan-Croatian]

For the interstelar traveling we would need either a functional Alcubierre FTL drive or to figure out how we could hybernate. And there's no other way. And somehow, I think that figuring out how hybernation work would be much simpler than to make a FTL drive.

[@galfisk]

We don't need FTL, we only need to get well into time dilation territory. Not that that's easy either, but it's at least less impossible.

[@solaireastora5394]

We could also build massive ships that are like a living colony already, so even if it takes 50 years to get there there would be people there at the end of the journey

[@vernepavreal7296]

Excellent content as usual Was it just me or was the voice different or artificially sped up Cheers

[@thomaswalz3515]

I hate winter... I would happily hibernate from Thanksgiving to Easter... If only I could afford to move to the southern hemisphere once a year... that'd work too.

[@OfficialSamuelC]

Definitely a bad idea to just have one person awake and running the ship whilst the rest are all hibernating. That won’t ever happen. Just like planes, they’ll always be at least 2 people to account for one being incapacitated.

[@alparslankorkmaz2964]

Nice video.

[@ChristopherDwane]

It's the closest we'll probably ever get to time travel

[@miken7629]

Check out the frogs in Iceland, they are frozen for up to 7 months by increasing their glucose levels 40 times normal, somehow increased glucose levels prevent cell damage from freezing

[@yourbrokenoven]

They already use therapeutic hypothermia as a standard of practice with resuscitation. This was added several years ago.

[@alexxenaosas2416]

I prepare my self for this since I was born , my mother prob should held me in her womb more ! because I sleep so much , sometimes I sleep 12-14 h , half of mine life I slept , just because my mother got bored of having a big belly and all other stuff ! - and said "dude I don't care you have to get out so I can go back to my normal life " :)) , anyway my mom passed away two years ago and I loved my mom , she was the best mom I could have ! - If I could hibernate for 1000 yes or whatever when they discover time travel so I can go back and see her again ! -

[@leatherindian]

They didn’t learn they’d save on food and resources from the study. They knew they’d save so they did the study. Big difference.

[@johnifly]

I wouldn't mind hibernating during the winter season as I don't care for the snow and cold anymore!

[@amirmoezz]

One of the main factors that hasn't been considered, is the temporary long term or even permanent memory loss (e.g. coma) in hibernation. In fact we are quite able to hibernate human bodies for years, such experiments have been done and still being done. So why haven't such technology been used for long distance travelling? Well, the size of required equipments for lowering and keeping the body temperature is just one factor, the bigger issue is the lack of human ability to maintain the long term memories over long term sleep/unconsciousness or in this case hibernation. Even though that there are animals like bears that can perfectly perform such, We, humans simply didn't evolve like that. However we may overcome such biological issues by implanting microchips to boost or help our brain performance (hope to see videos on that).

[@yyuuu___77]

If I could I would hibernate during the summer cuz I honestly love the colder seasons/spring

[@drstone7014]

Maybe replenish nutrition and impulses as the move .

[@mrpepin]

Is it just me or does this person have the most smiling eyes in the entire universe ? I'm impressed.

[@ktwei]

I can do that without technology.

[@ooghaboogha4362]

U r not alone

[@flashpromo15]

Not 14 Days

[@ashishrana1853]

how

[@KundaEstate]

My friend sometimes sleeps for about 10-14 days but not aware of the situation and wake-up proceed with Life. I still can't understand this situation. Do you guys think it's normal or there could be medication?

[@agapeten]

@@KundaEstate for real?

[@leojoseph5881]

I wonder if animals hibernate during really hot periods like droughts. Would there metabolism be low or high?

[@TragoudistrosMPH]

Hibernating during snow storms! Hibernating to travel cheaply. Hibernating due to disease. Hibernating for slow experiments. >_> (ignoble) Hibernating between seasons of your favorite show. Hibernating to get past your ex 😂 Hibernating to live in your favorite seasons/weather.

[@Yoarashi]

I get bad Seasonal Affective Disorder. Would gladly sleep through Oct-Nov, wake up for Dec, and to back to bed for Jan-May. I'm basically a corpse all those months anyway.

[@overtonhallford54]

A nappers dream come true.

[@llydrsn]

Gives a whole new meaning to the term "Disney on Ice"

[@h7opolo]

weird, i have been randomly thinking about cryogenic freezing for the past two days before this vid was uploaded.

[@nerdlingeeksly5192]

I would love the option to hibernate.

[@NikhilWolf]

What would be the use-case for hibernating for 14 days?

[@238assante]

crossing Iowa and Nebraska in an ox pulled cartwheel ?

[@drstone7014]

What your hole body was put on Anerobic respiration cells getting energy Directly from glucose. And machines remove lactic acide .

[@studywid]

In the theory, oxidation is something we can't escape, like aging cell would follow the thermodynamics law, Therefore to hibernate yourself you should've reversed the aging process on cellular level, which also means, against the thermodynamics law, therefore, unless you get the formulation of reversing 2nd law of thermodynamics, hibernation tech would only exist in sci fi series

[@ricardosmith2060]

🤔 so basically extreem battery saver mode for mammals.

[@robsmith4434]

Yep

[@furonwarrior]

Bed sores are awful or sitting excessively can be painful on the nerves… can’t imagine what damage would be done to the body when unconscious for an “x” amount of time for poor circulation.

[@furonwarrior]

@@theendlessdaydream6442 Long term space travel without artificial gravity is not practical. Our eyes alone will become more spherical, including our heart and our brain, depending on the longevity. If we can find more Earth-like planets, or planets with similar gravity, this could extend our space travels.

[@tomn.9879]

Question, does suspended animation slow aging? If so, how much? Key questions to answer if we are going to reach the next planet in the Goldilocks zone.

[@Kaching017]

Yes. It like freezing a meat in 1 year or a Yeast.

[@ckdigitaltheqof6th210]

Cryogenic, also was called cryonics, can turn species into higher endurance *nitro beasts* , capable to repeat the practise, and mortal amunity senario, if they survive the common sequal. Its a task able to preserve one for a very long time. Although hygens of urinal oder being like fried chicken & feeses like a damp mop, isn't popular conditions.

[@MrJdsenior]

What kind of drugs are you on?

[@ckdigitaltheqof6th210]

@@MrJdsenior what kind you drug needed in the task? A deep sleep dose, so the safe slow defrost isn't tribulating nor damage to bodly cells, when recovering from the cryogen/cryonic state

[@davesawyer1164]

Can't wait for the follow up video in 2023! 🥶

[@TheyCallMeNewb]

Well well. Science fiction has been disregarding all the myriad impossibilities around 'suspended animation' since infancy -- a problem shared with 'knocking someone out for a while' among other such concepts. To see any kind of movement on the needle here though, is most piquing.

[@lifetime8542]

Lol maybe we would figure all this out if we weren’t too busy preparing for wars or manipulating deceiving and doing all manner of envious evil things to each other …whilst not everyone is doing this …there is a great focus that would do us well with understanding more about our natural resources existence…peace and love for all of mankind

[@axem.8338]

Interstellar travel, here we are!!

[@mastring1966]

there's a reason corners say "you're not dead till you're warm and dead"

[@seebass7]

this lady reminds me of one of those robots on AI with haley joel osmint

[@oneboxer8329]

It would take a lot

[@shanezhang8680]

Great content, but your eyes kept looking outside of the frame, made me thinking something was coming into the picture from behind, kinda distracting...maybe it's just me, anyway, great content.

[@MattWalkerTxranger]

I'm more interested in being able to stay awake longer.

[@edwingeorge2951]

What's up with the music seeker!

[@jamesolelo4406]

Wait. Wasn't there a dude who could control his temperature even in artic water?

[@lepetitchat123]

I am doing it now

[@WetDoggo]

You'd need to maintain the brain's activity to keep the person itself. But it will drift over time

[@AnthonyTanTaro2008]

I want to hibernate to feel warm during the winter

[@omital-ittna1200]

If I could go to bed in October and wake up in April, I would.

[@cookiemonkey8247]

you betcha! give it to me! hibernation baby!

[@tigre3droyce771]

Yes, want to hibernate throughout this pandemic...😴

[@therecogniser2122]

Human Hibernation is just a different way of saying about deep meditation. Many people in history who pushed themself to the absolute limit can hibernate already. Do scientist consider to refer to some yoga practice?

[@solaireastora5394]

That doesn't slow down metabolism

[@blackkissi]

there are some frozen puns coming. I'll start. -"Do you wanna build a snowman?"

[@_BlackSpectrum]

1:18 Won't water in their body freeze at that temp 😅

[@willinton06]

We don’t have liquid water in us most of the time

[@the_hanged_clown]

Stig Pryds, a world record holder for deepest free dive, says that the deeper you go the slower one's heart rate

[@yvnowww]

I thought it is already in practice and thought of hibernating for a few days to heal my skin cuts and sensitive areas which are taking long to heal as I'm wetting them while bathing daily, So I searched the process and this video popped up. Sad to hear that it's still not possible for humans. Come on scientists make it fast! animals have been doing it since ages

[@andrewbrown5191]

Problem: Banks will empty your financial accounts because of inactivity fees.

[@danielesbenshade604]

"It sounds like science fiction" it is science fiction...

[@Kaching017]

A child has been reported lost in 24 hours... Then they found out she fall in an icy river/lake. They think she already dead. Then after a few hours some one notice she still has a faint heart pulse. So they instantly try to regulate her normal temp. The conclusion is her body went hibernation. If not she would be dead underwater.. due to lack of oxygen...

[@Kaching017]

Body temperatures below 30oC cause brain tissue to become significantly resistant to hypoxia and also reduce its energy consumption by around 50%. Our bodies are equipped with temperature regulation mechanisms

[@user-qm9nk8yn9l]

Живо всё так

[@semipenguin]

I enjoy naps, but I wouldn’t want to hibernate.

[@SkyRotionDan]

i want to hibernate till 2100

[@eyeln9ne696]

With the way things are going, you might wake-up and be the only one. 😬

[@GrandNoble]

Omg this kinda scary sounding

[@drstone7014]

The Metior in don't look up should have broken up burned up faster when it hits the atmosphere because of being Hallowed out because it was mined

[@madnessmethod2823]

hibernation is also how we time travel to the future

[@tramsgar]

Just splice som arctic ground squirrel genes. Works in movies.

[@zeekjones1]

Eating one every two weeks, with long naps in between... hmm... That can at least stretch the chronological age of humans far enough into the future to solve the physical aging and disease issues.

[@DavidAnthonymix]

i just want that shirt

[@zimba7768]

I don't know the metric system.

[@danielvelkov116]

It's like dying, but not exactly

[@1jordy11]

What you talking about I’ve already mastered this

[@jimgsewell]

Sounds like science fiction?

[@theMangoGal]

Yes i would hibernate for 6 months every year

[@alexxenaosas2416]

I literally do that I sleep 14 h a day , so that's 6 months in 1 year :)) , actually more :))

[@jakelynbrook]

How much is 14c ?

[@dalewest5379]

I have slept as long as 72 hours straight with no rhyme or reason.

[@nicholaskled8003]

Can I get hibernate? I am willing to become a guinea pig!! I must hibernate at least a month is it possible?

[@gregansen544]

The answers must be there in these animal species. But how, for example, to they manage not to be consumed by rapacious microorganisms? Pop the glass top, and pooof... a cloud of fungus dust.

[@dudee145]

Bro I work in academia, of course I want to hibernate

[@DonMarzzoni]

It's called induced coma

[@grateful.]

What if we hibernated through the night 😮

[@Clefargle]

Proteins from tardigrades?

[@SaUrAvNeil]

Humans after eating miliions tons of fish ,beef , chicken ,lamb ,grains ,fruits wiping out entire forest after some years humans want to hibernate Just wow 😂😂😂

[@fellsmoke]

Bears don't actually hibernate, they sleep deeply.

[@chiranthanmr]

Hibernation needs reduced metabolism; the reason humanity as attained a higher intelligence is because of millions of years of high and constant mental activity. I think forcibly dropping this metabolic rate will lead to reduction in the pace at which humanity evolves mentally. If you see the current trend, younger generations can already calculate multiple complicated things at once without breaking a sweat. Eventually, humans will be able to solve more complex problems without having to focus on one thing and maybe in sleep. Nature is already making way for humans to last longer and being smarter while they do. The question we need to be asking is, --> Why did "Hibernation" not become a thing in Humans?

[@michaelshortland8863]

If i had the option i would sleep for 300 years.

[@Anonymous-uz4pg]

What if you are hibernating rn but don’t realize it maybe you will wake up 200 years from now

[@amediarts]

Hibernation is possible today or tomorrow, because it is happened in the past.

[@mikebeatstsb7030]

We're basically there already are we not..? Pretty much being in a Coma is equal to..? Aye?

[@Briaaanz]

That's interesting about bears becoming resistant to insulin before hibernation. When there are sudden cold snaps, people who are borderline diabetic or diabetic tend to have blood sugar spikes. I wonder if it is the same mechanism, but just not fully formed in us. I thought it was because sugar saturated blood would likely have a lower freezing temperature, reducing the odds of frostbite

[@karenporter4227]

I come from the future. This doesn't end well.

[@galgrunfeld9954]

Of course I could hibernate. I could finally stop living a lousy life as a delivery boy after my girlfriend cheated on me and maybe wake up in a thousand years where I could meet a single-eyed, purple-haired alien chick.

[@shinjihirako4773]

I do hybernate during unemployment