Dear Members and Friends,
2025 kicked off with a flurry of activity at Alcor. From handling wildfire emergencies and outfitting our new engineering space, to diving into kidney research and planning upcoming events – the year is already keeping us on our toes. Here’s what’s been happening behind the scenes:
This month, the California wildfires struck uncomfortably close to home. One Alcor member lost their home, and several others had to evacuate. Shelby and the medical team maintained continuous communication with our members, ensuring everyone had a safe place to go and a reliable contact in case conditions worsened.
It’s worth noting that fire-related cases are especially tough for cryopreservation. The damage is often severe, and recovering a patient in a fire zone is a logistical nightmare. Take those evacuation warnings seriously, folks.
Thankfully, everyone made it through safely. Houses we can rebuild – but it’s a good wake-up call about having those emergency plans ready and keeping your cryonics provider in the loop.
📝 Member Readiness Survey
Speaking of keeping us in the loop – there’s a new member readiness survey making the rounds. Takes about five minutes to fill out, but it helps us understand and track different risk levels among our members. The DART team uses this info to prepare for various scenarios, making sure we can respond quickly when needed. Help us help you – take a moment to fill it out here.
The science and engineering wings are buzzing with activity as new equipment arrives. Thanks to our generous donors, we’re getting kitted out with some serious gear. (Still plenty left on the wishlists though – hint hint.)
🔬 The Lab
🛠️ Engineering
👥 Connecting with Members
Alcor CEO James Arrowood spent last week visiting members across Northern California. Over coffee and meals, he sat down with both long-time and newer members. He noted to me how consistently impressed he is by just how accomplished the individuals who make up Alcor’s membership are.
☕ Scottsdale Meetups
If you’re around Phoenix – we’re looking for someone local to restart the regular unofficial Alcor meetups. The previous organizer is now safely cryopreserved in Alcor’s care (talk about dedication), so it would be nice to get some new volunteers to keep the tradition going. Drop Shelby a line if you’re interested at [email protected].
🎙️ New Podcast Episode
A new Alcor Podcast episode just dropped. This time, we’re diving into plans for Alcor Europe. Our International Development Coordinator, Jeremy Wiggins, joins James Arrowood to chat about why Sweden is the top pick for a new facility and what this means for our European members.
Subscribe to it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen—or just hit play on our webpage.
🇨🇦 Western Canada Emergency Kit
The Western Canada folks need some help. They’re trying to put together a $70k emergency kit that includes a complete equipment stack, M22 cryoprotectant, and essential medications. Designed to support neuro and whole-body cases, having this equipment on hand will greatly improve response times and care quality in western Canada. If you’re a Canadian Alcor member (or you just really really like Canadians), please consider funding this kit in part or in full. You can contribute at our directed donation page (and mention it’s for this) or contact [email protected]
💀 Frozen Dead Guy Days (March 14-16th)
Alcor is the title sponsor this year! Bredo Morstoel, the original ‘Frozen Dead Guy,’ was recently relocated to Alcor’s satellite facility at the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado and will be the focal point for the festival. https://frozendeadguydays.com/
If you’ve never been to this festival, you’re missing out—it’s quirky, fun, and the perfect place to introduce cryonics to a curious mainstream audience. Plus, word on the street is that Alcor CEO James Arrowood fearlessly volunteered to take on the dreaded “Polar Plunge”- worth the trip if for only that! Don’t hesitate to email him with words of encouragement! 😇
Pro tip: Book your Stanley Hotel room now—Alcor members get a discount and free museum tour.
🗣️ Biostasis Conference @ Vitalist Bay (May 17-18th)
The team behind the Global Cryonics Summit in Miami is now spearheading the Biostasis Conference at Vitalist Bay, an eight-week longevity pop-up city in Berkeley, California. Often seen as an outsider, cryonics will now take center stage in the broader longevity conversation. Alcor is showing up in full force with CEO James Arrowood, Director of Research Nick Llewellyn, and board member Ralph Merkle. Click here to check out their website and stay tuned for a full launch announcement in the near future.
💬 Alcor Monthly Board Meeting (Feb 8th at 11am MST)
Wanna spend your precious Saturday morning discussing the finer details of Alcor’s inner workings? We do too! 🤓 Join us here!
No pressure, but if you’ve been thinking about it… new year, new you? The signup link is right here.
Did you click it? I’ll know if you don’t… 👀
