An Ambulance Into the Future: Jose Luis Cordeiro on Cryonics, 2045, and The Death of Death
From The Silicon Valley Insider Show with Keith Koo by Guardian Insight Group
May 15, 2026 · 41 min · Episode 166
About this episode
Keith Koo interviews Jose Luis Cordeiro about the future of cryonics and the potential for death to become optional.
What if death is optional? From the BOLD Awards in Barcelona, Keith Koo sits down with Jose Luis Cordeiro - MIT-trained engineer, student of Marvin Minsky, longtime collaborator of Ray Kurzweil, former Singularity University faculty, and author of "The Death of Death" (now in 15 languages) - for a deep dive on the science of cryonics, transhumanism, and the future of human longevity. Cordeiro calls cryonics Plan B. Plan A is biological rejuvenation by 2045 - Ray Kurzweil's forecast for when humanity reaches the technological singularity. Cordeiro argues death is already becoming optional, with the 2050s as the projected window for reanimating cryonically suspended people. Inside this episode: The difference between cryonics, cryogenics, and cryopreservation How cryoprotectants work, and why ice crystals - not cold - are the real problem Current progress: sperm, eggs, embryos, ovaries, corneas, trachea, and small-animal kidneys all successfully cryopreserved Why full brain reanimation still waits on nanotechnology The Walt Disney myth corrected (his head is not in cold storage) James Bedford, the first human ever cryopreserved - January 12, 1967, one month after Disney died The…
People in this episode
Host: Keith Koo
Guest: Jose Luis Cordeiro
Topics covered
- cryonics
- transhumanism
- human longevity
- biological rejuvenation
- technological singularity
- nanotechnology
Keywords
- cryonics
- transhumanism
- human longevity
- biological rejuvenation
- technological singularity
- nanotechnology
- James Bedford
- Walt Disney
- Ray Kurzweil
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Singularity University, Altos Labs, Calico, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, UC Davis
Books & works: The Death of Death
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