Scientists Can Now Preserve a Brain After Death - What’s Next?
From The World, the Universe and Us by New Scientist
March 25, 2026 · 18 min
About this episode
The episode discusses a new technique for preserving brains after death and its implications for future technology and ethics.
Episode 355 An entire pig’s brain has been preserved after death, using a technique that will keep the structure of the brain intact - potentially for hundreds of years. Scientists say they will offer the treatment to terminally ill humans, in the hopes that one day, in the distant future, we’ll be able to reconstruct their minds and bring them back to life. Because of the speed at which scientists need to preserve the brain tissue, the method will only work on people who opt in for assisted dying. But will we ever be able to digitally upload and reanimate a brain, or is this just offering false hope to those already suffering? And if we do develop the technology, what kind of world will these people wake up to? To discuss this new method, the ethics and science of consciousness, Rowan Hooper and Penny Sarchet are joined by Alexandra Thompson and Thomas Lewton.To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
People in this episode
Hosts: Rowan Hooper, Penny Sarchet
Guests: Alexandra Thompson, Thomas Lewton
Topics covered
- brain preservation
- ethics of consciousness
- assisted dying
- digital upload
- reanimation
- science
- future technology
Keywords
- brain preservation
- consciousness
- assisted dying
- digital upload
- reanimation
- science ethics
- future technology
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: New Scientist
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