Title Viable technology, pseudo-medicine? A survey on the layperson’s knowledge and perception of cryonics Background Cryonics is a practice by which corpses are preserved by cooling for an indefinite period of time. Although it began in the 1960s, it has lately been spreading in some developed countries, especially in the US and Russia. What distinguishes it from other forms of corpse disposal (in-ground or above-ground burial, cremation, embalming, etc.) is that cryonics is often carried out in the hope of resuscitation. State-of-the-art Few academic studies, so far, have dealt with the medical aspects connected with possible reviving following cryopreservation (PubMed contains 18 articles about cryonics between 1979 and 2018). A slightly higher number of works address the subject from the social/sociological perspectives (e.g. Sheskin 1979, Quigley 1996), but most publications are by supporters of the practice, often involved in the companies selling cryopreserving services (e.g. Blair-Gile 1994, Cryonics Europe 2002). The authors of this abstract have produced initial studies on cryonics from the medical and the linguistic (Grego 2019 and 2020 forthcoming) standpoints. Aims This study aims to survey the opinion of laypeople about cryonics. A questionnaire to this end has been developed and is currently being administered in Italian and in English, among speakers of these languages. Expected results The study is expected to return insights on a) the scientific and technical knowledge of the practice among laypeople; b) the perception of the ethical issues surrounding it, if any; c) the overall disposition of laypeople toward an increasing practice. Results will be furthermore interpreted from a critical discourse analytical perspective (Fairclough 1992, 2003, 2018; Wodak & Meyer 2001; Rajah 2018). References Blair-Giles, Brian 1994. The life of the president of the U.K. World Life Extension: Cryonics' & Nanonics' Society. Vol. 1 & 2. London: Brian Blair-Giles. Cryonics Europe 2002. Cryonics Europe: a brighter tomorrow. Burntwood: Cryonics Europe. Fairclough, Norman 1992. Discourse and Social Change. Cambridge: Polity. Fairclough, Norman 2003. Analysing Discourse: Textual Analysis for Social Research. London: Routledge. Fairclough, Norman 2018. CDA as dialectical reasoning, in Flowerdew John / Richardson, John E. (eds). The Routledge Handbook of Critical Discourse Studies. London and New York: Routledge. Quigley, Christine 1996. The corpse: a history. Jefferson, N.C.; London: McFarland. Rajah, Jothie 2018. Legal discourse. In J. Flowerdew and J. E. Richardson (eds), The Routledge Handbook of Critical Discourse Studies, London and New York: Routledge. Sheskin, Arlene 1979. Cryonics: a sociology of death and bereavement. New York: Irvington; New York; London: Distributed by Wiley. Wodak, Ruth / Meyer, Michael (eds.) 2001. Methods of Critical Discourse Analysis. London: Sage.

Viable technology, pseudo-medicine? A survey on the layperson’s knowledge and perception of cryonics / B. Ciprandi, K. Grego. ((Intervento presentato al 18. convegno International Conference on Communication, Medicine, and Ethics (COMET) tenutosi a Aalborg nel 2020.

Viable technology, pseudo-medicine? A survey on the layperson’s knowledge and perception of cryonics

B. Ciprandi;K. Grego
2020

Abstract

Title Viable technology, pseudo-medicine? A survey on the layperson’s knowledge and perception of cryonics Background Cryonics is a practice by which corpses are preserved by cooling for an indefinite period of time. Although it began in the 1960s, it has lately been spreading in some developed countries, especially in the US and Russia. What distinguishes it from other forms of corpse disposal (in-ground or above-ground burial, cremation, embalming, etc.) is that cryonics is often carried out in the hope of resuscitation. State-of-the-art Few academic studies, so far, have dealt with the medical aspects connected with possible reviving following cryopreservation (PubMed contains 18 articles about cryonics between 1979 and 2018). A slightly higher number of works address the subject from the social/sociological perspectives (e.g. Sheskin 1979, Quigley 1996), but most publications are by supporters of the practice, often involved in the companies selling cryopreserving services (e.g. Blair-Gile 1994, Cryonics Europe 2002). The authors of this abstract have produced initial studies on cryonics from the medical and the linguistic (Grego 2019 and 2020 forthcoming) standpoints. Aims This study aims to survey the opinion of laypeople about cryonics. A questionnaire to this end has been developed and is currently being administered in Italian and in English, among speakers of these languages. Expected results The study is expected to return insights on a) the scientific and technical knowledge of the practice among laypeople; b) the perception of the ethical issues surrounding it, if any; c) the overall disposition of laypeople toward an increasing practice. Results will be furthermore interpreted from a critical discourse analytical perspective (Fairclough 1992, 2003, 2018; Wodak & Meyer 2001; Rajah 2018). References Blair-Giles, Brian 1994. The life of the president of the U.K. World Life Extension: Cryonics' & Nanonics' Society. Vol. 1 & 2. London: Brian Blair-Giles. Cryonics Europe 2002. Cryonics Europe: a brighter tomorrow. Burntwood: Cryonics Europe. Fairclough, Norman 1992. Discourse and Social Change. Cambridge: Polity. Fairclough, Norman 2003. Analysing Discourse: Textual Analysis for Social Research. London: Routledge. Fairclough, Norman 2018. CDA as dialectical reasoning, in Flowerdew John / Richardson, John E. (eds). The Routledge Handbook of Critical Discourse Studies. London and New York: Routledge. Quigley, Christine 1996. The corpse: a history. Jefferson, N.C.; London: McFarland. Rajah, Jothie 2018. Legal discourse. In J. Flowerdew and J. E. Richardson (eds), The Routledge Handbook of Critical Discourse Studies, London and New York: Routledge. Sheskin, Arlene 1979. Cryonics: a sociology of death and bereavement. New York: Irvington; New York; London: Distributed by Wiley. Wodak, Ruth / Meyer, Michael (eds.) 2001. Methods of Critical Discourse Analysis. London: Sage.
1-lug-2020
Settore L-LIN/12 - Lingua e Traduzione - Lingua Inglese
Settore MED/43 - Medicina Legale
Viable technology, pseudo-medicine? A survey on the layperson’s knowledge and perception of cryonics / B. Ciprandi, K. Grego. ((Intervento presentato al 18. convegno International Conference on Communication, Medicine, and Ethics (COMET) tenutosi a Aalborg nel 2020.
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