Today I read that 15 top European scientists met recently to discuss how the European Space Agency (ESA) might send a human in to deep space (motherboard.vice.com). More specifically, the scientists met in order to determine how they can purposefully induce hibernation. Cryosleep, putting a human being in to suspended animation using a drug, chamber, or something very cold, has commonly been used in science fiction. We see representations of cryosleep in several films including: 2001: A Space Odyssey, Interstellar, Aliens, Avatar, and Riddick.
Since the beginning of medical history, there have been people who have used cold temperatures to treat various conditions. Hippocrates is believed to have covered injured soldiers with ice and snow in order to slow their flow of blood and give their bodies additional time to heal. Many years later, in 1945, a researcher named TB Fay purposely cooled down patients who had sustained traumatic brain injuries. Fay did this in hopes that swelling would decrease, metabolism would slow down, and the bodies of these patients would be healed. In 1999, Swedish radiologist Anna Bagenholm was trapped under ice for 80 minutes after a skiing accident. Her heart stopped for three hours and her body temperature dropped to 56 degrees. She eventually made a full recovery outside of some minor nerve damage.
In chapter 17 of Job, we read Job crying out for God to defend his innocence. He laments his current state of being having lost everything. Job has hit a low point in his life, unable to see any more hope in the midst of experiencing tremendous loss. Within this text is a particularly powerful quote. In verse 9 of Job 17 he states, “The righteous keep moving forward”. We will face times in our lives when it seems like there is no hope. We all have times where we want to fall asleep and cease to face life’s challenges. But, the righteous don’t sleep. The righteous keep moving forward. God has something great in store for all that follow him. Don’t fall in to cryosleep. Move forward.
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