Hot to Cold

The podcast episode explores the intriguing benefits and challenges of extreme cold in various contexts, featuring insights from experts like biologist Steve Austead and IBM's Olivia Lanes. The discussion delves into the potential health benefits of cold water immersion, the speculative science of cryonics, and the role of cryogenics in advancing quantum computing. Austead expresses skepticism about the feasibility of cryonics, citing the lack of evidence and potential risks. Meanwhile, Lanes explains how superconductors at near absolute zero temperatures are crucial for quantum computers. The episode also touches on the potential for life on Jupiter's moon Europa, where cold temperatures might support microbial life beneath its icy crust.

• Cold water swimming, often referred to as polar bear swimming, is a practice where individuals immerse themselves in icy waters.
• While some individuals find cold water plunging invigorating and mood-enhancing, the scientific evidence supporting long-term health benefits is inconclusive.
• Cold water immersion is believed to reduce stress and aid in recovery after exercise by reducing swelling, though it may also pose risks due to the shock it imparts on the body.

"Something drives these swimmers to dive into icy ocean water. We'll find out if their shivery invigoration also has measurable health benefits."

• The allure of cold water swimming lies in its potential health benefits, though the scientific validation of these benefits is still under investigation.

"Cold water immersion reduces stress and that cold showers increased quality of life, at least for a short time."

• Short-term benefits of cold water immersion include stress reduction and improved quality of life, though the duration and extent of these effects remain uncertain.

"Biologist Stephen Osted at the University of Alabama at Birmingham worries about possible harmful effects."

• Expert opinion highlights potential risks associated with cold water immersion, emphasizing the need for caution and further research to confirm its safety and efficacy.

• Cryonics involves freezing human bodies with the hope of future revival, aiming to preserve individuals until medical advancements can cure their ailments.
• The process requires replacing bodily water with antifreeze agents to prevent cellular damage during freezing.
• Despite technological advancements, cryonics remains speculative, with no successful human revival to date.

"New cryonic companies are offering deep freeze as a way to cheat death."

• Cryonics is marketed as a futuristic solution to death, though its practicality and effectiveness are yet to be demonstrated.

"Dr. Ostad describes the process of cryonics."

• The cryonics process involves complex techniques to prevent cellular damage, yet challenges such as memory preservation and safe rewarming remain unresolved.

"There's no evidence whatsoever that it actually works, that anybody had. Nobody's been brought back."

• The absence of successful human revival underscores the speculative nature of cryonics, with significant scientific and ethical hurdles yet to be overcome.

• Cryonics faces significant technical challenges, including the preservation of delicate brain connections and safe rewarming of the body.
• Ethical considerations arise regarding the initiation of the cryonics process, particularly the timing and consent involved.
• Trust in cryonics companies is crucial, as the long-term maintenance of preserved bodies relies on the company's stability and reliability.

"Our memories. Knowledge depends on the most tiny and delicate connections between our brain cells."

• The preservation of memory and cognitive functions is a critical challenge in cryonics, with current methods unable to guarantee the integrity of these delicate neural connections.

"You have to hope that the company hasn't forgotten to pay the electric bill or someone hasn't tripped over the cord."

• The reliance on cryonics companies for long-term preservation introduces uncertainties, including financial stability and operational reliability over extended periods.

• Cryonics involves replacing water in the body with cryopreservatives after death, but revival remains unproven.
• Experiments have been conducted on animals, showing some brain activity post-revival, but consciousness and sensory recovery are unknown.

"They got some brain activity that is some electrical biological activity still in the brain. But whether those pigs knew anything, whether those pigs hadn't lost all of their senses, we don't know."

• Experiments on animals like pigs show limited success with brain activity but no evidence of full revival or consciousness restoration.

• Some animals, like wood frogs and tardigrades, can survive freezing by replacing cell water with natural antifreeze.
• These animals have genetic adaptations that allow them to dehydrate and rehydrate without damage.

"They have a way of basically sucking the water out of their cells and replacing it with some types of antifreeze that they have genes that can make this and we don't."

• Unlike humans, some animals possess genetic mechanisms to prevent cellular damage during freezing.

• Scientific advancements have shown potential in extending life and health through genetic manipulation, drugs, and diet.
• Unlike cryonics, life extension has experimental evidence in animals, making it a more credible field.

"We have lots and lots of ways that we know we can keep animals young and healthy longer. That's the main difference."

• Life extension techniques have demonstrated success in animals, offering more promise than unproven cryonics methods.

• Hibernating animals show slowed bodily damage and potentially longer lifespans.
• Observations suggest hibernation could inform human longevity research.

"There are plenty of animals that slow down the damage in their bodies a lot during hibernation, and they seem to live longer when they do that."

• Studying hibernation in animals may provide insights into slowing human aging processes.

• Quantum computers operate at extremely low temperatures to maintain qubit stability and prevent interference.
• Superconductors used in quantum computing require near-absolute zero temperatures to function without resistance.

"The quantum computer actually functions at just a fraction of a degree above absolute zero. So it's actually like minus 460 degrees Fahrenheit."

• Maintaining extreme cold is essential for quantum computers to operate efficiently, minimizing qubit errors.

• Quantum computers use qubits, which exist in multiple states simultaneously, unlike classical bits.
• Quantum mechanics allows quantum computers to simulate complex quantum interactions more accurately than classical computers.

"A quantum computer runs on entirely different sets of physical rules. So instead of obeying rules that are classical, it runs on laws that are quantum mechanical."

• Quantum computers leverage quantum mechanics to perform tasks that are infeasible for classical computers, offering potential for advanced simulations and calculations.

• Quantum computers excel in simulating quantum mechanical processes, offering precise modeling capabilities.
• They provide advantages in areas like chemical simulations, where classical computers approximate but do not fully understand quantum interactions.

"The advantages of using a quantum computer which intrinsically understands and obeys quantum mechanical principles is that it can simulate interactions that are quantum mechanical in nature."

• Quantum computing's ability to simulate quantum processes makes it superior for tasks requiring high precision, such as chemical and physical simulations.

• Quantum computers simulate processes more accurately and faster than classical computers by inherently understanding quantum laws.
• They function like numerous classical computers working simultaneously on the same problem with varying parameters.
• Quantum computing utilizes wave interference to promote correct answers and demote incorrect ones.

"If you were to use a quantum computer, which already knows how those laws work and interact with the system... you can inherently simulate all of these different processes much more accurately and faster."

• Quantum computers can simulate complex processes due to their intrinsic understanding of quantum laws.

"It's like having a gazillion ordinary computers all working on the same problem at the same time... it covers all bases."

• Quantum computers can be likened to multiple classical computers solving a problem simultaneously, covering various possibilities.

"You can create mathematical frameworks which create patterns that create constructive and destructive interference in the structure of the answers that are being produced."

• Quantum algorithms use wave interference to enhance correct answers and suppress incorrect ones.

• Quantum computers appear as large metal cans, resembling a chandelier, with intricate gold plates and metals inside.
• They require extreme cooling, often using cryogenic materials like helium.

"It would look like a giant can hanging from the ceiling... inside is a bunch of gold plates and metals and the cubits themselves."

• Quantum computers have a striking appearance, with intricate components hidden inside protective layers.

"When it's turned off and you take the cans off, then you can see all of these cool gold pieces and cables and metals and the parts that actually hold the cryogenic material."

• The internal structure of a quantum computer is complex and only visible when the protective layers are removed.

• Qubits, or quantum bits, are the fundamental units of quantum computing, existing in a superposition of states.
• Superposition allows qubits to be in multiple states simultaneously, but measurement collapses them to a single state.

"A qubit just stands for a quantum bit... it's a two level system that has two energy levels and it can be put into this superposition state."

• Qubits can exist in superposition, representing both 0 and 1 simultaneously, enhancing computational possibilities.

"You can never directly observe a superposition because the moment that you do that, you create what we call a measurement and that measurement collapses the superposition."

• The act of measuring a qubit collapses its superposition, limiting direct observation of its quantum state.

• Quantum computers are not for everyday tasks but are suited for large-scale data processing, simulations, and optimizations.
• They are particularly useful in fields like material science, drug development, and potentially astronomy.

"You certainly wouldn't need a quantum computer to read your email... the thing that you might want a quantum computer for is when you're processing something with tons and tons of data."

• Quantum computers excel in handling extensive data and complex simulations, beyond the capabilities of classical computers.

"We can envision researchers or large enterprises wanting to use a quantum computer to optimize some sort of route or path, or trying to simulate something, like in a material science setting."

• Industries requiring high precision and data-intensive computations can benefit significantly from quantum computing.

• Quantum computing can aid in astronomical simulations, such as galaxy collisions, due to its ability to handle vast computations.

"There are a lot of simulations that you can do... when you're looking at high energy physics, collisions or sometimes some processes that occur, you know, out in space."

• Quantum computers can simulate astronomical events, offering insights into complex cosmic phenomena.

• The potential of quantum computing suggests that science will continue to evolve without reaching a finite end.
• Challenges remain in developing quantum algorithms and engineering rather than cooling systems.

"I don't think we'll ever run out of science... I think we're going to have plenty of other problems on our plate before we run out of science."

• The continuous advancement of science is anticipated, with quantum computing playing a significant role.

"Quantum computers will never scale until we have a room temperature control system... the cooling... is not actually the hard part."

• The focus in quantum computing development is shifting towards algorithmic and engineering challenges, rather than cooling technology.

• Recent research indicates that there are no active volcanoes on Europa's sea floor.
• The heat on Europa is primarily driven by tidal forces from Jupiter, not volcanic activity.

"Work that I published about a year ago is extremely strongly indicative that there's no active volcanoes on the sea floor."

• The research suggests Europa's heat sources differ from Earth's, focusing on tidal forces rather than volcanic activity.

• Europa's liquid ocean is maintained by tidal heating from Jupiter's gravitational pull.
• The eccentric orbit of Europa, influenced by its sister moons, contributes to this heating mechanism.

"The tidal heat Jupiter pumps through the planet keeps the ice shell, the surface ice, from freezing over entirely."

• Tidal heating is crucial in preventing Europa's ocean from freezing, creating potential habitable conditions.

• Temperature's role in habitability is less critical if a food source is available for microorganisms.
• Life can adapt to extreme temperatures if conditions allow for metabolic processes.

"As long as there's a food source, then the temperature doesn't really matter."

• The adaptability of life to various temperatures suggests potential for life in extreme environments like Europa.

• Europa's icy crust, bombarded by radiation, may produce oxidants that serve as nutrients for microbes.
• Meltwater pockets and the ice-ocean interface are potential habitats for microbial life.

"It is generally thought that there might be little meltwater pockets within the ice shell, and it's also thought that the interface between the ice shell and the ocean is just sort of this mushy, slushy, salty place where bacterial colonies might be able to thrive."

• The challenge lies in transferring surface nutrients to the ocean beneath the ice shell.

• Crustal delamination, a process observed on Earth, may occur on Europa, facilitating nutrient transfer.
• Salt contamination in ice could lead to densification and sinking, mimicking Earth's geological processes.

"If you get a bunch of salt in ice's crystal structure, it will densify the ice and it will also weaken the ice because it disrupts the very strong lattice that ice forms."

• This process could aid in bringing surface nutrients to potential microbial habitats in Europa's ocean.

• Scheduled for 2031, the Europa Clipper mission aims to assess habitability, not directly detect life.
• The mission will use advanced instruments, including ice-penetrating radar, to study Europa's ice shell and ocean.

"Europa Clipper is a habitability assessment mission. It is not a life detection mission."

• The mission's findings will determine the feasibility of future life-detection missions on Europa.

• Absolute zero represents the lowest possible temperature, where atomic motion ceases.
• The behavior of materials changes significantly as temperatures approach absolute zero.

"The definition of absolute zero is that all motion of all these particles, including molecules, stops."

• Understanding extreme cold has implications for both physics and potential technological applications.

• Absolute zero is not naturally found in the universe but represents a theoretical limit.
• Life cannot exist at absolute zero due to the cessation of molecular motion and metabolism.

"Life would have a hard time because the definition of absolute zero is that all motion of all these particles, including molecules, stops."

• The exploration of cold environments expands our understanding of life's potential limits and adaptations.