With death many people’s greatest fear, cosmists and transhumanists can offer a seductive myth of immortality.
![One of Kriorus’ technicians about to enter the cooling chamber before the immersion into liquid nitrogen. In the cooling chamber the bodies are covered with dry ice to homogeneously drop body temperature to -78C. The use of the mask is mandatory, because the carbon dioxide vapours produced by sublimation can cause asphyxia.](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/023fa9976fbf408225fd9530835c8483cda6f4d6/0_0_2000_1333/master/2000.jpg?width=445&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=193d2a6bd646e84dff0aa6b26d4e86b9)
- In Moscow at the end of the 19th century a librarian of poor origins started reflecting on how future human beings, raising themselves from a condition of conflict and divisiveness, would eventually be able to defeat evil and death through a technological and cultural revolution. His name was Nikolai Fedorovich Fedorov. In the long run, the philosopher’s beliefs permeated Russian culture, inspiring scientists, mystics and artists who shared a peculiar, spiritual-philosophic doctrine later known as cosmism.