Can you put someone in a state perched on the knife’s edge between life and death...and bring them back? Cryogenic freezing, suspended animation, human hibernation. The idea has captivated people for ages. What if we could hit pause on ourselves to buy more time as we wait for an organ transplant or treatment after a terrible injury? 

Scientists in Seattle are getting closer to making it a reality...if only in lab animals for now. 

We talk to Mark Roth, a professor in the basic sciences division at the Fred Hutch Cancer Center and a MacArthur Genius grant recipient about his work with suspended animation. 

Pocket Science is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. It is hosted by Gabriel Spitzer, edited by Jim Gates and produced by Anna Boiko-Weyrauch. 

We can only make Pocket Science because listeners support us.Tap here to make a gift and keep Pocket Science in your feed.

Correction, October 27, 2026 at 12:20 PM PDT: An earlier version of this story misstated the chemical agent in human heart attack trials. It has also been adjusted to clarify heart attack patients vs cardiac arrest patients.

Can you put someone in a state perched on the knife&rsquo;s edge between life and death...and bring them back? Cryogenic freezing, suspended animation, human hibernation. The idea has captivated people for ages. What if we could hit pause on ourselves to buy more time as we wait for an organ transplant or treatment after a terrible injury?&nbsp;
Scientists in Seattle are getting closer to making it a reality...if only in lab animals for now.&nbsp;
We talk to <a href="https://research.fredhutch.org/roth/en.html">Mark Roth</a>, a professor in the basic sciences division at the Fred Hutch Cancer Center and a MacArthur Genius grant recipient about his work with suspended animation.&nbsp;
Pocket Science is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. It is hosted by <a href="https://www.kuow.org/people/gabriel-spitzer">Gabriel Spitzer</a>, edited by <a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/jim-gates">Jim Gates</a> and produced by <a href="https://www.kuow.org/people/anna-boiko-weyrauch">Anna Boiko-Weyrauch</a>.&nbsp;
We can only make Pocket Science because listeners support us.<a href="https://donate.kuow.org/donate/pocket-science-show-notes"> Tap here</a> to make a gift and keep Pocket Science in your feed.
Correction, October 27, 2026 at 12:20 PM PDT: An earlier version of this story misstated the chemical agent in human heart attack trials. It has also been adjusted to clarify heart attack patients vs cardiac arrest patients.

Discovery is happening all around Seattle… if you know where to look. On Pocket Science, we dig into the fascinating, weird, and groundbreaking research happening right here in our backyard—and meet the scientists in the thick of it.

From lab benches to tidal mudflats, it all starts with one simple question: what are you working on? The answers might surprise you. Take your curiosity with you on Pocket Science.

Pocket Science launches July 6 with new episodes available every other Monday.

Discovery is happening all around Seattle&hellip; if you know where to look. On Pocket Science, we dig into the fascinating, weird, and groundbreaking research happening right here in our backyard&mdash;and meet the scientists in the thick of it. From lab benches to tidal mudflats, it all starts with one simple question: what are you working on? The answers might surprise you. Take your curiosity with you on Pocket Science.
Pocket Science launches July 6 with new episodes available every other Monday.

Pocket Science

Cryogenic freezing, suspended animation, human hibernation… the idea has captivated people for ages. What if we could hit pause on ourselves to buy more time as we wait for organ transplant or treatment after a terrible injury?  Scientists in Seattle are getting closer to making it real… if only in lab animals for now. 