The Brain Preservation Foundation is an American
non-profit organization
A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
with the goal of promoting validated scientific research and technical services development in the field of whole brain preservation for long-term static storage, as well as working on the accessibility, affordability, and sustainability of this technology.
It also provides public education on topics such as the neural foundations of memory, brain scanning techniques, brain preservation, and mind uploading.
Prizes
In 2010, the Brain Preservation Foundation launched an
inducement prize contest
An inducement prize contest (IPC) is a competition that awards a cash prize for the accomplishment of a feat, usually of engineering. IPCs are typically designed to extend the limits of human ability. Some of the most famous IPCs include the Longi ...
with the goal of improving the long-run preservation of human brains. The purpose of preserving a human brain is to allow the mind uploading of the preserved brain's long-term memories if the technology becomes available to do so in the long-run future. The requirements of the Brain Preservation Technology Prize stated that the
connectome
A connectome () is a comprehensive map of neural connections in the brain, and may be thought of as its "wiring diagram". An organism's nervous system is made up of neurons which communicate through synapses. A connectome is constructed by tr ...
of a brain had to be preserved in a way that would allow for long-term storage (>100 years).
On February 9, 2016, the Small Mammal Brain Preservation Prize was officially won by the cryobiology research company
21st Century Medicine. On March 13, 2018, the Large Mammal Brain Preservation Prize was officially won, again by 21st Century Medicine.
See also
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Cryonics
Cryonics (from el, κρύος ''kryos'' meaning 'cold') is the low-temperature freezing (usually at ) and storage of human remains, with the speculative hope that resurrection may be possible in the future. Cryonics is regarded with skepticis ...
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21st Century Medicine
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Information-theoretic death
Information-theoretic death is a term of art used in cryonics
Cryonics (from el, κρύος ''kryos'' meaning 'cold') is the low-temperature freezing (usually at ) and storage of human remains, with the speculative hope that resurrection ma ...
References
{{Cryonics
Non-profit organizations based in the United States by state
Cryonics