In this Levity episode, Kai Micah Mills, founder of Cryopets, discusses his mission to make cryopreservation accessible for pets, with the long-term vision of extending these technologies to humans. The conversation explores the science, logistics, and ethics of cryonics while highlighting the rapid growth in public interest.

Key Points:

Cryopets is pioneering pet cryopreservation, turning grief into scientific possibility. Founder Kai Micah Mills believes pets are the first step toward making cryonics a mainstream human choice.

• Founding Vision: Mills explains how Cryopets began as a way to bridge public interest in pet preservation with the broader goal of normalizing cryonics for humans.
• High Demand: Cryopets now sees hundreds of new pets added to its waitlist every week, signaling strong public curiosity.
• Why Pets First: People are often more open to preserving pets than themselves, as they confront pet mortality sooner and form deep emotional bonds.
• The Science: Cryopreservation involves rapid cooling, blood replacement with cryoprotectants, and long-term storage in liquid nitrogen.
• Affordability: Preserving pets is significantly cheaper than humans—often costing less than common veterinary treatments—and can be financed in small monthly payments.
• Research & Partnerships: Cryopets collaborates with groups like Tomorrow Bio and CryoDAO to expand facilities and fund cryonics research projects.
• CryoRat Project: Mills highlights a landmark experiment aimed at reviving cryopreserved rats as a proof-of-concept for future human applications.
• Future Outlook: Beyond pets, Mills envisions cryonics becoming a mainstream option for humans, supported by growing funding, public acceptance, and infrastructure.