Mike Darwin

Michael G. Darwin (born April 26, 1955), formerly known as Michael Federowicz, is a former president of cryonics organization Alcor Life Extension Foundation. He was president from 1983 to 1988, and research director until 1992. He was also the founder and president of BioPreservation, Inc., and a cofounder, member of the board of directors, and director of research at Twenty-First Century Medicine (a cryobiological/critical care medicine research company) from 1993 to 1999.

Early life He was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. Because of his interest in evolution and rejection of creationism he earned himself the nickname "Darwin" among his schoolmates. In 1968, aged 12, he qualified for the Indiana state science fair with his project "Suspended Animation in Animals and Plants." He dreamed of becoming an astronaut and applying his research to space travel. His registration was lost and his project never judged, but he was given an honorable mention out of a sense of fair play. At the fair, however, he learned that a Dr. James Bedford had been frozen in California. This was the beginning of Darwin's lifelong interest in cryonics.

Career in cryonics Darwin contacted the Cryonics Society of New York (CSNY) and got from them a considerable amount of literature by Saul Kent, who became his patron. ′How Dead is Dead Enough?′ (2008), ′Cryonics: Why it has failed, and possible ways to fix it′ (2008).

Personal life Darwin is a vegetarian.

Technical accomplishments Darwin was the first full-time cryonics researcher, for one year for Alcor in the 1970s. Darwin worked alongside UCLA cardiothoracic researcher Jerry Leaf during the 1980s, and physician Dr. Steven B. Harris in the 1990s to create many of the key technologies and practices of modern cryonics.

Published works