Swiss scientists developed blueprints for a suicide pod that would enable a fast and convenient method of suicide without pain or outside interaction of other people.
How does it work?
The technology requires a person to get inside the pod and answer a few questions that are meant to establish the person’s sanity. Only after the test is there a possibility to press the button that begins the process. The pod releases nitrogen that induces a state of hypoxia and eventually leads to death. The whole process isn’t longer than 10 minutes. Inside the pod there is an emergency button that stops the process if the person changes their mind.
How is this even legal?
In Switzerland when the pod is meant to be available both assisted suicide (giving resources that enable suicide) and euthanasia are legal. With those, the project was deemed legal.
The moral debate
There is an inevitable controversy surrounding the project as it is, in a way, the exact opposite of what scientists usually search to develop. In general, we strive to find ways to extend human life, not shorten it. However with how far medicine has come some patients are now “forced” to live for years even after they lose abilities to move or communicate, which for many (both patients and their loved ones) is more of an extended torture rather than life of good quality. The right to take their own life would be the last action that they have full control over and it’s an option that many people are relieved to see.
Still, there is a concern regarding the lack of possibility to reverse such action and the fact that for many people learning about such illness may be worse mentally and after some work with therapists or psychiatrists the person could still enjoy life for much longer.
Authors note: the mission of this project (as far as I understand) is to end the suffering of people with physical conditions (including brain conditions), not as a solution for mental illnesses, especially regarding young people. For now it is discussed that the option will only be available for people above the age of 50.
sources:
https://www.euronews.com/next/2021/12/08/the-sarco-suicide-pod-aims-to-take-assisted-dying-out-of-doctors-hands
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I think its quite unfair that it’s available only for people over 50, because what’s the difference between 50 year old and 49 year old or 39 year old wanting to die peacefully?
I’ve heard about it and its a very interesting issue for me…also very controversial.In my view the problem is that it can be perceived (even if this was not the author’s intention) as an encouragement to end your life.
Yeah, looks like this idea is going to blow up even if it seems controversial. A lot of people today have physical problems, and sometimes someone invents something that is not a cure (not sure about that one), but rather a unique solution to one’s problem. And I think that this idea will be available for all kinds of people in the future, as a naive prediction.
I thought about my possible death for a long time, and dying old with Alzheimer’s or something sounds sad, so I might consider this option as the most reliable one 😀