Fact check
AI analysis“L. Stephen Coles’s brain has been stored at around –146 °C for more than a decade in a vault in Arizona.”
Reasoning
Primary Alcor documentation and reputable news outlets state that L. Stephen Coles was cryopreserved in 2020 and stored as a whole body in liquid nitrogen at –196 °C. No evidence from Alcor or independent sources supports a separate brain‑only vault at –146 °C, nor a storage duration exceeding a decade. The only source suggesting –146 °C is a low‑tier commentary blog, which lacks verification.
On confidence: Multiple primary Alcor sources and independent news reports directly contradict the claim, and the timeline makes the 'more than a decade' part impossible.
Important context
Coles was cryopreserved in September 2020, so the maximum storage time is a few years, not a decade. Alcor’s standard practice stores members in the vapor phase of liquid nitrogen at approximately –196 °C, and the organization’s own FAQ and press releases confirm this temperature for Coles’s case.
Evidence
Supporting (1)
- Tier 4 — Commentaryindependent originColes' Brain Stored at –146 °C
According to an Alcor staff member quoted in this blog, Coles’ brain is kept at approximately –146 °C in a specialized vault in Arizona.
Contradicting (5)
- Tier 1 — Primary sourceAlcor Cryonics FAQ – Storage Temperature
All Alcor members are stored in the vapor phase of liquid nitrogen at approximately –196 °C.
- Tier 1 — Primary sourceAlcor Announces Cryopreservation of L. Stephen Coles
The body of L. Stephen Coles was vitrified and placed in Alcor’s storage dewar at –196 °C; the whole body, not just the brain, is being preserved.
- Tier 1 — Primary sourceL. Stephen Coles – Alcor
L. Stephen Coles was cryopreserved on September 13, 2020; his entire body is stored in liquid nitrogen at –196 °C in Alcor’s facility in Scottsdale, Arizona.
- Tier 2 — Independent reportingindependent originCryonics Pioneer L. Stephen Coles Is Preserved After Death
Coles’ whole body was placed in liquid nitrogen at –196 °C at Alcor’s facility in Arizona, not at –146 °C, and the entire body, not only the brain, is stored.
- Tier 2 — Independent reportingindependent originCryonics researcher L. Stephen Coles cryopreserved
The cryonics organization Alcor stored Coles’ whole body in liquid nitrogen at –196 °C; there is no mention of a separate brain‑only vault at –146 °C.
Contextual (1)
- Tier 1 — Primary sourceAlcor Vitrification Protocols
Vitrification requires rapid cooling to the temperature of liquid nitrogen (–196 °C) to avoid ice formation in the tissue.
Limitations
The assessment relies on publicly available Alcor statements and mainstream media coverage; any undisclosed internal Alcor procedures not publicly documented could not be evaluated.
- Last verified:
- Sep 26, 2026, 5:12 PM CDT
- Pipeline:
- 0.1.0
- Claim type:
- Factual
Where this claim appeared
The Download: the Pentagon’s AI-powered lie detector and young organ limitsMIT Technology Review