Ultrasound-induced hibernation could revolutionize space travel.

Scientists have shown that hibernation can be artificially triggered in rodents using ultrasonic pulses, raising the prospect that humans may also retain a vestigial hibernation circuit in the brain that could be artificially reactivated. The technique was effective in rats, which had a 1C drop in core body temperature when the same brain region was targeted. Inducing a torpor-like state has potential medical applications, with some suggesting that slowing down metabolism could buy critical time for treating life-threatening conditions such as heart attack and stroke.