As lifespans continue to lengthen, rules around euthanasia are likely to relax. And as they do so, entrepreneurs will be scrambling to offer the most painless and dignified endings.
Australian euthanasia campaigner Philip Nitschke is ahead of the curve with the sleek and elegant Sarco. The Sarco (short for Sarcophagus) is a futuristic Star Trek coffin that, he says, will “allow rational adults the option of a peaceful, elective and lawful death in an elegant and stylish environment”.
A button on the inside of the pod allows the user to flood the enclosure with nitrogen. The effect is, according to Nitschke, a “slightly tipsy” feeling that soon results in a painless death.