For many years people have been thinking up new ways
that a legal, peaceful, swift dying can be achieved.
None have tried harder than Dr.Philip Nitschke, an Australian now living in the Netherlands.
Nitschke has created a 3D-printed suicide machine that allows users to administer their own death in a matter of minutes. Called Sarco, the futuristic-looking machine features a coffin-like sealed pod with transparent panels. It sits on top of a raised platform that leans at an angle.
By pressing a button on the inside of the pod the machine floods with liquid nitrogen, an unregulated substance that can be easily purchased.
This lowers the oxygen level within the capsule, making the user feel “slightly tipsy” before falling unconscious and ultimately, dying.
Although users must pass an artificial intelligence-powered test to determine their mental capacity to open the hatch, details of the test are not specified.
According to Nitschke, the aim of the machine is to “allow rational adults the option of a peaceful, elective and lawful death in an elegant and stylish environment”.
The machine is portable, meaning it can be moved to the user’s desired location.
“You can tow it off and have it overlooking the Alps or the lakes. When you’re ready you
say goodbye, use the code to get in, pull down the canopy, press a button and you die in a few minutes. It’s a very peaceful death,” he explained.
“I’m not suggesting Sarco is everybody’s cup of tea but it seems to be a lot of people’s cup of tea,” said Nitschke. “This is the most important day of your life, the day you die. It is something not to be hidden, it should be eloquent and beautiful.”
