ibking Posted August 16, 2005 Report Share Posted August 16, 2005 I read somewhere that the body undergoes a slight weight loss at the moment of death. Some accord this with the leaving of the soul, other say there is no real explanation. Has anyone else heard of this, and if so, are you aware of any links on the web regarding this phenomenon? Thank you... Brian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bumab Posted August 16, 2005 Report Share Posted August 16, 2005 I've heard of it, and heard many refutations. I don't really think it exists. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffy Posted August 16, 2005 Report Share Posted August 16, 2005 Well, its certainly a more testable hypothesis than trying to count the number of angels that can dance on the head of a pin, but I suspect that any rigorous testing would be in direct conflict with the Hippocratic Oath, and no doctor would countenance that (except maybe for Dr. Mengele, whose work may have been the source of any "data" that anyone might have)... :) It would probably require immersing the person in a fluid so that the mass and not just the weight of the body could be measured, and it would have to be adjusted for the cessation of fluid functions such as circulation which generate pressure and could affect the measurements...and then of course just sitting there watching and waiting for them die. Sounds delightful. Cheers,Buffy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GAHD Posted August 16, 2005 Report Share Posted August 16, 2005 yup, I'd say it's urine myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tormod Posted August 16, 2005 Report Share Posted August 16, 2005 The movie "21 grams" is all about this. And it's a piece of fiction. Good fiction, but still fiction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dark Mind Posted August 16, 2005 Report Share Posted August 16, 2005 That movie sucked... Just my 2¢ :). ¥₧ƒß Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tormod Posted August 16, 2005 Report Share Posted August 16, 2005 That movie sucked... Nah, you just didn't understand the inner poetry and soul of the movie. Just admit it. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CraigD Posted August 17, 2005 Report Share Posted August 17, 2005 A pretty extensive article can be found at http://www.snopes.com/religion/soulweight.asp. Snopes and similar sites are usually pretty good sources for digested research on this sort of question. Creating a scale to give a very precise weight of a living (or, I would presume, dieing) human being in open air is challenging. Normal lung dynamics result in about +-5 g of mass loss, not including the jet effects around the nose and mouth. Blood flow is irregular, and involves a large mass moving surprisingly fast. Small, involuntary musculoskeletal movement can cause forces in the kilo-newton range. To have any hope of measuring the famous “21 grams”, I believe you’d need to have the dieing patient in a sealed chamber with all their breathing gasses and fluids, and take many closely-timed weighs of the whole chamber with a few grams precision. However its done, It’s a daunting and expensive-sounding bit of engineering that I don’t believe MacDougall accomplished in his 1907 experiment. If you had the apparatus, I doubt you’d have any ethical problems using it – plenty of terminally ill people don’t need much medical care, and would volunteer “to die for” science. You could probably get the Randi Foundation to send observers, though I wouldn’t count on winning the $1,000,000. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dark Mind Posted August 17, 2005 Report Share Posted August 17, 2005 Nah, you just didn't understand the inner poetry and soul of the movie. Just admit it. :)Fine... I admit it... NOT :evil:. :xx: :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OpenMind5 Posted August 17, 2005 Report Share Posted August 17, 2005 Lossing weight when u die! wow...I wouldn't make this into a BIG deal...you never know what type of teen is reading this trying to lose a few pounds....:evil: Op5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffy Posted August 17, 2005 Report Share Posted August 17, 2005 Lossing weight when u die! wow...I wouldn't make this into a BIG deal...you never know what type of teen is reading this trying to lose a few pounds....:evil:...and if it caused an increase in height we'd have several members here who I'm sure would try it as well... Cheers,Buffy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OpenMind5 Posted August 17, 2005 Report Share Posted August 17, 2005 Me included....LOL! But its ok...I may be short...but i make up for it in OTHER areas... Like brains :evil:LOL Op5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffy Posted August 17, 2005 Report Share Posted August 17, 2005 I'm not that tall, but I've dated shorter guys and tall is overrated. I always keep on hand one of my favorite hot sauces for them: "Jump Up and Kiss Me." Opie, you're plenty cute enough for the girls not to care about your height! :evil: Cheers,Buffy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OpenMind5 Posted August 17, 2005 Report Share Posted August 17, 2005 Opie, you're plenty cute enough for the girls not to care about your height! :evil: Cheers,Buffy Aww...shucks! *blushing*LOLThanks! GAH! :) OP5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dark Mind Posted August 17, 2005 Report Share Posted August 17, 2005 ...and if it caused an increase in height we'd have several members here who I'm sure would try it as well... Cheers,Buffy*Cough!*PS2Huang*Cough!*Huh, what? I didn't say anything :evil:. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dark Mind Posted August 17, 2005 Report Share Posted August 17, 2005 Me included....LOL! But its ok...I may be short...but i make up for it in OTHER areas...[Removed so I could insert question :)]Op5What, you got a twelve inch pianist :evil:. :xx: ...What? ...What'd I say? ...Oh, the kids, crap forgot. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OpenMind5 Posted August 17, 2005 Report Share Posted August 17, 2005 What, you got a twelve inch pianist :).:xx:...What? ...What'd I say? ...Oh, the kids, crap forgot. :evil: Hmmm, I don't own a piano...sorry...and kids? Don't have those ether...maybe you have me confused with another Openmind... :) LOl Op5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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