What happens to the 21 grams?

midlifebear

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Enough of this heaven/hell, god/reintarnation/no god, I believe/I want to believe/I don't believe poopy crap religion hooey.

A human body averages 21 grams heavier when alive than dead. It's not always exactly 21 grams. This is before the bladder relaxes and the rectum expels any waste. So what are those 21 +/- grams and what happens to them?

PS: I bet Nick444 knows, but he'd better not tell. :smile:
 

D_Gunther Snotpole

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Enough of this heaven/hell, god/reintarnation/no god, I believe/I want to believe/I don't believe poopy crap religion hooey.

A human body averages 21 grams heavier when alive than dead. It's not always exactly 21 grams. This is before the bladder relaxes and the rectum expels any waste. So what are those 21 +/- grams and what happens to them?

PS: I bet Nick444 knows, but he'd better not tell. :smile:

Interesting.
I've heard that a number of times ... maybe not the 21-grams figure, but the idea that something seems to happen at the point of death that makes the body lighter ... as though the presence of something that has actual weight marks the difference between life and death.
I once heard an academic who happened to be a Sikh, and therefore a believer in reincarnation, explain this as the weight of the 'soul.'
I'd be fascinated to hear anything about this.
 

lucky8

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it's poop, with the reference to "poopy" and "crap" in the OP, I am completely sure of it...about 90% sure to be exact
 

Rocky14441

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Enough of this heaven/hell, god/reintarnation/no god, I believe/I want to believe/I don't believe poopy crap religion hooey.

A human body averages 21 grams heavier when alive than dead. It's not always exactly 21 grams. This is before the bladder relaxes and the rectum expels any waste. So what are those 21 +/- grams and what happens to them?

PS: I bet Nick444 knows, but he'd better not tell. :smile:

I saw an article on the Subject: Stiff, The curious Lives of Medical Cadavers by Mary Roach

The 21 Grams study is urban myth based on a seriously flawed study by a real eccentric.

Sorry
 

dong20

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... the weight of the 'soul.'
I'd be fascinated to hear anything about this.

Interesting you should mention this. I read once that experiements were done on animals, dogs I believe and no immediate post mortum weight loss was observed. Does that suggest animals, dogs at least have no soul?

That said, I did a quick google and found the following which has some sheepish tales:

"Unexplained Weight Gain Transients at the Moment of Death," by Lewis
E. Hollander Jr. (Journal of Scientific Exploration, Vol. 15, No. 4,
pp. 495?500, 2001)
Society for Scientific Exploration
http://www.scientificexploration.org/jse/articles/pdf/15.4_hollander.pdf

and this (which also mentions the souless dogs thing) ...

snopes.com: Weight of the Soul

Hmm ...
 

midlifebear

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I saw an article on the Subject: Stiff, The curious Lives of Medical Cadavers by Mary Roach

The 21 Grams study is urban myth based on a seriously flawed study by a real eccentric.

Sorry


Damn you Nick444, no birthday cake for you because you told everyone there is no Santa Clause! LOL! :cool:
 

Mem

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Everyone knows that the soul weighs 21 grams, but the only people who could be weighed before and after death is a death row inmate and everyone knows that they do not have souls.
 

Phil Ayesho

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Enough of this heaven/hell, god/reintarnation/no god, I believe/I want to believe/I don't believe poopy crap religion hooey.

A human body averages 21 grams heavier when alive than dead. It's not always exactly 21 grams. This is before the bladder relaxes and the rectum expels any waste. So what are those 21 +/- grams and what happens to them?

PS: I bet Nick444 knows, but he'd better not tell. :smile:


This is a common myth based upon a series of tests done back near 1900.

Problem is... its flat out incorrect.

There is no difference in the weight of a body immediately prior and immediately post death. ( taking into consideration the fact that some people void urine or feces on dying )
The 21 gram result was due to faulty methodology and the sincere desire of the investigator to find evidence for a human soul.
 

ManlyBanisters

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A human body averages 21 grams heavier when alive than dead. It's not always exactly 21 grams. This is before the bladder relaxes and the rectum expels any waste. So what are those 21 +/- grams and what happens to them?

shit. everyone takes a shit when they die

it's poop, with the reference to "poopy" and "crap" in the OP, I am completely sure of it...about 90% sure to be exact

Well, you didn't read the OP that carefully, did you?

As per dong's links this not the 'scientifically observed truth'. :rolleyes: