Probably about 5 seconds or less, the drop in blood pressure would cause [almost] instant unconsciousness. I think of all the methods of killing people, decapitation is the most "humane".
For example, like madanthonywayne's link above. Links to articles. It seems, Dragon, you are offended by my raising the issue of what happens to the torso in these situations. I find that odd. I think it is no more morbid to wonder about what happens to the rest of the body than it is to focus on the head. If it doesn't interest you, fine.
Most people understimate the effect of reflex activity in such situations. The muscles still contain ATP and still react reflexively to stimulation, its not unusual to see twitching in decapitated animals almost 15 minutes after they lose their heads. I've seen it pretty regularly in my rats. A bit unnerving, that.
A very complicated nerve reflex. They sometimes get up and run around. Running is not like what happens when we are tapped under the patella. And the chicken is a fairly complicated animal. So I wondered if complicated responses are possible are also possible in human bodies. I guess I am wondering if decapitation, in a sense, allows a body to have more integrity. In many catastrophic, mortal injuries, the body will go into shock and perhaps this is in part due to what the brain communicates to the body. In decapitation there is no such communication.
But not simply twitching, running, at least in the case of chickens. So not some random set of nerve firings, but a complicated action requiring the coordinated movements of a wide range of muscles and nerves.
its just Simon....your interest in a headless body as a priority before the decapitated head is eerie...
before....? I already posted about the head. I already read a bunch of posts about the head. Anyone posting in this thread - which includes you - rather than, for example, going over to the old age home across the street and chatting with a bored, abandoned elderly person - or performing some other small worthwhile act has weird priorities.
For honourable executions, a tribe in africa used to decapitate the victim then place his head in a primed catapult, which lauched it over the forest canopy, so the last few seconds of life would be of flying through the air
Is it coordinated? I've never seen it and I've seen my grandmother bleed out decapitated chickens all my childhood.
When I was a kid I one day decided to catch butterflies. I came up with this idiotic idea to make a butterfly zoo. So I got a cardboard box and cut out the bars, then I put in the butterflies. Although I was careful not to make the gaps too wide they still were and the butterflies all escaped. Determined not to let that happen again I put transparent tape over the gaps so I could still see them but they couldn't get out. Yes, I'm ashamed.. but it gets worse.. After I put in the new butterflies my mom found out and she told me to release them, so I did. But one stayed inside the box, so I picked it up. However, it stayed inside because it was stuck to the tape.. I had put on the tape with the sticky side towards the inside of the box :bugeye: So in the process of picking up the poor thing I tore off it's head Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! I didn't fly, it just sat there. Every now and then it walked around a bit though. I was fascinated with the fact that it stayed alive and showed all my friends.. It did sadden me though. It stayed alive for about a week.
I've read that some of the large herbivorous dinosaurs had additional brains in their spines to control their hind legs. Also, octopuses have one central brain and eight additional brains, one in each leg.
especially as im sure butterflys only live for a day anyway as far as i knowPlease Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
You remind me of the kid in the 'WASP FACTORY' by 'Ian Banks' if you haven't read it I would..short,gripping read... It's only part of the story but the book is awsome I think I read it in a day and a night This kid has built a house for wasp's(bit like your butterfly house with bars and extra attatchments that go off to other rooms and tunnels) and he opens and close's hatches so the wasp's face various obstacle courses which generaly ends up with them getting burned,knifed or stuck to things like tape/glue
Thats pretty strange, about the butterfly. The good thing is the it didnt know its head was missing. (most likely)
Yea lol Only I didn't intend for it to happen. I'll look up the book some time Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
I don't think butterflies know much of anything anyway lol It didn't blink though.. but then, butterflies don't exactly have eyelids.. :scratchin:
