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So when you donate your body to Science you either.

I was feeling my skull last night. It's a pretty cool skull. I'd like somebody to have it on their mantelpiece when I die, or use it as part of a skulltastic diorama of some kind.

Skulls are wasted man. They're far too awesome to be just chucked into the ground.
 
The alternatives are to be slowly eaten by worms, or get burnt.

If ANYONE can get ANY sort of academic, educational or even comic value with my body once I'm dead - that's awesome.

Once you're finished, cover me in petrol and set me on fire, and dispose of me just like they got rid of Donny in The Big Lebowski.
 
MotleyPete said:
I was feeling my skull last night. It's a pretty cool skull. I'd like somebody to have it on their mantelpiece when I die, or use it as part of a skulltastic diorama of some kind.

Skulls are wasted man. They're far too awesome to be just chucked into the ground.
Click to expand...
The Aztecs knew how to bling a skull.

2rpe5p5.jpg
 
Just read an article on CNN not too long ago about the increase in people leaving their bodies to science. Due to financial hardships people are choosing to do this more and more, as the companies are paying for the cremation and saving the family some money.

As a medical student, I appreciate the bodies. After going through anatomy, I don't think I would want my body left to science. Not that anything horrible is done to them, I just don't want to be cut open and gazed at.
 
My father-inlaw did this and when he passed on Harvard took his body, did what they wanted to do and then buried it. They gave my wife the option of burying or cremating it.
 
djellison said:
The alternatives are to be slowly eaten by worms, or get burnt.

If ANYONE can get ANY sort of academic, educational or even comic value with my body once I'm dead - that's awesome.

Once you're finished, cover me in petrol and set me on fire, and dispose of me just like they got rid of Donny in The Big Lebowski.
Click to expand...

^ This.

P.S. DonnysAshes.jpg
 
kellen said:
As a medical student, I appreciate the bodies. After going through anatomy, I don't think I would want my body left to science. Not that anything horrible is done to them, I just don't want to be cut open and gazed at.
Click to expand...

As a physician, this sentiment disappoints me. After you're done with your body, why shouldn't some good come of it? Consider organ transplantation or donating your body. Otherwise, you are going to take up valuable real estate (burial), or become a greenhouse gas (cremation). I doubt after you are dead you will be at all concerned about being cut open and gazed at.
 
eawmp1 said:
As a physician, this sentiment disappoints me. After you're done with your body, why shouldn't some good come of it? Consider organ transplantation or donating your body. Otherwise, you are going to take up valuable real estate (burial), or become a greenhouse gas (cremation). I doubt after you are dead you will be at all concerned about being cut open and gazed at.
Click to expand...

I'm an organ donor and don't mind that. Just don't want a cadaver donation.
 
I guess Ebay is better than Craigslist. :D

Seriously, I know we need bodies to be donated to science because they help with research and education, but in all honesty I have never really thought about it for myself.
 
I'm an organ donor. I couldn't care less what they do to my body when I die. It's not like I'm going to need it.
 
I just finished my dissection class about half an hour ago, which is bit of a coincidence...

I've got no problem with donating my body. I'm an organ donor, and will most likely donate my body to medical research as well. It freaks me out a bit knowing that it will have twelve, wide-eyed students, standing around it, cutting it up...but as someone else mentioned, to be placed in the ground and left to rot, or burnt, is too much of a waste.

What comforts me is knowing how respectful and professional the universities/medical schools are. Where I am, the university pays for a private ceremony/service for the family, and there is an annual service at the university to thank the families of the donors. As medical students we're encouraged to attend this.

There are also very strict rules regarding the dissection room. For example, no cameras or mobile phones are allowed in (for obvious reasons). You have to leave them in a locker outside. There are also CCTV cameras.

I read an article recently about a medical school in Taiwan (where donors are scarce due to beliefs about not disturbing cadavers after death), where the students actually learn about the donor's life through visits to meet their families, and take part in a ceremony with the donor's family, before dissection commences. The students form a very close relationship with the donor, and are encouraged to refer to the cadaver as 'teacher', and to thank it. I think it's very interesting to see the cultural differences!

Edit: that was quite a long post. Apologies.
 
If my body is treated with respect after death then I guess I wouldn't mind donating it to science--but NOT for someone's stupid art project or so that my skull can be some weirdo's candle holder.

How do you know you won't care what happens to your body after you die? I think that sentiment depends upon what your beliefs are of what happens after death.

I just see so many people treated callously in life (and sometimes experience it myself) that the idea that even after death it disturbs me that someone would disrespect my remains in some way.
 
barkomatic said:
If my body is treated with respect after death then I guess I wouldn't mind donating it to science--but NOT for someone's stupid art project or so that my skull can be some weirdo's candle holder.
Click to expand...

As a committed weirdo, I can assure you you that should you change your mind your candle holder skull would be treated with the utmost respect.

I would call it Gerry. Do you mind Gerry? Gerry's a good name for a skull.
 
MotleyPete said:
As a committed weirdo, I can assure you you that should you change your mind your candle holder skull would be treated with the utmost respect.

I would call it Gerry. Do you mind Gerry? Gerry's a good name for a skull.
Click to expand...

This is what I mean. I demand that my skull be called Trevor and people like you trounce all over my feelings. Jerk. :)
 
I'm taking a human anatomy course right now and I really appreciate the cadavers that we have. Trying to learn things on models and paper works to an extent, but it is simply amazing to have a body to learn from. They are treated well, no cameras and no one allowed in the lab except for enrolled students.

We also have a large collections of brains. I'm not sure why but brains are the most amazing thing to me. It's only 3 pounds, and it's basically your entire life. Memories, thoughts, everything.
 
iBlue said:
^ This.

P.S. View attachment 215733
Click to expand...

I love The Big Lebowski movie. And this scene, where they tried to spread Donny's ashes was just hilarious! :)

I'll never forget the moment when as a kid perusing through some boxes with our photos (the ones not put into albums) I found a photo of my mom standing over a cadaver that had a number of stainless steel instruments stuck in it to spread out the muscles and organs, etc. Must have been her anatomy class when she was going through a med school. I just couldn't believe that was my mom. I probably didn't eat any food that she prepared for about a week after that. :)

I suggest that donating your body to enhance the learning of others, who can then gain skills to help a number of individuals in need, is a morally desirable act. The world each of us enjoy today is a result of the accumulation of human knowledge gained by each succeeding generation. If my body can to the most minute extent help continue this trend, then by all means I shall support that.

I just hope my remains won't be labeled "Abi Normal." ;)
 
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