this post was submitted on 07 Apr 2024

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The new science of death: ‘There’s something happening in the brain that makes no sense’ (www.theguardian.com)

submitted 7 months ago by [email protected] to c/science

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"For all that science has learned about the workings of life, death remains among the most intractable of mysteries....

"New research into the dying brain suggests the line between life and death may be less distinct than previously thought...

"Death may be far more alive than we ever thought possible..."

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

It wasn’t long ago that graves were built with ropes and bells. It took time to understand that there’s some relationship between electrical activity in the brain and death. Our understanding of death as a physical reality is young. The process of dying has much left to offer.

However, it’s the life after death and the intersection with spiritualism that I contest as unscientific. The article admits there’s a significant overlap with those who conflate science with convictions. It’s tempting to begin with a preconceived notion of the afterlife for the soul and then to try to find it in the available data. Indeed, I believe it mentions the camp focused on the physical study of death is the minority.

Perhaps a compromise proceeds with caution.