It seems to me that with today’s technology, that could be easily determined. Wire the head up (EEG, is it?) before decapitation, then watch what happens when you decapitate. Of course, the only likely human test subject would be someone who was sentenced to death, and I doubt you could overcome the legal challenges, even if the convict was willing. So the next likely victim would be an animal, and the closer to human the animal was (a primate, for example), the louder the protests from the animal rights folks.
So this has to be done outside of the U.S. One of those “nations of concern” would be perfect. Any place where they still behead folks is not likely to be picky about pain and suffering…
You have a point there. But what about, say, laboratory rats? Has this sort of research already been done with any animal?
My comments may be irrelevant, but…
Some of you may be familiar with the following, from the Book of Mormon (Ether 15:30-31): “And it came to pass that when Coriantumr had leaned upon his sword, that he rested a little, he smote off the head of Shiz. And it came to pass that after he had smitten off the head of Shiz, that Shiz raised up on his hands and fell; and after that he had struggled for breath, he died.”
According to this passage, the body, at least, showed movement after decapitation. It doesn’t address the question of the head unless we consider that “struggled for breath” may possibly refer to the decapitated head.
At any rate, it makes a good campfire story.
Please include a link to Cecil’s column if it’s on the straight dope web site.
To include a link, it can be as simple as including the web page location in your post (make sure there is a space before and after the text of the URL).
Cecil’s column can be found on-line at this link:
Does the head remain briefly conscious after decapitation? (12-Jun-1998)
The column (including Slug Signorino’s illustration) can also be found on pages 262-264 of Cecil Adams’ book “Triumph of the Straight Dope”.
This column was the one that sucked me into the Straight Dope-- I was reading some other site and there was, for some reason, a link to the column.
I would love to see more discussion on this, though I’ll admit that maybe not many people are morbid enough to want to know these things. As for me and my WAG commentary-- with my average joe’s (or jill’s) grasp of things medical, I don’t see why a severed head can’t retain momentary consciousness. On the other hand, I remember hearing/reading (sorry, no link) that catastrophic injuries like Nicole Simpson’s neck wound cause massive shock pretty much instantly. So even if there’s a fleeting pre-death moment or two, I’m not sure it would be a moment in which one was capable of thought- I’m not even sure it qualifies as consciousness.
However, that sure doesn’t explain the anecdote Cecil included near the end of the column. As JoltSucker’s OP makes clear, it’s not the easiest thing to research.
. . . what do you think, Arnie? We had a discussion a couple of months ago about that last line, and it has changed since, making things a little clearer. Coincidence?
You’re right, pugluvr! The version that I included in my link above, with the last sentences being “I have spoken with the author and am satisfied that the event occurred as described. One can of course never be certain about these things. Nonetheless I repent my previous skepticism.” is the version that appears in the book.
Cecil Adams probably revises his columns
[ul][li]when new information is given[/li][li]when he adds them to a book[/li][/ul]
On this subject, there are several online versions:
Do decapitated heads briefly remain conscious?
The original answer to the question. This version also appears in the the first book, “The Straight Dope.”
Does the head remain briefly conscious after decapitation? (Week of: 12-Jun-98)
Follow-up to the previous column (note that this version cites a sentence in the first answer.) This page shows the illustration. My guess is that it was posted at a time when the SDMB column was already appearing on the Web. I notice that the final sentences do not match the book, so I assume that the column was revised to be included in “Triumph of the Straight Dope.” Someone probably posted a link to this version the last time the column was discussed (in the thread mentioned by pugluvr.)
Does the head remain briefly conscious after decapitation? (12-Jun-1998)
Same as version 2 (with minor differences.)
My guess on this one is that someone re-entered it from the book, to be mentioned as a “Classic column” on the SDMB home page. Notice that the illustration does not appear, and at the top of the page it says “A Straight Dope Classic from Cecil’s storehouse of human knowledge”. Also, the sentences at the end match what appeared in the book.