# Question about freezing dead bodies in liquid nitrogen

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-freezing-dead-bodies-in-liquid-nitrogen/527920>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [February 6, 2010, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-freezing-dead-bodies-in-liquid-nitrogen/527920 "2010-02-06T15:03:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\
**Post date:** [February 6, 2010, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-freezing-dead-bodies-in-liquid-nitrogen/527920/1 "2010-02-06T15:03:01Z")

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There’s another thread on [this column](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2921/could-you-be-frozen-solid-then-broken-into-a-million-pieces)but since it’s about the cost of liquid N I’ll open a new one.

I first heard about the “freeze/shatter/disperse” option of remains disposal mentioned in that column (which seems to have never actually been used) on some History Channel show at some point and wondered then what I’ll ask now: suppose you did flash freeze a body and then shatter it to dust, and you just kind of left the dust there in a pile- when it warms back up would it likely be a gooey bloody mess, or would it be more like ashes and dust?

While I never would have started a thread on it if Cecil hadn’t opened that door, since he has, inquiring minds want to know.

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**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\
**Post date:** [February 6, 2010, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-freezing-dead-bodies-in-liquid-nitrogen/527920/2 "2010-02-06T15:57:56Z")

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Unless the body has gone through some sort of oxidation and/or dessication process to turn it to ashes and/or dust, my guess is that it would be a gooey kablooey.

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**Author:** ![PetW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@PetW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PetW)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2010, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-freezing-dead-bodies-in-liquid-nitrogen/527920/3 "2010-02-07T01:49:50Z")

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Seems like it’d be simpler to just grind them up. It’d make for an awesome episode of “Will it Blend?” though.