# Ways to die. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 9, 2003, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-to-die/187222 "2003-07-09T13:35:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Atlantis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de0a6/32.png) [@Atlantis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atlantis)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-to-die/187222/21 "2003-07-09T19:44:22Z")
If one wanted to get really lazy with the coroners, cardiac arrest is the way to go. Cause of Death is really a term for cardiac arrest, which ultimately of course leads to a lack of oxygen to the brain but what one seeks to find is what caused the cardiac arrest and resultant lack of oxygen. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-to-die/187222/22 "2003-07-09T20:27:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by sharkkiller69 \* > **It is the lack of oxygen to the brain that is the penultimate cause of death.** So what’s the actual final cause? (Sounds to me like somebody got into an argument after a game of Trivial Pursuit. This is a question in one of the classic editions, I believe.) ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-to-die/187222/23 "2003-07-09T20:37:58Z")
Get caught on fire, then get run over by a dumptruck full of salt, then have the salt dumped on top of your burned body. And to top it off, having your heart replaced with a baked potato in the hospital so it explodes and takes a big chunk of your chest cavity with it. ---
**Author:** ![cmosdes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@cmosdes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmosdes)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-to-die/187222/24 "2003-07-09T20:38:57Z")
What strikes me about this question is that death is not defined. Until you have an EXACT definition of when someone is dead (good luck), you can’t define the final cause of death. ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-to-die/187222/25 "2003-07-09T22:25:25Z")
Inject a large dose of fluoro acetate or a similar poison straight into the cerebrospinal fluid. It clogs up the ability of the brian to produce ATP. It doesn’t matter how much oxygen you have, there is no ATP and the brain cells die due to a lack of energy. Brain death without a lack of oxygen pure and simple. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2003, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-to-die/187222/26 "2003-07-10T06:16:42Z")
**Imploding** might do the trick. Such as might happen to you if you were caught inside a breached submarine. **Being flash-frozen** would probably qualify. Think “human head vs. liquid nitrogen.” ---
**Author:** ![Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ebca7d/32.png) [@Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Violet)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2003, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-to-die/187222/27 "2003-07-10T06:55:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by HPL \* > \*\*Get caught on fire, then get run over by a dumptruck full of salt, then have the salt dumped on top of your burned body. > > And to top it off, having your heart replaced with a baked potato in the hospital so it explodes and takes a big chunk of your chest cavity with it. \*\* HAHAHA! Too bad no one can hear my huge laughter! ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2003, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-to-die/187222/28 "2003-07-10T07:40:46Z")
Transporter accidents would probably also qualify, as might falling head-first into a black hole. ---
**Author:** ![netscape\_6](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8c91f0/32.png) [@netscape\_6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/netscape_6)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2003, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-to-die/187222/29 "2003-07-10T09:26:39Z")
a ninja or a hippo or maybe some other mammel with real ultimate power could flip out and kill you with his sweet guitar. ---
**Author:** ![netscape\_6](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8c91f0/32.png) [@netscape\_6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/netscape_6)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2003, 9:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-to-die/187222/30 "2003-07-10T09:38:20Z")
a ninja or a hippo or maybe some other mammel with real ultimate power could flip out and kill you with his sweet guitar. ---
**Author:** ![Muad\_Dib](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/35a633/32.png) [@Muad\_Dib](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muad_Dib)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2003, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-to-die/187222/31 "2003-07-10T09:42:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by paulberserker \* > \*\*acid bath, or shower rather, which results in instant melting? cause of death: melted brain (plus everything else) rather than lack of oxygen. > for instance, super concentrated sulphuric or hydrochloric acid. \*\* I had an uncle that died that way. Poor bastard literally fell into a vat of acid. ---
**Author:** ![Eleusis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Eleusis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleusis)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2003, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-to-die/187222/32 "2003-07-10T09:55:17Z")
Anybody see that movie “The Fly”? Not that Jeff Goldberg (?) version, the old black and white one. Head in a hydraulic press = death dive from WTC = O2 no longer a factor [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-to-die/187222.md?page=1)