In 1907, Dr. Duncan MacDougall of Haverhill, Massachusetts postulated that if the soul existed, it should have mass. The results of his findings were published in the March 1907 New York Times and the medical journal, "American Medicine". MacDougall constructed a special bed in his office "arranged on a light framework built upon very delicately balanced platform beam scales" sensitive to two-tenths of an ounce." He sought to detwemine whether "the psychic functions continue to exist as a separate individuality or personality after the death of brain and body," He observed 6 moribund patients and found that over a period of hours they lost weight due to water evaporation but at the moment of expiration they lost an additional mass. (Had the evacuation of bowel and bladder remained on the bed so the mass would still be recorded. He determined that the amount of air expelled from the lungs was less than the two tenths of an ounce.) The results were 0.75 oz. , 0.5 oz - 1.5 oz., o.5 oz - 1.0 oz, inconclusive, 0.375 oz., inconclusive. The results were hardly statistically significant. Furthermore, the precise moment of death was difficult to determine. In order for such an experiment to be scientifically verifyable his experiments would have to repeated many times with similar results before any conclusions could be drawn from them. Up to 1911, MacDougall focused on using X-rays to capture the soul. He died in 1920.
Since 0.75 oz = 21.3 grams, it is repeated by lay people that the soul weighs 21 grams. The title of a 2003 film, "Twenty-one Grams", was taken from this belief.
2006-10-05 07:02:45
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answer #1
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answered by Anonymous
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Believe it or not, air has weight. The air in our lungs has weight the gas in our stomachs and intestines also has weight. When you die, everything relaxes chest deflates, people usually pee and poop and all the air and gas in our body leaves. I always assumed that this would account for a weight loss at the time of death. Ive seen the research on it. I always thought that the actual weight loss was much more minute when the gasses were taken into account though.
2006-10-04 16:56:17
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answer #2
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answered by Anonymous
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Yes, I read somewhere that a scientist did some experiments and found that out.
But maybe 21 grams is the weight of the air in our lungs that gets expelled when we die.
2006-10-04 17:05:51
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answer #3
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answered by Anonymous
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Mustard is a secret bulge-buster. That boosts your metabolism and raises natural ephadrine, the hormone that will burns fat. According to Jeya Holly, professor of human nutrition at Oxford Brookes University, just a tablespoon within your food can reduce a flabby waist by 20 per cent!
2016-02-20 05:22:13
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answer #4
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answered by ? 3
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Did you just watch 21 Grams? That was the first time I ever heard of that, and it's the weight of your soul according to lore. I hadn't heard the cremation bit, but it stands to reason we al weight different, our ash would too.
2006-10-04 16:56:56
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answer #5
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answered by devilUknow 4
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“Your eyes spoke of even the embryo of me, and on your e book all its elements were down in writing, as regards the days at the same time as they were shaped and there became no longer yet one among them.” (Psalm 139:16) Your first cellular contained the total plan for the total body. This plan guided your progression in the time of your 9 months contained in the womb earlier delivery and then by better than 20 years of boom to adulthood. in this time, your body exceeded by many ranges, all directed by skill of the techniques programmed into that unique cellular. David had no understanding of cells and genes, being devoid of even a microscope. yet he properly discerned that the shape of his own body attested to boost planning. David would have had some understanding of ways embryos boost, so he might want to reason that each and each step ought to happen in accordance to a preexisting layout and timetable. In poetic language, he defined this layout as being “down in writing” in God’s “e book.”
2016-11-26 03:25:02
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answer #6
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answered by Erika 3
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Interesting theory. How ever I believe that since we lose bladder and bowel control at death, 21 grams is the average about of contents left in our drawers.
Just a thought. best wishes.
2006-10-04 17:06:34
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answer #7
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answered by Odindmar 5
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Go bland. Plain, straightforward, unseasoned food such as cooked chicken, plain rice and a naked baked potato are nutritious your palette will tire of them quickly, unlike salty moreish refined food, which keeps you snacking and piling for the pounds.
2016-04-26 01:18:50
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answer #8
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answered by ? 3
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I've heard that before, but I wouldn't want to make that leap without at least a research study or two about it. For now let's call it apocryphal.
2006-10-04 17:00:10
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answer #9
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answered by Anonymous
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Pineapple: Nibble on there to break down the proteins within your main meal and kick start off your metabolism.
2016-02-26 01:02:14
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answer #10
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answered by Jone 3
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