Cannibalism

[Birdjaguar]

The real question, as Calvin puts it, is whether cannibalism should be grounds for leniency in murder cases on account of it being less wasteful.

But if you don't eat it, the bugs and worms will, so bodies don't go to waste at all. No leniency for you.

 

[Taliesin]

But if you don't eat it, the bugs and worms will, so bodies don't go to waste at all. No leniency for you.

This way makes sure of it. If cannibalism weren't practised, the family might cremate the body, for all I know. Ash in an urn is good to nobody!

 

[Bluemofia]

Only if the person is dead recently and there is no other source of food. And I must have a fire to cook it. I don't really understand what is the difference between human meat and animal meat besides where they come from. they're both protiens and lipids, what sets human meat apart?

 

[jonatas]

I don't really understand what is the difference between human meat and animal meat besides where they come from. they're both protiens and lipids, what sets human meat apart?

well, it can provoke serious illness... akin to something like mad cow disease, but for humans... i remember seeing a documentary about a tribe which practiced in up into the 50's and many members developed a horrible shaking disease, lost the ability to walk or move properly, and finally died...

edit: i guess that is in terms of cannibalism as a social practice... i guess if you're desperate and in starvation maybe that changes whether you would do it to survive, i don't know

 

[Birdjaguar]

Ash in an urn is good to nobody!

That's why you dump them in the garden or a flower pot. If you don't have a green thumb, make soap with them. My uncle's were spread out in the ocean off Maui.

 

[Birdjaguar]

well, it can provoke serious illness... akin to something like mad cow disease, but for humans... i remember seeing a documentary about a tribe which practiced in up into the 50's and many members developed a horrible shaking disease, lost the ability to walk or move properly, and finally died...

The old head hunters of New Guinea ate the brains of their victims and contracted the disease.

 

[jonatas]

The old head hunters of New Guinea ate the brains of their victims and contracted the disease.

you're right.. the brain material was highly infectious, and the women developed the disease more than the men, because the women consumed the brain portion

 

[punkbass2000]

This way makes sure of it. If cannibalism weren't practised, the family might cremate the body, for all I know. Ash in an urn is good to nobody!

Interesting. Can we then charge people who choose to have their kin cremated, rather than give leniency to those who commit cannibalism?

 

[Verbose]

The New Guinea thing is kalled "Kuru".
Discovered by a guy named Gaidusek. He received the Nobel Prize for medicine. Later he was convicted as a paedophile. He had brought kids from this tribe in New G back with him to the US and then had his wicked ways with them.

On top of that, some anthropologists have suggested alternative ways the people could have gotten the prions into their systems, not from cannibalism.
It was only contracted by females. The cannibalism story stated that this was because the women got to eat low status parts like the brain.

The alternative version had it that since these people have some pretty gruseome burial customs where the body is prepared, cut up and cured in a number of ways, the brain tissue might have gotten into their system accidentaly. The women prepare the bodies, including the very young children. So they manually collect all the matter, including the brains, and then pick their noses, rub their eyes, suck their fingers etc. which introduces the prions.

Question remains which is the least improbable explanation.

 

[Fox Mccloud]

well, it can provoke serious illness... akin to something like mad cow disease, but for humans... i remember seeing a documentary about a tribe which practiced in up into the 50's and many members developed a horrible shaking disease, lost the ability to walk or move properly, and finally died...

edit: i guess that is in terms of cannibalism as a social practice... i guess if you're desperate and in starvation maybe that changes whether you would do it to survive, i don't know

Ok, I believe I already brought this up before, but noone seems to have answered... If you get diseases from human meat, than why not the meat of the ham I ate yesterday? I should be long by now, because I like meat...

 

[jonatas]

Ok, I believe I already brought this up before, but noone seems to have answered... If you get diseases from human meat, than why not the meat of the ham I ate yesterday? I should be long by now, because I like meat...

i guess it's only dangerous if you eat human brains

 

[Japanrocks12]

Would I eat another human to extend my life? I would say not, because it would cause such a moral impact on me, that I might never be able to eat again. That is not the only reason. I would never end a life to save a life.

 

[Fox Mccloud]

i guess it's only dangerous if you eat human brains

As if the meat wasn't bad enough....

 

[Hundegesicht]

Ok, I believe I already brought this up before, but noone seems to have answered... If you get diseases from human meat, than why not the meat of the ham I ate yesterday? I should be long by now, because I like meat...

Because human tissue is much more similar than ham. Animals generally suffer from different diseases than humans, so while you consume samples of many different diseases when you eat ham, they're (mostly) harmless to you because they're not "designed" to attack human bodies. One pig’s disease might be another human’s food.

Whereas if you eat a human and they have even ONE lethal infection (that you aren't immune to), you're screwed.

(And I know that isn’t a very scientific explanation, but it gets the general concepts across…)

 

[Birdjaguar]

In general, well any cooked meat is safe to eat. Cooking kills the bad germs. Uncooked or "rare" meat is riskier. Prions are another matter entirely.