For everyone, life after death remains a mysterious issue that no living person can prove.
Death has always been one of the “hot” topics, surrounded by mysteries and controversies.
Questions such as whether humans can sense everything around them for a few minutes before… fading away, or what the “light at the end of the tunnel” that many describe about death really is, persist.
These questions cannot be answered overnight. However, let’s explore some surprising discoveries about death – the unchanging law of nature.
1. Decomposing bodies actually have a surprisingly sweet smell
As we all know, human and animal flesh emits a foul odor during the decomposition process, which is very unpleasant.
In reality, this decomposing smell is a complex compound, consisting of over 400 different volatile chemicals.
The smell of decomposition is a very complex compound.
According to recent studies, among the compounds found in the putrid smell from dead bodies are 5 types of esters – a type of organic compound with a pleasant sweet scent. These 5 esters include 3-methylbutyl pentanoate, 3-methylbutyl 3-methylbutyrate, 3-methylbutyl 2-methylbutyrate, butyl pentanoate, and propyl hexanoate.
Dead bodies have a sweet smell, and this smell is unique to human corpses.
Notably, these 5 types of esters can only be found in human corpses and not in those of other animal species. Additionally, these esters can also be produced from plants and fruits when they decompose.
Interestingly, for those who frequently encounter dead bodies, such as forensic examiners or funeral service workers, the smell of a corpse is perceived as a “gentle sweetness” rather than the foul odor that most people experience.
2. Hair and nails continue to grow after death is a myth
Many reports claim that human hair and nails continue to grow after the body has died. This is utterly… fictitious, as metabolic processes cease immediately after death, and thus no part of the body continues to grow.
However, it is true that after observing corpses over time, one may notice that their hair and nails… do appear to grow.
Does hair still grow after death?
Why is that? Scientists explain that this is due to the body losing moisture, causing other parts to shrink, which makes hair and nails appear longer.
3. Humans will die if telomeres – the cause of aging – disappear
In the early days of cell theory, many believed that human cells were immortal and could replicate themselves until life came to an end.
However, in 1961, this notion was completely dismissed when scientists proved that cell division has limits. A cell will “die” after dividing about 50-70 times.
Telomeres (the red parts).
By the early 1970s, scientists discovered telomeres – repetitive DNA sequences at the ends of chromosomes. Telomeres protect chromosomes during cell division and keep them from sticking together.
However, it was not until 2012 that scientists provided evidence linking telomeres to the aging process. Specifically, telomeres shorten with each cell division. When telomeres reach a critical short length, division ceases, and then a cell will “die.”
Measuring the length of telomeres in cells can help predict human lifespan.
If a person has longer telomeres in each cell, cell division will occur for a longer duration, allowing that person to live longer. Therefore, measuring the length of telomeres in cells can help predict human lifespan.
4. The younger we are, the more we fear death
A study in the United States shows that people aged 40-50 are generally more concerned about death than those aged 60-70. Another study yielded similar results regarding middle-aged and teenage individuals (18-25 years old).
People aged 40-50 are more concerned about death than those aged 60-70.
Additionally, another study indicated that, on average, men’s anxiety about death peaks at age 20 and gradually decreases over time.
This concern for men at age 60 no longer seems to be a significant issue. For women, around ages 40-50 is when they are less worried about this topic.
We are not afraid of death.
This is quite a surprising result, as younger individuals are more anxious about “saying goodbye to the earthly world” than those who are “near the end of their days.”
However, from a psychological perspective, younger people have a future ahead of them, which leads to a tendency to “fear death” more than the elderly.
5. Three days after a person dies, enzymes from their last meal will begin to digest their body.
6. Based on historical data, burial customs date back 350,000 years.
7. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, approximately 117 billion people have died since the beginning of humanity.
8. On the day you were born, around 153,000 people died.
9. Hearing is the last sense to fade when we die.
10. Mount Everest has around 200 bodies along its trails used as reference points for climbers.
11. The risk of dying from slipping in the shower or being struck by lightning is higher than that of dying in a terrorist attack.
12. Studies indicate that lack of exercise is one of the most preventable causes of death worldwide.
13. In Amsterdam, Netherlands, when a person dies without companions or relatives attending the funeral, a poet is tasked with composing and reciting a short poem during the ceremony.
14. The term Kodokushi in Japanese refers to individuals who die alone in their homes and are only found after a long time.
15. Cotard syndrome (or Cotard delusion) is a rare mental disorder where patients have the delusion that they are “actually” dead.
