For as far back as we can trace our existence, humans have been fascinated with death and resurrection. But is resurrection really possible? And what is the actual difference between a living creature and a dead body anyway? Randall Hayes delves into the scientific theories that seek to answer these age-old questions.

 

 

Watch the video and decide if the sentences below are true or false:

 

 

1. Humans have always been fascinated by the idea of death and resurrection.

2. Rene Descartes believed the human body worked like a machine controlled by the soul.

3. Dr. Duncan MacDougall claimed that the soul could be measured by weight.

4. His experiments on the soul’s weight were widely accepted by scientists.

5. Modern science explains life as a result of continuous biological and chemical processes.

6. ATP provides energy for cellular activities such as repair and growth.

7. Entropy helps cells maintain their complex organization.

8. Death occurs when entropy completely overcomes the cell’s organization.

9. A defibrillator can bring a completely dead person back to life.

10. The definition of death has become more flexible because of medical advances like coma diagnosis.

 

 

Key: 1T; 2T; 3T; 4F; 5T; 6T; 7F; 8T; 9F; 10T

 

Glossary

 

• to replenish – to fill something up again; to restore what was used or lost
• to succumb – to give in to something or be overcome by it (such as pressure, illness, or death)
• reviving – bringing something or someone back to life, consciousness, or activity
• conceivably – possibly; something that could be imagined or might happen

 

Practice makes perfect

Match the words in bold 1-10 to their synonyms a)-k) below:

 

Everyone dies, but what actually 1. transpires during that process is a deep mystery that scientists are only beginning to seriously investigate. Increasingly, near-death experiences, or NDEs, are part of that growing field.

An incredible 5 to 10 percent of the general population reports memories of an NDE. Oftentimes, people’s recollections are similar: perceiving separation from the body and viewing it from above, passing through a tunnel and seeing a light, encountering 2. deceased loved ones or compassionate entities and being overcome by 3. ineffable wisdom and a feeling of profound peacefulness. Many people describe these memories in 4. crisp detail and say that they felt “more real than real.”

(…) the researchers (…) put forward an idea for why the brain evolved to react this way. The neurochemical model, they argue, 5. dovetails with other research suggesting that NDEs are the human version of “playing dead.” Many species use this 6. last-ditch survival effort in the face of 7. mortal danger after fight or flight fails. In 8. feigning death, the animal goes 9. limp and becomes unresponsive to external stimuli. But it remains aware of its surroundings, so if given the chance, it can escape. The idea that “playing dead” could be the evolutionary origin of near-death experiences is backed up by the fact that some people who perceived themselves to be in life-threatening circumstances but were not actually physically harmed have reported near death-like experiences. The 10. otherworldly, shared components of these experiences may be the human brain’s attempt to make meaning out of what’s happening. “In a sense,” Martial says, “NDEs are a passive coping mechanism to enhance survival in life-threatening circumstances.” (…)

a) a formal word meaning “dead” or “no longer living.

b) more closely connected to spiritual things than to the ordinary things of life

c) clear, sharp, and well-defined; precise and easy to see or understand

d) a final, desperate attempt to achieve something before failing

e) to happen or take place; to occur (often referring to something that becomes known or unfolds over time)

f) lacking strength or firmness; soft and weak

g) causing death; fatal

h) too great, extreme, or beautiful to be described in words

i) to fit or work together smoothly and perfectly; to complement one another

j) pretending to have a feeling, condition, or state (usually to deceive)

 

In order to read the whole article, go to: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/are-near-death-experiences-the-brains-attempt-to-survive-lethal-threats/

 

Key: 1e); 2a); 3h); 4c); 5i); 6d); 7g); 8j); 9f); 10b)

 

Discuss

 

• According to the video, what scientific processes define the difference between being alive and dead?
• What does the video suggest about the possibility of reversing death?
• What technological or medical advances are mentioned that blur the line between life and death?
• The article suggests near-death experiences might be the brain’s survival mechanism. Do you find this explanation convincing? Why or why not?
• How do cultural or personal beliefs influence how people interpret near-death experiences?
• Do you think technology (for example, cryonics or AI-backed medicine) will ever make it possible to reverse death?
• Should science even try to defeat death, or is mortality essential to what makes us human?

 

Watch and Revise!

 

Exploring Death

When Are We Truly Gone

 

https://www.cloud.worldwideschool.pl/index.php/s/G75aQZEA9NejqqW

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