Gerry Nahum -- Testing the "Soul"?

TheAnachronism · 26th July 2007, 01:09 PM

I just finished reading Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife by Mary Roach -- a thoroughly enjoyable and informative book, describing all kinds of wacky experiments done over the years in order to test for the afterlife. It's certainly written for the layman, and those among us with PhDs in Physics probably won't appreciate it as much, but it's absolutely worth perusing.

Anyway, the section that most interests me is about a test proposed by Gerry Nahum of Duke University School of Medicine, in order to study whether or not a "soul" leaves our body when we die:

Quote:

This system — which Nahum would very much like to build — would be a sort of box, a box completely isolated from the surrounding environment. The box sits atop a mind-blowingly sensitive scale, and all around it are arrays of electromagnetic energy detectors. These detectors measure all the different types of known radiant energy (as opposed to informational, or "soul" energy, for which there are no detectors) that might leave the box. Now let's say there's an organism in the box — a paramecium or a wombat or John Tesh, it doesn't matter. And that organism dies inside the box. If the electromagnetic detectors detect energy leaving the box, there should be a corresponding change in weight. Why? Because of the laws of physics: there is always a weight loss associated with an energy loss. I'm not talking about the listless feeling that besets the overambitious dieter. I'm talking about E=mc2. If the energy changes, then the mass (which is proportionate to weight) must change — in, you know, a teensy, tiny, infitesimal physics lab way. So if the mass lost when the organism dies is more than what would be expected based on the energy change, then something's leaving the box in a way that can't be accounted for. That something being, perhaps, the soul, or consciousness, heading out to some higher dimension — Lew Hollander's place beyond the open window.

You can read the entire chapter from the book here

The part describing Dr. Nahum and his experiment is about 1/2 to 2/3 of the way down the page.

I am just posting this in case any one is interested and wants to discuss and/or philosophize over this.

The Grave · 26th July 2007, 06:08 PM

Didn't bother to read the link as an experiment to test for a non-existent thing is of no worth.

Have done a thread on the soul though in relig-philos section.

Basically all matter is made of atoms etc that have no soul, or a tree or brick would have soul, too!

So what's so special about Humans - nothing.

E.g. why would a soul be needed in a body that learns... superfluous !

Griff...

vexed · 26th July 2007, 06:22 PM

Tell me when they find evidence.

TheAnachronism · 26th July 2007, 08:41 PM

Originally Posted by polaristutoring@tisc

Didn't bother to read the link as an experiment to test for a non-existent thing is of no worth.

Then, perhaps, the MDC is of no worth also, by this reasoning?

I found the idea for the study interesting, but that doesn't necessarily mean I think the money should be spent on actually doing it.

But perhaps it would be one step closer to disproving the "soul"?

26th July 2007, 01:09 PM	#1
TheAnachronism Critical Thinker Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: USA Posts: 441	Gerry Nahum -- Testing the "Soul"? I just finished reading Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife by Mary Roach -- a thoroughly enjoyable and informative book, describing all kinds of wacky experiments done over the years in order to test for the afterlife. It's certainly written for the layman, and those among us with PhDs in Physics probably won't appreciate it as much, but it's absolutely worth perusing. Anyway, the section that most interests me is about a test proposed by Gerry Nahum of Duke University School of Medicine, in order to study whether or not a "soul" leaves our body when we die: Quote: This system — which Nahum would very much like to build — would be a sort of box, a box completely isolated from the surrounding environment. The box sits atop a mind-blowingly sensitive scale, and all around it are arrays of electromagnetic energy detectors. These detectors measure all the different types of known radiant energy (as opposed to informational, or "soul" energy, for which there are no detectors) that might leave the box. Now let's say there's an organism in the box — a paramecium or a wombat or John Tesh, it doesn't matter. And that organism dies inside the box. If the electromagnetic detectors detect energy leaving the box, there should be a corresponding change in weight. Why? Because of the laws of physics: there is always a weight loss associated with an energy loss. I'm not talking about the listless feeling that besets the overambitious dieter. I'm talking about E=mc2. If the energy changes, then the mass (which is proportionate to weight) must change — in, you know, a teensy, tiny, infitesimal physics lab way. So if the mass lost when the organism dies is more than what would be expected based on the energy change, then something's leaving the box in a way that can't be accounted for. That something being, perhaps, the soul, or consciousness, heading out to some higher dimension — Lew Hollander's place beyond the open window. You can read the entire chapter from the book here The part describing Dr. Nahum and his experiment is about 1/2 to 2/3 of the way down the page. I am just posting this in case any one is interested and wants to discuss and/or philosophize over this.

26th July 2007, 06:08 PM	#2
The Grave Muse Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Great Britain Posts: 649	Didn't bother to read the link as an experiment to test for a non-existent thing is of no worth. Have done a thread on the soul though in relig-philos section. Basically all matter is made of atoms etc that have no soul, or a tree or brick would have soul, too! So what's so special about Humans - nothing. E.g. why would a soul be needed in a body that learns... superfluous ! Griff...
	__________________ The Grave 'A' is for Atheist - A theist - A believer... Misnomer

26th July 2007, 06:22 PM	#3
vexed Critical Thinker Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Earth Posts: 314	Tell me when they find evidence.
	__________________ "Thinking critically is a chore. It does not come naturally or easily. And if the fruits of such efforts are not carefully displayed to young minds, then they will not harvest them. Every school child must be implanted with the wonder of the atom, not the thrall of magic." - Perry DeAngelis

26th July 2007, 08:41 PM	#4
TheAnachronism Critical Thinker Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: USA Posts: 441	Originally Posted by polaristutoring@tisc Didn't bother to read the link as an experiment to test for a non-existent thing is of no worth. Then, perhaps, the MDC is of no worth also, by this reasoning? I found the idea for the study interesting, but that doesn't necessarily mean I think the money should be spent on actually doing it. But perhaps it would be one step closer to disproving the "soul"?