It’s surprisingly hard to say when things truly end.
Subscribe to our channel! http://goo.gl/0bsAjO
In the 19th century, the moment one stopped breathing was the final indication of death, and a mirror held to the mouth, unfogged, was the indication that the soul had exited the body. Currently the measurement of death is a much more complicated one that involves a more industrialized and less religious view of the body: when mechanical and electrical activity ceases (the brain stops signaling, the heart stops beating and breath stops), one is pronounced dead.
But as we increasingly peer into the body with more powerful tools, these markers of death might not really indicate a final end.
Credits:
Written and Created by Nadja Oertelt
Directed by Sophie Koko Gate
Sound Design + Music by Skillbard
Vox.com is a news website that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Check out http://www.vox.com to get up to speed on everything from Terrorism to Taxes to Taylor Swift.
Check out our full video catalog: http://goo.gl/IZONyE
Follow Vox on Twitter: http://goo.gl/XFrZ5H
Or on Facebook: http://goo.gl/U2g06o
