Our microwave is Far too small to boil a human😉👹

Edited By V8Eng on 03/07/2023 08:33:39

Bit more trash to keep the post count up.

Regards Ian.

Bearing in mind the thread title, my first thought was is the reaction exothermic ? Noel.

Soap? They'll be making lampshades from us next.

Not that I'd take anything from the Guardian as fact.

Martin.

My father-in-law's body went to Nottingham Queens University Teaching Hospital. We had a funeral service without a coffin/body. I think it was about 10 years later when they informed us that his remains had been completely disposed of. I think I may do the same thing.

Martin C

The Guardian was right in reporting the method being developed, though I do not know how it described it, and I would not be surprised if it was the newspaper who invented the stupid and insensitive "boil in a bag" description. To which, I would add feeble attempts at jokes about soap are just as bad.

It has just been covered on the BBC Radio Four news programme but it is not not new news: I learnt of this in a programme about various funeral method some while ago. Last year I think; and covering "woodland" and sea-burials too.

The "water cremation" as it is sometimes called, uses a hot alkaline solution to reduce the body to, eventually, a white powder no different by the relatives' point of view, from the ashes from a gas or electric cremator*.

The liquid, rendered safe for disposal, is probably discharged into the drain but the interviewee was understandably rather coy about that, talking instead about "returning it to the natural water cycle". She did though say it contains no material such as DNA. (I would not expect that to survive any cremation method.)

.

*("Cremator" is the proper term: it is not an "oven" or "furnace"!)

FWIW, piece of advice picked up from somewhere. Write a letter of wishes e.g., what do you want done with your body, burial (expensive), cremation (bit cheaper) donated to science (free) unless you want some sort of memorial service or ' boil in the bag'. Bugger me, whatever next. A letter of wishes could include things other than funerary wishes but anything of monetary value needs to go in a will setting out disposal and assessment for taxman to have his last greedy bite. The letter could be stored with your will, if you make one, with a copy given to your Executor.

As for flushing the dissolved remains down the drain/ sewage system, yuk!   a bit more for a gobfull when you go swimming, which I dont.

Edited By DMB on 03/07/2023 14:19:26

Nice for me cremation then ashes taken down the SVR and popped into the firebox of what ever is in steam on the day

H