Body farming... What the??

DJMK4 · 21 Jul 2011 at 23:16

Ok so I was watching something i don't usually watch, stephen fry up in America. And he was going round exploring these different places. All of a sudden he turns up at a body farm.

An isolated area of slight woodland slight grass but not really in forrest. They surround it with fences and razor wire and inside is just human bodies just sitting on top of the soil with a black bag covering them. This establishment was run by some people

I had to run out to the shop at this point.

Why would they be doing this :/

JRS · 21 Jul 2011 at 23:18

DJMK4 said:
Why would they be doing this :/

First result on Google for "body farm" tells you exactly why they do it!

Lashout_UK · 21 Jul 2011 at 23:19

Ah, seen that before. It's to study the various effects and rates of decomposition in certain conditions, to assist police in working out when someone died.

BloodyL · 21 Jul 2011 at 23:21

Wasn't Bones based around the woman who set up the first body farm?

tom_e · 21 Jul 2011 at 23:22

Lashout_UK said:
Ah, seen that before. It's to study the various effects and rates of decomposition in certain conditions, to assist police in working out when someone died.

If my understanding from the various US police shows is right then this is my answer too

DJMK4 · 21 Jul 2011 at 23:23

BloodyL said:
Wasn't Bones based around the woman who set up the first body farm?

What do you mean? Where she lived?

Tephnos · 21 Jul 2011 at 23:24

I'd rather not rot in an open field.

shauncr91 · 21 Jul 2011 at 23:27

LC155 said:
I'd rather not rot in an open field.

Rather help science than rot underground, you're dead at the end of the day so not like you notice.

DJMK4 · 21 Jul 2011 at 23:29

shauncr91 said:
Rather help science than rot underground, you're dead at the end of the day so not like you notice.

Would hardly think it would be nice for the people who want to visit your (or your lack of) grave though, which would be replaced by a mound and a black bin liner

Maybe it's for the people who just had no one claim them or unidentified bodies

Disco Boy · 21 Jul 2011 at 23:31

LC155 said:
I'd rather not rot in an open field.

Similar arguments against organ donation...

Tephnos · 21 Jul 2011 at 23:34

shauncr91 said:
Rather help science than rot underground, you're dead at the end of the day so not like you notice.

I'd also prefer to be cremated than be rotting in the ground, too.

Vonhelmet · 21 Jul 2011 at 23:45

This was on CSI, and my wife has read a book about it as well.

According to the Wikipedia page, people pre-donate their bodies for use on death, or their families donate them.

Andy90 · 22 Jul 2011 at 00:59

Saw this a few years ago.

It is all to do with Forensics and how a body decays in different circumstances.

For example they will just leave a body out in the open and see what happens to it - what sorts of insects settle on it. They a regular look at the body and note what stages the insects are in, in their life cycle. They'll also note how the body breaks down etc. They know exactly when the person died, how long they've been in situ and basically create a chronology of events. A body buried in sand will decay differently to say one buried in soil.

It all sounds very morbid, but bear in mind the results are fed back to the CSI and Law enforcement departments - which may well assist in securing a conviction against a murderer.