6 replies to this topic

[80srich]

Came upon this while searching the internet, not really sure where it fits. It's things like this that make me think that though life is good, it can be very very stupid.

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Things to Ponder...

Interesting Facts about Death -- From Your About Guide to Death & Dying. Read about the interesting and sometimes bizarre facts about death and dying here.
On average, right-handed people live 9 years longer than their left-handed counterparts.
A murder is committed in the US every 23 minutes, which makes about 22852 murders each year.
On average, people fear spiders more than they do dying.
However, statistically you are more likely to be killed by a champagne cork than by the bite of a poisonous spider.
Cockroaches can live for nine days without their heads, at which point they die of starvation.
In Erwin, Tennessee an elephant was once hanged for murder.
About 100 people choke to death on ballpoint pens each year.
In the Spanish Pyrenees, when a beekeeper dies, each of his bees is splashed with a drop of Black Ink.
Dr. Alice Chase, who wrote 'Nutrition for Health', died of malnutrition.

Rich

[patrick]

Source?

[80srich]

Thought id forgot something -
http://dying.about.c...restingFact.htm

[infinitesphere]

Even if we were to eliminate every form of disease on the planet, car wrecks, plane crashes and falling objects would still be our Achilles heel. Constructing a line of clothing made of the same substance as a cockroach's exoskeleton could do much to reduce the accident rate, don't you think?

[AgentNyder]

Here's the causes of death in Australia in 2001. So these are the things you are most likely to die from (I assume it's similar for other modern nations). [sfty]


CAUSE OF DEATH %

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All Causes 100.0

Malignant neoplasm (cancer) (C00-C97) 28.5
Ischaemic heart diseases (I20-I25) 20.4
Cerebrovascular diseases (stroke) (I60-I69) 9.4
Chronic lower respiratory disease (including asthma, emphysema and bronchitis) (J40-J47) 4.6
Accidents (V01-X59) 3.8
Diabetes mellitus (E10-E14) 2.4
Influenza and pneumonia (J10-J18) 2.1
Diseases of arteries, arterioles and capillaries (including atherosclerosis and aortic aneurysm) (I70-I79) 2.0
Heart failure (I50) 2.0
Intentional self harm (X60-X84) 1.9

All other causes 22.7

http://www.abs.gov.a...33;OpenDocument

[Lazarus Long]

They are generally the same worldwide though there is a considerable amount of variation depending on what specific age group is being examined, where the population is located on the Earth and what is the general economic status of the population.

For example in the United States crime and accidents far exceed cancer as the cause of death for people under 25 years of age (particularly males) and in parts of Africa war and famine still top the list when they are treated as separate from accidents and causal for many diseases.

You just have to live long enough and well enough to die from the long list of "Natural Causes" first but as we whittle away at the old causes we will see new ones crop up and old ones like war reap their deadly harvest with the law of averages from time to time. We always must remember statistical averages are made up of counter balancing extremes as well as an adherence to the mean.

[AgentNyder]

The picture can become increasingly complex. So if you really want to know your individual probability of death you are going to have to find out the probabilities that you will die based on your personal situation.

For example - if you work in a factory - you might have an increased probability of death from a workplace accident. Or like you mention Lazarus; age, location, economic status and gender can all come into it.

I don't think it will always be impossible to know such data. Information is the way of the future and as technology improves it looks more likely this will materialise.

This reminds me of my 'Measuring Immortality' thread.