« Home | What would happen if you shot a gun in space? » | Who invented sliced bread? » | Is the human eye fully grown at birth? » | If Hillary Clinton is elected president what would... » | How many cars are in the world? » | How does the human brain measure up to a computer? » | Do wild animals ever get overweight or obese? » | Who came up with the idea of putting paper umbrell... » | How and when did Harry Houdini die? » | Are dogs' mouths really cleaner than humans? » 

Monday, November 13, 2006 Bookmark Now! | Email to a friend  

Do fingernails really continue to grow after you die?

A lot of freaky stuff happens to the human body after death. Rigor mortis sets in, the blood stops clotting, and you get all "gross and pasty looking" (a non-medical term). However, I do have some good news -- you needn't worry about your fingernails and hair growing from beyond the grave.

Snopes.com explains the truth behind the legend. The human body begins to dehydrate after a person dies. Because the skin is so dry, it "pulls away from nails and hair." This makes it appear as though the nails and hair are growing, but in fact, it's really the opposite. The body is shrinking.

So this is just an illusion. Snopes notes that the body's unfortunate tendency to dry out is the reason funeral homes are so liberal with the moisturizer. Without it, the newly departed would appear unrecognizable well before the casket is shut. Creepy.

Add to: Oneview Add to: Folkd Add to: Yigg Add to: Linkarena Add to: Digg Add to: Del.icio.us Add to: Reddit Add to: Simpy Add to: StumbleUpon Add to: Slashdot Add to: Netscape Add to: Furl Add to: Yahoo Add to: Spurl Add to: Google Add to: Blinklist Add to: Blogmarks Add to: Technorati Add to: Newsvine Add to: Blinkbits Add to: Ma.Gnolia



Share on Facebook Read the whole Blog

Receive post updates by Email

Bookmarks