Harvard morgue theft ring stole body parts, sold brains and turned human flesh into leather

fossilesque@mander.xyz to Not The Onion@lemmy.world – 365 points –
Harvard morgue theft ring stole body parts, sold brains and turned human flesh into leather
nbcnews.com
46

[...] "stole dissected portions of donated cadavers, including, for example, heads, brains, skin, bones, and other human remains, without the knowledge or permission of HMS," according to the indictment.

Yeah that other human remains is dicks. Do noubt about it.

I studied in medical school, dissected a few human bodies.

What I can tell you is this, there were other students that would mock the corpse. They would cut off sexual organs and play with them. There were students who respected the bodies, and the others that didn't. But I'll never forget the careless nature in which people would casually desecrate someones remains.

My sister goes to a medical school and they do a lot of studying with real bodies but they have extremely strict rules and its one of the places where if you do something wrong you could be expelled immediately.

I plan for my body to be donated to my uni's medical school.

A. So I can help train the next generation of med students

B. Due to anal leakage I get to shit on my uni one last time.

C. I have an idea for a prank that will only work if I am dissected.

A May 19, 2019, payment from Taylor had a memo, "head number 7," and a Nov. 20, 2020, transaction was for "braiiiiiins."

Turning human skin into leather? They Brits have been doing that for decades in Spain

Lobsters! I'm in Cornwall and the French's nickname for them is so apt.

And now you know how Walter can get you a toe this afternoon. With nail polish.

What do human brains and leather go for these days? And what are they used for anyway?

I imagine it's mostly upper middle class weirdos who have their own secret curiosity room of morbid shit so they can feel edgy. So, probably a lot of Harvard alumni.

I think those guys should be referred to as lower upper, but other than that strong agree.

Imo upper class should be limited to the ability to live the rest of your life without working ever again. Otherwise there’s no meaningful distinction between middle and upper class. Stuff is stuff, and more expensive stuff but no other significant separators isn’t enough to put regular Harvard alum in upper class. If they permanently lost the ability to work, they’d die too.

Class should always be about means to live— middle class should be able to comfortably live and be able to survive bouts of unemployment. This is sadly not the case anymore (though I argue it is because the middle class is simply disappearing), but by letting the meaning erode, we allow the uppermost classes to acclimate society to lower standards. The middle class should be able to go some weeks without employment. The middle class should be equally comfortable as standard non-founder Ivy alum, cheaper stuff notwithstanding. There can be differences of luxuries and ability to move up, but anyone working full time should be comfortable, housed, and not fearful of a layoff or hospitalization.

Then upper class should be those who could quit forever and continue to live. Ofc, in an ideal society, everyone should have means to live, not merely the middle and up. In America this is not the case though.

I think it's the meaning of the upper class which has been eroded by the super rich. If you have rich parents, went to an ivy league university at their expense, and own a collection of art or human remains, chances are you're upper class in my book.

I believe doctors should be considered upper class in a well functioning society. It shouldn't be reserved only for undeserving billionaires - at that point both the middle and the upper class become deprived of meaning. I rather think the ultra rich should be treated as a separate category entirely (and one all three of the other classes should unite against).

Human leather could probably make a decent wallet, watch band, or purse but a belt or shoes would probably need a tougher hide backing it.

What I think was done is there was a tattoo that they preserved. They were quoted as saying "chest piece" in reference to the tanner, so I think that it was a tattoo on the corpse's chest.

Herbert West just can't catch a break.

To life to life I brought them

He really did bring them to life

Think of it papa we will never die, live forever-

My!

And if that life has no quality, sure there is the quantity.

Because I bring them to life!

Die die die dum dum dum die dum die dum

i see a couple commenters in semi-relevant professions so i'd like to ask: when i die i don't want to be pickled and buried, nor belched into the atmosphere as a plume of carbon. (i like the idea of my remains being placed on a body farm where they can go back to nature but i don't really know where to start looking into a thing like that.) to whom and how can i donate my remains with assurance things like this won't happen?

I can't exactly answer your question, but I strongly encourage you to donate your organs. You can easily save 3 or more lives.

My plan is to do that, and have my remains naturally buried. But natural burial grounds vary by state (if you are in the US). Some states allow natural burial on private property, with some caveats (acreage, ground water).

It's kinda complicated and requires you to look into your state/county laws and nearby natural burial grounds.

I personally hate the idea of pumping our bodies full of preservatives and sealing it in a concrete tomb underground. I also hate cremation, even if it is accompanied by planting trees over the ashes.

I think the best legacy is to transfer our ATP to organisms in a food web. How cool is it to imagine our energy transfered into fertilizing plants and eaten by insects, which are eaten by frogs, which are eaten by snakes, and then hawks, etc.

So much cooler than wasting it in cremation or trying to preserve a useless empty vessel. What cooler legacy is there than allowing your energy to be carried on through an endless chain of diverse lifeforms?

I'm into the idea of sky burial like in Asia. Let the birds eat me.

Probably not legal here in the U.S. though.

that's why i like the body farm idea. they leave your corpse out in the elements and let nature take its course so forensics students can study it.

I like that idea too, but how do you guarantee your corpse goes to a body farm? Honest question.

I have the same question, especially since the wishes of people who donate their bodies to this-or-that don't seem to be particularly respected per the article.

Embalming is optional in the US. I have had someone here tell me it is non-optional in some countries like Spain.

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This is somehow not even remotely surprising.

It should be surprising and induce anger. The conservatives want Apathy among progressives and the normalization of disgusting behavior. This is outrageous and the perpetrators should be prosecuted to the fullest extent possible

There is a propaganda technique which uses phrases such as “water is wet” or “news at 11, sky is blue”. It is done to disarm outrage. You see it In nearly every single article about corruption in every way. It is so successful even the working class repeats it. Im not saying you’re a propagandist or anything. Jerry Springer had a talent for normalizing the trashiest immoral behavior, just to make himself a few bucks.

The fuck? No. Conservative politicians tend to want you outraged, it's how they get you to agree with their harsher policies.

You are free to feel however you feel, and unfortunately for you, so am I.
Which, if you're wondering, is unsurprised.

What is it with this toxic attitude where people always try to get in the last word, even when it adds nothing to the conversation ?

Like you are doing right now?

He did add something, he stated that Regardless of your comment, telling people how they are supposed to feel, they still felt what they originally expressed.

Then you got angry for some reason? Idk, its what i observed.

I get what you where saying, but if this is your usually comment style you will find even your allies opposing.

He stated his opinion. As did I. I did not get angry. I stated an observation. One shared by many. This forum grows more and more toxic by the day.

Can you please explain/quote what he said that you find toxic?

The only toxicity i see here is you calling them toxic.

I agree thats its sadly the way a forum grows but they did not act out of line at all.