Can You Really Freeze People's Body Parts with Liquid Nitrogen and Smash Them off with a Blunt Device?

Many people are fascinated by the depiction of liquid nitrogen and body part attacks in movies and television. While these scenarios might seem plausible in the thrilling world of celluloid, the reality is quite different. In this article, we explore whether these practices can really happen in real life, using scientific facts and experiments to debunk these myths.

Freezing Body Parts with Liquid Nitrogen

The short answer is yes, but not in the way it appears in movies. Liquid nitrogen can indeed cause significant damage to body parts, but it takes much longer than you might think to freeze a human body part completely. The process is highly dependent on the size of the body part being affected. A thin object like a daffodil flower can be frozen within a minute. In contrast, cooking a sausage roll thoroughly and safely to eat takes much longer. A thumb, for instance, would take longer to freeze adequately than to cook a sausage roll.

Shattering Body Parts with Liquid Nitrogen

While it might be possible to shatter a body part with liquid nitrogen and a blunt object, it is not common or advisable. The scenario where a hand is chILLED to the temperature of liquid nitrogen and then shattered with a blow, as depicted in movies, is highly unlikely in reality. Chilling a human hand to the temperature of liquid nitrogen can certainly cause it to shatter, but that's not the worst problem the person would face. Frostbite, cellular damage, and pain would be much more immediate and pressing issues.

Personal Experiment with Liquid Nitrogen

For a demonstration, I submerged my own finger into a flask of liquid nitrogen and pulled it out with no damage— not even frostbite. This experiment took a considerable amount of time to transfer enough heat to freeze my finger. Liquid nitrogen is an incredibly effective coolant, but it takes a while to transfer enough heat to freeze even a small finger completely.

Removing Body Parts with Little Breakage

For those interested in the concept of removing body parts with minimal breakage, the reality is not quite as straightforward as what you might see in hypothetical scenarios. In the real world, the removal of body parts would require significant trauma, not just splashing them with liquid nitrogen.

Using a combination of super-cold temperatures and specialized adhesives, such as so-called gorilla glue, one can remove parts with minimal breakage. However, the use of such substances and techniques would require significant expertise and might not be ideal for the subject involved. The process would involve freezing the area to numb the pain and using powerful adhesives to remove the skin or other parts without causing excessive damage.

Brave New World

The concept of using liquid nitrogen and specialized adhesives to remove body parts is still in the realm of science fiction and experimental medicine. While it is theoretically possible, it is not a common medical practice. The use of cryogenic temperatures for medical procedures, such as cryosurgery, is well-documented, but it is not typically used to remove body parts in the manner often shown in movies.

In conclusion, while the idea of using liquid nitrogen and specialized adhesives to remove body parts is intriguing, it is not as simple or effective as depicted in popular media. The reality involves a great deal more time, expertise, and potential risk.

Always prioritize safety and seek professional medical help in any situation involving liquid nitrogen or body part procedures.