Is There Anything That Can't Kill You?

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SUMMARY

This forum discussion centers on the provocative question of whether there exists any physical object that cannot kill a person. Participants argue that everything, from gelatin to peanut butter, has the potential to cause harm under certain circumstances, emphasizing the principle that "the dose makes the poison." The consensus leans towards the idea that while many objects can be dangerous, the context and manner of interaction determine their lethality. Ultimately, the discussion concludes that nothing can inherently kill you; rather, it is the circumstances surrounding the object that can lead to harm.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of toxicology principles, specifically "the dose makes the poison."
  • Familiarity with basic safety concepts regarding physical objects and potential hazards.
  • Knowledge of common misconceptions about everyday items and their risks.
  • Awareness of psychological factors influencing fear and perception of danger.
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the principles of toxicology, focusing on dose-response relationships.
  • Explore safety guidelines for handling common household items to mitigate risks.
  • Investigate psychological studies on fear and risk perception related to everyday objects.
  • Examine case studies of unusual accidents caused by seemingly harmless items.
USEFUL FOR

This discussion is beneficial for psychologists, safety professionals, educators, and anyone interested in understanding the relationship between physical objects and perceived danger.

  • #31
BobG said:
I don't think you can kill someone with bullets made of ice. Or bullets made of the victim's frozen blood, for that matter.

If you dropped a 10 gallon bucket full on somebody's head?
 
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  • #32
But small enough things, like a single hydrogen atom can't kill you...OR CAN THEY?!?
 
  • #33
Actually nothing can kill you. Think about a deep space or create a vacuum room on Earth. Enter in it, you'll eventually die by... nothing.
 
  • #34
fluidistic said:
Actually nothing can kill you. Think about a deep space or create a vacuum room on Earth. Enter in it, you'll eventually die by... nothing.
It could kill you if you eat it.
 
  • #35
I found out last night that floors can kill you.
 
  • #36
To make it more interesting I think people must backup their claims with evidences.
 
  • #37
Norman Bates's mother. She couldn't even kill a fly!

It's sad, when a mother has to speak the words that condemn her own son. But I couldn't allow them to believe that I would commit murder. They'll put him away now, as I should have years ago. He was always bad, and in the end he intended to tell them I killed those girls and that man... as if I could do anything but just sit and stare, like one of his stuffed birds. They know I can't move a finger, and I won't. I'll just sit here and be quiet, just in case they do... suspect me. They're probably watching me. Well, let them. Let them see what kind of a person I am. I'm not even going to swat that fly. I hope they are watching... they'll see. They'll see and they'll know, and they'll say, "Why, she wouldn't even harm a fly..."
 
  • #38
Since we do not have much idea about what's happening inside a black hole, I'm not sure if a black hole could kill me if I get into one of them.

But as JimmySnyder pointed out, I could die for sure by eating a black hole, by hunger or malnutrition. The black hole would suck up all the nutrients that I eat.
 
  • #39
Evo said:
I found out last night that floors can kill you.

Hey, that's not funny, coming from anyone else but you, it would be. Are you alright ?

Rhody... :eek:
 
  • #40
rhody said:
Hey, that's not funny, coming from anyone else but you, it would be. Are you alright ?

Rhody... :eek:
Now I found that I have pain in the middle of my spine. I am fine, I just whacked a lot of places pretty hard.
 
  • #41
Evo said:
Now I found that I have pain in the middle of my spine. I am fine, I just whacked a lot of places pretty hard.
I know. I just found your post in the, "The Why Thread",
I fell down last night and injured my tail bone and have a huge swollen area on my left leg just below the hip joint. It looks broken, but I'm not getting that searing pain you get from a break. I need more cushions in order to sit.
When you say, "it looks broken", what do you mean, your http://www.google.com/search?tbm=is...6l15l2l2l1l0l328l2189l0.4.5.1l10&safe=active" ?

Rhody... :confused:
 
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  • #42
rhody said:
I know. I just found your post in the, "The Why Thread",
When you say, "it looks broken", what do you mean, your http://www.google.com/search?tbm=is...6l15l2l2l1l0l328l2189l0.4.5.1l10&safe=active" ?

Rhody... :confused:
My leg near the hip joint looks broken due to the odd swelling, but it is not as painful as the many broken bones I've had, so probably a lot of blood accumulated in that spot.

If I feel worse tomorrow, I'll go to the doctor, but so far today, aside from finding more places that are injured, the actual pain is not worse.

It hurts to even blow my nose, and the pain is not in my nose. I'll let you guess about that one. :-p
 
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  • #43
I hope you are saying that although it looks broken, it doesn't seem to be. I hope you're ok. And Ouch!
 
  • #44
Evo said:
My leg near the hip joint looks broken due to the odd swelling, but it is not as painful as the many broken bones I've had, so probably a lot of blood accumulated in that spot.

If I feel worse tomorrow, I'll go to the doctor, but so far today, aside from finding more places that are injured, the actual pain is not worse.

It hurts to even blow my nose, and the pain is not in my nose. I'll let you guess about that one. :-p

careful, if you have a hip fracture, it could cause a lot of blood loss.
 
  • #45
One milliliter of water, assuming nothing's been added to it, shouldn't be able to kill someone.

Edit:

A grain of sand
A molecule
A ladybug
A hair from an ant's abdomen
A cat's whisker

I think there exist many sufficiently small things that can't kill people.
 
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  • #46
a smile!
 
  • #47
actually, smiling at the wrong sort of people could kill you...
 
  • #48
Dembadon said:
One milliliter of water, assuming nothing's been added to it, shouldn't be able to kill someone.

A laryngospasm can occur from very small amount of water producing death by http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dry_drowning" . Whether or not 1 milliliter would be enough is tough to say.
 
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  • #49
S_Happens said:
A laryngospasm can occur from very small amount of water producing death by http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dry_drowning" . Whether or not 1 milliliter would be enough is tough to say.

Excellent find! I just learned something new, thank you! :approve:
 
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  • #50
rootX said:
To make it more interesting I think people must backup their claims with evidences.

How could that be possible? It's not like everything has killed someone.
 
  • #51
Some ideas are deadly.
 
  • #52
rootX said:
To make it more interesting I think people must backup their claims with evidences.
This I set out to do, but so far no go. I thought that a feather couldn't kill anyone, but that turned out to be wrong. Then I tried a marshmallow. Unfortunately, it turns out that it can. A leaf, a sticky-note, a flower. I'm afraid I have to stop for the time being until I can tidy up here and then it's back to work.
 
  • #53
The point seems clear: Assume everything is dangerous until long-term data is available showing otherwise.
 
  • #55
Ivan Seeking said:
The point seems clear: Assume everything is dangerous until long-term data is available showing otherwise.

well done
 
  • #56
And the winner is:
Skydiving has never killed anyone.
 
  • #57
256bits said:
And the winner is:
Skydiving has never killed anyone.

Landing is a bona fide part of skydiving, as it is part of training. And the impact with the planet can kill when deployment fails.
 
  • #58
Nothing traveling at the speed of light can die, it can only transform.
 

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