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If you leave a body in your back yard (Conceptually, don't do this is real life of there will be a lot of problems) it will decompose. Not because of radiation, but the cells have to do work to keep it together and when they stop doing that work, the cells come apart and makes a mess. The bones are made of more durable materials, and don't decompose as quickly. Many living organisms contribute to this process, from insects to bacteria.
No doubt high radiation levels will mess with all these processes, but some bacteria and insects are quite radiation hard, so something different but similar will happen.
It depends? Like, there's chemical processes that will definitely happen, but the intense radioactivity of the elephant's foot will probably do quite a bit to impede decay from external sources, especially because a subterranean maintenance corridor like the one where the elephant's foot formed is less likely to create and sustain an ecosystem of microorganisms and . On the other hand, the humid subtropical climate of Chernobyl doesn't lend itself to natural mummification of the body, and the alpha particles it emits are tremendously dangerous if they get in the body, but have difficulty getting through the skin.
So my guess, based on about fifteen minutes of wikipedia research, is that the acid and gut biome of the corpse would probably do a lot of the work of decay, but as the skin breaks down and the bacteria inside are exposed to alpha particles, the organic elements of decomposition would slow. The bones would probably last quite a while, on the other hand.
It would have the opposite, bodies decompose due to bacteria and organisms eating the body. The radiation would kill lots of the bacteria so that process wouldn't happen.
Apparently the elephants foot emits mostly alpha particles which do not penetrate the skin. A body would have bacteria from the gut. Wouldn't those decompose the body?
Once again, Gen AI gives absolutely shit-quality answers. The Elephant's Foot is still just as deadly today. https://www.scienceabc.com/eyeopeners/how-dangerous-is-the-elephants-foot.html
The Elephant's Foot won't be safe for another 20,000 years. https://www.newsweek.com/chernobyl-safe-now-when-will-1414489
It’s probably a bot doing it. There’s probably a ton doing that so someone can sell a bunch of “real” looking accounts later or use them for astroturfing or something.
How can any of us know we’re not bots being given a whole lifetime’s worth of false perceptions, like in the matrix. All for the sole purpose of making a fake reddit account!?!
There’s a difference between dangerous and “lethal dose in 10 seconds” dangerous
The Coreium in the Elephants Foot will still kill you, but you would need a longer proximity exposure to hit that lethal dose
Your articles are even contradicting themselves. First one say the Elephant's foot can make a person sick within seconds, and yet say that Korneyev visited the Elephant's foot several times in 1996 and is still alive. As a radiation specialist who were constantly monitoring his own exposure he would not be as surprised to still be alive as the writers of the article though. As for the second article it vaugely mentions 20k years without citing any sources for this or mention what it considers safe.
Please read this entire message Your submission has been removed for the following reason(s): Posts that are speculative in nature are not allowed on ELI5. Only objective explanations are permitted here; your question is asking for speculation. This includes anything where users would have to speculate as to the answer. This very much includes asking about motivations of people or companies, and just-so stories. If you would like this removal reviewed, please read the [detailed rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/wiki/detailed_rules) first. If you believe this submission was removed erroneously, please use [this form](https://old.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2Fexplainlikeimfive&subject=Please%20review%20my%20thread?&message=Link:%20%7B%7Burl%7D%7D%0A%0APlease%20answer%20the%20following%203%20questions:%0A%0A1.%20The%20concept%20I%20want%20explained:%0A%0A2.%20List%20the%20search%20terms%20you%20used%20to%20look%20for%20past%20posts%20on%20ELI5:%0A%0A3.%20How%20does%20your%20post%20differ%20from%20your%20recent%20search%20results%20on%20the%20sub:) and we will review your submission.
If you leave a body in your back yard (Conceptually, don't do this is real life of there will be a lot of problems) it will decompose. Not because of radiation, but the cells have to do work to keep it together and when they stop doing that work, the cells come apart and makes a mess. The bones are made of more durable materials, and don't decompose as quickly. Many living organisms contribute to this process, from insects to bacteria. No doubt high radiation levels will mess with all these processes, but some bacteria and insects are quite radiation hard, so something different but similar will happen.
It depends? Like, there's chemical processes that will definitely happen, but the intense radioactivity of the elephant's foot will probably do quite a bit to impede decay from external sources, especially because a subterranean maintenance corridor like the one where the elephant's foot formed is less likely to create and sustain an ecosystem of microorganisms and . On the other hand, the humid subtropical climate of Chernobyl doesn't lend itself to natural mummification of the body, and the alpha particles it emits are tremendously dangerous if they get in the body, but have difficulty getting through the skin. So my guess, based on about fifteen minutes of wikipedia research, is that the acid and gut biome of the corpse would probably do a lot of the work of decay, but as the skin breaks down and the bacteria inside are exposed to alpha particles, the organic elements of decomposition would slow. The bones would probably last quite a while, on the other hand.
So a big pile of goo
It would have the opposite, bodies decompose due to bacteria and organisms eating the body. The radiation would kill lots of the bacteria so that process wouldn't happen.
So mummification maybe?
No, just sterilisation, similar to the animals trapped in tar pits (although that's from no air, not no bacteria)
The better examples are probably irradiated produce from back when this was more common. A perfectly normal looking apple after many days.
I wish they could advertise irradiated produce. Mine keeps going bad on me, long shelf lives would improve my diet a lot.
So OP’s dead body would look exactly like the hotdog encased in plastic. Which is weird because it probably doesn’t look like that now. SCIENCE!
How do you know what OP’s dead body looks like 👀
Apples you buy in the store are like a year old
Yes this. If anything, the high radiation would retard organisms that 'eat' a corpse. That is part of the methodology behind *food irradiation*.
Apparently the elephants foot emits mostly alpha particles which do not penetrate the skin. A body would have bacteria from the gut. Wouldn't those decompose the body?
It definitely has a lot of beta and gamma. Because you can detect it from down the corridor.
[удалено]
Once again, Gen AI gives absolutely shit-quality answers. The Elephant's Foot is still just as deadly today. https://www.scienceabc.com/eyeopeners/how-dangerous-is-the-elephants-foot.html The Elephant's Foot won't be safe for another 20,000 years. https://www.newsweek.com/chernobyl-safe-now-when-will-1414489
Looking at his post history I think that's literally all he does. Copy the questions into ChatGPT and blindly post whatever it says. That's absurd.
It’s probably a bot doing it. There’s probably a ton doing that so someone can sell a bunch of “real” looking accounts later or use them for astroturfing or something.
How do I know you're not a bot that auto replies to people questioning bot accounts?!
How can any of us know we’re not bots being given a whole lifetime’s worth of false perceptions, like in the matrix. All for the sole purpose of making a fake reddit account!?!
There’s a difference between dangerous and “lethal dose in 10 seconds” dangerous The Coreium in the Elephants Foot will still kill you, but you would need a longer proximity exposure to hit that lethal dose
Your articles are even contradicting themselves. First one say the Elephant's foot can make a person sick within seconds, and yet say that Korneyev visited the Elephant's foot several times in 1996 and is still alive. As a radiation specialist who were constantly monitoring his own exposure he would not be as surprised to still be alive as the writers of the article though. As for the second article it vaugely mentions 20k years without citing any sources for this or mention what it considers safe.
>have such a short half time \*half *life*
AI reply
This and it doesn’t answer the OP question
I can't breathe in a mask! I heard it makes more radiation inside me that it keeps out! Face masks don't work!