"Did you know there's such a thing as a funeral fair? Well, there is, and an unsettling device had its unveiling at one in Amsterdam last week.
Dubbed a "suicide machine" by its Australian creator Philip Nitschke, the "Sarco" is a 3D-printed machine that Nitschke hopes will change the way we die. As you can see above, the Sarco is a human-sized pod which rests on a stand. In that stand sits a canister of nitrogen, which releases into the pod at the press of a button.
"The person who wants to die presses the button and the capsule is filled with nitrogen. He or she will feel a bit dizzy but will then rapidly lose consciousness and die," he told Agence France-Presse.
Nitschk describes himself as an activist for "voluntary euthanasia and rational suicide," calling them both human rights. He brought a VR experience to last week's funeral fair in Amsterdam to demonstrate the service.
"I believe [choosing when to die is] a fundamental human right. It's not just some medical privilege for the very sick. If you've got the precious gift of life, you should be able to give that gift away at the time of your choosing," he told AFP."
I think it’s a good idea for people who are ready and wanting to die, such as the terminally ill who can’t be cured and are in terrible pain. I think it’s ethical to give people a quick, clean, and hopefully painless option to end it all.
If people really want to kill themselves, they will. This is a better and more peaceful way to do it than shooting themselves, hanging, jumping off a bridge, driving off a cliff, and etc.
Why not create an industrial macerator for human use? Just chuck them in head first and its over in an instant. As an added bonus you can use the output as fertilizer for the eco friendly types. No pain, no waste, whats not to like?
Yeah, I have to say that I don't ever want suicide to be normalized for this reason. I do believe that it is a human right to choose when and how you die; however, the "suicide by two shots two the back of the head" meme only exists because suicide is currently an unusual and suspicious cause of death. I will feel much safer living in a society where every suicide is investigated for foul play rather than one where the suicide machine is the expected way to go out. It's just too convenient for anyone who has the power to coerce somebody into the machine.
In the case of some high-profile suicides like Bud Dwyer, the subsequent investigation unearthed damning evidence that he was forced into it. They would never have done that investigation if everyone had the expectation to just kill themselves as soon as they didn't want to live anymore.
This kinda reminds me of that euthanasia roller coaster that was designed as an art project several years ago. It's a lot more bitchin' than a lame pod.
This kinda reminds me of that euthanasia roller coaster that was designed as an art project several years ago. It's a lot more bitchin' than a lame pod.
I'm so sorry, sir/ma'am. You're too old/disabled for us to justify paying for your healthcare anymore, but we'll be happy to pay for your suicide machine use.
I read somewhere that they're reusable (?) Will check for source, can't remember if it's just the base so the pod could be used as is for funerals instead of a traditional casket. Imagine leaving one in your will after taking the peace gas stairway to heaven...
For a serious post, what is the legal liability for this. Doctor assisted suicide is already a minefield. You have to make sure that depressed individuals can't use it. This is arguably only moral to use on those who have terminal illnesses or are like a billion years old and are gonna die soon anyway. This won't get rid of nasty old fashioned suicide, but I guess a painless death machine rather than waiting out a debilitating terminal illness is a better prospect.
