chickens

[einsteinsdog]

If the brain controls muscles , why do headless chickens run , or is it a myth?

[goldenboy]

doesnt the brain control voluntary muscular control, i vaguely remember some involuntary functions are controlled by the spinal column, or i may be wrong.

[petrol]

The premise is wrong. The Central Nervous System controls motor action (including muscles). It is made up of the brain and spinal cord. Most neurons for walking instruction are in the base of the spine. Cut off head, instruction can still be there. Try it out...(on a chicken).

[Drusilla]

Read an interesting article about beheading on a children's nursery rhyme site. www.rhymes.org.uk Apparently Jack and Jill is all about Marie Antoinette and King Louis. It states that the severed head is held up, not to show it off to the crowd, but for the head to see its own decapitated body. I found it hard to believe there could be an 8 second gap between beheading and death, but that's what it says. Kind of spooky, I thought.

[Rabelais]

Ah but then there is the story of Mike the Headless chicken

http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/content_pages/record .asp?recordid=54463

[Chappers]

There was a guy on "This Morning with Phil and Fern" yesterday...he is studying what happens when we die and he mentioned beheading...and said that heads seperated from the body could blink and answer questions for a few seconds...possibly a lot longer than most people think, more than 8 seconds! can't remember the exact figure but I wasn't paying that much attention.