• TheMoose@lemm.ee
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      1 year ago

      https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazen_bull

      "The brazen bull … was an alleged torture and execution device designed in ancient Greece. … The bull was said to be hollow and made entirely out of bronze with a door in one side. According to legends, the brazen bull was designed in the form and size of an actual bull and had an acoustic apparatus that converted screams into the sound of a bull. The condemned were locked inside the device, and a fire was set under it, heating the metal until the person inside was roasted to death.

      “Stories allege after finishing construction on the execution device, Perilaus said to Phalaris: “His screams will come to you through the pipes as the tenderest, most pathetic, most melodious of bellowings.” Perilaus believed he would receive a reward for his invention. Instead, Phalaris, who was disgusted by these words, ordered its horn sound system to be tested by Perilaus himself, tricking him into getting in the bull. When Perilaus entered, he was immediately locked in and the fire was set, so that Phalaris could hear the sound of his screams. Before Perilaus could die, Phalaris opened the door and took him away. After freeing him from the bull, Phalaris is then said to have taken Perilaus to the top of a hill and thrown him off, killing him. Phalaris himself is claimed to have been killed in the brazen bull when he was overthrown by Telemachus, the ancestor of Theron.”

      • givesomefucks@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        "The brazen bull … was an alleged torture and execution device designed in ancient Greece

        There’s zero evidence that was ever used tho…

        A lot of the “terrible tortures of the past” are bullshit because the people that came next wanted to look civilized compared to the past.

        I think for this one, someone found a bronze bull that could fit a person inside and some pipes. It’s way more likely the person in there just played the pipes like horns

        • TheMoose@lemm.ee
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          1 year ago

          Well sure, but if it was real it would be a horrifying way to die. I imagine akin to being burned at the stake in a way.

          • XYZinferno@lemmy.basedcount.com
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            1 year ago

            I don’t see the Tokaimura nuclear accidents (which led to the aforementioned death of Hisashi Ouchi) as a reason to dismiss nuclear energy. Even if this is bait as @CADmonkey@lemmy.world mentioned, I want to make it clear that wasn’t my intention behind bringing up Ouchi’s death, and shouldn’t be twisted into a case against nuclear energy as a whole.

            The Tokaimura accident of 1999 was the result of improper safety, due to the facility failing to install the necessary alarms should criticality occur, and cost-cutting by having workers mix uranium in steel drums instead of proper vats that would control the rate at which it’s mixed (which would have prevented criticality). In essence, had the proper safety measures been followed, the incident would not have occurred. The same can be said for most nuclear disasters, especially the famous Chernobyl disaster.

            A compiled list of nuclear incidents (which also includes events aside from nuclear reactors) can be found here:

            It’s evident that nuclear incidents, especially those pertaining to reactors, are incredibly uncommon, and this is the result of strict safety protocols that cannot be shirked, as well as an extreme number of fail-safes in the event of a malfunction. The most recent major nuclear event- The Fukushima Disaster, required an earthquake, tsunami, compounded with human error- extraordinary circumstances that not only are extremely rare, but have been learned from too.

            If the reason to ban nuclear energy is due to a small handful of disasters like these, then logic dictates that this should be expanded to a myriad of products. How about pesticides, due to the Bhopal Disaster? How about getting rid of dams, due to the1975 Banqiao Dam Failure, that led to thousands of deaths?

            The truth of the matter is that much of the large scale infrastructure that we rely on, especially in industry and energy production, can fail on extremely rare occasions, and lead to tremendous loss of life. But through strict safety measures, training, and human ingenuity, the threat of disaster is minuscule.

            TL;DR: Singling out nuclear energy as a problem when the same concerns can be raised for any industry is hypocritical, and just the result of fear-mongering. It is safe.

    • anolemmi@lemmi.social
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      1 year ago

      I would imagine some of the worst are rare conditions that take you from the inside out. I can’t find reference to the name of the disease, but I swear I remember seeing a bone condition that caused spiky growths, almost like crystals, to form from your bones.

      It would be slow and excruciating and you would beg for death long before it ever came.

      • zazaserty@discuss.tchncs.de
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        1 year ago

        I think thats bone cancer. Its awful… I hope they find a cure or just instantly encourage euthanasia. No one should go trough that ever…

      • givesomefucks@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        but I swear I remember seeing a bone condition that caused spiky growths, almost like crystals, to form from your bones.

        That’s what bone cancer is…

        Sometimes it’s just a lump in one spot. Sometimes it’s a whole bunch of tiny growths that push into nerves and flesh.

        Proteus Disease is what the Elephant Man had, but that’s really just a super specific version of bone cancer.

      • Jackolantern@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Oh my god. First time I heard of this. Gruesome. And it’s sad that most of the ones killed are because of honor.