To ask those of you who watched mummifiying Alan Billis....

[MrBloomsNursery]

You know that part where the "Body Farm" people were showing that "thing" that was being eaten by maggots? Was that a real human being? Or an animal? They showed teeth, and they looked like human teeth....

Only caught parts of the programme, and can't bring myself to watch it on 4OD.

[whomovedmychocolate]

It did look like a human.

[LaFilleSurLePont]

They were real.

[LaFilleSurLePont]

Real people.

[GypsyMoth]

I only saw half the programme. I doubt it was a real person with the maggots, where was it?

[MrBloomsNursery]

.....So it was a human? Why? Why was there a real human being, being eaten by maggots on TV?.... Shooooot...Where did they get a real corpse and let it be eaten by maggots?

[StetsonsAreCool]

That "thing" was a human being. Clue's in the title - he had a name, he was mummified.

Delightfully put though

[MrBloomsNursery]

It looked like it was laying in a forest covered by a blanket type thing ILoveTIFFANY

[squeakyfreakytoy]

Some people, who are not religious, are happy to leave their bodies to medical science, or to forensics like the Body Farm. Without these people, we would be much less advanced.

[MrBloomsNursery]

stetsons No, the man who was mummified was not the "thing" that was being eaten by maggots. He was mummified...not let to rot.

[LaFilleSurLePont]

It was a body farm. An institution where people donate their bodies to allow scientists to study the decomposition to further their understanding of decomposition,usually in relation to forensic anthropology which helps to solve crimes.

[toboldlygo]

Haven't watched the program yet but am familiar with the Body Farm concept - people donate their bodies to be used in this way (either specifically to the Body Farm or generally to medical science, I forget if there's that distinction).

[LaFilleSurLePont]

I can't type today.

[MrBloomsNursery]

Firstly, I thought the "thing" being eaten by maggots was an elephant, but then they showed teeth...So it was a real human...wow. Got to love Channel 4 documentaries.

[BehindLockNumberNine]

Yes, that was a real person. It was at the Body Farm in the USA. It is a research facility where they research decomposition amongst other things. People donate their bodies to the Farm for research purposes.

[Meglet]

I didn't see all the programme but I'm sure I've watched documentaries on forensics and they do have these places where they leave bodies to decompose. Or maybe I saw it on CSI .

[squeakyfreakytoy]

It was on CSI, but it is a place that does exist in real life too.

[MrBloomsNursery]

Ah!! Thanks LaFille and toboldlygo...that makes alot more sense now. I see, so people donate their body to the "Body Farm" for research.
I thought it was weird how they'd get a body like that out of nowhere.

[Meglet]

Just had a look and it's on Wiki. Glad I didn't imagine it!

[whomovedmychocolate]

It does indeed - see here

[MrBloomsNursery]

I always see a programme advertised on BBC1?? Called Body Farm? Is this about the research facility?...Or is it something completely different?

[LaFilleSurLePont]

The BBC drama is about a body farm.

[GypsyMoth]

Ah yes, just l

[GypsyMoth]

Ah yes, just looked on YouTube...only in America eh!

[MrBloomsNursery]

Thanks whomovedmychocolate!! Know alot more about the place now!

Just checked the BBC drama - something slightly different!!

[StetsonsAreCool]

Sorry, I take it back. It must have been the bit where DD was crying, by the time I came back downstairs they were talking about him having maggots. My bad.