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Darwin Awards Thread

The Atheist said:
Beautiful Darwin here: https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/...-shouldnt-take-health-advice-off-social-media
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This woman was anorexic. I can't fathom that mental illness, but that's what it is, it's a mental illness, not stupidity. There's nothing beautiful about an anorexic person dying, it's just sad.

And in fact, I would argue that her death is not eligible for a Darwin award, precisely for this reason. Rule 4 of the Darwin awards says that "The candidate must be capable of sound judgment." I don't think anorexics are capable of sound judgment in regards to their diet. That's the entire problem. If they were capable of sound judgment, it wouldn't be a mental illness, but it absolutely is.

I would also argue that her death doesn't qualify under Rule 2, as deaths from anorexia are sadly commonplace and not at all remarkable. That she had a large social media profile may be unusual, but it's not actually an essential element of her death.
 
The Atheist said:
Might yet end up as a Darwin: https://panhandle.newschannelnebras...-tank-explosion-critically-injures-mccook-man
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I don't think this qualifies under Rule 2, Uncommon Excellence. The victim apparently did take steps to try to make the operation safe by filling the tank with water, which is apparently the correct move. They just didn't successfully displace all the gas in the process. This seems to move it into a more mundane accident category. Had they tried to cut open a full tank without taking any precautions I think it might qualify, but this seems like rather pedestrian stupidity.
 
I feel bad about this one as the individual was apparently quite mentally ill (and that would disqualify it). But the headline itself screams Darwin Award.

Teen with dreams of lion taming mauled to death after climbing into enclosure at zoo

ETA: apparently not his first attempt at a Darwin:
Oliveira told the outlet that Machado had always dreamed of traveling to Africa to become a lion tamer and was once caught hiding in the landing gear of a plane, believing it would take him there.
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Trying to hide in a plane's landing gear is also certain death, had he not been discovered pre-flight.
 
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Puppycow said:
I feel bad about this one as the individual was apparently quite mentally ill (and that would disqualify it). But the headline itself screams Darwin Award.

Teen with dreams of lion taming mauled to death after climbing into enclosure at zoo

ETA: apparently not his first attempt at a Darwin:

Trying to hide in a plane's landing gear is also certain death, had he not been discovered pre-flight.
Click to expand...
It qualifies. Sad though. I'm of the opinion that many rock climbers deserve the award. But I figure at least they understand that their hobby is about courting death.
 
Skeptical Greg said:
Not quite.

Of 113 documented attempts there were 86 deaths, a 76 percent fatality rate..
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Do you think it's possible that some individuals were never discovered and survived? I don't see someone surviving a long distance cruising at 35,000 feet. A short haul commercial flight might never reach an altitude of 25,000 feet.
 
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