NationStates Jolt Archive

...and whacked it hard on your own skull, would it be enough to kill you? I was debating this with several people in Statistics today when I provided the example for explanatory variable (whacking your head with a hammer) and response variable (number of deaths). A couple of people disputed this and said you cannot create enough force to do it. "It might hurt a lot" but it wouldn't kill you. So NSG, please help answer this grossly sadistic question.

Oh and it's an ordinary hammer you use to put nails in wood and stuff.

I take no responsibility if you actually test this out and are harmed or killed in any way.

of course you can.

the tendency is to pull back a bit on the first try but if you are determined you can easily hit yourself hard enough to die from it.

I think it's possible - but it would be much harder for short people. The longer your arm is the more speed you could generate at impact. Somebody with short arms would have trouble acheiving LHS (lethal hammerhead speed).

There is nothing physically stopping your arm from generating the required force. I suppose there maybe some psychological barriers to overcome though.

... I suppose there maybe some psychological barriers to overcome though.

Yes the brain wants to protect itself. You would have to overcome the body's danger and warning system. Perhaps if you used the hammer first to hammer out danger, then hammer out a warning, you'd be able to hammer all over your head.

Yes the brain wants to protect itself. You would have to overcome the body's danger and warning system. Perhaps if you used the hammer first to hammer out danger, then hammer out a warning, you'd be able to hammer all over your head.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UKvpONl3No :P

The human brain is a fragile thing.

...and whacked it hard on your own skull, would it be enough to kill you? I was debating this with several people in Statistics today when I provided the example for explanatory variable (whacking your head with a hammer) and response variable (number of deaths). A couple of people disputed this and said you cannot create enough force to do it. "It might hurt a lot" but it wouldn't kill you. So NSG, please help answer this grossly sadistic question.

Oh and it's an ordinary hammer you use to put nails in wood and stuff.

I take no responsibility if you actually test this out and are harmed or killed in any way.
Try the sweet spot.....the temple.......good luck!! :p

Edit: I also wish to use Sel's disclaimer.

When all you have is a hammer, people sure start to look a lot like nails......

The human brain is a fragile thing.

I have damaged so many. :(

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UKvpONl3No :P

A paultbot already defiled the comment box. Notice, for example, the blatant disregard here: Support Ron Paul in the fight to regain our Constitution.

Because voting against the constitution is fighting to regain the constitution!

Yes! Why wouldn't you die if yu whacked your head with a hammer? People havge used hammers to murder before, I'm pretty sure there have been some accidents or even suicides involving hammers. It's not a matter of ability to provide enouh force to kill with a hammer, it's a question of willingness.

I was so sure the question would be if I was a bad enough dude to hit my own dick with it.

But a head is fine too, and I think it's definitely possible, but also less likely than people here think. I'm basing this opinion on the fact that I can't remember reading about a death caused by a single blow to the head by a hammer, but I have on the other hand read about several injuries caused by hammer blows to the head, so I think I'm on solid ground on this one. No googling required.

For those having trouble with the self-inflicted hammer-death-smack, try swallowing the hammer - you could probably choke to death on it.


The more you know.

Depends on how much speed you can get before impact, hardness of the hammer, impact location, which side of the hammer you're using...

I was so sure the question would be if I was a bad enough dude to hit my own dick with it.

But a head is fine too, and I think it's definitely possible, but also less likely than people here think. I'm basing this opinion on the fact that I can't remember reading about a death caused by a single blow to the head by a hammer, but I have on the other hand read about several injuries caused by hammer blows to the head, so I think I'm on solid ground on this one. No googling required.

Well how many people are going to wonk their head open with a hammer?

Well how many people are going to wonk their head open with a hammer?

Not many, but did I was there were? Also, you aren't likely to be able to use nearly as much force and strike with nearly the same precision when you're hitting yourself as if you had help from someone else (which was what I was talking about), and that makes it even less likely that you'd die from it.

I think it would be really difficult. I mean, hell, it seems difficult enough to kill yourself with a handgun, unless you take care to aim it well.

Not many, but did I was there were? Also, you aren't likely to be able to use nearly as much force and strike with nearly the same precision when you're hitting yourself as if you had help from someone else (which was what I was talking about), and that makes it even less likely that you'd die from it.

I think it would be really difficult. I mean, hell, it seems difficult enough to kill yourself with a handgun, unless you take care to aim it well.

That's all psychological. It's why I won't go down and try it out to see. I'm saying, if you somehow were possessed or whatever to do it and did, would you have a fairly good chance of dying. I also want to dispute the fact that you won't apply enough force. You can apply almost the same force either direction.

Maybe hold a brick near your head (but not so it can harm you) and whack it with a hammer. If it shatters, well you know where it goes...

Maybe hold a brick near your head (but not so it can harm you) and whack it with a hammer. If it shatters, well you know where it goes...

Breaking a bone in the skull isn't enough by itself to kill you. A hammer has a rather small head and good weight, making it even likely that it does this. I've seen some nasty, and non-lethal, damage done by hammers.

Again, not many though. I fully admit that I'm just going by a few cases I know of here. I'm not going to google for hammer-related crime statistics.

Would hitting yourself on the head with a hammerheadshark kill u?

Dunno. But it ought to. :p

Would hitting yourself on the head with a hammerheadshark kill u?

I have damaged so many. :(

There's a difference between psychological damage caused by pies, mud and wedgies and brain damage caused by whacking people in the head with a hammer.

The former is funny. The latter, not at all.

There's a difference between psychological damage caused by pies, mud and wedgies and brain damage caused by whacking people in the head with a hammer.

The former is funny. The latter, not at all.

Tom and Jerry have taught me otherwise. :p

If you hit me with a hammer, it's not funny.

However,

If I hit you with a hammer, it's frickin' hilarious.

A strange paradox.

Well i've heard people can stab themselves, or cut their wrists so i imagine you could do some damage with a hammer, but probably only enough to knock you unconscious, so it could take quite a while, and slightly odd when there's more efficient and faster ways to kill yourself.

I also imagine how you get the technique right would be important as it's probably quite difficult to get the angle right to hit yourself with even a small hammer.
I doubt you could use a sledgehammer on your own head, in fact i'm having doubts you could ever actually kill yourself with a hammer, if you did manage you would die in agony, and messing about with your head might conjure up some visual illusions while your'e trying to knock your own head off.

However if this nasty hammer had a massive spike in it and you aimed for your temple you might just manage, but any more than one hit and it would take forever to kill yourself with a hammer.
So i'd vote no, unless you did it in one hit with a specially designed hammer.
What a gruesome topic!

I think it'd cause a nasty crack in the skull and a non-lethal brain damage.

I think it's possible - but it would be much harder for short people. The longer your arm is the more speed you could generate at impact. Somebody with short arms would have trouble acheiving LHS (lethal hammerhead speed).
True, but anyone (short or tall) can generate a fair amount of speed with a well-timed wrist-flick.

Nothing can penetrate MY skull.;):p

While you could easily create enough force with a hammer of adequate weight and size to crack your 5mm skull bone and cause serious (if not fatal?) injury - splitting someone else's skull is easier than whacking yourself in the head.
http://gw.gamona.de/forum/images/smilies/hwarrior01.gif
You know it's gonna hurt, you know of the consequences of your actions - and that would definitely make you not hit as hard as you could have.
Your instinct of self preservation (Selbsterhaltungstrieb - a great German word!) will veto your actions and thus distort your results.
http://www.studip.uni-goettingen.de/pictures/smile/headhammer.gif

What's really weird is I know it's an awful idea...

...but part of me wants to see what it's like to whack a hammer against my head.

Nothing can penetrate MY skull.;):p
and I think alot of people here would agree. :p

yes, you can.

there are many soft areas on the skull.

and there is also the claw of the hammer that can be used. (the op didn't mention which end of the hammer you hit with, only the type of hammer.)

I would say no (or at least damned unlikely), for the same reason that you can't manually strangle yourself to death i.e., you'd black out before you did enough damage to die from.

I would say no (or at least damned unlikely), for the same reason that you can't manually strangle yourself to death i.e., you'd black out before you did enough damage to die from.

except with a hammer, when you revive, you can hit yourself again while the damage (any fractures) would still be present.

and you can strangle yourself. if you use a rope, or any other object other than your own hands or holding your breath.

Tom and Jerry have taught me otherwise. :p

really? Tom and Jerry taught me to never mess with a mouse that can lift up and use a frying pan, fireplace poker, gun, Iron... :D

except with a hammer, when you revive, you can hit yourself again while the damage (any fractures) would still be present.
I guess, unless some pain in the ass good samiritan finds you in between bouts of hammering.
and you can strangle yourself. if you use a rope, or any other object other than your own hands or holding your breath.
But that's not "manually." And, before someone suggests it, duct taping your hands to your throat is cheating. Also, probably impossible.

What's really weird is I know it's an awful idea...

...but part of me wants to see what it's like to whack a hammer against my head.

I know right?

killing yourself with a hammer is like trying to break a 2x4 with your fist its all about dedication and followthrough

really? Tom and Jerry taught me to never mess with a mouse that can lift up and use a frying pan, fireplace poker, gun, Iron... :D

Explosives...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UKvpONl3No :P

Are you trying to give people an incentive to test the theory?

I'll try it myself and get back to you...assuming I survive, that is. :p

*runs*