An Alabama inmate would be the test subject for the “experimental” execution method of nitrogen hypoxia, his lawyers argued, as they asked judges to deny the state’s request to carry out his death sentence using the new method.

In a Friday court filing, attorneys for Kenneth Eugene Smith asked the Alabama Supreme Court to reject the state attorney general’s request to set an execution date for Smith using the proposed new execution method. Nitrogen gas is authorized as an execution method in three states but it has never been used to put an inmate to death.

Smith’s attorneys argued the state has disclosed little information about how nitrogen executions would work, releasing only a redacted copy of the proposed protocol.

  • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    You literally slip into happy fun time

    Is it really ‘happy fun time’ if you know you’re going to die?

    • Chainweasel@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Listen to audio recordings of pilots with hypoxia, they understand something is very wrong with the plane, but they also think it’s just fine because they’re having a great day.

      • Kalkaline @leminal.space
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        1 year ago

        I always think about Destin from Smarter Everyday when I think about hypoxia. He does such a great job at articulating what he experienced and how difficult it was to know what to do in that moment.

        • 3ntranced@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          I always think of thatt moment when they’re like “it’s time to put your mask back on or you’re going to die destin!” and he just looks at them with a terrified half smile and was barely capable of saying “I don’t know what to do…”

        • Scotty_Trees@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          Which video was that? Would greatly appreciate a link if you can find it, thank you!

          Edit: I believe it was this one - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUfF2MTnqAw

          Edit2: Just finsihed that video, holy crap that’s a must watch for people. tl;dw, when a plane is cruising at 35,000 feet and the cabin loses oxygen, you have at best 15-30 seconds before you pass out, so when the airlines says mask up first before helping others, it will literally save your life.

    • darq@kbin.social
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      1 year ago

      Weirdly enough, it might be. There are videos of people deliberately testing hypoxia. I’ve seen one where the person controlling the test told the participant “you know you are dying right now, right?” and the participant responded “Oh” with a big smile. Now maybe the participant was more chill because they knew beforehand that they weren’t actually going to die. But they were still completely non-phased watching their brain shut down in real time.

      I’m opposed to the death penalty. But if I had to choose my own way out of this world? Hypoxia is probably top of the list.

    • QuinceDaPence@kbin.social
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      1 year ago

      I got a bit hypoxic on top of a mountain. It was 29°F with the wind you’d expect at 14000ft, and I’m just standing there in a t-shirt because I was just so nice and warm, also I was so loopy I could not stop laughing.