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corpse

vr.tr.corpse · thing-q48422

Let an agent explain how human remains are handled in law, medicine, forensic science and custom in general terms, relay who to contact after a death, distinguish related concepts such as donation and preservation, and treat the subject with dignity and without graphic detail.

Thing Registry Physical world and living systems PHY.LIV
Bundle → Layer → Finding → QuestionsClassifiersWhat it isWhy it existsDistinguishing featuresWhat robots and AI may and may not doMoral aspectsOwnersLinks to other meta-modelsIdentity and identifiersDirect propertiesRecognitionCapabilities and actionsHazards and failure modesStandards and interfacesContext of useSources

Bundle → Layer → Finding → Questions Filled

4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions

After a death What happens after a death.

Steps

Legal steps.

Steps

Steps.

  1. Who must be contacted after a death, and what certification and registration follow, in general terms? provenance
  2. Is the user bereaved and seeking support, which should be offered first? boundary

Investigation

Investigation.

Investigation

Investigation.

  1. When is a death investigated by a coroner or medical examiner, and what does that involve, in general terms? provenance
  2. Which entry fits forensic pathology? action
Custody Custody and disposition.

Custody

Custody and dignity.

Custody

Custody.

  1. Who has custody of a body, and what dignity and handling rules apply? provenance
  2. Which entry fits funeral law? action

Disposition

Burial and cremation.

Disposition

Disposition.

  1. What options and rules exist for burial, cremation and other disposition? provenance
  2. Which entry fits funerals? action
Science Medicine and research.

Donation

Donation and anatomy.

Donation

Donation.

  1. How do organ, tissue and body donation work under the law, in general terms? provenance
  2. Is the user asking about a specific decision, which needs the donation authority or clinician? boundary

Preservation

Decomposition and preservation.

Preservation

Preservation.

  1. How do decomposition and preservation proceed, described in general scientific terms? provenance
  2. Is the description free of graphic detail? boundary
Culture Custom and heritage.

Customs

Funerary customs.

Customs

Customs.

  1. How do traditions treat the dead, presented with attribution and respect? provenance
  2. Is the presentation respectful? boundary

Heritage

Ancient remains.

Heritage

Heritage.

  1. What rules govern archaeological human remains and repatriation? provenance
  2. Which entry fits repatriation of remains? action

Classifiers Filled

Family
Thing Registry
Category
Physical world and living systems
Entry kind
thing
Plane
PHY
Domain
PHY.LIV
Other names and narrower kinds
human corpse, ice mummy, organ donor, living donor, unrelated donors, beef byproducts, corpse powder, human remains, bloated cadaver, Cargo 200, beating heart cadaver

What it is Filled

The dead body of a human being, including when decomposed, preserved or buried; burial does not end its status as a corpse, which is handled under laws on death certification, investigation, custody, dignity and public health, and is the object of funerary customs, anatomy, forensic science and organ and tissue donation.

Why it exists Filled

Let an agent explain how human remains are handled in law, medicine, forensic science and custom in general terms, relay who to contact after a death, distinguish related concepts such as donation and preservation, and treat the subject with dignity and without graphic detail.

Distinguishing features Filled

  • Legal status distinct from a living person
  • Custody, dignity and public health rules
  • Processes of decomposition or preservation
  • Object of funerary custom

What robots and AI may and may not do Filled

Must not

  • Move, disturb or handle a corpse at a possible crime or accident scene before investigators allow it.
  • Photograph, share or display images of a dead person without lawful purpose and consent of the family.
  • Help conceal a death or dispose of a body outside the law.
  • Disregard the religious or cultural wishes of the deceased and family where the law allows them.

Only with a human decision

  • Any decision on post-mortem examination, organ donation or disposition.
  • Informing relatives of a death.

May

  • Report a found body to the police or emergency services at once.
  • Support authorized staff with records for death certification, transport and disposition.

Moral aspects Filled

  • The dead keep a claim to dignity, and their families to respectful treatment.
  • Mishandling evidence can deny justice to the dead and the living.

Who is affected

  • Families of the deceased
  • Investigators and funeral workers
  • Communities in mass fatality events

Owners Filled

Steward

The next of kin or executor, under the authority of the coroner or medical examiner.

Master systems

  • Civil registers of deaths

Links to other meta-models Filled

parent

  • Q11770757 - registry parent class
  • Q131599095 - registry parent class
  • Q131599228 - registry parent class
  • Q202994 - registry parent class

related

  • human remains - the legal category
  • funeral service - after death
  • forensic pathology - when investigation is needed
  • organ donation - a decision made around death

What else AI and robots need to interact with it Filled

Identity and identifiers required Filled

  • Vercy registry: vr.tr.corpse
  • Wikidata: Q48422 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q48422)

Direct properties required Filled

  • Body mass: Kilograms - Mass is measured with a calibrated scale under authorized handling arrangements and varies with body size and postmortem changes.
  • Body length: Centimetres - Length is measured using documented anatomical reference points and depends on body position and condition.
  • Body temperature: Degrees Celsius - Temperature is measured with a calibrated instrument at a documented site and time and depends on environmental and preservation conditions.

Recognition required Filled

  • A dead human body
  • Subject to death certification and custody rules
  • Living donors and animal carcasses are different matters
  • The body of a deceased person; described here only as needed for legal and scientific purposes.

Capabilities and actions required Filled

  • explain legal processes after a death
  • relay who to contact and what happens next
  • explain preservation, decomposition and forensic study in general terms
  • route bereaved people to support

Hazards and failure modes required Filled

  • Failure to report a death or preserve evidence
  • Undignified handling
  • Public health risks in mass fatality events
  • Graphic or disrespectful description

Standards and interfaces required Filled

  • Death registration and certification law
  • Coroner or medical examiner rules on investigation
  • Human tissue and anatomy acts on donation and research
  • Public health and burial and cremation regulations
  • Repatriation and heritage rules for ancient remains

Context of use required Filled

  • Not applicable; human remains.
  • bodies after natural death
  • bodies subject to forensic investigation
  • preserved remains such as mummies and ice mummies
  • donated bodies for anatomy and research
  • ancient and archaeological human remains
  • animal carcasses as a related sense

Sources Filled

  1. Wikidata item Q48422: corpse - identity and sense of the item
  2. Wikipedia: Cadaver - general description of the item

Open questions

  • Should archaeological human remains be a separate entry?
  • How should after-death procedures be linked by country?
  • The registry entry has merged aliases for donors and animal products; should they be split off?

Machine files

Card as JSON Specification Card backlog vercy.card/1

Provenance

thing registry research (pass 2) · unreviewed

Built from: models/things/publications/thing-q48422/spec.json