From time to time I get involved with 3ph Inverters and other pieces of AC and DC Electric-motor control gear. When the covers come off the 1st thing we do after isolation is discharge the Capacitors on safety grounds. We have a big high wattage resistor connected to 2 insulated croc` clips, its connected cross the cap for a few mins and it lets the charge dissipate. I have seen some very gory safety traing videos in the past and my view on the whole electric shock thing is that its best not to let ANY voltage OR current through your body. A certain combination of voltage/current might not seriously effect one person yet be capable of killing another, it all depends on the make up of the body and the path the current takes. In my industry anything above 50v has to be treated as hazardous and what makes AC so particularly dangerous apart from the burning effect as it passes through the body is that at a frequency of  50/60hz it is similar to the frequency of the micro-voltages in the body that control muscle movement. It can stop the heart, damage nerves and cause muscle paralysis which is why people who grab live parts cannot always let go. DC on the other hand doesnt have this effect on the body, it just causes severe internal and external burns to the body and thats what kills. Question??? Is the Electric-chair on a AC or DC system? My guess would be AC, theory says a High Voltage AC shock would stop the hart and block all nerves within a fraction of a cycle although I guess its a contoversial issue.

yeah the electric chair uses AC.  It was invented back in the day by Thomas Edison when houses first started getting electricity.  He wanted to show that George Westinghouse's AC system was too dangerous in order to sell his DC system.  Even though the electric chair worked, his campaign obviously did not.

I love the History channel   

I did a paper on good ole' ALVA.  as smart and ingenious as he was, most of his business plans backfired.

Anyway, how did they prove the electric chair to be more humane than a bullet to the head?  Beats me. 

I have seen the `Green Mile` and Old Sparky dont look very humane to me! I would choose the Lethal Injection I think.

who ever said capital punishment should be humane?  It's not like we're putting down sickly puppies and kittens or anything here 

I think the electric chair came from an era where they were trying to do eveything high-tech and modern and someone decided hanging was SOOO 1800's. 

IF I see someone kill a member of my family and I slowly torture/boil/maim/dismember/castrate/stomp/mutilate/disembowel the fucker within 6mos of the crime...

That is OK. resonable and fair even.

But, if the state of Texas finds him guilty after a lenghty 4yr trial and have his ass sit on death row for 20 yrs.... they must find a humane way to end his life.

Also considering they might sentence an innocent man to death.

I know it's hipocritical in a sense but I believe its right. If you give the State/government slack in torture or inhumane treatment of it's citizens, eventually you will regret it.