Last night my roommate and I were watching Law & Order, as usual.
During the show's opening, the body of a young woman was discovered in Central Park. While Briscoe and Curtis exchanged pithy quips about her outfit, a lab technician examined the body.
Briscoe: 'So how long you figure she's been dead?'
Technician: 'Judging by the body temp, I'd say at least two hours.'
My roommate looked at me.
'Does your body temperature CHANGE after you die?'
I'm used to getting these kinds of questions from Gabriel, so I didn't even muster an effort to mock him.
'Yes, as soon as your heart stops beating, your body begins to get cold.'
'How cold?'
'Well, room temperature.'
'But they found her OUTSIDE!'
By the way, these quotes are verbatim. Sincerely.
'Your body takes on the temperature of the environment around it, so however cold it is where you die, is how cold you get.'
'Oh, ok'.
He still looked confused.
'Does your body temperature ever go UP when you die?'
I looked at Gabriel, wearily.
'Well, I suppose if you died in a horrible fire or in an explosion, then yes, your body temperature WOULD go up, but only BRIEFLY.'
He seemed satisfied.