text: guillotines- still alive after or not? when they executed people using guillotines, do you think the person is still alive after they get their heads brutely detached from their body or do they die immediately? during the french revolution, a famous mathematician lavoisier was condemmed to die. he, forever a scientist, wanted to perform one final experiment, even in death. he agreed that he would blink for as long as he was able to stay concious.  on the grim day, he was seen to blink for approximately 15 seconds after decapitation had occurred.