Why does a headshot usually mean immediate “turn off” for the brain?
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Are you talking about being literally shot by a bullet, or is this more about being struck by a blow (say, from a punch or a kick)? Others have explained the bullet scenario, but I’m not sure that’s necessarily what you meant to ask, so here’s the blow scenario.
The head has a number of mechanisms, from the soft layers of meninges to the cerebrospinal fluid, that serve to cushion most knocks. But there are limits to how well this can work. A sudden, sufficiemtly powerful blow can still cause the brain to plow into the skull wall at high speed: in other words, a concussion. We tend to think of this happening in high-impact sports like lacrosse and American football, but in the right circumstances a kick or even a punch can also work. That’s why sporting headgear is important.
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