The Science of Death
- Explore the journey from life to death and beyond. Near-death experiences, death doulas, digital immortality, and more — join us for a thoughtful exploration of one of life’s most intriguing and inevitable phenomena, with stories from the line between life and death.
Near Death
Psychedelics are helping dying patients overcome their existential distress
End of life patients face existential and spiritual challenges other patients do not. Psychedelics may be uniquely suited to helping them.
AI helps terminal cancer patients make the most of their final days
An AI that encourages doctors to talk to cancer patients about their end-of-life care impacts how they choose to live out their final days.
Study finds CPR patients may frequently have near-death experiences
In a study of CPR patients across the US and UK, researchers found new evidence about near-death experiences.
Are near-death experiences just psychedelic trips?
One possible explanation of near death experiences is that our brains are flooded with a hallucinogenic, DMT.
“Treatments for depression, anxiety, and PTSD are not necessarily transferable to the kinds of suffering that people approaching the very end of life may have.”
MIO YOKOI
Death
Why death matters
Reframing life in terms of death reveals some of the biggest philosophical problems with how we think about living systems.
Complex brain activity detected in dying patients
Researchers have measured gamma waves, a sign of brain activity, in patients who were dying.
10 surprising things we’ve learned about death
Modern science has demystified death by divulging its biological processes, but many questions remain.
Advice from a death doula: unlocking life before death
Talking about death can actually make it a much less frightening topic. Here’s how working with a death doula or attending a local death cafe can help.
After Death
Alternative funeral options are changing how we honor our dead
A small, yet growing number of people are starting to choose funeral options outside traditional burial or cremation.
What ever happened to the first cryogenically frozen humans?
For decades, people have arranged to freeze their bodies after death, dreaming of resurrection by advanced future medicine.
You can now live forever. (Your AI-powered twin, that is).
Mind Bank AI wants to create a “personal digital twin” of you to forever be around. Is AI eternity around the corner?
Videos
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Just Might Work
3 ways to clone yourself before you die
These tech companies are making digital clones of people to live on in a digital afterlife. Would you do it?
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Challengers
The startup turning human ashes into diamonds
By turning ashes into diamonds, Eterneva is creating a new way to carry the memory of our loved ones with us long after their death.
Coffin-building club helps seniors face death and enjoy life
These seniors are tackling the stigma around death by decorating their own coffins.
“Today (my daughter) speaks to Siri. But one day in the future, I want her to speak to me. Because I know I’m not going to be around forever.”
EMIL JIMENEZ