Elephant calves have been found buried – what does that mean?

Recent reports of burials of elephant calves are intriguing but it’s impossible to confirm that this was intentional.

Leanne Proops, Associate Professor in Animal Behaviour and Welfare, University of Portsmouth • conversation
March 15, 2024 ~6 min

Ghostbots: AI versions of deceased loved ones could be a serious threat to mental health

AI ghosts, the recreation of digital versions of the dead, may sound like a wonderful idea to those dealing with the pain of loss but this technology could seriously disrupt the grieving process

Nigel Mulligan, Assistant Professor in Psychotherapy, School of Nursing, Psychotherapy and Community Health, Dublin City University • conversation
March 14, 2024 ~7 min


Forensic anthropologists work to identify human skeletal remains and uncover the stories of the unknown dead

Forensic anthropologists are specialized scientists who analyze the skeletal remains of the recently deceased to help authorities figure out who the person was and what happened to them.

Katherine Weisensee, Professor of Anthropology, Clemson University • conversation
Nov. 22, 2023 ~9 min

Your microbes live on after you die − a microbiologist explains how your necrobiome recycles your body to nourish new life

With the help of the microbes that once played an essential role in keeping you alive, the building blocks of your body go on to become a part of other living things.

Jennifer DeBruyn, Professor of Environmental Microbiology, University of Tennessee • conversation
Sept. 28, 2023 ~8 min

What happens if someone dies in space?

If an astronaut were to die on Mars, neither cremation nor burial would be good options.

Emmanuel Urquieta, Professor of Space Medicine and Emergency Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine • conversation
July 31, 2023 ~6 min

Like Prince Harry a quarter of British people have consulted a psychic – here’s the science on why

How Prince Harry using a psychic to contact his dead mother, Princess Diana, isn’t that unusual.

Neil Dagnall, Reader in Applied Cognitive Psychology, Manchester Metropolitan University • conversation
Jan. 12, 2023 ~7 min

Why mourning a pet can be harder than grieving for a person

The death of a pet can be a deeply painful experience. But acknowledging the way pet grief is different can help people find consolation.

Sam Carr, Reader in Education with Psychology and Centre for Death and Society, University of Bath • conversation
Dec. 7, 2022 ~5 min

Losing a loved one can change you forever, but grief doesn't have to be the end of your relationship with them

Research shows people can undergo transformational experiences when they grieve.

Sam Carr, Senior Lecturer in Education with Psychology, University of Bath • conversation
Oct. 3, 2022 ~7 min


Grieving for a grandparent: a counsellor explains how they help people through such a loss

The death of the Queen may turn people’s minds to the loss of their own grandparents, or how the younger royals will cope.

John Frederick Wilson, Honorary Research Fellow, Director of Bereavement Services Counselling & Mental Health Clinic, York St John University • conversation
Sept. 14, 2022 ~8 min

Psychedelic drugs can be almost as life altering as near-death experiences

Society has very different attitudes to near-death experiences and psychedelics.

Steve Taylor, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, Leeds Beckett University • conversation
Sept. 7, 2022 ~7 min

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