{"id":3241,"date":"2026-09-19T21:08:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-19T21:08:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dwts-elimination.myftp.biz\/?p=3241"},"modified":"2026-09-19T21:08:00","modified_gmt":"2026-09-19T21:08:00","slug":"what-do-you-want-to-happen-to-your-body-after-you-die","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dwts-elimination.myftp.biz\/?p=3241","title":{"rendered":"What do you want to happen to your body after you die?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div data-autopogo=\"\">\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\">What do you want to happen to your body when you die? Have you thought about the environmental implications? Do you care? <\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\">On this episode of <em>Ask Us Anything<\/em>, <em>Popular Science<\/em> editors Sarah Durn and Laura Baisas discuss the most eco-friendly burial options. And, as it turns out, the greenest choice is the simplest one.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\">Since relaunching the <em>Ask Us Anything<\/em>  podcast almost a year ago, we\u2019ve added quite a few new listeners, so this week\u2019s episode is an encore presentation of one of our most popular episodes. Thanks to the old listeners, the new listeners, and the random listeners who just found us. We love sharing the mundane and the wild with you every other week. If you like the show, please share it with a friend. Maybe with the prompt, \u201cHow do you want to be buried?\u201d <\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\">If you\u2019d like to share your plans for your mortal remains, we\u2019ll share it on a future episode. Send us an email at feedback [at] popsci [dot] com. We\u2019re looking forward to reading your answers. And now, on with the show\u2026<\/p>\n<p><iframe data-testid=\"embed-iframe\" style=\"border-radius:12px\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/episode\/19KJYlHFXU3kE0oezJsqXj?utm_source=generator&amp;si=193cd6da6d104c85\" width=\"100%\" height=\"352\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\" allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><em>Ask Us Anything<\/em>\u00a0answers your most outlandish, mind-burning questions\u2014from the everyday things you\u2019ve always wondered to the bizarre things you never thought to ask. So, yes, there\u2019s a reason\u00a0why most people are right handed\u00a0and no,\u00a0not all cats hate water and that\u2019s okay. If you have a question for us,\u00a0send us a note. Nothing is too silly or simple.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\">This episode is based on the\u00a0<em>Popular Science<\/em>\u00a0article \u201cCremation or casket? Here\u2019s the most eco-friendly burial option.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-subscribe-to-ask-us-anything\">Subscribe to Ask Us Anything<\/h2>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\">Listen and follow\u00a0<em>Ask Us Anything<\/em>\u00a0on your favorite podcast platform:<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\">Spotify\u00a0|\u00a0Apple Podcasts\u00a0|\u00a0YouTube\u00a0| Or wherever you get your podcasts.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-full-episode-transcript\">Full Episode Transcript<\/h2>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>Annie Colbert:<\/strong> \u200aWhat do you want to happen to your body after you die? Is it something you\u2019ve thought about? You probably should.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\">I\u2019m Annie Colbert, editor-in-chief of Popular Science, and we\u2019re doing something a little different on Ask Us Anything this week. Because the show has grown so much recently and so many new listeners have joined, we\u2019ve decided it would be fun to share one of our favorite episodes since we relaunched almost a year ago, which also happens to be amongst the most popular questions we\u2019ve ever answered.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\">So you\u2019re about to hear Popular Science editor Sarah and news editor Laura talk all about the options for what to do with your body after death, or more specifically, the most eco-friendly method for burial. And when you\u2019re done listening, let us know if you\u2019ve ever thought about what do you want to happen to your body after you die. Do you wanna be composted, sky burial, donated to science?\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\">Send us an email or a voice memo to feedback@popsci.com and we\u2019ll feature some of your responses on a future episode. Again, that\u2019s feedback@popsci.com. With that, onto the show!<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>Sarah Durn:<\/strong> About 70 miles southwest of Asheville, North Carolina, a stunning preserve sits along the rolling foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. A dense canopy of trees\u2014oaks, birches and maples\u2014grow along carefully marked trails. Birds chirp. Rabbits scurry. And even black bears lumber through this luscious restored forest.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\">But this beautiful park is actually not a park at all. It\u2019s a cemetery. Established in 1996, Ramsey Creek Preserve is largely considered the first modern green burial site in the United States. But is natural burial really the most eco-friendly way to go? How does it compare to cremation or newer technologies, like human composting?<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\">If you want your final act on Earth to also be <em>good<\/em> for the Earth, what\u2019s the best option?<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\">Welcome to Ask Us Anything from the editors of <em>Popular Science<\/em>, where we answer your questions about our weird world, from \u201cDo bears actually hibernate?\u201d (Spoiler: They don\u2019t.) to \u201cDo carrots really help your eyesight?\u201d No question is too zany or too simple. I\u2019m Sarah Durn, features editor at Popular Science.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>Laura Baisas:<\/strong> And I\u2019m Laura Baisas, PopSci\u2019s news editor.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Here at PopSci, we\u2019re always chasing questions, both big and small.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>LB:<\/strong> And this week, our curiosity has led us to what\u2019s the most eco-friendly burial option, something Sarah actually just edited a piece on. So if you\u2019re worried about pollution, what is the best way to go?<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Yeah. Experts say there\u2019s actually one very clear answer and it\u2019s surprisingly simple. Want to guess?<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>LB:<\/strong> I\u2019m gonna go with cremation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> It\u2019s actually natural burial.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>LB:<\/strong> Oh, makes sense.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Yeah. One of the sources for this story, Lee Webster, an author, educator, and former president of the Green Burial Council, told us that, \u201cEverybody wants something shiny, new and exciting, but the simplest solution is usually the best.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>LB:<\/strong> I guess it\u2019s one of those things that\u2019s surprising, but not surprising.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Yeah, totally. But there are some newer technologies on the horizon that might be even more sustainable.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>LB:<\/strong> Ooh, intriguing. Now, before we bury ourselves in specifics, we want to know what questions are keeping you curious. If there\u2019s something you\u2019ve always wanted to know, submit your questions by clicking the \u201cAsk Us\u201d link at popsci.com\/ask.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\">Again, that\u2019s popsci.com\/ask, and click the \u201cAsk Us\u201d link.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> We can\u2019t wait to hear your questions!<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>LB:<\/strong> And with that, we\u2019ll be right back after the short break.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\">Okay. So before we get into the carbon footprint math, I have to ask: Sarah, have you actually ever thought about what you want done with your body after you die?<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Ooh, wow. Starting light today.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>LB:<\/strong> I\u2019m in news: I like to keep things breezy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> I mean, definitely, yeah. My instinct has always been something simple, minimal, like return me to nature. Very circle of life.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>LB:<\/strong> Hmm.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> But with good trees.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>LB:<\/strong> Love that. Kind of put me somewhere where the birds have some excellent Yelp reviews.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Exactly. What about you?<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>LB:<\/strong> I used to think cremation since it felt really straightforward and flexible, since then I could be spread, you know, anywhere like my beloved ocean perhaps or maybe donating my body to a medical school.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\">But then once I started working on climate stories, I\u2019m kind of like, \u201cOh, wait, no. Are my remains actually gonna be bad for the planet?\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Yeah. Bad news. Maybe a little bit?<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>LB:<\/strong> Yeah. Kind of back to the drawing board, I guess.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Yeah, but you know, don\u2019t give yourself too hard a time. It\u2019s worth remembering that humans have been trying to figure out the \u201cright\u201d way to handle a body for a very long time.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>LB:<\/strong> Yeah, totally. And a lot of those methods would probably surprise some people today. Take for instance, sky burials. In some parts of Tibet, Mongolia and Bhutan, bodies are placed on mountaintops and left for vultures,<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Which sounds so magical\u2014to become a bird.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>LB:<\/strong> Right? It\u2019s a sacred ritual in Buddhism, but it\u2019s also practical.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\">In these areas, the ground is often too hard or rocky to dig into and fuel for cremation is scarce. So there\u2019s a belief in returning the body to other living creatures as a final act of altruism.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Hmm. I love that.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>LB:<\/strong> And then you\u2019ve got ossuaries where bodies are buried temporarily and later the bones are moved into communal, resting places to make room for the living.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Oh yeah. I always think of those bone walls in Europe. They\u2019re beautiful and a little metal.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>LB:<\/strong> I\u2019d say very metal, but again, super space efficient. But unfortunately, sky burials are actually illegal in the United States, and ossuaries, aka those bone walls, aren\u2019t really an option either. So Sarah, how did today\u2019s burial options stack up? What\u2019s the most eco-friendly option?<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Yeah, well, let\u2019s start with conventional burial because that\u2019s still what many people picture. You\u2019ve got embalming chemicals, hardware. They\u2019re metal caskets. Often a concrete vault, deep hole in the ground. You kind of get the picture. Each of those materials requires mining, manufacturing, and transportation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\">And once they\u2019re stored, they\u2019re basically permanent. So it\u2019s a very resource intensive and carbon heavy process. And those chemical preservatives don\u2019t really return anything to the ecosystem.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>LB:<\/strong> So that means cremation must be somewhat better, right?<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Yeah. Cremation has the reputation of being the simpler, cleaner choice, but it requires a lot of heat, usually between 1400 and 1900 degrees Fahrenheit and that\u2019s typically powered by fossil fuels.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>LB:<\/strong> Oh, toasty.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Yeah. Extremely toasty. Cremation also releases a fair bit of carbon dioxide and mercury vapor from dental fillings. Lee Webster, one of the sources for this story, told us that roughly 14 percent of all mercury in U.S. waterways is attributed to flame cremation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>LB:<\/strong> That is way higher than I expected!<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> I know, right? It\u2019s one of those out of sight processes that feels small because you don\u2019t see the smokestack, but it\u2019s there.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>LB:<\/strong> And even traditional cremation pyres come with trade-offs, right?<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Yeah. One study in India found open-air cremations can use 880 to 1,100 pounds of wood per body releasing 500 to 600 kilograms of carbon dioxide, which is a lot.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\">Researchers there basically said, of course, these ancient rituals matter, but it would be great to find greener options.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>LB:<\/strong> Okay, so then there are these newer technologies such as aquamation and human composting, which we actually did a whole episode on, and we\u2019ll link in the show notes. But are these new methods actually better for the planet?<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Yeah, it\u2019s complicated. They can definitely reduce some impacts, but they\u2019re not impact free.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>LB:<\/strong> Okay, let\u2019s start with aquamation. What is it exactly?<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Aquamation, or alkaline hydrolysis, uses heated water and lye to break down soft tissue over about 12 hours. The bones then are left behind.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>LB:<\/strong> And is it better than cremation?<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Definitely. Carbon emissions may be around 20 percent lower than flame cremation. But then you\u2019re left with about 100 to 300 gallons of liquid waste that has to go into wastewater systems.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>LB:<\/strong> Yikes. That\u2019s a lot of waste. So what about human composting? I mean, it sounds like it could be good?<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Yeah, so human composting, also called natural organic reduction, which again if you want to learn more, check out our episode about it. This method happens in a vessel filled with materials like straw, wood chips, and alfalfa.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\">Microbes break down the body over about 60 days. But bones don\u2019t fully reduce, so they\u2019re refined and then mixed back in. The families end up with roughly 250 pounds of material that usually looks a lot more like wood chips than garden soil.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>LB:<\/strong> That is a lot of you.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Yeah. It\u2019s basically a panda sized amount of soil. And often that material gets transported elsewhere for spreading. Plus some of the inputs like alfalfa are grown in water stress regions and shipped long distances.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>LB:<\/strong> I kind of think all things should be measured in units of panda.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Definitely.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>LB:<\/strong> Just saying, so pandas are not the through line here is: even new options have issues.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Lee Webster in our story compared it to grocery shopping. You can\u2019t just trust the word organic. You have to know what went into it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>LB:<\/strong> Okay, so drum roll. After all of this analysis, what\u2019s the winner? What\u2019s the most eco-friendly way to go?<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Natural burial. No embalming, no vaults, no metal, just a biodegradable shroud or simple wooden box placed directly into the soil.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>LB:<\/strong> Back to the basics.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Exactly. Webster describes it as a body to Earth burial with no impediments to decomposition. Typically, the body is placed about three to four feet down where microbes and insects take it from there.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\">There\u2019s no leftover material, no chemical runoff, and no machinery driven emissions. A 2017 lifecycle assessment found this method consistently has the lowest overall environmental cost of any burial method.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>LB:<\/strong> So yeah, like with a lot of things, the most advanced climate solution is just doing less.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Yeah.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>LB:<\/strong> You know, there\u2019s kind of something comforting about that.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> I think so too. And many natural burial sites double as conservation land, which means instead of depleting space, you\u2019re actually helping to protect it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>LB:<\/strong> Right. So your final act could actually be habitat preservation.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD: <\/strong>Right.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>LB: <\/strong>So should we all just get buried in these simple biodegradable boxes?<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Maybe. But Webster did note that there might be a promising new approach on the horizon. This method would break down both soft tissue and bone into nutrient-rich material. It was developed by innovator Bob Jenkins and uses a proprietary mixture to transform remains into nutrient-rich material in an \u201caccelerated manner.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>LB:<\/strong> Oh, interesting. So it\u2019s kind of like super human composting.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Yeah, I think so. But it\u2019s not currently available, unfortunately.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>LB:<\/strong> Honestly, after working on this, I almost feel a little skeptical of any new innovation here.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Yeah, it\u2019s very fair. It\u2019ll be very hard to displace natural burials as the most eco-friendly option I think.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>LB:<\/strong> I mean, simple and eco-friendly? Kind of hard to beat.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Yeah, you know, I think I\u2019m sold. Find me a box.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>LB:<\/strong> And with that we\u2019ll be right back to wrap up this episode with some of our own experiences with funerals.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> So we\u2019ve spoken a lot today about burials and types of burials, but not as much about the funeral traditions that have helped humans mourn for centuries.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>LB:<\/strong> Yeah. I think that those early days of the COVID-19 pandemic really made most of us realize how important being together is when a loved one dies.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Yeah, definitely. It\u2019s so hard when there\u2019s no moment to mourn together.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>LB:<\/strong> Yeah, exactly. So have you had any surprising moments or experiences come up at a funeral?<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> You know, I did have a really unique experience when I studied abroad in New Delhi, India. My homestay sister\u2019s grandmother passed away while I was there, and I actually attended her Hindu funeral, which I hadn\u2019t had any prior experience.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>LB:<\/strong> Right, right.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Yeah. I remember how the family decorated her body with flowers in her apartment, which was just downstairs from where I stayed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\">And then on the day of the funeral, there was an event under this open air tent where a Hindu priest recited some prayers in Sanskrit.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>LB:<\/strong> So did the family and friends attending understand what was being said?<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> No, they didn\u2019t understand. It was kind of like the equivalent of going to like a Latin Mass in Catholicism<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>LB:<\/strong> That I understand.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\">But again, I imagine that was still really beautiful and moving even with that language barrier.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Yeah, it was. And then after that we went to a separate place where the actual cremation happened. The body was placed on a funeral pyre just 10 feet in front of us. And that experience was, yeah, especially moving because it made me think how cremation happens in the States where it\u2019s oftentimes removed from family and friends. So to be a part of that process felt much more, I guess, impactful. It involved you in the process much more directly.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>LB:<\/strong> Right. That\u2019s beautiful.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Yeah. How about you?<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>LB:<\/strong> So I grew up Catholic, and was a church cantor for several years.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Aw.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>LB:<\/strong> Yeah. Cantering is when you lead all of the songs at a Mass. And thanks to that special set of skills, I\u2019ve actually cantered at several family members\u2019 funerals.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Hmm.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>LB:<\/strong> One was for my great aunt Alice, who actually lived with my immediate family growing up. She happened to love the Christmas song Silver Bells and would just kind of randomly sing it no matter what time of the year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Aw, that\u2019s so sweet. I love that.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>LB:<\/strong> Yeah, this woman was an absolute hoot. She died rather suddenly in November 2010, and so I was cantering and to honor her at the funeral, I asked the organist to play an instrumental of Silver Bells right after I sang one verse of the communion hymn, and I didn\u2019t tell my family.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Oh, were they surprised?<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>LB:<\/strong> Yeah, completely. It was just really nice to see them smile. And then my mom actually explained during her eulogy why everyone just heard a Christmas song in early November.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Oh, helpful. But aw, so nice.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>LB:<\/strong> Yeah, it was just one of those nice little reminders that she\u2019s still with us and those types of things really helped during gatherings that are, you know, incredibly sad.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Yeah, for sure.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\">And that\u2019s it for this episode, but don\u2019t worry, we\u2019ve got more awesome Ask Us Anythings live in our feed right now. Follow or subscribe to ask us anything by <em>Popular Science<\/em> wherever you enjoy your podcast. And if you like our show, please leave a rating and review.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>LB:<\/strong> We care what you think<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> We do!<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>LB:<\/strong> Our theme music is from Kenneth Michael Regan, and our producer is Alan Haburchak. This week\u2019s episode was based on an article written for Popular Science by Jennifer Byrne.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Thank you team, and thanks everyone for listening.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>LB:<\/strong> And one more time. If you have something you\u2019ve always wondered about and wanted explained on a future episode, go to popsci.com\/ask, and click the \u201cAsk Us\u201d link.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\">Until next time, keep the questions coming.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Yay.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>\u200aAnnie Colbert:<\/strong> An excellent episode, if I do say so myself.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\">Interestingly, our second-most popular episode was a detailed explanation of human composting, so definitely go listen to that one too. As for me, I say feed me to the worms. And now that you\u2019ve learned so much about what can happen to your body after you die, drop us a line and let us know what plans you\u2019ve considered for your own mortal remains.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\">Send an email or a voice memo to feedback@popsci.com and we\u2019ll include some of the responses in a future episode. Thank you in advance for sending your thoughts, and catch you in two weeks when we\u2019ll be back with a brand new episode. And as always, if you have a question for us, go to popsci.com\/ask.<\/p>\n<section class=\"content-widget content-widget--large pw-incontent-excluded pgIgnore\">\n<p>\t<span class=\"block bg-secondary-300 h-2 w-16 mt-10 mb-8\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"flex flex-col md:flex-row items-start justify-items-start\">\n<div class=\"mb-4 md:mb-0 md:w-4\/12 w-full\">\n\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" src=\"https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/home-of-the-future-header.jpg?quality=85&amp;w=300\" class=\"max-w-[100%] object-center\" alt=\"2026 Home of the Future header\" loading=\"lazy\" fetchpriority=\"low\"\/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"ml-0 md:ml-10 md:w-8\/12 w-full\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\n\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n<p>2026 Popular Science Home of the Future Awards<\/p>\n<div class=\"content-widget-content mb-4\">\n<div id=\"1737663310.940689\" class=\"c-virtual_list__item\" role=\"listitem\" data-qa=\"virtual-list-item\" data-item-key=\"1737663310.940689\">\n<div class=\"c-message_kit__background c-message_kit__background--hovered p-message_pane_message__message c-message_kit__message\" role=\"presentation\" data-qa=\"message_container\" data-qa-unprocessed=\"false\" data-qa-placeholder=\"false\">\n<div class=\"c-message_kit__hover c-message_kit__hover--hovered\" role=\"document\" data-qa-hover=\"true\">\n<div class=\"c-message_kit__actions c-message_kit__actions--above\">\n<div class=\"c-message_kit__gutter\">\n<div class=\"c-message_kit__gutter__right\" role=\"presentation\" data-qa=\"message_content\">\n<div class=\"c-message_kit__blocks c-message_kit__blocks--rich_text\">\n<div class=\"c-message__message_blocks c-message__message_blocks--rich_text\" data-qa=\"message-text\">\n<div class=\"p-block_kit_renderer\" data-qa=\"block-kit-renderer\">\n<div class=\"p-block_kit_renderer__block_wrapper p-block_kit_renderer__block_wrapper--first\">\n<div class=\"p-rich_text_block\" dir=\"auto\">\n<div class=\"p-rich_text_section\">\n<p class=\"article-title\">39 products that will improve your everyday life.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\t<span class=\"block bg-secondary-300 h-2 w-16 mt-8 mb-10\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<footer class=\"article-content-footer article-content-width\">\n<\/footer><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/science\/what-do-you-want-to-happen-to-your-body-when-you-die-podcast\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What do you want to happen to your body when you die? Have you thought about the environmental implications? Do&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3242,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/home-of-the-future-header.jpg?quality=85&w=300","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[633,2655],"class_list":["post-3241","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-1","tag-news","tag-podcasts"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dwts-elimination.myftp.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3241","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dwts-elimination.myftp.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dwts-elimination.myftp.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dwts-elimination.myftp.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dwts-elimination.myftp.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3241"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dwts-elimination.myftp.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3241\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dwts-elimination.myftp.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3242"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dwts-elimination.myftp.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3241"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dwts-elimination.myftp.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3241"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dwts-elimination.myftp.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3241"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}