Death

Analysis and Comment (12)

Wwfzn6sr-1369709225
Death and dying is often a taboo topic for people with disability, but shouldn’t be ignored. Image from shutterstock.com

Living with disability – and planning a good death

By Di Winkler, Monash University

Australians have a poor track record of talking about death and dying. A recent survey of Australians who’d just lost a loved one to a terminal illness found just 15% were told how their relative wanted…
Sszj36k3-1368790683
It’s never easy when someone we’re close to is dying but there are things we can learn from the professionals who deal with this every day. PA/David Cheskin

We need to get over our fear of talking about dying

By Cara Bailey, University of Birmingham

It’s not always easy to talk to someone who is dying. Conversations about future plans and wishes may appear insensitive and fuelled with great pain and distress when it’s somebody we love. For some…
Fdrrb49q-1366005784
Demonstrations over the death of Margaret Thatcher have raised questions about the morality of celebrating death. EPA/Facundo Arrizabalaga

Burying Thatcher: why celebrating death is still wrong

By Patrick Stokes, Deakin University

A funeral ceremony will take place for former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher in London’s St Paul’s Cathedral. Outside, protesters will be turning their backs on the coffin as it passes through…
M5q9knf4-1363239109
Does your Twitter account have to die with you? Image via www.shutterstock.com

I tweet dead people: can the internet help you cheat your maker?

By Patrick Stokes, Deakin University

Can you believe it’s been a year already? I’m sure we all remember where we were when we heard the terrible news we’d lost Gregg Jevin. You know, Gregg Jevin? The Gregg Jevin? Don’t worry if the name…
4966wvsk-1359690384
Heart disease is a lifelong problem that needs to be managed properly. Peter Hartl

A five-point plan to reduce heart attack deaths in Australia

By Julie Redfern, George Institute for Global Health

Out of the 10,021 Australian who died of a heart attack in 2010, 5,305 were experiencing their second such event. Systematic national reforms are needed to reduce the alarming number of people having a…
Yhffkhfw-1358210023
Research shows that men are more likely to stay and fight bushfires than women. AAP/Tony Phillips

Fighting and dying: blokes and bushfire in Australia

By Meagan Tyler, Victoria University

“Record-breaking Heatwave”. “Australia Burns”. “Heroes of the Flames”. Headlines such as these will be familiar to anyone who has lived though a bad bushfire season in Australia. These past two weeks…
Zg8rt9k5-1351650866
How much is enough to compensate someone who is about to die for allowing someone else to financially benefit from their death? leiris202/Flickr

Death and the market: the peculiar dealings of Joseph Caramadre

By Mike Pottenger, University of Melbourne

Is profiting from the deaths of others wrong? In an interview on This American Life, Joseph Caramadre maintains it’s not. At least, he says, “Not if it’s done morally, ethically, and legally.” This month…
Zfmd98hv-1332291424
On the ninth anniversary of the US-led Iraqi invasion, suicide attacks were used against civilians in Iraq. EPA/Mohammed Jalil

Good and bad deaths: why we react to suicide bombers the way we do

By Riaz Hassan, Flinders University

Suicide attacks and car bombings across Iraq this week have killed at least 43 people and left 255 wounded. We are sadly now very familiar with the phenomenon of the suicide bomber, but the particular…
Rosie_o_beirne
Amendments to the bill require doctors to get a second opinion. Rosie O'Beirne

Finding the balance in South Australia’s euthanasia legislation

By Andrew McGee, Queensland University of Technology

South Australian MPs will tomorrow debate a bill which could see euthanasia legalised in the state, paving the way for other jurisdictions to follow. The bill has been criticised by the South Australian…
3749947913_143d5508c6_b-1312778404
Flesh-flies frequently give birth to maggots on corpses of human and other animals. sankax

Forensic entomology: the time of death is everything

By Ian Dadour, University of Western Australia

FORENSICS AUSTRALIA – Insects are everywhere. Their ubiquitous nature, and the fact they represent the largest biomass of animals on the earth, means there are hardly any terrestrial niches – except when…
4879414922_37053f8216_o
People who commit serious crime are sent to prison as punishment, not for punishment. f o/Flickr

When freedom is fatal: the preventable deaths of recently released prisoners

By Alex Wodak, St Vincent's Hospital, Darlinghurst

A study published today in the Medical Journal of Australia concludes that more prison inmates in Australia die in the year after they’ve been released than the annual number of deaths in custody. A disproportionate…

Research and News (2)

Research Briefs (6)

Contemplating death is good for you

University of Missouri

The thought of death can lead to better health, altruism, and even reduced divorce rates. A new study commissioned by the…

Participants (105)