Ways to interact with virtual versions of our deceased loved ones are now a possibility – but there’s a raft of ethical and emotional challenges involved.
In 2022 the top five conditions involved in deaths in Australia were coronary heart disease, dementia, high blood pressure, cerebrovascular disease (such as a stroke) and diabetes.
For the first time, a person has been cryopreserved in Australia, in the hope of being reanimated in the future. The process opens up a possible legal minefield, however.
Ben White, Queensland University of Technology; Casey Haining, Queensland University of Technology; Lindy Willmott, Queensland University of Technology, and Rachel Feeney, Queensland University of Technology
The NT government has invited views on access to voluntary assisted dying. But whether it should include access for those with dementia is not so clear cut.
Spiritualists believed that after shedding the body in death, the spirit would continue on a celestial journey and help those on Earth create a more just world.
With so many people grieving, the notion of doing so in public was seen as tasteless and vulgar. Funerals became smaller, people put on a brave face in public and fewer people wore black.
The study found people with ADHD who took medication had a lower risk of dying from unnatural causes than those with ADHD who were not taking medication.
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
Most workplace bereavement policies were designed prior to MAID and very few employers have adjusted these policies in light of the new reality of living and dying in Canada.
There are many social assumptions about how to best ‘get through’ grief. We interview 95 people about their experiences of loss and found we need to rethink what grief looks and feels like.
Chris Miller, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa
Writing an obituary is one of the many things people do when a loved one dies. And animals are more frequently mentioned in the obituaries of their human companions.
Former US secretary of state, Henry Kissinger has died, aged 100. His legacy, including his involvement in the Vietnam war, is long, complicated and divisive.
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.
When people find themselves displaced from their homes, finding or creating beauty can be just as vital as food, water and shelter − and serves as a form of resistance and resilience.
Visiting Professor in Biomedical Ethics, Murdoch Children's Research Institute; Distinguished Visiting Professor in Law, University of Melbourne; Uehiro Chair in Practical Ethics, University of Oxford