Selects: How Coffins Work

Crooked teeth have always been a thing, but it took us a long time to do something about it. Learn about the twisted history of orthodontics today!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

In December 1900 three lighthouse keepers vanished without a trace from a deserted island in Scotland. To this day no one knows exactly what happened to them. Find out all about this strange situation in this classic episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

Private equity is a business operation where companies are bought and run at their leanest to maximize returns for a handful of investors. It can be a lifeline for a flailing company or run it into the ground. Either way, PE firms make out like bandits.See omnystudio.com/listener ... Show More

Home burials are largely a thing of the past, but they're perfectly legal in most states -- once you check a few boxes. Learn how home burials work in this classic episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/afterlife/can-you-bu ... Show More

Life’s final border might not be so final after all. From tardigrades to viruses, some things are both dead and alive. Or neither. How do we draw the line between the living and the dead? And how does that line blur in places like in a time capsule buried in ice, or a library on ... Show More

Death is one of humanity's great unifiers. Before the dawn of recorded history our species and others like it venerated, feared and honored the dead. The practice of commemorating our loved ones continues today -- and it's become a big business. Join the guys as they delve deeper ... Show More

Death - the most mysterious, unknowable, and terrifying event in human experience. Some philosophers believe society is shaped, ultimately, by the fear of death. So what actually happens when you die? Is there anything after? Learn more in this classic episode. Learn more about y ... Show More

How do insects factor into our traditions of death -- and how do insects handle their own burials? Find out in this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind as Robert and Joe discuss ants, termites, Virgil, ancient civilizations, bees and more. (originally published 1/21/2021) ... Show More

In this episode I talk about people at your funeral and dollars in your bank account. Which is really the most important to you? The answer is up to you and how you live your life. Reveal the hidden patterns shaping your choices, habits, and success. Take my FREE Identity Quiz to ... Show More

Funerals and death can bring up all kinds of feelings that can be hard to make sense of, and also highlight family traditions and fault lines. Samantha shares a recent experience.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

While we don't have much say about how we come into this world, we can certainly plan for what happens to us after we leave. Turns out death is a big business and there's a trend on the rise: cremation over burial. Harry asks what's behind the shift and the implications for all e ... Show More

All of human history is, at heart, a tale of people attempting to cheat death -- and, up to now, everyone has failed to do so. But what if emergent technology may allow us to, in a way, bring back the dead? In tonight's episode, Ben, Matt and Noel explore the concept of Grief Tec ... Show More

What is it like to tell jokes at a Roman emperor’s funeral? Chris Parnell interviews a real Funeral Clown from 82 CE, a job that sometimes captured the hearts of funeral goers… and sometimes ended in certain death. And Chris wonders if this is a job tailor-made for his talents. Y ... Show More