DEATH

Le Karnice, the Victorian Coffin Designed to Save Lives

Fears of premature burial were rampant in the 19th century. A coffin designed by a count tried to come to the rescue.

8 of the Most Fascinating Cemeteries You Can Visit

Whether you’re interested in rock ‘n’ roll, history, art, or medicine, the nameless or the famous, here's where to go.

Scott's party at the South Pole. Henry Bowers via Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain

This Explorer's Corpse Has Been Trapped in Ice for More Than a Century

Keep an eye out for his skeleton in the sea in about 250 years.

How Conman Jerry Balisok Pulled the Ultimate Disappearing Act

He's not underneath the Alabama gravestone that reads "Damn the State Dept."

The Spiciest Chip in the World is Only Sold One at a Time

The serving size might seem skimpy, but it's a necessary precaution.

You Can Have Your Ashes Pressed Into Vinyl

The pops and crackles on these records are the entire point.

Design Concept Imagines an Illuminated Cemetery of the Future

Constellation Park could offer an urban alternative to traditional burial.

9 Secrets of Coroners and Medical Examiners

No, they don’t work in the middle of the night under a bare, swinging light bulb.

How 18th- and 19th-Century Babies Contributed to Science

Researchers say the bodies of infants and fetuses were a ‘prized source of knowledge’ for British anatomists.

Watch an Exclusive Clip of The Coroner: I Speak for the Dead

Graham Hetrick's "whole existence is to be an advocate for the dead."

Dutch National Archives via Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.0 NL

Was Canada's Longest-Serving PM Also Its Strangest?

William Lyon Mackenzie King may have gotten some of his best advice from dead people, his dogs, and …. shaving cream.

Scientists Say ‘Undead’ Genes Switch On After Death

Studying the expression of certain genes may someday help in forensic investigations and organ transplants.

Chris Ware/Keystone Features/Getty Images

What's the Difference Between a Coffin and a Casket?

Though the terms are often used interchangeably, there is a difference between the two. And it's all in the shape of things.

12 One-Word Famous Last Words

These famous folks managed to convey a great deal of meaning through just one word.

Ancient DNA Sequenced from "Sky Cave" Burials in Nepal

“The big question we had was, ‘Who were these people?’ We didn't really have any idea where they came from."

New York Might Soon Allow People to Be Buried With Pets

Rest in peace, man and man's best friend.

Washington Irving Bishop entertains a crowd.

Washington Irving Bishop: The Mind Reader Who Was Killed By His Own Autopsy

Washington Irving Bishop was an American mentalist and mind reader of some repute toward the end of the 1800s. But he probably didn't see this story coming.

The Deadly Pain Medicine Sold by Skeletons

At the end of the 1800s, one St. Louis company marketed their signature pain-relieving product with a series of macabre calendars.

Pig Carcasses Aren’t a Great Model for Studying Human Decay, Study Finds

These findings potentially throw a big wrench in the field of forensic science, which often uses pig and other non-human corpses to study human decomposition.