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Science Vs

Should We Compost Human Bodies?

Science Vs

Spotify Studios

Education, Science, Health & Fitness

4.412.4K Ratings

🗓️ 6 October 2022

⏱️ 42 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

What's the greenest way to die? Some nerds are saying that our bodies should go the way of our veggie scraps — and become compost. But will people get on board with spreading Grandpa in the garden? To find out, we talk to Brie Smith, Micah Truman, Katrina Spade and Thomas Bass. Link to our transcript: https://bit.ly/svhumancomposting  This episode was produced by Blythe Terrell and Wendy Zukerman, with help from Meryl Horn, Michelle Dang, Rose Rimler, Courtney Gilbert and Disha Bhagat. Were edited by Blythe Terrell and Caitlin Kenney. Fact checking by Eva Dasher. Mix and sound design by Sam Bair. Music written by Bumi Hidaka, Emma Munger, Bobby Lord, So Wylie and Peter Leonard. Thanks to all of the researchers we got in touch with for this episode, including Dr John Paul, Dr Lynne Carpenter-Boggs, Dr Muriel Lepesteur, Jean F. Bonhotal, Dr Mark Pawlett, Professor Komla Tsey, Dr Ruth McManus and Dr Julie Rugg. Special thanks to Jimmy Olson, Jonathan Goldstein, Julia Martin, the Zukerman Family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

Hi, I'm Wendy Zuckerman and you're listening to Science Vestus from Gimlet.

0:07.0

Alright.

0:08.0

So we're going to find the bodies.

0:11.0

Is that right?

0:12.0

Yes.

0:14.0

I'm driving through the outer suburbs of Seattle with my editor, Bladster-L.

0:18.0

Duh, duh, duh, duh, duh.

0:21.0

Blad's been working on Science Vestus for about five years.

0:24.0

And yet, still can't quite remember the theme song.

0:28.0

Duh, duh, duh, duh, duh, duh, duh, duh, duh, duh, duh, duh.

0:34.0

Where we're driving, there's boarded up houses and wire fences.

0:39.0

I guess it's like one degree off a spooky suburb, I think.

0:44.0

If just one ghost walked past, I'd be like, this is scary.

0:48.0

Yeah.

0:49.0

I think that checks out.

0:50.0

And this suburb, with its almost haunted houses,

0:54.0

they've way to an industrial park, which is where we're headed,

0:58.0

to look for one very specific warehouse.

1:01.0

Where is it?

1:02.0

Then the destination is on your right.

1:05.0

Oh, now right.

1:08.0

And then we see it.

...

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