Hey there, Smarty Pants.

Welcome to Smarty Q's, where I answer questions submitted by you, the Smarty Pants.

Today, we have some really thoughtful questions, including a few big serious ones about life itself,

followed by some sweet and curious questions that remind us how amazing the world can be.

Let's jump right into it.

Okay, we're going to start this episode with a trio of questions,

all dealing with the topics of life, aging, and death.

I'm going to try and tackle them together.

First, Smarty Pants Sidney asked, why do we die?

Then Kaylee and her dad Albert in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, wanted to know, why do humans grow old, and why do we die?

And finally, Smarty Pants Olivia was curious about, how does it feel when you die? I got to say,

these are very important questions, and it's okay to wonder about them, smarty pants.

So let's start off with, why do humans grow old? Well, your body is made of tiny living

parts called cells. Cells help you grow, heal, and stay alive. But over time, cells get worn out.

They make small mistakes when copying themselves, and they don't repair damage as well.

This natural process is called

aging, and pretty much every living thing ages, people, animals, plants, even trees. So, why do we

die? Eventually, the body reaches a point where it can no longer keep all of its systems working

together. This isn't a failure. It's part of how life on Earth works. Death allows new life

to be born, species to change and improve over time, and for nature to stay balanced. Essentially,

life moves in a cycle. Birth, growth, aging, death, new life. But how does it feel when you die?

Scientists and doctors who study the end of life say that when the body begins to shut down,

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