


If Passwords Die with You, Your Loved Ones Are Screwed
My dad did all of his banking and other business online. When he died, he left a wacky list of password hints behind for my mother to decipher. Not passwords, mind you, but cryptic hints my mom would need to decode in order to figure out the actual password. One of...
Best Podcasts on Death, Dying, Aging, and Grief
For 7 or 8 years now, I’ve been a podcast junkie. My wireless Bose earbuds are never far away. I listen when I’m cooking, cleaning, exercising, drying my hair, putting on makeup, or trying to fall asleep. If you’re new to podcasts, here’s great...
Medical Data Mining in Online Obituaries
Patients who withdraw from medical research studies sometimes can’t be contacted—in medical jargon, they’re said to have been “lost to follow-up.” Did the experimental drug or procedure work? The outcome among the drop-outs is unknown.

Crowdfunding a Funeral: Tacky or Smart?
Here in the Midwest, it’s common at weddings to have a “dollar dance,” in which guests slip the bride a dollar bill as they take turns whirling her around the floor of some Moose Lodge or skeezy banquet hall. This tradition is wrong on so many levels...
Digital Objects Are a Virtual Rip-Off
I’m all for capitalism. But paying to light a virtual candle or leave a virtual rose is the digital equivalent of buying a pet rock: Buyers receive little or nothing of real value in exchange for their money.

Is Digital Immortality a Creepy Concept?
Folks say your life stays on the internet forever, as if digital immortality were a creepy or sinister prospect. We’ve been warned about posting racy Spring Break photos so many times, it’s become a cliché. But is it possible that our Facebook and...
Crowdfunding Pays for Funerals After Disaster
Texas families who lost loved ones or homes in the recent Houston–area flooding are turning to crowdfunding to pay funeral or living expenses. The idea is a good one, but it’s not new. In fact, entrepreneurs have launched crowdfunding venues designed especially for...