Updated
Updated · Upworthy · Apr 30
Neil deGrasse Tyson reveals preference for burial over cremation
Updated
Updated · Upworthy · Apr 30

Neil deGrasse Tyson reveals preference for burial over cremation

4 articles · Updated · Upworthy · Apr 30
  • In a recent StarTalk clip, the astrophysicist said decomposition lets microbes, flora and fauna absorb the body's stored energy, while cremation radiates it into space.
  • Tyson said cremated remains from four years ago could, in theory, have reached Alpha Centauri, framing death as transformation rather than disappearance.
  • The post drew more than 3,000 Facebook comments, with some viewers linking his remarks to green burial or human composting because sealed coffins can delay nutrients rejoining ecosystems.
As eco-friendly death care rises, are we creating a new form of post-mortem environmental privilege?
Your atoms journey to the stars after death, but what does science say happens to your consciousness?