Your pet might eat you if you die

Sleep research indicates dogs likely dream about their toys, food, and owners.

What ghosts eat around the world

This Thrillist article compiles a rich assortment of cultural beliefs and practices surrounding food for the dead. From Bengali folklore to Ancient Greek mythology, peruse through the different ways in which cultures around the world use food to maintain connected to the deceased.

Supertoxic rat poisons are wreaking havoc on unintended targets, including predator birds, mammals, amphibians, crustaceans, and insects.

Are cats good for our health?

Being a cat lover can have a profound effect on your life. This article in The Conversation presents a fascinating collection of findings related to the benefits and consequences of cat ownership. Discover compelling research about the positive heart health and mental health outcomes cats can bring, along with potential risks.

A growing number of Americans are leaving trust funds behind for their pets

A pet trust ensures that an animal receives financial support and care if its owner can no longer care for the pet. Some lucky dogs have inherited millions of dollars from their owners.

Scientists found that if cats ate infected rodents, they could get West Nile in lab experiments.

Pets can experience vertigo, particularly older dogs

This type of dizziness is often caused by disorders of the vestibular system, and in dogs is often referred to as "old dog vestibular disease" because it tends to occur in older animals. The condition tends to resolve on its own in days or weeks. Vertigo is less common among cats than dogs, and in felines is typically caused by inner ear infections or other causes including a tumor.

Should you eat an all-meat diet?

The carnivore diet is reportedly a way of eating inherited from human ancestors, a tale that has roots in anthropology's early days. This article explores the all-meat diet's ancestral claims and what happens if you cut vegetables and fruits from...

Fossilized bite marks suggest some dinosaurs may have engaged in cannibalism

An excavation site near the Colorado-Utah border contained Allosaurus bones with tooth marks of other Allosaurus, which may have occurred in response to a dry season in the area. The Tyrannosaurus and Majungasaurus have also been shown to eat their own.

Afterlife traditions help some humans process death

Watch this video discussing concepts of the afterlife presented through an anthropological lens about one family's experience and traditions passed down from one generation to another.

Pets of ancient Greece: crickets and ferrets and hedgehogs, oh my!

Ancient Greece left behind literature and art in which geese, doves, dogs, and the like are seen keeping people company or holding vigil for their return. Were these considered pets as we understand the term today, and where did ancient Greeks fall on the timeless question of cats versus dogs? Did Odysseus let Argos onto the sofa? This magazine article explores evidence of pets and their treatment in ancient Greece.

The lifetime costs of caring for a dog can run anywhere from $16,440 to $52,075.

Cadaver dogs are helping archaeologists uncover decaying history

Archaeologists are increasingly relying on dogs to help find decaying bodies at burial sites, some of them up to thousands of years old. This is helping archaeologists to detect past remains without ever touching a shovel, which means there's less...

Heart attack risk jumps to 21 times its norm on the day of a loved one's death

Research published in 2012 suggests that the intense emotional burden of suffering a loved one's death can escalate heart rate, blood pressure, and clot risks—culminating in elevated heart attack risk. The increased heart attack risk remains after that first day, remaining eight times above normal during the first week, and then dropping down over the course of a month. (Some users may encounter a paywall.)

Chocolate can be deadly in humans, but only after consuming extraordinary quantities

Based on tests with mice, the lethal dose of chocolate is estimated to be no more than 1,000 mg/kg. This means that the lethal dose of dark chocolate for the average US adult is about 6.5 kilograms (14.33 pounds), or about 8,300 Hershey's kisses, in one sitting.

Research advances suggest death takes much longer than we realized

Recent research indicates that organs, including the brain, are better at handling a lack of oxygen after the heart stops beating than previously known. Such findings may open up possibilities that include someday reversing certain death processes and expanding the availability of organs available for organ donations. (Some users may experience a paywall.)

Why your dog’s DNA isn’t destiny

DNA tests tell people about their pet’s breed and attempt to predict things about its behavior and health. But for all that these tests might provide some interesting results, they need to be taken with caution. Here's a look at what we can and can't learn from our pets' DNA.

Cats have a mutation that prevents them from tasting sweetness, and goldfish rank among the world's supertasters.

Extreme grief elevates cardiovascular risk and lowers immune system function

A 2014 analysis of cardiovascular risk and bereavement after a lost partner found that grief elevates the risk of stroke and heart attack for the 30 days following death of a partner and the risk then attenuates after that.

When is someone actually dead?

Death is a process, not a sudden flip of a switch. Technology can now interrupt this process at various stages, begging the question of when exactly death happens in the dying process. This 33-minute podcast episode explores this question and the...

A deep dive into how a body decomposes

Dead bodies are, understandably, scary and unsettling. Learn about the fascinating process of decomposition that takes place in every human, and how its teeming with life.

What ancient goat teeth reveal about ancient human-animal relationships

About 4,000 years ago, several goats with terrible teeth managed to outlive their better-teethed brethren. With such intense dental damage, the goats were likely fed higher-quality feed than the more dentally gifted herd members, a dietary shift that would've contributed to the difference in life span. These goat teeth underscore the hard truth that humans may inflict harm on the animals they care about most, regardless of intention.

Animal brain studies show brain activity similar to what we'd expect during dreams, but parsing whether animals are truly dreaming depends on how one defines dreaming and how scientists could prove it.

The human body relaxes upon death, including the bowel and bladder, expelling urine and feces

Watch a hospice nurse walk through how death affects the human body and what to expect in the hours and days following the death of a loved one as the body breaks down.

Stress affects different animals in different, but useful, ways

Animals feel stress when they experience actual dangers—such as a zebra chased by a lion. Humans often feel stress from worries, memories, or even thoughts about problems that may occur in the future. For this reason, animals tend to experience stress in short, intense bursts. Conversely, people can feel stressed for long periods, which can eventually be harmful to their health.

After swallowing 23 pieces of plastic, seabirds experience a 90% death rate

Researchers found that this threshold is also met when marine mammals ingest 29 pieces and when sea turtles consume approximately 405 pieces. Almost half of the sea turtles, a third of the seabirds, and one in ten of the marine mammals studied had eaten plastic.

Humans are more genetically similar to cats than to dogs

While humans are not closely related to either cats or dogs from an evolutionary standpoint, scientists find that human and cat chromosomes are organized more similarly to each other than human and dog chromosomes, making cats a better model for studying human diseases.

Cats began cozying up to humans around 10,000 years ago

The feline family is a hugely diverse group of lions, panthers, and kitties that have spread all over the world. The ancestors of the cats we love today helped solve rodent problems when humans first invented agriculture. They've been worshipped, loved, and scorned by humans since.

Grieving primate mothers will carry dead infant for long after death—and others will comfort her

An examination of infant corpse carrying practices among non-human primate mothers found that 40 species of primate mothers will carry around their dead infant for days, weeks, or even months. In some cases, a grieving primate's group members would provide grieving support—hugging or staying close to mothers who experienced a loss.

The American Veterinary Medical Association advocates for vaccinations for pets to extend their lives

The American Animal Hospital Association provides guidelines, while many states legally require certain vaccines, such as rabies. Vaccinating healthy pets—even indoor-only pets—prevents outbreaks and protects other vulnerable animals, and adverse effects, such as allergic reactions and injection-site irritation, are rare. (Some readers may experience a paywall.)

London pet detectives set out to prove a spate of cat killings is the work of a serial killer

With dozens of felines turning up dead around London, a pair of pet detectives set out to prove it was the work of a serial killer.

Watch a breakdown of the canine family tree that explains how foxes and wolves are related to our beloved household pets, like poodles and dachshunds.

Can fasting help you live longer?

Animal studies into the health benefits of calorie restrictions of 20%-40% suggest it extends life spans and reduces incidents of age-related diseases, including cancer. This article explores the research into fasting, calorie restriction, and longevity.

How snake biology allows them to eat prey larger than they are

Possessing flexible skulls with elastic ligaments and unfused jaw bones, snakes can open their mouths to engulf much larger prey, and adjustable airways enable them to continue breathing while their teeth grip onto their food. Through slow digestion and specialized cells that decompose bones, some snakes can survive on a single large meal for over a year.

An online presence provides a means of grieving and honoring individuals after death

Shifting perspectives toward the increasing importance of digital profiles of the dead have made anticipatory management of one's digital legacy more critical. Experts suggest choosing a tech-savvy relative—such as a cousin—over a spouse to reduce confusion about what to preserve or discard, as well as how to access password-protected content.

Being near a lightning strike—even without getting struck—can be fatal

Because animal tissue is generally more conductive than soil, electricity moving along Earth's surface after a strike tends to travel up and back down an animal's legs, discharging dangerous amounts of energy along the way, with risks increasing the farther apart the legs are. This ground current accounts for about half of all lightning-related deaths and injuries in humans.

Rabies is nearly 100% fatal once symptoms appear

Rabies, a viral disease attacking the central nervous system, is nearly always fatal once symptoms appear. It spreads through the infected animal saliva (typically through bites) and causes encephalitis, leading to severe neurological symptoms and death. See how the lyssavirus—the bugs behind rabies—work once inside the body.

Rat taxidermy can be a tender, if unsettling, communal activity

At a rat taxidermy class in Chicago, participants use previously deceased rats, usually from lab experiments, as they learn the art of preservation step-by-step. Despite the gore, the act can engender tenderness toward the animal and prompt healthy reflection on death and dignity.

Without mummies, ancient Egyptians feared their souls would perish

The ancient Egyptians placed major importance on mummification because of their beliefs about the afterlife. They believed a preserved body was essential for the soul’s survival, as it needed a physical form to return to. Without it, they feared the soul would perish.

Neural replays in mice help explain food aversions

Princeton University scientists published research in 2025 analyzing how mice learn to associate certain foods or flavors with feeling ill—even when there’s a time gap between eating something and feeling sick. The work, performed with grape Kool-Aid and injections of a substance that made mice sick, traced the literal “gut reaction” of how gut distress signals are linked to neural replays of what the mouse ate.

Feral and free-ranging cats rank among the most harmful invasive species

Transported across the planet by humans, cats can now be found in many environments and are estimated to kill about 2 billion birds each year in the US. Studies suggest cats have contributed to the extinction of at least 63 species worldwide.

Environment and genetics explain why animals have widely different lifespans

Both environmental conditions and genetic factors shape how long various animals live. For some creatures, colder conditions allow for less energy use and slower aging. Larger animals have fewer predators. While humans don't live the longest, we are a rare species that successfully lengthened its average lifespan over time.

Cats evolved from arid land animals, contributing to their aversion to water

Although positive water experiences can make some cats water-loving, they usually self-clean, making baths unnecessary.

A gallery of famous artists and their dogs

Picasso often featured his photographer's dog, Lump, in paintings, due to an unusually close connection. George O'Keeffe adopted chow chows as companions and protectors in the New Mexico desert. See the pets of Lucian Freud, Frida Kahlo, and more.

Brain activity sometimes goes into overdrive around the point of death according to researchers' recent analysis of patients' brains before and after they were taken off their ventilators.

Natural toxins produced on plants or consumed by animals may cause food poisoning

When humans eat plants with certain natural toxins on them—including a family of toxins called aflatoxins that fungi produce on crops like peanuts and corn— they can become ill with food poisoning. Toxins can still harm humans even if animals or plants appear fine to the human eye. The World Health Organization advises that we should throw away moldy or discolored foods, refrain from eating wild plants or mushrooms that aren’t definitively nonpoisonous, and remember that just because something is “natural” it’s not always safe to eat.

T. rex hunted for prey but wasn't above scavenging rotting meat

Despite possessing a huge head full of serrated teeth the size of rail spikes, the Tyrannosaurus rex had puny, rigid arms, and scientists think it enjoyed scavenging.

The origins of Iceland's child-eating Yule Cat legend

Iceland is a cold place, and wool production has long been a key means of surviving the climate's severity. For those Icelanders who failed to get new Christmas clothing before the holiday, their lurked a vicious, hungry cat to consume them. The centuries-old folklore is a fascinating story of social control through the tales we tell. For a dose of Christmas fear, read this wild article.

Cells can last in the human body from days to a person's entire life

Despite claims that a person's body replaces itself every seven to 10 years, the rate at which cells die and are replaced varies by cell type. Gastrointestinal cells that line the digestive tract and stomach last only a few days, while some heart muscle cells and most neurons are around from birth until death.

Quantum superposition makes Schrödinger’s cat both dead and alive until observed

Erwin Schrödinger's famous cat thought experiment illustrates how quantum objects can exist simultaneously in multiple states. This superposition allows electrons to behave as particles and waves, enabling chemical bonds and the function of modern electronics.