Death and Dying

Death is an inevitable fact of life. Learn about life expectancy, the different ways to die, in this section.

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Queen Elizabeth II's death certificate listed her cause of death as"old age." But what does that really mean? Can old age kill you?

By Alia Hoyt

It's kind of like the suicide booth on 'Futurama,' and its inventor says the Sarco should be available in 2018.

By Robert Lamb

Would you communicate your end-of-life wishes by tattoo? And would they be respected?

By Robert Lamb

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Death is a fact of life. Since the beginning of time humanity has come up with numerous superstitions to come to terms with the dearly departed.

By Bambi Turner

How can something so small be such a giant pain? Tweezers can undo most splinter damage but not all: That tiny interloper might be teeming with bacteria.

By Laurie L. Dove

C'mon. You know you've thought about this. We have, too. Want to see how your list compares with ours?

By Kate Kershner

Fallen stars are tragic, but what their toxicology reports say are shocking. Here are 10 fallen stars and their toxicology reports.

By Discovery Fit and Health Writers

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There are innumerable freaky ways to meet your mortality, but what is the actual likelihood that you'll be struck by a meteorite or injured in an amusement park?

By Maria Trimarchi

What are the odds of being struck by lightning? How many people die in car accidents every year? Find out the odds of some common and some unusual death scenarios.

By Discovery Fit and Health Writers

When a long-time spouse dies, it isn't that uncommon for potentially life-threatening health problems to arise in his or her partner soon afterward, or for chronic conditions to take a grave turn. Could broken hearts be to blame?

By Cristen Conger

Planning on hitting golf balls from a small boat under a tree? Probably not after reading this article. But do you know the worst place to be in a thunderstorm?

By Katie Lambert

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Just because you don't wrestle alligators or fight bad guys for a living doesn't mean your workplace is safe. Here are 10 of the most dangerous items in an office.

By Chris Opfer

Dedicated, driven and ambitious are words to describe most inventors. So, is it fate or irony that led these five to die by the hands of their own work?

By Michael Franco

Danger is all around you. Some run from it, while others embrace risk and potential peril, welcoming it into their lives in the form of a game.

By Kevin P. Allen

Water is "the stuff of life," but it can also kill in crazy ways. Check out these five real-life stories with unfortunate endings.

By Terri Briseno

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You might not notice when a few extra pounds creep onto your waistline, but those pounds can accumulate quickly. Gain too much, and you're risking a slew of illnesses, and even death.

By Maria Trimarchi

At one time or another, each of us has pondered what will happen to us after our physical bodies perish. So what's the verdict? Is there an afterlife?

By Patrick J. Kiger

It's hard to be prepared for death. Too much is unknown about what dying feels like or what happens after we die. However, we do know a bit about the process that occurs in the days and hours leading up to death.

By Molly Edmonds

There are a lot of ways to die. Some are just more interesting than others. For example, death by deodorant or death by underwire bra.

By Charles W. Bryant

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Dying is one thing we all have in common. Our bodies weren't built to last, and you can't trick the Grim Reaper out of coming to call. So what are we in for at the end of life?

By Molly Edmonds

Car accidents kill people every day, but fast food fats might be just as lethal. So which is deadlier: your french fry habit or a crash on your trek to the drive-through?

By Julia Layton

Do you want to live a long and healthy life? Take a look at what we have gathered for you for maintaining your health and getting the most out of life.

By Jan Garavaglia, M.D.

Murder victims found clutching strands of their attacker's hair aren't the stuff of Hollywood -- rigor mortis is the cause. What makes muscles tighten and joints lock after someone dies?

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors

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How does it feel to die? Is there a worst way, or is it totally subjective? What factors make some ways of dying so much grislier than others?

By Josh Clark

Where you live has a lot to do with how you meet your Maker. See our list of the 15 most common causes of death in the United States, including Diabetes mellitus and heart diseases.

By the Editors of Publications International, Ltd.