Death, features and articles | Educational Science

May 25, 2015

Sudden Infant Deaths Linked to Elevation

Babies who live at high elevations, those above 8,000 feet (2,438 meters), may face a slightly increased risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or SIDS, new research finds. But researchers urge parents not to panic about the new findings. The absolute risk [of SIDS] remains very low, and … this...

Jun 3, 2015

Losing Sense of Smell Linked with Earlier Deaths

People who have problems with their sense of smell may be at increased risk for dying sooner than those who don't have trouble smelling, a new study suggests. Researchers analyzed information from more than 1,100 adults in New York City whose average age was 80. The participants took a scratch...

Jun 16, 2015

Hot Car Dangers: How to Prevent Child Deaths

At least five U.S. children have died in overheated cars this year, but experts say there are a number of steps that parents can take to prevent such tragedies. The most recent death occurred last week when a 3-year-old boy in Idaho climbed into a unlocked car at his home,...

Jun 17, 2015

Which State Has the Highest Death Rate from Injuries?

West Virginia is the state with the highest rate of death from injuries, such as those sustained in car crashes, falls, fires and drug overdoses, while New York has the lowest rate, according to a new report. Researchers analyzed information on death rates from injuries — both intentional and unintentional...

Jun 17, 2015

US Injury Death Rates: Full State Rankings

Nearly 193,000 people in the United States die from injuries each year, including those sustained in car crashes, falls, fires and drug overdoses. A new report calculates the rate of death from injury in each state, between 2011 and 2013. Below are the full rankings, listed from highest to lowest,...

Jun 2, 2016

Prince's Death: Why It's So Easy to Overdose on Painkillers

Prince's sudden death five weeks ago was due to an opioid overdose, according to officials in Minnesota. The Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office, which conducted Prince's autopsy, said today (June 2) that the singer died from self-administered fentanyl, a synthetic opioid painkiller. The report was posted on the office's twitter account....

Jul 27, 2016

Death Spiral: 4th Phase of Life May Signal the End Is Near

Biologists separate life into three phases: development, aging and late life. But a growing body of research now suggests that there is a fourth phase immediately preceding death that scientists have dubbed the death spiral. Although most of the death spiral research has focused on fruit flies, scientists think these...

Aug 1, 2016

11 Famous Places That Are Littered with Dead Bodies

Memento mori Bones arranged at the Catacombs of Paris. (Image credit: Djtox, Courtesy of Wikimedia)Who's afraid of a little memento mori? Most of the time, humans shove death out of sight, confining reminders of mortality to cemeteries and funerals. But at some famous places, the specter of death is all...

Aug 25, 2016

Deaths from Fentanyl, Drug That Killed Prince, Rise Sharply

Overdose deaths from the opioid painkiller fentanyl — the same drug that killed singer-songwriter Prince in April — have increased sharply in a number of U.S. states, according to a new report. From 2013 to 2014, eight U.S. states — Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Ohio, Florida, Kentucky, Maryland and North...

Sep 20, 2016

Can Your 'Self' Survive Death?

Robert Lawrence Kuhn is the creator, writer and host of Closer to Truth, a public television series and online resource that features the world's leading thinkers exploring humanity's deepest questions. This essay, the second of a four-part series on the Self, is based on Closer to Truth episodes and videos,...

Oct 12, 2016

1st Death from a Recluse Spider Bite Reported in Europe

A woman in Italy recently died as a result of being bit by a spider related to the notorious brown recluse spider, according to a recent report of her case. The death, which occured in November 2015, is the first fatal case reported in Europe of a bite from a...

Nov 17, 2016

Leonard Cohen's Death: What Causes Falls in the Elderly?

Legendary singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen died after falling in his home, his manager has now revealed, but can falls signal poor health in older adults? Cohen's death was first reported last week, but on Wednesday (Nov. 16), Cohen's manager Robert Kory released a statement with more details, saying the songwriter fell...

Dec 13, 2016

Leading Causes of Death in US Vary Greatly by Region

The rates at which people in the U.S die from different factors vary significantly among the regions of the country, according to a new study. For example, the rates of death from cardiovascular diseases were highest in the Southeast over the past three decades, according to the study. But death...

Dec 19, 2016

Patients Treated by Female Docs Have Lower Risk of Death

Older patients who are treated by female doctors after being admitted to a hospital may be slightly less likely to die within a month of their admission than those who are treated by male doctors, according to a new study. Researchers found that patients who were treated by female doctors...

Dec 19, 2016

Deaths from Fentanyl Overdoses Double in a Single Year

Deaths involving the opioid painkiller fentanyl more than doubled in a single year in the United States, according to a new report. In 2014, 4,200 people in the U.S. died from overdoses involving fentanyl, up from 1,905 people in 2013, the report found. The rate of fentanyl deaths increased from...