A growing number of Americans are choosing to return to earth after death—literally. Green burials, and specifically human composting, is an environmentally conscious, life-sustaining option that’s now legal in 14 states. But how does a human composting vessel work? And what exactly happens to Grandpa’s hip replacement once he’s been “recycled?” PopSci Editor ⁠⁠Sarah Durn⁠⁠ and Editor-in-Chief ⁠⁠Annie Colbert⁠⁠ dig deep to explain it all.

Read the full story that inspired this episode: https://www.popsci.com/science/how-human-composting-works/

If you have a question for a future episode, go to ⁠https://popsci.com/ask⁠

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Goosebumps are a valuable tool for many animals. They keep mammals with thick fur warm by trapping air near their skin, or help make them look bigger when facing off against a rival.

However, in humans a wide range of emotions can also induce goosebumps. BUT WHY? Join PopSci Editor Sarah Durn and Editor-in-Chief Annie Colbert as they explain the science AND chat with Goosebumps legend, RL Stine.

Read the full story that inspired this episode: https://www.popsci.com/science/why-goosebumps-happen/

If you have a question for a future episode, go to https://popsci.com/ask

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Join us as we dive into your weirdest, most mind-burning questions–from the everyday things you’ve always wondered to the bizarre things you never thought to ask. This is… Ask Us Anything. New episodes drop every other Wednesday starting November 12, with more AUA questions and answers here: https://www.popsci.com/category/ask-us-anything/

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If you remember chatting with SmarterChild back on AOL Instant Messenger back in the day, you know how far ChatGPT and Google Bard have come. But how do these so-called chatbots work—and what’s the best way to use them to our advantage?

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Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AskPopSciPod

Produced by Jess Boddy: https://twitter.com/JessicaBoddy

Music by Billy Cadden: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6LqT4DCuAXlBzX8XlNy4Wq

Art by Katie Belloff: https://twitter.com/Katie_Bellz

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Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 launched back in 1977 with only a five-year mission to take a gander at Jupiter and Saturn’s rings and moons. Obviously, the Voyager spacecrafts have persisted a lot longer than five years: 46 years, to be exact. They’re still careening through space at a distance between 12 and 14 billion miles from Earth. So how have they lasted four decades longer than expected?

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Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AskPopSciPod

Produced by Jess Boddy: https://twitter.com/JessicaBoddy

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Art by Katie Belloff: https://twitter.com/Katie_Bellz

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There's plenty of good reasons to be a morning lark. So is it possible, or is biology totally against us wannabe early birds?

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Hosted by Lauren Young: https://twitter.com/laurenjyoung617

Produced by Jess Boddy: https://twitter.com/JessicaBoddy

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Art by Katie Belloff: https://twitter.com/Katie_Bellz

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We all have our preferred seats at the movies. But is there scientifically a best place to sit? Stan Horaczek has the answer.

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Hosted by Stan Horaczek: https://twitter.com/stanhoraczek

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Five or ten years ago, all we heard was "save the bees." Well, are they still dying? PopSci's Philip Kiefer has the answers—and they're surprisingly complicated.

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Hosted by Philip Kiefer: https://twitter.com/PhilipJKiefer

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Art by Katie Belloff: https://twitter.com/Katie_Bellz

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It's super gross, but you can't look away—why are pimple popping videos so magnetic?

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Hosted by Chelsey B. Coombs: https://twitter.com/chelseybcoombs

Produced by Jess Boddy: https://twitter.com/JessicaBoddy

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Art by Katie Belloff: https://twitter.com/Katie_Bellz

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Airplanes are massive, heavy, gigantic hunks of metal. So how do their engines keep them aloft? PopSci's Rob Verger has the details.

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Hosted by Rob Verger: https://twitter.com/robverger

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Art by Katie Belloff: https://twitter.com/Katie_Bellz

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