What really happens to the human body after death… and why do scientists need to know?

In this episode, we dive into the disturbing but fascinating world of body farms — secure research facilities where donated human remains are left to decompose under controlled conditions. These sites help forensic scientists understand time of death, decomposition stages, environmental effects, and how bodies break down in real-world scenarios.

We explore the origins of body farms, including the infamous University of Tennessee Anthropological Research Facility, how bodies are studied in different environments, and why this research is crucial for solving murders, missing persons cases, and cold cases.

From bloating and purge fluids to insects, weather exposure, and skeletal remains — nothing is off the slab. It’s unsettling, scientific, and absolutely essential to modern forensics.

Listener discretion advised… this one gets grim.

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