A project exploring the use of design to create space for meaningful conversations about death, dying and life.
Death: A Self Portrait is exhibition of art and objects that explores our complex relationship with death. This exhibition, at the Wellcome Collection in London through February 24, 2013, is based on the collection of Richard Harris, a former antique print dealer from Chicago.
How do doctors think about death? Among many other questions, The Johns Hopkins Precursors Study asked doctors about their wishes regarding the use of a range of medical procedures in the event that they have incurable and long-term brain damage. Interventions like dialysis, major surgery, CPR, antibiotics, and IV hydration, and pain medication.
In an informal survey done for this podcast, people selected many of these interventions. Doctors, on the other hand, select almost none of them. Listen to find out why doctors view life, death and the interventions that sometimes come between them, differently than the average person.
A few days after this RadioLab short appeared, Radiolab host Jad Abumrad and producer Sean Cole talked with Brian Lehrer about what they learned while creating this show. Their discussion can be heard below.
Clearly, all fear has an element of resistance and a leaning away from the moment. Its dynamic is not unlike that of strong desire except that fear leans backward into the last safe moment while desire leans forward toward the next possibility of satisfaction. Each lacks presence.
—Stephen Levine
Christophe Niemann shows us what was on his mind as he listened to Terry Gross' last interview with Maurice Sendak on Fresh Air.
Further listening:
