Most people seem to fear death. Not surprising, according to Harvard researchers, who say even the word can increase nervousness and sadness. But Professor Michael Norton noticed that toward the end of their lives some appear more peaceful, resolved, accepting of death. Norton’s now looking more closely at the disconnect.
Meanwhile, Mount Holyoke College President Lynn Pasquerella offers us a broader context of how conversations about death and dying have evolved in the United States. Pasquerella is a Brown University-trained medical ethicist, who says the subject’s been at the forefront of public discussion and private debate for decades.
Click the audio player above to hear New England Public Radio’s Susan Kaplan speak with Norton and Pasquerella.
