Death as Something We Make
An anthropologist dives deeply into how “medical aid-in-dying” is transforming the ethics and aesthetics of death.
Essays
-
-
Can the Holy Spirit Be Livestreamed?
What worshipping online during the COVID-19 pandemic has meant to African Australians.
-
Why a Mexican Village’s DIY Cellphone Network Matters
When an Indigenous community in Oaxaca, snubbed by telecom giants, created its own mobile network, things didn’t go exactly as planned. But the experiment revealed the strength of its social bonds.
-
What’s Behind Match Day’s Algorithm?
In a yearly ritual, an algorithm pairs medical students with U.S. residency programs. An anthropologist explains how this technology of destiny is all too human.
-
Mucus Passports: Mobility in the Time of COVID-19
In an experimental essay, an anthropologist sends pandemic dispatches about her journey from Delhi to Jakarta via Dubai, recording the absurdities and vulnerabilities of travel during these times.
-
Social Distancing in a Sumatra Rainforest
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Orang Rimba, hunter-gatherers in Sumatra’s rainforests, are trying to preserve traditions—including isolating the sick and keeping away from outsiders—despite being displaced from much of their ancestral lands.