At what age does a child realize his or her mortality? [more inside]
posted by Tchad on Aug 27, 2009 - 44 answers

Someone close to me recently passed away. For the most part I'm okay, but what stops me in my tracks is the idea that there may not be an afterlife. How do I come to terms with this? [more inside]
posted by Metroid Baby on Mar 3, 2009 - 41 answers

I'm trying to figure out what percentage of people born in 1890 were still alive in 1920 and then 1950 and so on, until we can say for certain that every person born in 1890 is 100 percent definitely dead. I've looked at the 1890 and 1920 census, but they don't have mortality tables. [more inside]
posted by melodykramer on Apr 22, 2008 - 12 answers

Calling all AskMe health care professionals. My acquaintance has been an alcoholic for at least two decades. She's in the hospital again, and I need realistic expectations about her survival. This is a long one, I'm afraid. [more inside]
posted by lilywing13 on Feb 19, 2008 - 17 answers

How do prey animals die versus predator animals? [more inside]
posted by orthogonality on Jul 4, 2007 - 12 answers

My husband's stepdad just got a tumor removed from his brain yesterday. It was malignant. [more inside]
posted by konolia on Mar 22, 2007 - 17 answers

I'm unable to come to terms with my mortality. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Nov 2, 2005 - 44 answers

How do I talk to my parents about planning for when my father’s gone? [more inside]
posted by lalochezia on Oct 18, 2005 - 9 answers

The figure of 1700 Americans killed in Iraq is saddening and unnecessary. We still don't know what they died for. My question, which may sound callous, is: What are the mortality rates for a comparable group of regular American citizens? In other words, if you take 150,000 people, mostly male, between the ages of eighteen and (say) forty, how many of them will die during a two and half year period? I am not attempting to minimize the casualties here, rather I am trying to argue the case against the war in the most conservative and factual way. Thank for any insights anyone can give me on this.
posted by thayerg on Jun 27, 2005 - 28 answers