Field Museum exhibit "Death: Life's Greatest Mystery" explores how life goes on after death
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Many of the exhibits at the Field Museum of Natural History look at how life evolves on our planet, but the newest one is focusing on answering one of the biggest questions from humanity.
"Death: Life's Greatest Mystery" opens on Friday, and examines the way death affects the natural world and human culture.
It's everything from the biological – like when a whale dies and sinks to the ocean floor to become foot for life down there – to the customs we use when a loved one dies; such as funerals, memorials, and annual celebrations like Día de los Muertos.
"What we wanted to do was to create a really welcoming space; a place where families could think about death together, could contemplate a subject that's often very taboo in the United States, and really see how it's actually something that everybody deals with," exhibit developer Ben Miller said.
You can even get a whiff of what a decaying body smells like.
On the way out of the exhibit, there are also suggestions for things to do now to help in death – like creating a living will, deciding on what to do with your remains, and planning your funeral or final goodbyes.
