Popular American astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson explained what, according to his scientific knowledge, happens to the human body after death and why he personally opted for burial instead of cremation. He emphasized the basic principle: energy does not disappear. According to scientists, energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed.
Even after death, the human body contains energy, which comes primarily from the food consumed during life. After the heart and brain stop, this energy must be released. Tyson described two possibilities. Cremation transforms the body’s remaining energy into heat, which is then spread into space. The second variant is a traditional burial, during which the body decomposes naturally and its energy is gradually used by microorganisms.
The scientist himself prefers the second option. “That’s my choice. The energy content of my body remains here even after death, because the molecules were formed during life from food, movement and the formation of organs, muscles and other tissues. After death, these molecules still contain energy. If I am buried and decompose, all this energy will be absorbed by the microorganisms, flora and fauna that feed on my body just as I have fed on flora and fauna all my life. In this way, I am returning energy to the Earth,” deGrasse Tyson said.
However, he does not perceive cremation negatively. He explained that the energy in this case is transformed into infrared radiation, which spreads through space at the speed of light. “The energy content of these molecules does not disappear. It is converted into heat, which emits infrared energy into space at the speed of light.” he specified.
According to him, for example, the energy of a person cremated four years ago could already have reached the nearest star system, Alpha Centauri. “So in a way you’re still part of the universe, just in a different form,” he added.
