Do Our Bodies Really Belong To Us?

Do Our Bodies Really Belong To Us?

From The Rest Is Science by Goalhanger

May 24, 2026 · 51 min · Season 1 · Episode 54

About this episode

The episode explores the complex question of body ownership and what happens to body parts after they are removed.

What happens to a body part once it’s been removed from your body? Can you take it home? Cremate it? Bury it? Even give it a funeral? In the first episode of a new mini-series on ownership, Hannah and Michael explore a deceptively simple question: what parts of ourselves do we actually own? From amputated limbs and stolen skulls to black markets for human organs, they uncover the strange, unsettling, and often lucrative world of body ownership. Why did grave robbing help advance modern medicine? When are flesh-eating beetles surprisingly useful? Who owns your organs after you die? And what does the bizarre fate of Einstein’s brain reveal about the blurry line between science, consent, and control after death? This episode asks: do our bodies really belong to us? ------------------- For more information about Cancer Research UK, their research, breakthroughs and how you can support them, visit ⁠⁠https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/our-research/rest-is-science Cancer Research UK is a registered charity in England and Wales (1089464), Scotland (SC041666), the Isle of Man (1103) and Jersey (247). A company limited by guarantee. Registered company in England and Wales (4325234) and the…

People in this episode

Hosts: Hannah, Michael

Topics covered

  • body ownership
  • amputation
  • human organs
  • grave robbing
  • consent
  • death

Keywords

  • body ownership
  • amputated limbs
  • human organs
  • grave robbing
  • Einstein's brain
  • consent
  • death

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Cancer Research UK

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