About the Author

Richard Cochrane is trained in chemistry and metallurgy but is far more interested and practiced as a political and fund raising consultant, writer and amateur historian. He grew up in a Navy family and with his two younger brothers carried on its 500+ year tradition of naval service to Great Britain and the USA then enjoyed a career with one of the largest advertising and public relations agencies working with numerous Fortune 500 companies and many of America's premier educational institutions. He maintains friendships and acquaintanceships around the world. He lives in Santa Barbara, California.

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300,000 Years And Still New Things For Oldest Idea

November 19th, 2008 • Richard Cochrane
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Celebrations of death from Neaderthal to NASA and Beyond.

Funeral rites are as old as the human culture itself, predating modern homo sapiens, to at least 300,000 years ago. For example, in the Shanidar cave in Iraq, in Pontnewydd Cave in Wales and other sites across Europe and the Near East, Neanderthal skeletons have been discovered with a characteristic layer of pollen, which suggests that Neanderthals buried the dead with gifts of flowers.This has been interpreted as suggesting that Neanderthals believed in an afterlife

Humankinds obsession with death not only continues but is even accelerated by modern technology. Ten years ago NASA paid tribute to top US astronomer Eugene Shoemaker by carrying into space a portion of his cremated remains.

After a year in lunar orbit Shoemaker's remains were intentionally planted on the moon's south pole, the first time human remains have been landed on the lunar surface — but maybe not the last time.

Soon for $9,995 one gram of cremated remains can be sent to the moon according to a website for Celestis a space funeral company. Other funeral services besides the full lunar trip include sending ash into Earth's orbit — the cheapest option, starting at $700 – and all the way up to launching remains far, far away into deep space, for which the company charges more than $37,000. Moon funerals coulkd start in 2010. and the pricier packages by 2011.

One day relatives could visit the lunar cemetery. For transportation, Celestis has made deals with two other US private space companies, Odyssey Moon and Astrobotic Technology, which are currently working on making commercial flights to the moon.

Other companies offer space burials but a flight that was to orbit the Sun went haywire earlier plunging the hapless ash filled capsutes into it.

For the ultimate I rather morbid “bling” Life Gems will turn human ashes into a manmade diamond so relatives can wear your around for eternity or until you are pawned.

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