The hottest Mortality Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top World Politics Topics

Walking, Wittgenstein, and God

Chris Arnade Walks the World • 3835 implied HN points • 27 Dec 25
⛪ Faith & Spirituality Mortality
  1. Daily, purposeful walking and simple routines can calm obsessive worries and give practical meaning to life, helping people stay grounded during uncertainty.
  2. Science and pure rationalism can’t answer every existential question, and insisting they can often strips life of mystery and leads to emptiness, so humility about limits matters.
  3. Accepting that you can’t control everything and cultivating inner independence—through humility, practices like walking or prayer, and belief in something beyond yourself—brings contentment and purpose.

The Other COVID Reckoning

Astral Codex Ten • 30214 implied HN points • 21 May 25
🏥 Health Politics Mortality
  1. COVID-19 has caused an incredible number of deaths, but many people have stopped talking about them, even though the toll is higher than many major historical events.
  2. The reasons for this neglect may include that the deceased were often older people, and there aren't public stories shared by those who lost loved ones, making the impact feel less personal.
  3. While there were many debates about COVID responses, the focus should be on remembering those who lost their lives, as it can help us appreciate the seriousness of the situation.

Japanese Death Poems (part 2)

Secretum Secretorum • 328 implied HN points • 07 Jan 26
đź“š Literature Mortality
  1. Many Japanese poets compose brief "death poems" at the end of life as a calm, lyrical farewell.
  2. These poems rely heavily on nature and seasonal images—like cherry blossoms, autumn clouds, and rivers—to express impermanence and the passage to another state.
  3. The tone ranges from serene acceptance to wry humor and wordplay, often reflecting personal history or last-moment clarity.

Yes, mRNA Vaccines Work—&, It Appears, Work Much Better than I Thought

Brad DeLong's Grasping Reality • 315 implied HN points • 10 Jan 26
🏥 Health Politics Mortality
  1. mRNA COVID-19 vaccines greatly lower the risk of dying from COVID and are associated with about a 25% reduction in all-cause mortality.
  2. The reduction in non‑COVID deaths is unlikely to be just selection bias; by preventing infections and long‑COVID harms across cardiovascular, thrombotic, metabolic, and neurological systems, vaccination likely reduces the lingering metabolic and inflammatory burden that raises other causes of death.
  3. Vaccine hesitancy has real costs: with about one‑fifth of people unvaccinated, adults aged 19–64 who skip mRNA vaccines face a substantially higher annual death risk (roughly 0.12% higher), implying many preventable deaths.
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Into the Waters of Being

Becoming Noble • 3249 implied HN points • 30 Dec 23
⛪ Faith & Spirituality Mortality
  1. Taking risks and confronting the possibility of death can mark a transition into maturity and authenticity.
  2. Reflecting on existential concepts like Nothingness and mortality can lead to a deeper understanding of one's existence.
  3. Encountering the power and mystery of deep bodies of water can serve as a profound and transformative experience.

The voice that isn't yours

The Stoic Journal • 76 implied HN points • 29 Jan 26
đź“– Philosophy Mortality
  1. Small humiliations feel huge when you zoom in too close, so step back to stop tiny things from taking over your whole day.
  2. Use a long-term or cosmic perspective — our planet and lives are very small and most worries won’t matter in the big picture.
  3. After you zoom out, return to the problem and you’ll often find it fits in your hand and is much more manageable.

A Problem of Prophesy

David Friedman’s Substack • 260 implied HN points • 20 Dec 25
🔬 Science Mortality
  1. Total fertility rate (TFR) is a snapshot-based prediction that can underestimate the number of children women will actually have if they postpone births, while completed fertility rate (CFR) is what determines population change.
  2. There is a biological limit to how late people can have children, so shifting births to older ages can only go so far, though advances in reproductive technology could change that limit.
  3. Life expectancy at birth (an estimated measure) is also a prophecy and can fall during temporary mortality shocks even though completed life expectancy will likely be higher if mortality rates continue to decline.

Time Is Love

Daily Dreher • 2063 implied HN points • 31 Oct 23
⛪ Faith & Spirituality Mortality
  1. Time is love - Show the ones you care about love by spending time with them.
  2. Express your love now - Don't wait for later to show your love and care for others.
  3. Regret can be a harsh lesson - Failing to prioritize love and connection can lead to lasting regrets.

Can we make death better?

Random Minds by Katherine Brodsky • 131 implied HN points • 19 Dec 25
🎭️ Culture Mortality
  1. People who have near-death experiences often report calm, acceptance, or vivid spiritual sensations, which suggests the brain may have ways to ease the transition even if the exact causes aren’t proven.
  2. Much of the fear around death comes from the unknown, worries about meaning, pain, and being alone, so talking openly and making end-of-life plans can reduce suffering for both the dying and their loved ones.
  3. Dying can be improved by expanding palliative and hospice care, creating kinder, more beautiful environments, and offering emotional support like end-of-life doulas, volunteer companions, Death Cafés, and carefully studied therapies (including psychedelics) to ease pain and anxiety.

sunday end of the year pool

bad cattitude • 78 implied HN points • 28 Dec 25
đź“– Philosophy Mortality
  1. Time flies, and the end of the year is a natural moment to pause and think about how time passes.
  2. The events and challenges of the year build up and take a real emotional and physical toll.
  3. The full essay is behind a paywall, so you need to be a paid subscriber or sign in to read the rest.

Your Fear of Mortality is Bullshit

Everything Is Bullshit • 609 implied HN points • 21 Dec 23
đź“– Philosophy Mortality
  1. Animals are likely aware of death and make life-or-death decisions, having some understanding of mortality.
  2. Fear of mortality is not an evolutionary advantage and may actually be a fear of aging and its consequences.
  3. Worrying evolved to help avoid concrete dangers, not abstract concepts like mortality.

Where There's a Will, There's a Way

Ladyparts • 698 implied HN points • 28 Jul 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Mortality
  1. Having a will is crucial for planning your affairs, and many people, especially men, avoid thinking about it.
  2. A significant 67% of Americans do not have any estate planning, indicating a widespread lack of preparedness for the inevitable.
  3. Taking steps to create a will and consider your mortality is essential to protect your loved ones and ensure your wishes are carried out.

What is the optimal body type?

sebjenseb • 255 implied HN points • 14 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Mortality
  1. Optimal body type varies based on factors like eating habits and exercise.
  2. High quality medical research for determining optimal body type is challenging to come by.
  3. Muscularity and fitness are generally healthy, but excess adiposity and muscularity may be unhealthy.

Chartbook 237: Whither China? (4): Zero-Covid myths, dynamic clearing & the Omicron crisis of 2022

Chartbook • 1702 implied HN points • 03 Sep 23
🌍 World Politics Mortality
  1. The zero-Covid policy in China was not always about sustained repression, but involved dynamic clearing to contain outbreaks.
  2. The economic impact of China's Covid policy was influenced more by global demand and housing market than by the lockdowns.
  3. The sudden abandonment of zero-Covid in China in 2022 resulted in a significant projected death toll, showcasing the complexity and consequences of the regime's decisions.

Even Zeus Suffers

Painful Signs, Or, Joel's Substack • 119 implied HN points • 31 Jan 24
đź“š Literature Mortality
  1. In the Iliad, the scene of Zeus mourning for his son Sarpedon highlights themes of heroism, human mortality, and the relationship between gods and humans.
  2. The internal and external tensions surrounding Sarpedon's death in the Iliad demonstrate the complexities of fate, divine power, and the connections to larger epic and cosmic themes.
  3. Zeus's decision to honor Sarpedon in death with proper burial rites emphasizes the universality of human mortality and the importance of honoring the dead, establishing a cosmic order where certain rights remain untouchable.

KCOR results on the Japan record level data shows the same harm pattern as the Czech data

Steve Kirsch's newsletter • 6 implied HN points • 15 Jan 26
🏥 Health Politics Mortality
  1. KCOR analysis of Japan and Czech record-level data shows a consistent pattern where recently vaccinated cohorts have higher all-cause mortality than unvaccinated cohorts.
  2. The pattern appears dose-dependent, with second doses linked to higher mortality than first, and KCOR claims to avoid healthy‑vaccinee bias by using fixed enrollment cohorts and adjusting in mortality space rather than 1:1 matching.
  3. The stated conclusion is that COVID vaccines increased the net risk of death, mainstream proponents are described as unwilling to engage with the data, and an open public debate is demanded to resolve the disagreement.

Why Must We Fight and Die?

Painful Signs, Or, Joel's Substack • 79 implied HN points • 04 Jan 24
đź“š Literature Mortality
  1. Sarpedon's speech in the Iliad emphasizes the importance of proving one's noble worth through deeds to earn fame and glory in the face of mortality.
  2. The contrast between Sarpedon's wish for immortality and Hektor's desperate energy in the text highlights different attitudes towards facing death in battles.
  3. The epic explores the complexity of heroism, questioning the values of fighting for personal gain and fame in the context of mortality and the reality of battle.

Perennial Problems, Projects & Philosophies - Part 1

Weekly Wisdom • 119 implied HN points • 04 May 23
đź“– Philosophy Mortality
  1. Human existence is marked by a balance between living for the moment and planning for an uncertain future.
  2. The pursuit of material wealth and fame may lose appeal in the face of mortality, leading to a focus on benefiting others.
  3. A key aspect of human life is the quest to cultivate wisdom, virtue, and excellence, striving towards understanding what it means to be a good human being.

In spite of time.

Neckar’s Notes • 84 implied HN points • 25 Jan 25
đź“– Philosophy Mortality
  1. We often distract ourselves from the fear of death with activities like scrolling on our phones or drinking alcohol. This shows how much we want to avoid thinking about time running out.
  2. Instead of making us appreciate our time more, anxiety about time can sometimes lead us to waste it. We think we have future opportunities and can make up for lost moments later.
  3. Wasting time can be a form of rebellion against the limits of life and death. It's like spending our last bit of money on something pointless, knowing that it might hurt us later.

Links for June

Bullfish Hole • 58 implied HN points • 03 Jun 23
đź•ą Technology Mortality
  1. AI technology can be used for both dishonest and creative purposes.
  2. Economics attracts serious individuals, and empirical work in the field involves less p-hacking compared to other disciplines.
  3. Child mortality rates have significantly declined over time, reflecting societal changes and advances in healthcare.

New Czech dataset has ICD10 codes of vaccinated vs. unvaccinated female deaths

Steve Kirsch's newsletter • 4 implied HN points • 20 Dec 25
🏥 Health Politics Mortality
  1. A Czech record-level dataset links women's vaccination histories to ICD‑10 underlying causes of death and spans back to 1994, but it only covers women and originally reported events at monthly resolution rather than weekly.
  2. A preliminary ICD‑10 comparison finds different cause distributions between vaccinated and unvaccinated deaths (for example, higher shares of heart failure, diabetes, COVID, and neurologic causes among vaccinated deaths and higher cardiovascular shares among unvaccinated), but aggregate counts are confounded by long pre-vaccine records, older vaccinated populations, and baseline mortality differences.
  3. The data and analysis code are available for further study, and because the file records only underlying cause (not multiple causes) and has limited time resolution, careful age- and time-restricted analyses are needed to look for possible safety signals such as acute kidney injury.

Solutions to Mortality

David Friedman’s Substack • 188 implied HN points • 04 Oct 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Mortality
  1. There are possible ways to potentially avoid mortality, but they are not very likely.
  2. Cryonic suspension offers an option to potentially be revived in the future, but it involves many uncertainties.
  3. The concept of uploading consciousness raises interesting questions about identity and the nature of existence.

Ten Borrowed Years

'Sorry, can you speak up? I have Tinnitus.' • 61 implied HN points • 29 Oct 24
đź“– Philosophy Mortality
  1. Life is fragile and can change in an instant. After nearly dying, it's clear that every day is a gift that shouldn’t be taken for granted.
  2. We all have a choice in how we live our lives. Instead of just going through the motions, we should actively strive to make our lives meaningful and impactful.
  3. Understanding our own mortality motivates us to live fully. It's important to remember that our actions today can create a lasting difference in the world.

$2,000 challenge: find a mistake in the KCOR algorithm

Steve Kirsch's newsletter • 2 implied HN points • 18 Dec 25
🏥 Health Politics Mortality
  1. A $2,000 public challenge asks someone to identify a material methodological flaw in the KCOR algorithm for Czech mortality data and to propose a better analysis with a reproducible test.
  2. KCOR defines fixed cohorts at a single enrollment date, excludes the first two weeks, prohibits censoring or switching, converts weekly deaths to continuous hazards, normalizes hazard shapes, and estimates effects as the ratio of cumulative hazards versus a non-COVID baseline.
  3. To win you must demonstrate a coding-independent conceptual error that makes KCOR produce a materially incorrect inference on a realistic control test and convince the organizer (via a ChatGPT vetting step); many common objections or limitations don’t qualify.

a dream with my grandparents

Splattern • 19 implied HN points • 19 Aug 23
đź“– Philosophy Mortality
  1. Our loved ones can have a strong influence on our choices, even in dreams. They might push us to reflect on how we spend our time and what really matters.
  2. Wanting things doesn't always lead to happiness. Sometimes it's better to let go of desires and find freedom in accepting life as it is.
  3. We need to think for ourselves and listen closely to others to find our truth. Balancing the old support from family with new independence is a complex journey.

COVID Vaccines: In Search of All-Cause Mortality

Harnessing the Power of Nutrients • 79 implied HN points • 19 Feb 22
🏥 Health & Wellness Mortality
  1. Understanding the impact of COVID vaccines on all-cause mortality is crucial for assessing their risk versus reward.
  2. Manipulation of data definitions can lead to misinterpretation of findings, emphasizing the importance of transparent reporting.
  3. All-cause mortality is a key metric to evaluate, but other factors like long-term complications and individual risk profiles should also be considered.

Got an extraordinary COVID vaccine mortality anecdote?

Steve Kirsch's newsletter • 6 implied HN points • 10 Aug 25
🏥 Health Politics Mortality
  1. Share your stories about COVID vaccine outcomes, whether they are good or bad. It's important to share personal experiences.
  2. When sharing your story, include details about the number of deaths before and after the vaccine. This helps give context to the experiences.
  3. The stories collected might be put together for a video to present to health officials, showing real-life impacts of the vaccine.

BREAKING: OFFICIAL Czech record level data shows Moderna recipients had up to a 50% higher death rate than Pfizer recipients

Steve Kirsch's newsletter • 9 implied HN points • 30 Jan 25
🏥 Health Politics Mortality
  1. Data from the Czech Republic shows that people who got the Moderna vaccine have a significantly higher death rate compared to those who got the Pfizer vaccine.
  2. This higher death rate has been observed across different age groups, indicating it's not just due to older people receiving Moderna.
  3. Despite these serious findings, there seems to be a lack of action and transparency from health authorities regarding this data.

How to build a newthing

The Ideaspace • 25 implied HN points • 28 Feb 24
đź“– Philosophy Mortality
  1. Building a new thing involves meditating on creation and seeing it as an organic machine with a mystical element. It requires a delicate balance of control and allowing the new thing to reveal itself.
  2. Starting a new project should stem from emotions towards an idea and allowing it to unfold naturally without pushing or completely ignoring it.
  3. Maintaining the authenticity and purpose of a new thing is crucial to its survival. Recognizing that all new things will eventually change or die helps in staying true to its essence.

New Medicare data makes it clear that the COVID vaccines have killed millions of people worldwide

Steve Kirsch's newsletter • 15 implied HN points • 14 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Mortality
  1. New Medicare data suggests that COVID vaccines may have increased mortality rates, contradicting promises of safety and efficacy.
  2. Unvaccinated individuals appeared to fare better in terms of mortality since April 2022, challenging the need for booster shots after that time.
  3. Flu vaccines also show concerning mortality rates, suggesting unsafe practices and lack of benefit.

Large geriatric practice reports 3X increase in deaths AFTER the COVID vaccines rolled out

Steve Kirsch's newsletter • 12 implied HN points • 06 Feb 24
🏥 Health Politics Mortality
  1. Large geriatric practice reported a 3X increase in deaths after COVID vaccine rollout.
  2. The nurse with 35 years of experience observed that all deceased patients were vaccinated, and the deaths were attributed to the shots.
  3. Question raised about lack of success cases where mortality significantly decreased after COVID vaccines were administered.