New AiD-SSHRC Funded Project: “From Bones to Bytes”
We’re pleased to share that a new research project has received funding through AiD-SSHRC (Aging in Data).
The project, titled “From Bones to Bytes: A Digital Discourse Analysis of Aquamation,” is led by Nicole Dalmer (McMaster University) in collaboration with Vera Gallistl (Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences). This pilot study explores how aquamation — also known as water cremation or alkaline hydrolysis — is discussed, represented, and understood across digital environments.
Aquamation is an emerging body disposition technology that uses water, heat, and alkaline chemicals to accelerate the breakdown of human remains. Often framed as a “green” alternative to burial and traditional cremation, aquamation has generated growing public attention, particularly in media and online spaces. Despite this visibility, it remains largely underexamined in academic research.
This project investigates how online discourses surrounding aquamation are constructed, drawing on water cremation companies’ promotional materials as well as publicly available online forums and social media platforms. By examining images, narratives, questions, and debates, the study asks: What conceptualizations of a “good” and “green” death emerge in digital discussions of aquamation?
In exploring this question, the research critically engages with broader societal narratives about death, aging, aging bodies, end-of-life care, and the commercialization and datafication of death. The study also considers how environmental concerns, demographic change, and the climate crisis intersect within these discussions.
Using digital discourse analysis, this work contributes to the growing field of digital gerontology, offering insights into how emerging technologies reshape cultural understandings of mortality. By tracing how aquamation is digitally framed, including as ethical, sustainable, or modern, the project highlights how digital practices participate in new forms of meaning-making about death and later life.
Interested in learning more about the project?
Visit the AiD project page below:
https://agingindata.ca/projects/from-bones-to-bytes-a-digital-discourse-analysis-of-aquamation/