Mary Roach talked about her book Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers, published by W.W. Norton. She discussed the many ways in which the deceased benefit the living. The book explores the “lives” of cadavers from the time of the ancient Egyptians, to the anatomy labs of medieval and nineteenth-century Europe, to the current campaigns for human composting in Sweden. According to Ms. Roach, for more than two thousand years, dead bodies have been involved in scientific research. They tested France’s first guillotines, traveled aboard the NASA Space Shuttle and assisted in creating new surgical procedures such as heart transplants and cosmetic surgery. After her remarks the author answered audience members' questions.