Why Autopsies Are in Decline and Why it Matters

In the 1950s, about 50% of patients who died in a hospital in the U.S. received an autopsy. Today, that figure is in the single digits, which is a big loss according to two people who care a lot about this topic: One is Dr. Alex Williamson, an forensic and pediatric pathologist who performs autopsies and talks to families of the deceased about what he learned in the process. The other is Sam Ashworth, a novelist who went looking for a storytelling device and found an obsession. This week, both men explain why autopsies are important and what they can teach us about living. Sam Ashworth’s novel ⁠ The Death and Life of August Sweeny ⁠ is available now. This episode was produced by Cameron Drews. Get more Death, Sex & Money with Slate Plus! Join for exclusive bonus episodes of DSM and ad-free listening on all your favorite Slate podcasts.

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Why Autopsies Are in Decline and Why it Matters is an episode from Death, Sex & Money by Slate Audio.

This episode is 42:31 long.

This episode was published on Jan 13, 2026.

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