New Word of the Day: PROMATORIUM

[Kire]

This is in the news because it has been announced that
the first promatorium will be opened in Sweden next year. It's an
ecological alternative to cremation or burial, in which the corpse
is frozen in liquid nitrogen and then shattered into powder by
ultrasonic vibration before being buried in a biodegradeable box in
a shallow grave. The inventor, Susanne Wiigh-Masak, claims that the
process is good for the environment because the powder (which is
essentially compost) breaks down in the soil more thoroughly and
quickly than by conventional burial. She suggests that relatives
plant a tree or bush above the grave as a long-term memorial. She
calls the process "promession", from Italian "promessione", to
swear to the truth; "promatorium" is a blend of "promession" and
"crematorium".

www.WorldWideWords.com

[don954]

1. sounds nasty.. doent it melt after it thaws?

ew

[Der Blaue Engel]

2. Freeze dried

Breaks into dry powder.

I think it sounds cool. :)

[Geoff R. Casavant]

3. Certainly better than our current alternative

When you have a moment and a strong stomach, find an article on what happens to a human body in an airtight coffin such as those currently in use -- it ain't pretty.