So you want to become a fossil, perhaps in the hopes that some anthropologist, years on, will come upon your mineralized remains. Setting the specific whys aside, do any of us have a say in who gets to be preserved in the geologic record? Unfortunately for individuals interested in this particular strain of immortality, becoming a fossil isn’t easy. As estimated by Bill Bryson in A Short History of Nearly Everything, of the trillions of creatures that have shuffled and slithered and swum across our planet since the dawn of time, less than one-tenth of 1% have had the good dumb luck to become fossils. The vast majority of animals and plants live, die and decompose leaving nary a trace. This story is from Kinfolk Issue Forty-Five Buy Now Related Stories Arts & Culture Issue 34 Unbreak the Internet A guide to being good online. Arts & Culture Partnerships Issue 32 Ahead of the Pack A playful guide to making your carry-on less of a carry on. Arts & Culture Issue 28 Just Looking A short guide to making eye contact. Arts & Culture Issue 49 Karin Mamma Andersson Inside the moody, mysterious world of Sweden’s preeminent painter. Arts & Culture Issue 49 Jenny Odell The acclaimed author in search of lost time. Arts & Culture Issue 49 Amalie Smith The Danish arts writer finding clarity between the lines.
Arts & Culture Partnerships Issue 32 Ahead of the Pack A playful guide to making your carry-on less of a carry on.
Arts & Culture Issue 49 Karin Mamma Andersson Inside the moody, mysterious world of Sweden’s preeminent painter.
