On March 2 nd , Spanish philosopher Susana Monsó gave a fascinating talk at the Vetmeduni about her book “ Playing Possum: How Animals Understand Death ,” whose German translation “ Das Schweigen der Schimpansen: Wie Tiere den Tod verstehen ” was recently awarded Austria's 2026 “Science Book of the Year ” in the category of science/technology by the Austrian Federal Ministry for Women, Science and Research. [1] Drawing on the fields of comparative thanatology and the philos

Have you ever thought about whether animals understand death? Well, they might very well do. This year's “ Science Book of the Year ” award in the science/technology category has been awarded to Spanish philosopher Susana Monsó, who argues in favor of a concept of death in animals by combining philosophical conceptualization with empirical evidence from animal behavior. The prize is awarded annually by the Austrian Federal Ministry for Women, Science, and Research. Susana wr