Can you imagine swapping your body for a virtual version? This technology-based look at the afterlife chronicles America’s fascination with death and reveals how digital immortality may become a reality.

• Reveals the period in American history that established cultural views about the afterlife

• Discusses how technology aids in achieving and designing perspectives on heaven and immortality

• Reviews technologies surrounding digital mortality, including Dmitry Itskov’s 2045 Initiative and Martine Rothblatt’s Terasem Foundation

• Illustrates how the Internet helps those who have lost loved ones to grieve and cope in new ways

• Links perceptions about death and the hereafter to typical American attitudes, including optimism, confidence, self-reliance, and innovation

• Examines the use of virtual memorials, online obituaries, Facebook pages of deceased users, and avatars