I study extreme explosions occurring in distant galaxies in order to learn about the lives and deaths of stars: how a star’s properties determine its manner of death and its corpse (black hole or neutron star). This work is important because a wide range of questions, from the evolution of galaxies to the origin of the elements, hinge on the stellar life cycle. Extreme explosions force us to confront some of the most poorly understood yet most important elements of the story, such as mass-loss and interaction with a stellar binary companion. Addressing these questions requires new observational approaches. I have pioneered rapid-response discovery and the application of techniques including high-speed optical imaging and high-frequency radio (millimeter-wavelength) observations. Currently, my work focuses on two related phenomena: corpse-powered outflows, and abrupt end-of-life mass loss (“death omens”).