Death has changed. The decline of infections, starvation, warfare, heart attack and stroke has allowed people to reach extreme old age but ushered in disability, dementia and degenerative disease, with profound consequences for the self and society. Dr Guy Brown explores these vital issues at various levels, from the cell, to the whole body, and to society. He reveals that cell death dominates modern medicine and reveals how cloning and electronic interfaces hint at new modes of 'survival' after death.