On the 5th of December 2013 the father of our nation, Nelson Mandela, died at his home. When the world heard - they mourned. And in South Africa for ten days his body was kept preserved so we could say our goodbyes to his body in person until he was buried on the 15th.

In this episode we look at how science influenced this 10 day stretch that every South African will remember - first, what is the psychology of human grief, then how have our burial practices evolved since mummification and what is the chemistry behind keeping a body preserved for ten days in the South African summer heat?