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- Jul 3, 1997
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- Real Name
- Ronald Epstein
The Incredible Human Body
Studio: Warner Brothers
Year: 2002
Rated: NR
Film Length: 60 minutes
Aspect Ratio: Full Frame
The amazing inside story of the human machine
as you've never seen it before!
One of the things I am going to start doing over
the next few weeks is to start reviewing Special
Interest product from the likes of National
Geographic, Nova and The Discovery Channel. Hopefully
through these reviews I can help expand the knowledge
of members of this forum in addition to my own.
The human body is an amazing machine. With 100
trillion cells, it is the most amazing piece of
equipment known to man and one that technology
cannot duplicate. Like a snowflake, no two bodies
are exactly alike.
The Incredible Body is an absolutely amazing
documentary that opened my eyes to the human
experience like nothing before. Through personal
dramas this documentary takes us from the miracle
of life to the brink of death, exploring the human
machine via modern technology that lets us peer
into bodies as we never have before.
Meet Inez and Daryll who have been trying to have
children without success. They decided to investigate
the reasons why they could not have children and
opted to visit a fertility clinic for help. Thanks to
advances in reproductive science, the couple is given
the option of IVF fertilization where sperm and egg
are artificially joined together to create life. From
under a microscope we watch as the female egg,
magnified 400 times, accepts the injected sperm.
Soon after, cells divide and the progression of life
begins. The couple now has a more than plausible
chance of having children.
But how much power do we have as humans to create
life? We talk to the man who might have the answer --
Craig Ventor -- who talks about the 27 million pieces
of coding known as DNA that he helped crack. There
is also discussion of the highly controversial stem
cells and how they can be used to replace worn out
human body parts.
Meet Scott -- a 6th grade teacher who has been
diagnosed with a brain tumor. The only option he
may have in saving his own life is high risk brain
surgery. Through MRI renderings and 3D imaging of
Scott's brain, doctors now have a detailed look
at the infected area like never before imagined.
I don't think anyone who watches this DVD will be
prepared for what happens next. Scott opts for
the high-risk operation in which his skull will be
cracked open and complicated surgery will be performed
on the brain as Scott remains awake throughout.
His alertness is necessary so that doctors can
monitor his speech and movement as they cut away
at brain tissue. One wrong move could permanently
damage any one of his senses, or leave him paralyzed.
Warning: This is very graphic.
To better give us an understanding of how the
mind works with restoring memory, doctors at the
University College of London thought no better
subject than the taxi drivers of London. Anyone
who knows London can tell you how big and complicated
it is to get around with one side of the street
having a different name than the other. Being
a taxi driver in this city means 2 years of intense
training that requires applicants to learn all
the roads and routes as well as places along the
way.
So how does the brain retain and restore all that
information? Scientists found an increased amount
activity in the minds of these taxi drivers --
most notably, in the Hippocampus area of the
brain. This shows that with training, the adult
brain can refashion its anatomy --- actually
changing the shape of the brain. This new
discovery gives new hope to Alzheimer patients
and stroke victims.
Perhaps the best example of how the mind works
in conjunction with body can be best explained by
showing you the players of the NBA, thought to be
the absolute best athletes in the world. As they
furiously play their game on court, the mind must
make split-second decisions at a rate fast enough
for the body to react. We also learn that we can
now train the human body to do things that we
thought could never be achieved. It's this extensive
training that hardwires the brain.
How is the transfer?
Though I don't like to rate educational documentaries
as if I was rating a theatrical presentation, I can
tell you that this full-frame transfer is top-notch,
sharp and detailed, with brilliant colors. It's as
beautiful as flipping the pages of National
Geographic magazine.
The Dolby Digital sound remains quite strong
across the front speakers, well pronounced with
no hiss.
Final Thoughts
The beauty of watching a documentary like this is
that you see a world like you have never seen it
before. There is not anyone who could sit through
something like this and not have an appreciation
for their own life. If you are a person looking to
diversify your collection with something educational,
there is no better way to do it than with National Geographic.
Highly recommended!
Release Date: Now
