Documentary on veterans’ care, mental health access and criminal justice | Last Day of Freedom, 2015

After several family members developed Alzheimer's disease, Julia Ravey decided to become a neuroscientist and find the cure. Following recent research that suggests a link between the stomach, the brain and mental health, she meets the scientists harnessing the power of what is called "The Microbiome". Julia travels to Australia, where she meets Dr. Barry Marshall, a Nobel-prize winner who infected himself with H. pylori to prove that bacteria could cause ulcers, leading to a breakthrough in the stomach cancer treatment. However, bacteria are not all bad – in the Netherlands, she visits the Micropia Museum, learning that microbes can also be essential to our way of life. Understanding the microbiome as a kind of ecosystem that is part of the human body, scientists are attempting to increase the presence of microbes across the body by intentionally infecting people with more infectious agents. As microbiologists from Rutgers University explain to Julia, increasing microbial diversity in the body boosts its immunity, and helps people fight disease from the inside out. The next stop is UC San Diego, home to The American

“Waiting for Tearah” follows a family’s struggle to navigate America’s mental health care system, and explores the often unseen costs of care. At 16, Tearah, who suffers from mental illness, remains stuck in a hospital month after month, as her mother struggles to navigate America’s mental health care system. As Shayna, a single parent of three girls, fights to get Tearah residential treatment, she faces the possibility of losing her home and even custody of her daughter. This film was produced as part of the FRONTLINE and Firelight Media fellowship to support diverse independent producers interested in investigative documentary filmmaking. Additional reporting support for Documentalista in partnership with Type Investigations. Funding for WAITING FOR TEARAH was provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the Independent Television Service (ITVS) and Type Investigations. Funding for FRONTLINE is provided through the support of PBS viewers and by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Major funding for FRONTLINE is provided by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the Ford Foundation. Additional funding is provided by the Abrams Foundation, the Park Foundation

Can science really help us become fitter, younger, smarter and maybe even more perfect? In this episode of Myth or Science, Dr Jennifer Gardy puts some of the biggest health and human-performance claims to the test. Can exercise reverse aging? Is a few minutes of high-intensity training really as good as a long workout? Can you be fat and fit? Is willpower something you can train like a muscle? And could coffee, cooked food, music, or even sleep change the way our bodies and brains work? From intense lab tests and skin biopsies to MRI scans, DNA analysis, brain challenges, and music therapy after stroke, Jenn dives into the science behind the myths we hear every day. Along the way, she discovers that some “too good to be true” claims are surprisingly real, while others need a little more nuance. ------- Chapters ▷ 00:00 - Intro: Can Science Make Us Better? ▷ 01:27 - Can Exercise Reverse Aging? ▷ 03:47 - The Mice Experiment: Exercise vs. Aging ▷ 05:35 - Skin Biopsy Results: From 70 to 40? ▷ 07:44

In “My Father, My Brother and Me,” a FRONTLINE and ITVS joint production, Iverson set off on a personal journey to explore the scientific, ethical and political debates that surround Parkinson’s, a disease at the center of a controversy over embryonic stem cell research. Iverson talked to scientists working towards new cures and therapies for Parkinson’s as well as a number of other major neurological conditions. He also had intimate conversations with fellow Parkinson’s sufferers like actor Michael J. Fox and writer Michael Kinsley. Explore additional reporting in connection with "My Father, My Brother and Me" on our website: FRONTLINE is produced at GBH in Boston and is broadcast nationwide on PBS. Funding for FRONTLINE is provided through the support of PBS viewers and by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Additional funding is provided by the Abrams Foundation; the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation; Park Foundation; the Heising-Simons Foundation; and the FRONTLINE Journalism Fund with major support from Jon and Jo Ann Hagler on behalf of the Jon L. Hagler Foundation, and additional support from Koo and Patricia

The widespread mental health issues among Olympic athletes are examined in this documentary. Directed and executive produced by Brett Rapkin--and narrated by the most decorated Olympian of all time, Michael Phelps--the film features interviews with top Olympic athletes who open up about the crippling depression rampant among competitors, particularly after the Games are over.

Did you know that with over 6 million species, insects are natures most successful creatures on earth? They make up more than 90% of the animals on the planet. In this documentary, Professor Andreas, one of the worlds leading biotechnology specialists, is keen to learn more about Asian Ladybirds/Ladybugs and their powerful immune systems. He believes that their germ defending abilities will help to develop new medicine for mankind. Elsewhere, could the Colorado Potato Beetle provide insight into innovative new ways of construction and design?