Importance of the microbiome for a disease-free world | The Future Is Here (5/6)

By understanding the Microbiome as a kind of ecosystem, scientists are using innovative techniques to discern the microbes' various functions in the body as a whole. Documentary Central is the home for compelling documentaries tackling subjects like history, climate change, wildlife, conspiracy and more.

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

After years of severe depression, Thomas reaches a breaking point. Following two suicide attempts, he makes a life-changing decision: to take part in an experimental clinical study in which electrodes are implanted deep inside his brain to help regulate his emotions. This episode follows Thomas as he places his hope in one of modern medicine’s most radical frontiers: deep brain stimulation. Originally developed through neurological research, including experiments in mice, this technology offers the possibility of treating mental illness from inside the brain itself. But as scientists learn to influence mood, behaviour, and emotional responses, a disturbing question emerges: where does treatment end and control begin? ------- Chapters ▷ 00:00 - Intro: The Search for Happiness ▷ 00:29 - Treating the Brain With Electricity ▷ 01:18 - Living With Severe Depression ▷ 02:49 - Preparing for Experimental Brain Surgery ▷ 03:18 - How Deep Brain Stimulation Works ▷ 05:38 - Medicine at the Edge of Understanding ▷ 06:29 - Why We Study the Human Brain ▷ 07:52 - Depression and the Loss of Love ▷ 11:22 - Inside the Operating

When Bill Babbitt finds out what his brother has done he agonizes over his decision - should he call the police? This award winning documentary is a richly animated personal narritive that tells the story of Bill’s choice to stand by his brother Manny, a troubled and misunderstood man who found himself on the nexus of some of the most pressing social issues of our day - veterans’ care, mental health access and criminal justice "Last Day of Freedom" recently won the IDA Award for Best Short Documentary. The doducmentary was Oscar nominated in 2016 and for the Academy Award® for "Best Short Documentary" Dee Hibbert-Jones and Nomi Talisman have taken a rather different and special approach with this film, which was created from over 32,000 hand-drawn images and has garned international film attention. It has been awarded numerous times since its premiere at Fill Frame Film Festival in April 2015 where it won Best Short Documentary. Don’t miss the "Making of" starting at 31:48 with an interview of the filmmakers © 2015, Licensed by SND Films

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

In Episode 1 of Myth or Science, microbiologist Dr Jennifer Gardy takes on some of the most common health and science claims we hear every day. Using her own body as part of the experiment, she travels from Florida’s mosquito labs to freezing cold research chambers, New York food tests, and a classroom ice cream challenge to separate fact from fiction. Can mosquitoes really prefer women over men? Does grilled meat increase cancer risk? Does alcohol actually warm you up in cold weather? Do we lose most of our body heat through our head? Can eating too fast make you gain weight? And can brain freeze happen even on a cold day? With humor, curiosity, and unorthodox experiments, Gardy puts each claim under the microscope, revealing the surprising science behind the myths that shape our everyday choices. ------- Chapters ▷ 00:00 - Intro: Are Common Health Claims True? ▷ 00:40 - Can You Spread a Cold Before Symptoms? ▷ 01:51 - Are Mosquitoes More Attracted to Women? ▷ 08:00 - Can Grilled Meat Increase Cancer Risk? ▷ 11:52 - Can