New Six-Part Series Explores How Our Lives are Powered by the Inner Workings of Our Own Bodies
Take a deep dive into the incredible universe that exists inside the human body and examine the biology that all humans share on the premiere of Human: The World Within. This six-part series uncovers the science behind how the human body works and how what works inside us helps us in every moment of our lives. Jad Abumrad, host of the popular podcast RadioLab, narrates the journey through this foreign universe and reveals what makes us tick.
Human: The World Within features personal profiles of a diverse group of people from around the world who become entry points in to the inner works of the six bodily systems: nervous, circulatory, digestive, immune, sensory and reproductive. Experts in science and medicine show us the fantastic feats our bodies are capable of and explore our body’s incredible resilience.
Human: The World Within premieres on Wednesday, May 5 at 9pm on CET and ThinkTV16 with the first two episodes airing back to back. It will then be airing every Wednesday at 10pm on CET and ThinkTV16 through June 2nd. The series will also encore on ThinkTV14 the following Mondays and will be able to stream on the PBS Video App or online at https://video.thinktv.org/show/human-world-within/.
Check out the episode descriptions below:
“Birth”
Wednesday, May 5 at 9pm on CET & ThinkTV16
Monday, May 10, at 9pm on ThinkTV14
Learn the astonishing story of human reproduction from attraction to the moment of a baby’s first breath. Birth is the one experience all humans share. Incredible advances in understanding the human biology of reproduction have led to medical breakthroughs that save lives. Through the lives of parents preparing for new life, “Birth” reveals what is fundamentally shared and unique about the experience of birth.
“Pulse”
Wednesday, May 5 at 10pm on CET & ThinkTV16
Monday, May 10, at 10pm on ThinkTV14
Delve into the lives of an ice climber, a bus driver, a woman in labor and a senior dance club member to discover the world beneath the human heartbeat. The heart and circulatory system power our bodies and emotions and create the pulsing rhythm of our lives.
“Fuel”
Wednesday, May 12 at 10pm on CET & ThinkTV16
Monday, May 17, at 10pm on ThinkTV14
Explore the factory that turns food into energy—the human gut—home to an ecosystem whose power we’re just beginning to understand. Through the experiences of a Hindu faster, a Navajo ultra-marathon runner, a young girl beating food allergies and a Haitian farmer, “Fuel” goes deep inside this mysterious world.
“Defend”
Wednesday, May 19 at 10 pm on CET & ThinkTV16
Monday, May 24, at 10pm on ThinkTV14
Uncover how the human body defends itself in a dangerous global environment. Every minute of every day, our bodies are fending off microscopic threats with extreme precision and speed. “Defend” explores the immune system through the lives of a nature survivalist, a set of twins, a Nigerian doctor who survived Ebola and a three-time cancer survivor who received cutting-edge immunotherapy treatment.
“Sense”
Wednesday, May 26 at 10pm on CET & ThinkTV16
Monday, May 31, at 10pm on ThinkTV14
Explore the fascinating world of our five senses and learn how they define our reality. Through the stories of a pairs’ figure skating team, an artisan perfumer, a cave explorer and a singer-songwriter who has lost her hearing, “Sense” deciphers how different ways of sensing the world help us create our own vivid picture.
“React”
Wednesday, June 2 at 10pm on CET & ThinkTV16
Monday, June 7, at 10pm on ThinkTV14
Discover how the technology of the brain and nervous system shapes our experience of the world. Through the stories of a boxer, a first responder, a cell tower climber and a man with a bionic limb, “React” goes deep into the universe of the most powerful machine on earth: the human brain and the vast nervous system it controls.
Watch a preview of the first episode below.
