National Geographic: Incredible Human Machine

From close-ups of Aerosmith front man Steven Tyler's vocal cords to initiation rituals of the tribes of Papua New Guinea, take an exhilarating tour of the human body—from the inside out—to reveal the miraculous everyday workings of the human machine. Featuring cutting edge medical technology and groundbreaking CGI, National Geographic provides an unparalleled snapshot of the inner workings and extreme capabilities of the human body.

The human body is an amazing machine with complicated systems for sensing, adapting, reproducing, regenerating, and thinking and this scientific exploration provides an in-depth look at how the various systems of the body work. This voyage through one typical day begins with an exploration of the body's largest organ, the skin, and its amazing regenerative powers and function as both protective armor and heat regulator. The journey continues with a look at all the senses and includes both a look at how those senses are utilized in a typical day and an internal view via computer generated models and actual inside-the-body footage obtained by special mini-cameras and camera pills of how the eyes, ears, nose, and mouth work. Next the film explores the heart, blood, muscles, bones, joints, reproductive system, and brain. A multitude of specialized doctors and research scientists present contemporary developments in stem cell research, cell reproduction, and understanding the brain and perform real-life medical procedures including the implantation of extracellular matrix (or ECM) tissue to aid in joint regeneration and an intricate brain surgery to remove a cancerous tumor while preserving the patient's ability to speak. The footage is graphic, intense, and fascinating. Especially enlightening is the discussion of aging in which the cell regeneration that happens constantly in the body is compared to a series of photocopies in which each generation of copies looses resolution and becomes increasingly imperfect. From its power plant to its copying, security, and reproductive systems, the human body is a complex machine that is only just beginning to be understood thanks to extensive research and scientific programs like this.





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