The Discovery Channel has discovered the body. Make that The Human Body: Push the Limits (Sunday, 9 and 10 ET/PT).
Blending real-life re-enactments and computer-generated graphics, Human Body provides an intimate look at how the body and brain cope in crisis mode.
"We wanted to focus on the human body, but wanted to explore it in a different way. The goal was to make this the Planet Earth of the human body," says executive producer John Grassie, referring to Discovery's groundbreaking multipart globe-exploring documentary. "The concept is taking an unprecedented journey into ourselves."
Visual effects for the four-part series took 18 months to complete. "We wanted a Superman vision of the body -- what's going on inside your hands, how signals get to your brain, how you think -- how does that all work in a way the audience can understand," Grassie says.
Episodes 1 and 2, which premiered last Sunday to an audience of 2 million (check discovery.com for repeats), focused on strength and sight. They revealed, for example, how someone was able to survive being lifted by a tornado and landing with minimal injuries a quarter-mile from his home. Another scenario pitted a hiker against a half-ton rock slab he was able to push off his chest. Episodes 3 and 4, airing Sunday, include a segment that shows how the body's cooling system works, allowing NASCAR star Clint Bowyer to drive at nearly 200 mph for 500 miles, despite staggering heat.
The real-life scenarios highlight the body's extraordinary capabilities and functionality under stress. "If there's a message from the series, its understanding these functions, listening to our bodies and recognizing the potential in each of us," Grassie says.
Interspersed through are factoids that might amaze or amuse viewers. Things you might not know:
*The human face is made up of 14 bones.
*Enamel is the hardest substance in the body.
*Knee cartilage is twice as strong as nylon rope.
*The thigh bone, the body's strongest, is hollow, but it's stronger than concrete.
Sunday's penultimate "Sensation" episode focuses on the nervous system, which carries sensations from brain to body and back, while "Power to the People" examines the brain, "the most powerful organ in the natural world."
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