Past Programs
Brain and Nervous System - 2002
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Summer Series 1: Susan Greenfield Contemplates Consciousness
29/12/2002
Susan Greenfield is a world-acclaimed brain researcher, TV star, Baroness and author. Harpers and Queen ranked her as number 14 on its 50 Most Inspirational Women In The World list - although she's quick to point out that Dolly Parton got in before her at number 9. She joins Natasha Mitchell to consider the perpetual mystery of human consciousness.
Howard Bloom on "The Global Brain"
10/11/2002
This week: the evolution of mass consciousness, from the Big Bang to the 21st century. Author and scientist Howard Bloom thinks we're all part of a mighty "global brain", and the internet lies at the heart of his grand thesis. But this isn't just a human brain. The countless millions of animals and microbes that we share the planet with, could have their own ideas about who should be running the show.
Brain Death
23/06/2002
The organ transplant industry has given life to thousands of people. But it has also given us a new type of human: the beating heart cadaver, whose cerebral functions have shut down, but whose blood is still circulating in order to keep vital organs fresh. Until the early 1970s, such a person would have been considered alive. But since the concept of brain death was introduced, we now have to grapple with a new set of ethical questions and a new understanding of what it means to be human.
