Magic mushrooms, long considered sacred by the Indigenous Mazatec in Mexico, become the subject of scientific studies measuring the intense effects of its Psilocybin and its potential therapeutic use.
In the second episode, we are introduced to Ben, who’s battled with crippling Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) his entire life. When he had his firstborn, Ben’s life became full of panic attacks regarding his son’s safety, and he knew something had to change. Ben signed up for a psilocybin-assisted therapy clinical trial which was testing whether the psychedelic could help people with severe OCD. In the session under the influence of psilocybin, Ben felt decomposed and eventually grew into a tree. While living as a tree, he saw his human self, playing with his child. Though this sounds scary, from Ben’s perspective, it was beautiful. He was one with the universe, seeing himself in the ultimate third-person perspective. Finally, he saw how it could be different if he didn’t let his OCD control him. And several months out, all the symptoms disappeared.
Ben’s story is one of many told in this series, which gives hope that help is right around the corner for the millions who suffer —often in silence— with debilitating mental disorders. But Michael Pollan’s work is showcasing the success stories. Often, even in the most successful trials, psychedelic-assisted therapy only helps up to a third of people enter remission. More frequently, patients are helped —sometimes substantially— but they still suffer with their illnesses and some people aren’t helped at all.

Coral reefs are the nursery for all life in the oceans, a remarkable ecosystem that sustains us. Yet with carbon emissions warming the seas, a phenomenon called 'coral bleaching' -a sign of mass coral death- has been accelerating around the world, and the public has no idea of the scale or implication of the catastrophe silently raging underwater.
Chasing Coral taps into the collective will and wisdom of an ad man, a self-proclaimed coral nerd, top-notch camera designers, and renowned marine biologists as they invent the first time-lapse camera to record bleaching events as they happen. Unfortunately, the effort is anything but simple, and the team doggedly battles technical malfunctions and the force of nature in pursuit of their golden fleece: documenting the indisputable and tragic transformation below the waves. With its breathtaking photography, nail-biting suspense, and startling emotion, Chasing Coral is a dramatic revelation that won't have audiences sitting idle for long.

Acclaimed National Geographic photographer James Balog was once a skeptic about climate change. But through his Extreme Ice Survey, he discovers undeniable evidence of our changing planet. In Chasing Ice, Balog deploys revolutionary time-lapse cameras to capture a multi-year record of the world's changing glaciers". His hauntingly beautiful videos compress years into seconds and capture ancient mountains of ice in motion as they disappear at a breathtaking rate. Traveling with a team of young adventurers across the brutal Arctic, Balog risks his career and his well-being in pursuit of the biggest story facing humanity. As the debate polarizes America, and the intensity of natural disasters ramps up globally, Chasing Ice depicts a heroic photojournalist on a mission to deliver fragile hope to our carbon-powered planet. Directed by Jeff Orlowski

In the final part, Professor Al-Khalili uncovers tales of success and heartache in the story of chemists' battle to control and combine the elements, and build our modern world. He reveals the dramatic breakthroughs which harnessed their might to release almost unimaginable power, and he journeys to the centre of modern day alchemy, where scientists are attempting to command the extreme forces of nature and create brand new elements.

Dive into the heart of Uganda's Ngogo Forest, where a community of chimpanzees exhibits an intricate dance of politics, family ties, and territorial conflict. For a quarter-century, scientists and trackers have witnessed firsthand the chimps' evolving political dramas and familial bonds. Now, this series offers an unprecedented lens into this world, capturing the tribe's most defining moments: battles for dominance, growing offspring, budding romances, and the ever-shifting leadership. Join us for an intimate journey into the lives of the Ngogo chimps, where every day is a fight for survival and power. Don't miss this captivating look into the heart of the chimp empire.
The first episode delves into the captivating world of chimpanzees, drawing parallels with human existence. As the narrative unfolds, viewers are taken on an enlightening journey into the lives of these primates, highlighting the profound similarities and unique stories they share with humans.

In the third episode of the series, the intricate social dynamics of the Ngogo chimpanzee community come to a head. Decades of growth and dominance have made this the largest known chimp group, but internal rivalries lead to a significant schism, with a faction of males breaking away to form their own group, the Westerners. Once comrades, these chimps now face each other as deadly enemies. The tension escalates with the mysterious death of Pork Pie, leaving the central chimps in a state of heightened alert and mourning, while leadership struggles and territorial disputes intensify within both factions.
As the Westerners grow bolder, driven by the likes of Richmond and the ambitious Rollins, they encroach further into central territory, setting the stage for an inevitable clash. Amidst the power plays, we witness the personal struggles of individuals like Jackson, the embattled alpha, and Bartoli, who must protect her son Herzog from the looming threat.
This episode masterfully captures the raw emotion and brutal reality of chimpanzee warfare, leaving viewers on edge as alliances are tested and the fight for dominance reaches a fever pitch.