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The Cognitive Tradeoff Hypothesis

   2019    Science
Join us on a journey into the mysterious depths of the human psyche as we investigate the strange and surprising terrain of the Mind Field.
Chimps and Humans can be traced biologically back to a common ancestor. The Cognitive Tradeoff Hypothesis theorizes about the two different paths of development - particularly cognitive development - that occurred in these two species after the split. Chimps stayed in the trees and developed some extraordinary cognitive capabilities which are shown by the research work of Japanese scientists, while humans came down into the savanna and developed social capabilities and language.
The hypothesis is that humans 'traded' some aspects of cognitive capabilities by re-purposing areas of the brain that had evolved in the context of other uses. Those capabilities are kept in chimps and are far surpassing that of normal humans. This is shown by the research work of scientists at the Primate Research Center connected with Kyoto University.
Series: Mind Field

Judgment Day

   2016    History
In 1927, Prohibition agent Eliot Ness narrowly escapes a hit ordered by Al Capone. Determined to prove to Capone that he's not intimidated, Ness and his team of Untouchables execute a series of high-profile raids on Capone's breweries. Over the course of a few months, they destroy more than 200,000 gallons of beer, worth a modern-day equivalent of $134 million - and the newspapers cover it all. Capone lashes out against Ness in the press. What Capone doesn't realize is that Ness and the Prohibition agents aren't the only ones trying to take him down. For the past four years, another government agency with more manpower and resources than Ness has been going after the infamous kingpin: the Internal Revenue Service.
Series: The Making of the Mob

Curing Cancer

   2017    Medicine
A thought-provoking and imaginative perspective on a scientific discovery. Follow maverick doctors who supercharge killer T cells, creating a breakthrough treatment for cancer.

The Hunt for Gravitational Waves

   2015    Science
Travel to the South Pole to discover the inside story of the greatest scientific quest of our time. In March 2014, a team of astronomers stunned the scientific world when they announced that their BICEP2 telescope at the South Pole had possibly detected a signal of 'gravitational waves' from the early universe. This is the inside story of the hunt for gravitational waves from the beginning of time. How the BICEP2 team came close to making one of the greatest discoveries of the century – and what happened when it all began to unravel...

The Serpent and the Lotus

   2012    Culture
In ancient Greece the Asclepian healing temples recognized the power of the primordial spiral which is symbolized by the rod of Asclepius. To this day, this symbol of our evolutionary energy remains as the logo of the American Medical Association and other medical organizations worldwide. The snake, the downward direction, is the manifested spiral, the evolutionary energy of the world.
Series: Inner Worlds Outer Worlds

Pax Romana

   2007    History
We see how the Germans they lived, fought and worshippped their gods. Intricate 3d animation shows how they built their settlements, buried their kings, vanquished their enemies.
Series: The Germanic Tribes