BBC/Furnace/Andy Jackson
I really enjoyed on BBC iPlayer. Presented by physicist Jim Al-Khalili (pictured), the two-part documentary is about the brain’s origin and the forces that shaped this uniquely complex organ in humans.
The story begins with bilaterians, creatures that lived half a billion years ago, and the pressures that led them to evolve neurons, enabling them to move through and respond to their environment.
Fast forward to the 20th century, when scientists in Naples, Italy, used neurons from large squid species to learn how electrical impulses travel around our bodies.
My personal highlight is Morganucodon, a tiny, rat-like creature alive about 200 million years ago. Using its fossilised bones and teeth, we learn that early mammals were becoming warm-blooded and discover how the development of Morganucodon‘s neocortex laid the path for humanity’s smarts.
What a shame that the show ended so soon.
Topics:
