TV documentary producer Andrew Cohen says that the human body is full of surprises which you might have not even explored yet. By Team Viva
A man’s thumb is as long as his nose. True or falseij Do humans get an entirely new skeleton every 12 yearsij How does our body block painij What happens when our foot falls asleepij Can shivering save lifeij Why do our body temperatures rise when we fall sickij Which is the smallest bone in our body and what is its sizeij Why do we have different blood groups when everyone seems to have the same bloodij Why do we have fingerprintsij And a plethora of questions about the human body — unanswered and unknown.
Andrew Cohen, head of the award-winning BBC’s science unit and executive producer of Secrets of Human Body, answers such frequently-asked questions through a new in-depth show unravelling secrets that might leave you with a plenty of surprises. “The show is about the basic understanding of a human body which is presented in a whole new way. We have learnt and researched so much in the last 10 years, so we wanted to make the people learn it as well and share it with them,” he tells us.
Ask Cohen about how to differentiate between the two shows — Trust Me, I’m a Doctor and Secrets of a Human Body — which seem to be based on more or less the same concept and he surmises, “Trust Me, I’m a Doctor is about aligning routines to maintaining your health while Secrets of the Human Body is about a deeper understanding of how your body works and functions.”
Treating the human body as a sophisticated machine, Cohen lists its potential through “some amazingly beautiful sequences,” where the audience can see “what happens to the human body when it goes to very icy places around the world, lives in extreme weather surroundings and explores new living conditions.” While the show is arranged around three themes of learning, survival and growth, it is something that will change people’s outlook towards their bodies. As Andrew says, “It shows the human body like never before.”
The show discovers the ingenious ways our bodies develop, adapt and endure. How does the brain communicate with the body in order to help us growij What is the connection between a teenager’s craving for fatty foods and sudden growth spurtsij And how does cell regeneration allow an octogenarian to compete in a gruelling triathlon and live to tell the taleij There are number of case studies, like a child prodigy in Phoenix who demonstrates the brain’s ability to prioritise mental development over physical growth, a chilling dip in an icy lake reveals how shivering might just save our lives, and low-level torture in a london laboratory highlights the way our bodies block pain. It brings in fascinating and finely-tuned systems that keep the body motoring and the scientist guessing about it.
Cohen has always believed that humans tend to forget just how miraculous it (human body) is. He says, “It is important to share with the common lore that their bodies are some incredibly complex machines which are crafted very well. Sharing this important part of their lives makes people aware about the extraordinary features of themselves.”
Since a lot of research and studies are involved, and factual interpretation is at a premium, Cohen was very precise. “We spoke to a number of scientists and doctors to understand better about the human science. Then, we had to write the script accordingly and get a lot of facts verified. It is indeed a lot of research. After all, how can you create such a content-based show without proper and complete researchij”
Ranging from consumer science to hard-hitting journalism, Cohen has executive produced over a 100 films for BBC2.
He reveals his inspiration behind creating such science-based shows. “I have been interested in the functioning of the human body since I was a school boy. I have always been fascinated, I think it is very essential to be curious about it, about yourself, about the thing that ‘oh! That’s me.’”
He adds, “But I believe, over the last 20 years, we have understood it much better. It’s the growing curiosity. I find it difficult to see how people could ignore such basic and essential facts about themselves.”
From keeping one’s surroundings clean and tidy to focussing on healthier diets, people’s consciousness about their personal health and hygiene has really changed and evolved over the period. Says he, “They are building up good relationships with health. If you look at 20 years from now, people exercise much more than before. So many medicines and methods have been developed for well-being. They are eating better across the world. We have a generation now which runs marathons and wants to be updated with all the health trends.”
Even though there are many more channels now, both online and TV, which people have been crazily following, Andrew believes that “people still want and look for documentaries and factual information. Through this show, which is universal, we wish to find a larger audience in India as well. One of the most important things is that we know this is going to be worthwhile for people to watch.”
He talks about his vision, “I believe in making complex ideas easy to understand for everybody. They should be watched and known by everyone. We need to be much more curious and aware.”
(The show is on Sony BBC Earth.)