Narrator: THE HUMAN BODY...
206 BONES...650 MUSCLES...
A HEART THAT WILL BEAT SOME THREE BILLION TIMES...
LUNGS THAT DELIVER BREATH THROUGH 1,500 MILES OF AIRWAYS.
ALL SUPERBLY ORCHESTRATED BY BILLIONS OF NERVE CELLS
AND BILLIONS OF MILES OF GENETIC INFORMATION,
IN COMBINATIONS THAT MAKE EACH OF US UNIQUE.
100 TRILLION CELLS, ONE INCREDIBLE HUMAN BODY...
EVERY DAY IT TAKES US ON A MIRACULOUS JOURNEY,
PUSHING THE FRONTIERS, MEETING AWESOME CHALLENGES...
DEFYING THE BOUNDARIES OF HUMAN ACHIEVEMENT.
A BASKETBALL STAR REDEFINES THE LIMITS OF PEAK PERFORMANCE.
PJ Brown: I THINK IF I COULD LOOK INSIDE MY BODY,
YOU'D PROBABLY SEE OUR HEART JUST BEATING A LOT FASTER.
Narrator: A CHILDLESS COUPLE CHALLENGES THE ODDS TO CREATE LIFE.
Mark Sauer: I WOULD SAY SHE HAS AT LEAST
A 50-50 CHANCE OF GETTING PREGNANT,
BUT YOU JUST DON'T KNOW GOING INTO IT WHERE IT'S GONNA GO.
Narrator: A SCHOOLTEACHER BATTLES THE DEATH
THAT LURKS DEEP WITHIN HIS BRAIN.
Frederick Meyer: HOW SERIOUS IS IT?
THE TUMOR'S GONNA KILL HIM. SO IT'S DEADLY SERIOUS.
Lisa Toenies: IT'S LIKE I SAID GOODBYE
BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT HE WOULD BE LIKE COMING OUT.
Narrator: THESE ARE THE DAILY DRAMAS OF HUMAN LIFE,
BUT THEY TAKE PLACE INSIDE OURSELVES,
IN REALMS WE COULD NEVER SEE.
BUT NOW WE CAN.
TODAY, AWESOME NEW TECHNOLOGY
ALLOWS US TO PEER INSIDE OUR BODIES AS NEVER BEFORE...
TO SEE A BRAIN THINK, A HEART BEAT, A LIFE BEGIN,
TO DISCOVER THE BOUNDLESS POTENTIAL
OF THE INCREDIBLE HUMAN BODY.
Donald Coffey: THE HUMAN BODY...
IT'S MIND-BOGGLING TO SEE
HOW THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS INTEGRATED, IN A SENSE.
THE HEART BEATS. THE BRAIN IS FIRING ELECTRICAL SIGNALS.
YOUR EYES ARE CAPABLE OF CATCHING ALL THESE WAVELENGTHS
AND STORING THE LIGHT, RETRIEVING THE INFORMATION.
IF YOU APPROACHED ME AS AN ENGINEER
AND SAID, "MAKE ME A SYSTEM"
"THAT CAN RETRIEVE THAT KIND OF INFORMATION OF SOUND, LIGHT,"
"PUT IT WITH MEMORY, FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE EVER SEEN"...
THIS IS AN AMAZING PIECE OF EQUIPMENT.
AND IT CAN ALL BE STORED IN THESE LITTLE TEENY CELLS,
WHICH CAN ALL COME TOGETHER AND FORM THIS BEAUTIFUL SNOWFLAKE CALLED A HUMAN,
WITH EACH ONE OF THEM AMAZINGLY DIFFERENT.
Narrator: FROM A CLUSTER OF CELLS,
A NEW HUMAN BEING BEGINS THE JOURNEY TO LIFE
EVERY QUARTER OF A SECOND SOMEWHERE IN THE WORLD.
TO UNDERSTAND THE AMAZING RESULTS OF THAT JOURNEY,
WE MUST BEGIN AT THE BEGINNING, THE MIRACLE OF CONCEPTION.
FOR SOME COUPLES,
THAT SEEMINGLY COMMONPLACE MIRACLE SEEMS IMPOSSIBLE.
TODAY, REPRODUCTIVE SCIENCE - MARRYING SKILL AND KNOWLEDGE
TO THE MAGIC OF NATURE-- CAN MAKE THE IMPOSSIBLE HAPPEN.
AND HERE IT WILL PROVIDE A WONDROUS WINDOW
INTO THE BEGINNING OF HUMAN LIFE.
Inez: MY HUSBAND AND I HAVE BEEN TOGETHER 11 YEARS
AND WE...WE WERE TRYING, BUT NOT TRYING.
AND IT JUST DAWNED ON US ONE DAY
THAT SOMETHING MIGHT BE WRONG, YOU KNOW,
THAT I'M NOT GETTING PREGNANT, AND WE DECIDED TO INVESTIGATE.
Sauer: WHAT I WANT TO DO IS SPEND MOST OF THE TIME
TALKING ABOUT IN VITRO WITH YOU GUYS...
Narrator: DR. MARK SAUER DOESN'T CLAIM TO MAKE MIRACLES,
BUT ABOUT ONCE A WEEK HIS FERTILITY TEAM
WILL HELP TO BRING A BABY INTO THE WORLD
THROUGH IN-VITRO FERTILIZATION, OR IVF.
WITH DR. SAUER'S HELP, INEZ AND DARRYL PEARSON
WILL HAVE A 50-50 CHANCE AT CREATING A NEW LIFE.
IVF REALLY IS A NATURAL PROCESS,
EVEN THOUGH IT'S OUTSIDE THE HUMAN BODY,
BECAUSE IT ALLOWS US TO PUT SPERM AND EGG TOGETHER
AND CREATE AN EMBRYO, WHICH IS NO DIFFERENT
THAN WHAT HAPPENS IN NATURE.
Narrator: BUT UNLIKE IN NATURE, REMARKABLE ACCESS TO DR. SAUER'S LABORATORY
WILL ALLOW US TO OBSERVE THE ENCOUNTER OF SPERM AND EGG
IN EXTRAORDINARY DETAIL.
Sauer: SO WE'LL BE SEEING YOU A LOT OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS.
Inez: OKAY. WE'RE JUST WAITING TO GET STARTED NOW.
Woman: YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND PUSH IT BACK IN
AND TRY IT AGAIN MAYBE A LITTLE MORE SLOWLY.
Narrator: INEZ BEGINS A REGIME OF HORMONE INJECTIONS
THAT WILL STIMULATE HER OVARIES
TO PRODUCE MORE THAN THE CUSTOMARY ONE EGG PER MONTH.
Inez: DO IT LIKE THIS, I'LL SQUEEZE THE SKIN...
Woman: YOU'LL WIPE WITH ALCOHOL...
...WIPE WITH ALCOHOL.
LIKE SO, OKAY?
A LITTLE BIT FASTER THAN THAT...
YEAH, LIKE THAT.
OH MY GOD...
Narrator: IT'S TIME.
AS HOPED, MANY EGGS ARE READY.
AS SHE IS PUT TO SLEEP, INEZ DELIVERS A DROWSY WISH.
[INEZ SPEAKS]
Man: WHAT WAS THAT? WHAT DID SHE SAY?
Woman: SHE SAID, "I WANT A BOY."
Man: THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT SHE SAID.
Sauer: WE'LL START ON THE LEFT SIDE.
THERE'S A LOT OF FOLLICLES.
YOU CAN SEE THE NEEDLE TIP THERE ON THE SCREEN.
Narrator: THE REMARKABLE EGG THAT BEGINS HUMAN LIFE
IS A SINGLE CELL-- NO WIDER THAN A HAIR,
BARELY VISIBLE TO THE EYE.
Coffey: MOST PEOPLE HAVE NO IDEA HOW SMALL A CELL IS.
IF I CRUDELY SCRAPE THE INSIDE OF MY MOUTH,
I HAVE ABOUT 10,000 CELLS UNDER MY FINGERTIP.
THESE THINGS ARE REALLY SMALL!
YOU CAN'T SEE THAT WITHOUT A MICROSCOPE,
AND YET, THAT CAN MAKE A HUMAN. SEE HOW AMAZING THIS IS?
Narrator: ONE BY ONE, 27 PRECIOUS EGGS ARE RETRIEVED.
WHEN THE SAFETY OF THE EGGS IS ASSURED,
DARRYL'S SEMEN IS COLLECTED.
EMBRYOLOGIST BOB PROSSER WILL FILTER OUT
THE DEAD AND LESS-HEALTHY SPERM.
Prosser: OKAY, THIS IS THE "BEFORE" SAMPLE.
IT HAS NOT BEEN PROCESSED.
AND SO, FROM THIS WE CAN COMPARE THIS
WITH THE POST-PROCESSING SAMPLE.
YOU CAN SEE THAT THE SAMPLE IS MUCH CLEANER,
ALMOST ALL OF THE SPERM ARE MOTILE...
AND THEY LOOK LIKE HAPPY CAMPERS.
Narrator: DR. PROSSER POSITIONS THE EGG, MAGNIFIED 400 TIMES,
AND READIES THE SINGLE SPERM HE HAS SELECTED
FROM A POOL OF HUNDREDS.
THE SPERM IS INJECTED
AND THE CRITICAL MOMENT FOR FERTILIZATION ARRIVES.
LIKE A GREAT CELESTIAL DIRECTOR, HE REPEATS THE PROCEDURE,
GUIDING SPERM TO ANOTHER EGG.
IF THIS IS THE MEETING THAT PROVES SUCCESSFUL,
WE ARE OBSERVING-- IN THE IMMEDIACY OF REAL TIME--
THE FIRST MIRACLE OF MANY
THAT WILL LEAD TO THE LIFE OF A CHILD.
AT THIS MOMENT, TWO HUMAN DESTINIES INTERTWINE
AS GENETIC MATERIAL FROM INEZ'S EGG AND FROM DARRYL'S SPERM
ARE SHUFFLED TOGETHER.
EACH CONTRIBUTES 23 CHROMOSOMES--
STRANDS OF INFORMATION THAT WILL SOON UNITE.
LIKE A MICROSCOPIC MOUNTAIN RANGE,
EACH CHROMOSOME CARRIES GENES BUILT OF MOLECULES OF DNA--
THE MOST BASIC DESIGN ELEMENT OF HUMAN LIFE.
TOGETHER, THESE MOLECULES FORM AN INTRICATE INSTRUCTION MANUAL--
THE BLUEPRINT FOR AN ENTIRE NEW HUMAN BEING.
THE HUMAN BODY, LIKE A HOUSE, IS BUILT FROM A ROLL-UP,
ROLLED-UP SET OF BLUEPRINTS,
WHICH IS ROLLED UP INTO A LITTLE CHROMOSOME
AND IT'S A DNA SEQUENCE, AND IT SAYS "BLUE EYES;"
IT SAYS "FEMALE;"
IT SAYS "ABOUT FIVE FOOT EIGHT WITH BROWN HAIR."
Narrator: THE EPIC ACCOMPLISHMENT OF REVEALING OUR GENOME--
THE CODEBOOK OF HUMAN LIFE-- MAY SOON OPEN A FLOODGATE
OF BIOLOGICAL REVELATIONS.
CRAIG VENTER IS AT THE CREST OF THIS WAVE OF KNOWLEDGE.
Venter: A GENOME IS OUR COLLECTION OF ALL OUR GENETIC INFORMATION.
IT'S A FOUR-LETTER ALPHABET COMPOSING DNA,
AND WHEN WE SEQUENCE THE GENOME, WE DETERMINE THE EXACT ORDER
OF ROUGHLY THREE BILLION OF THOSE LETTERS.
IT'S ELEGANT IN IT'S SIMPLICITY.
THE GENETIC CODE HAS FOUR DIFFERENT CHEMICALS;
WE SUBSTITUTE A, C, G, AND T FOR THOSE.
WE ATTACH FOUR DIFFERENT COLOR DYES--
ONE COLOR FOR EACH OF THE LETTERS OF THE GENETIC CODE.
IT'S LIKE JUST SOLVING A JIGSAW PUZZLE,
ONLY THE JIGSAW PUZZLE HAS, IN OUR CASE, 27 MILLION PIECES...
SO IT CAME IN A VERY BIG BOX
AND THERE WAS NO PICTURE ON THE COVER.
Narrator: PUTTING THE PIECES OF THIS PUZZLE TOGETHER
HAS PROVIDED KNOWLEDGE
THAT WILL ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF HUMAN LIFE--
AND PERHAPS EVEN EXTEND IT.
Coffey: WE'RE AT THE VERY FUNDAMENTAL FIRST STEPS
IN A VERY POWERFUL FORCE.
THERE'S SOME RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AGING AND OUR GENES.
SO IF WE CAN CONTROL THOSE GENES,
WILL WE BE ABLE TO EXTEND THE AGING PROCESS?
WELL, IT'S DISTANT STUFF, BUT PROBABLE.
KNOWING THE HUMAN GENOME, AND MAPPING UP HOW IT CHANGES,
IS A MAJOR STEP FORWARD IN UNDERSTANDING
THE MAKING OF THIS WONDERFUL HUMAN BODY THAT WE'VE GOT.
THROUGH THE HISTORY OF TIME,
THE DNA SEQUENCE HAS BEEN MARCHING DOWN
THROUGH GENERATION AFTER GENERATION OF YOUR RELATIVES,
AND NOW IT CONTINUES IN YOUR OFFSPRING.
Narrator: OVERNIGHT, DNA FROM INEZ'S EGGS AND DARRYL'S SPERM UNITE,
AND 13 OF THE 27 EGGS SHOW THE TELLTALE DIMPLE
THAT INDICATES SUCCESS. IT'S WORKING.
WITH EXQUISITE GRACE, ONE CELL BECOMES TWO,
TWO BECOME FOUR; EACH DUPLICATES THE ORIGINAL, UNIQUE DNA.
THE ENCHANTED PROGRESSION OF CELL DIVISION CONTINUES.
FOR FIVE DAYS, THE EMBRYOS ARE MONITORED.
FINALLY, THE DIVISION CREATES MASSES OF CELLS,
KNOWN AS BLASTOCYSTS,
AND ANY ONE OF THESE BLASTOCYSTS
MAY BECOME A PART OF THE PEARSON FAMILY.
Prosser: THIS EMBRYO HERE...
IF YOU LOOK AT THE OUTER SHELL ON THE CENTER EMBRYO,
IT'S VERY THIN.
THE EMBRYO IS GETTING READY TO HATCH OUT OF IT'S SHELL.
IT'S A VERY NICE BLASTOCYST.
THE INNER CELL MASS IS GOING TO BECOME THE EMBRYO ITSELF--
WHAT YOU NORMALLY THINK OF WHEN YOU THINK OF A BABY...
ARMS, HEAD, LEGS, TOES, FINGERS.
AND, ACTUALLY, THIS INNER CELL MASS
IS WHERE YOU FIND THE EMBRYONIC STEM CELLS,
WHICH ARE VERY MUCH IN THE CENTER OF THE GENETIC REVOLUTION
THAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW.
Narrator: EMBRYONIC STEM CELLS STAND IN THE VANGUARD OF HUMAN LIFE.
THESE MAGICAL ALL-PURPOSE CELLS
WILL EVENTUALLY TRANSFORM INTO EVERY CELL TYPE IN THE HUMAN BODY.
THIS EXTRAORDINARY POTENTIAL OF STEM CELLS
HAS MADE ISOLATING THEM ONE OF THE HOLY GRAILS OF SCIENCE,
ALTHOUGH A CONTROVERSIAL ONE.
DR. JOHN GEARHART IS AT THE FOREFRONT OF THAT ACHIEVEMENT.
Gearhart: THESE CELLS HAVE TWO PROPERTIES.
ONE IS THAT IF YOU KEEP THEM IN THE DISH,
UNDER CERTAIN CULTURE CONDITIONS,
THEY WILL CONTINUE TO FORM MORE CELLS LIKE THEMSELVES.
SO YOU CAN GROW A ROOM FULL OF THESE EMBRYONIC STEM CELLS
AND THEY ARE UNDIFFERENTIATED CELLS; THEY ALL LOOK ALIKE.
IF YOU TAKE SOME OF THESE CELLS, THOUGH,
AND YOU PUT THEM OUT
IN DIFFERENT KINDS OF GROWTH CONDITIONS,
THESE CELLS ARE CAPABLE OF FORMING ALL THE CELL TYPES
THAT ARE PRESENT IN THE HUMAN BODY.
WHAT WE ARE LOOKING AT HERE ARE HEART MUSCLE CELLS
THAT ARE BEATING AS A TISSUE.
Narrator: ONCE THESE WERE STEM CELLS WITH UNCHARTED DESTINIES.
DR. GEARHART HAS DIRECTED THEIR DEVELOPMENT INTO HEART CELLS,
NOW ABLE TO BEAT IN PERFECT SYNCHRONY.
Gearhart: IT'S ALWAYS BEEN THE DREAM OF HUMANKIND
THAT SOMEDAY WE'D BE ABLE TO REPLACE TISSUES IN THE BODY
THAT WERE EITHER DAMAGED OR DISEASED OR SIMPLY WORN OUT.
BUT WE REALLY NEVER HAD THE STARTING MATERIAL TO DO THIS.
NOW WE HAVE IN THE LABORATORY, IN OUR DISHES, GROWING NICELY,
VIRTUALLY ALL THE CELL TYPES
THAT ARE PRESENT IN THE HUMAN BODY.
Coffey: THEY MAKE A "YOU." A STEM CELL CAN MAKE YOU.
THAT'S PRETTY POWERFUL!
AND I CAN CONTROL THIS STEM CELL
AND UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING ABOUT IT?
NOW WE'RE SET UP TO ANSWER
ONE OF THE FIRST AND BASIC QUESTIONS
ABOUT HOW A HUMAN IS MADE.
Sauer: AS WE HOPED, WE HAVE VERY WELL-FORMED
AND READY-TO-TRANSFER TYPE OF BLASTOCYSTS.
Narrator: AFTER SIX DAYS OF GROWTH IN THE LAB,
INEZ'S EMBRYOS ARE READY FOR IMPLANTING.
SHE IS SHOWN WHAT MIGHT TURN OUT TO BE HER FIRST BABY PICTURE.
Sauer: NOW, WITH EMBRYOS OF THIS QUALITY,
IF I PUT IN THREE, THE CHANCE OF MULTIPLE BIRTH
MAY BE AS HIGH AS 40 TO 50 PERCENT, USUALLY TWINS.
IF THAT MAKES YOU OVERLY NERVOUS,
THEN I WOULD SUGGEST PUTTING IN TWO,
WHICH STILL GIVES YOU A VERY GOOD RATE, BUT LESS MULTIPLES.
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT ALL THAT?
UMMMM...I THINK WE'LL GO WITH THE TWO.
OKAY. OKAY. SO WE'LL DO TWO...
Inez: AT FIRST, I WAS JUST GOING TO DO TWO.
I SAID, "WELL, IF ONE DOESN'T MAKE IT, THEN ONE WILL LIVE."
AND, YOU KNOW, AT THE LAST MINUTE I WAS SITTING HERE THINKING WAS,
I SAID, "WELL, IT'S NOT THAT MUCH EITHER."
I MEAN, FOR THE AMOUNT OF THINGS THAT WE HAD GONE THROUGH,
TO JUST DO ONE WAS NOT A VERY SMART IDEA TO DO.
AND THEN WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT IT, I SAID,
"WOW, TWO'S NOT THAT GREAT EITHER."
SO MAYBE... I'LL DO THE THREE.
Sauer: NOW YOU WANNA DO...
YEAH, I'LL DO THE THREE. YEAH.
I'LL PUT IN THAT NEW ORDER FOR YOU.
OKAY.
BOB, SHE WANTS THE THREE NOW.
Narrator: THE THREE EMBRYOS ARE PUT INTO A SINGLE CATHETER,
AND GUIDED ONTO THE LINING OF INEZ'S UTERUS.
Sauer: THERE IT GOES... SO OUR PLACEMENT IS VERY GOOD.
REAL WELL...THIS IS WHAT YOU HOPE FOR WHEN YOU START.
I REALLY THINK IT'S A 50-50 CHANCE FOR HER AT THIS POINT.
WHETHER OR NOT SHE'LL GET PREGNANT,
WE'LL FIND OUT IN ABOUT 10 DAYS.
Inez: I DIDN'T GET, LIKE, REALLY, REALLY EXCITED
BECAUSE THEY SAID, YOU KNOW,
THERE IS A CHANCE THAT IT MIGHT NOT WORK,
MIGHT NOT BE SUCCESSFUL, AND WE DON'T WANT YOU
TO REALLY GET YOUR HOPES UP TOO HIGH,
SO I JUST KEPT IT LIKE THAT.
Narrator: SCIENCE HAS DONE IT'S BEST,
BUT IT WILL BE A LONG 10 DAYS FOR INEZ...
27 EGGS COLLECTED... 13 FERTILIZED...
FIVE VIABLE BLASTOCYSTS... THREE NOW OFFERING INEZ
THE CHANCE TO BE A MOTHER.
Scott: DOES THAT LOOK RIGHT? NOT REALLY, DOES IT?
OKAY, WHAT ABOUT 10 TO THE FIRST POWER?
Narrator: MUCH OF WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE WAY THE HUMAN BODY WORKS
EMERGES WHEN IT IS IN NEED OF REPAIR.
SCOTT TOENIES, A VETERAN 6th GRADE TEACHER,
AND FOOTBALL COACH IN RURAL NORTH DAKOTA,
IS THE VICTIM OF DEBILITATING SEIZURES
THAT HAVE LED TO THE FRIGHTENING DISCOVERY
OF A MASSIVE BRAIN TUMOR.
TWO MONTHS AGO, SCOTT'S TUMOR BEGAN GROWING RAPIDLY,
AS DID THE FREQUENCY AND SEVERITY OF HIS SEIZURES.
OFTEN HE WOULD PASS OUT.
IF LEFT UNTREATED, SCOTT MAY HAVE LESS THAN A YEAR TO LIVE.
Scott: I HAD THREE SEIZURES IN THREE WEEKS.
AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, IT WAS LIKE, "WHOA..."
"WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING."
Narrator: SCOTT AND HIS WIFE LISA
TRAVEL TO THE RENOWNED MAYO CLINIC IN ROCHESTER, MINNESOTA,
WHERE HIGH-RISK BRAIN SURGERY HAS BEEN RECOMMENDED.
THE BRAIN IS A GREEDY ORGAN.
WHILE SCOTT'S BRAIN MAKES UP JUST TWO PERCENT OF HIS BODY WEIGHT,
IT CONSUMES 20 PERCENT OF THE OXYGEN HIS BODY USES.
FLOATING WITHIN HIS SKULL, IT'S TWO HEMISPHERES
CONTAIN 100 BILLION CELLS
AND THE EAGER CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THESE CELLS
BRING CONSCIOUSNESS.
BUT IF THESE CONNECTIONS ARE INTERRUPTED BY DISEASE OR TUMOR,
THE BRAIN MISFIRES
AND ELECTRICAL STORMS CAN CREATE HAVOC WITHIN.
Witner: MR. TOENIES?
YES.
MY JOB HERE TODAY IS TO PUT THESE MARKERS ON.
OKAY.
OKAY? AND THEY CREATE A REFERENCE MARK ON THE MRI IMAGES.
Narrator: KNOWING THE EXACT LOCATION OF THE TUMOR IS VITAL.
ONE WRONG MOVE IN ANY DIRECTION COULD LEAVE SCOTT PARALYZED,
REMOVE CRUCIAL BRAIN CELLS, OR WORSE.
Witner: AND YOU'RE ALL SET.
Narrator: THE MRI SCAN SHOWS THE LOCATION OF THE TUMOR.
BUT IT IS ESSENTIAL TO IDENTIFY
THE SPECIFIC FUNCTIONS OF THE AREA IT OCCUPIES,
AND TO DO SO IN THREE DIMENSIONS.
FROM THESE SCANS,
A STARTLING 3-D VISUALIZATION OF SCOTT'S BRAIN
IS PREPARED FOR HIS SURGEONS.
THIS WILL ENABLE THEM TO SEE INSIDE FROM ANY ANGLE,
AS IF HIS SKULL AND BRAIN WERE TRANSPARENT.
Robb: EARLY ON, WHEN I FIRST CAME TO MAYO,
I WAS DOING SOME IMAGING, EARLY THREE-DIMENSIONAL IMAGING,
AND WAS TALKING TO A NEUROSURGEON,
AND SHOWED HIM SOME OF MY VISUALIZATIONS
OF THE BRAIN AND THE TUMOR.
AND HE TOLD ME SOMETHING I'VE NEVER FORGOTTEN:
IF I CAN SEE IT, I CAN FIX IT.
WHAT YOU CAN SEE, IS THAT YOU CAN REMOVE ANY PLANE YOU WANT TO.
SO IF I WANT TO GET THE SKULL OFF,
AND THEN I WANT TO GET THE COVERING OFF
AND I WANT TO MOVE DOWN, I JUST HIT BUTTONS
THAT WILL MOVE ME DOWN TO JUST THE AREA I'M WORKING ON.
IT'S A TOTALLY DIFFERENT PICTURE.
IT'S THE SAME AS WALKING INSIDE A BUILDING, VERSUS STANDING ON THE OUTSIDE.
Narrator: SCOTT AND LISA MEET WITH DR. FREDERICK MEYER
WHO WILL PERFORM THE DIFFICULT SURGERY.
Meyer: SCOTT HAS A BRAIN TUMOR
THAT'S INFILTRATED THROUGH THE DOMINANT PART OF HIS BRAIN.
AND IT'S CLOSE TO THE PART OF THE BRAIN
THAT CONTROLS MOVEMENT TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE BODY,
AND IT'S VERY CLOSE TO HIS LANGUAGE CENTERS.
AND IT'S SITTING WITHIN AN AREA
THAT HELPS INITIATE AND COORDINATES MOTOR ACTIVITY, MOVEMENTS.
WE CAN SEE IT STARTING... THIS WHITE AREA HERE,
THIS IS THE LEFT SIDE OF THE BRAIN.
THIS IS ALL TUMOR HERE, AND HERE, AND HERE, AND HERE...
OKAY.
Meyer: ...AND HERE, AND HERE.
Narrator: THE IMAGE GRIMLY REVEALS HOW DIFFICULT THE SURGERY WILL BE.
SCOTT'S TUMOR IS IN A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS LOCATION
IN THE CEREBRUM, THE BRAIN'S OUTERMOST LAYER--
THOUGHT TO BE THE "THINKING" BRAIN.
THE MASSIVE TUMOR LIES BETWEEN
THE CRUCIAL REGIONS CONTROLLING SPEECH AND MOVEMENT--
AND IT IS PERILOUSLY INTERTWINED WITH HEALTHY BRAIN TISSUE.
TO AVERT DAMAGE TO THESE AREAS,
THE SURGEONS WILL NEED TO BE ABLE
TO SPEAK TO SCOTT AS THEY WORK
AND THAT MEANS SCOTT WILL HAVE TO STAY AWAKE
THROUGH MOST OF THE OPERATION.
IT IS HIS BEST CHANCE FOR A RETURN TO NORMAL LIFE.
Meyer: THIS IS ALL VERY CONTROVERSIAL.
I THINK IT'S A VERY DIFFICULT DECISION.
I MEAN, IT'S AN AWFUL DECISION THAT NO ONE SHOULD HAVE TO MAKE.
HOW SERIOUS IS IT?
IF HE DOESN'T HAVE SUCCESSFUL TREATMENT OF HIS TUMOR,
WHATEVER THAT TREATMENT IS OR CONSISTS OF,
THE TUMOR'S GOING TO KILL HIM.
AND HE'S A YOUNG MAN, SO IT'S DEADLY SERIOUS.
Lisa: THOSE WORDS JUST HIT ME LIKE A TON OF BRICKS.
THE THINGS THAT RAN THROUGH MY MIND WERE MY KIDS--
MY FAMILY--AND...IS THIS GONNA BE OUR LAST CHRISTMAS TOGETHER?
Narrator: IT'S BEEN 10 DAYS
AND THE BIG MOMENT FOR INEZ NEARS
AS SHE AWAITS THE RESULTS OF HER PREGNANCY TEST.
Doctor: I JUST WANT TO LET YOU KNOW
THAT YOUR PREGNANCY TEST WAS POSITIVE...
...WHICH IS WONDERFUL. CONGRATULATIONS.
Inez: THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. OKAY.
WELL, GIVE ME A HUG!
Inez: YES, I WAS SURPRISED. YEAH BUT, YOU KNOW, I SAW EVERYBODY.
NOBODY LOOKED SAD OR ANYTHING WHEN I WALKED INTO THE OFFICE,
AND I SAID, "IT MUST BE GOOD NEWS!"
SO THAT KIND OF GAVE IT AWAY A LITTLE BIT.
EVERYBODY WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, ACTING NORMAL...
TOO NORMAL FOR ME, YOU KNOW, AND I KIND OF, LIKE, SAID,
"I GUESS EVERYTHING MUST BE OKAY."
Inez: HELLO? WHAT'RE YOU DOING?
MM-HMM. WELL, I GOT GOOD NEWS FOR YOU. I'M PREGNANT.
WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING?
HE SAID, "YOU'RE PREGNANT? AHHH!" AND HE WAS LAUGHING.
HE WAS LIKE, "OH, THAT'S SO NICE."
Sauer: THIS IS WHERE THE FUN BEGINS
BECAUSE NOW WE HAVE SOMETHING TO TRACK.
IT'S REAL, IT'S A PREGNANCY,
THAT'S WHAT EVERYBODY'S BEEN HOPING FOR.
WATCHING THIS EMBRYO TAKE FORM TO A FETUS,
AND THE FETUS HOPEFULLY LATER TO BABY
IS REALLY THE FUN PART OF THIS JOB.
Thorton: NOW THE FIRST THING YOU'RE GONNA NOTICE
IS THAT RIGHT HERE IS THE PREGNANCY SAC.
Inez: OKAY.
Thorton: OKAY? AND YOU SEE THE LITTLE AREA KINDA FLUTTERING RIGHT THERE?
THAT'S THE HEARTBEAT OF THE BABY.
Inez: CAN I GET A PICTURE OF THAT?
Thorton: I'M GONNA GIVE YOU LOTS OF PICTURES HERE.
NOW, YOU HAVE SOME... GOD HAS TRULY BLESSED YOU.
YOU ACTUALLY HAVE TWO... 'CAUSE YOU SEE,
THERE'S ONE BABY THERE, OKAY?
AND THEN YOU SEE THE OTHER BABY OVER HERE.
LET ME GET A NICE VIEW.
RIGHT THERE, YOU CAN SEE THE HEARTBEAT FLUTTERING.
SEE THAT? BY THE "X"? SO YOU HAVE TWINS.
I HOPE THAT'S GOOD NEWS.
YEAH!
Inez: THAT WAS MY FIRST TIME EVER SEEING A HEARTBEAT,
SO...THAT WAS, LIKE, PRETTY AMAZING. IT'S JUST A WONDER.
YOU LOOK AT THAT AND YOU'RE LIKE...
IT'S A LIVING BABY GROWING INSIDE OF YOU, WITH A HEARTBEAT.
THAT'S WHEN IT REALLY HITS YOU, YEAH.
THIS IS THE BEST SHOT, HERE...THIS ONE.
Gearhart: IT'S DURING THIS PERIOD
WHERE ALL OF A SUDDEN THE FIRST SYSTEM YOU SEE KICKING IN
IS THE CIRCULATORY SYSTEM.
YOU SEE BLOOD VESSELS FORM,
THE HEART IS IN THERE BEGINNING TO...BEGINNING TO BEAT,
AND IT'S VERY CRITICAL, BECAUSE AN EMBRYO CAN ONLY GROW SO LARGE
WITHOUT IT'S OWN CIRCULATORY SYSTEM.
Narrator: AT 22 DAYS, THE TINY HEART--
NO BIGGER THAN A POPPY SEED-- BEGINS TO BEAT.
SOON THE EMBRYO IS PUMPING IT'S OWN BLOOD
THROUGH THE UMBILICAL CORD BACK TO IT'S MOTHER
FOR A FRESH SUPPLY OF OXYGEN AND NUTRIENTS.
NOW JUST A SIMPLE TUBE,
THIS HEART WILL GROW INTO A FOUR-CHAMBER STRUCTURE
ABLE TO BEAT 100,000 TIMES A DAY.
IN A 70-YEAR LIFESPAN,
THE HUMAN HEART WILL BEAT THREE BILLION TIMES,
WHICH MAY EXPLAIN WHY YOGIS LIKE TO MEASURE TIME NOT IN DAYS,
BUT IN HEARTBEATS.
NBA PLAYERS COUNT THE MINUTES THEY PLAY ON THE COURT...
AND ON THIS NIGHT, THE AEROBIC LIMITS OF THE CHARLOTTE HORNETS
ARE BEING PUT TO SEVERE TEST.
THEY ARE COMPETING IN
WHAT WILL BE THE LONGEST GAME IN TEAM HISTORY--
A TRIPLE OVERTIME THAT WILL FORCE
EVEN THESE TOP PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES
TO PUSH THEIR BODIES TO THE LIMITS.
HOW DO THEY DO IT?
CHARGING DOWN THE COURT, THEY WILL PUMP
OVER 30 QUARTS OF BLOOD PER MINUTE.
IN THAT SAME MINUTE,
EVEN THE MOST EXCITED SPECTATOR WILL MOVE ONLY ABOUT FIVE.
Hawkins: I THINK YOU FEEL YOUR HEART BEATING, YOU KNOW,
ESPECIALLY IF IT'S A PRESSURE GAME,
OR IF YOU HAVE ONE OF THEM SPELLS
WHERE YOU'RE UP AND DOWN THE COURT A LOT--
YEAH, YOU CAN DEFINITELY FEEL YOUR HEART,
AND IT FEELS LIKE IT'S ABOUT TO COME OUT OF YOUR CHEST.
Brown: I THINK IF I COULD LOOK INSIDE MY BODY,
OR ANY ONE OF MY PEERS' BODY, I JUST THINK OUR HEART,
AND YOU COMPARE A NORMAL PERSON,
YOU'D PROBABLY JUST SEE OUR HEART JUST BEATING A LOT FASTER.
Narrator: HEARTBEAT IS CONTROLLED BY THE BRAIN
AND ADJUSTED TO THE BODY'S DEMANDS.
DURING EXERCISE, WHEN THE MUSCLES REQUIRE EXTRA OXYGEN,
MESSAGES ARE SENT TO SPEED UP THE HEART RATE ACCORDINGLY.
FOR THE HORNETS, THESE LAST 30 SECONDS OF TRIPLE OVERTIME
WILL TAX THEIR HEARTS AND MUSCLES AS NEVER BEFORE.
THEIR COACH SUMMONS HIS EXHAUSTED PLAYERS
FOR FINAL INSTRUCTIONS.
FINAL SCORE: BULLS 95, HORNETS 102.
Wesley: IT WAS A LONG GAME.
UM, I'M FEELING A LITTLE DEHYDRATED...
FEELING A LITTLE SICK TO MY STOMACH.
MY ANKLES HURT, MY FEET HURT, AND MY BACK HURTS.
THIS IS THE AGONY OF VICTORY.
Sigmon: I'M REALLY IMPRESSED
BY WHAT NBA PLAYERS DO WITH THEIR BODIES;
IT'S JUST INCREDIBLE.
I THINK THEY ARE THE BEST ATHLETES IN THE WORLD,
WITHOUT A DOUBT.
HOW THEY DO IT NIGHT IN, NIGHT OUT IS JUST FASCINATING.
THEY'RE RUNNING FASTER, THEY'RE JUMPING HIGHER
BECAUSE I THINK WE'RE ABLE TO TRAIN THE HUMAN BODY.
IT'S DOING THINGS THAT WE DIDN'T THINK IT WAS ABLE TO DO
MAYBE 10, 20 YEARS AGO.
Narrator: HOW DOES THE HUMAN FORM REACH SUCH PEAKS OF PERFORMANCE?
WE KNOW THE BODIES OF PROFESSIONALS LIKE PJ BROWN
ARE EXPERTLY TUNED--
HIS MUSCLES ACCOUNTING FOR MORE THAN HALF OF HIS BODY WEIGHT;
HIS BONES MANY TIMES STRONGER
THAN A STEEL BAR OF THE SAME WEIGHT.
TOGETHER, THEY'RE TRAINED TO MOVE WITH ELOQUENT PRECISION.
BUT IS IT MORE THAN FITNESS THAT SETS THESE TOP PLAYERS APART?
SCIENTISTS AND ATHLETES ALIKE
SUSPECT THAT IT IS THE INTERPLAY BETWEEN BODY AND MIND
THAT MATTERS MOST.
Mabloire: I FEEL THAT I'VE BEEN PLAYING THIS GAME SO LONG
THAT EVERYTHING IS JUST A REACTION AT THIS POINT.
YOU KNOW, I'M TAKING 100 OR 500 OR 1,000 SHOTS A DAY.
YOU KNOW, EVENTUALLY, IT'S JUST A PART OF YOU.
Narrator: THIS ENDLESS REPETITION OFF THE COURT
CREATES MUCH QUICKER REACTION TIME ON THE COURT.
IT IS AS IF EXTENSIVE TRAINING HARDWIRES THE BRAIN.
Gage: A PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL PLAYER THAT TRAINS HARD
IN MANY WAYS IS A GENIUS IN THE SENSE THAT
THEY CAN RUN DOWN THE COURT, DRIBBLE AT THE SAME TIME,
AND SEE ALL THE PLAYERS AT THE SAME TIME, AND SHOOT THE BALL,
IN WAYS THAT PEOPLE THAT DON'T TRAIN NEVER COULD.
WE'RE BEGINNING TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND
THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE FACT THAT WHAT YOU DO
CAN INFLUENCE THE STRUCTURE OF YOUR BRAIN.
AND VERY SPECIFICALLY, VOLUNTARY EXERCISE
CAN ACTUALLY INCREASE THE NUMBER OF CELLS IN THE BRAIN.
Coffey: WHEN YOU HAVE A CELL, AND IT'S CALLED A NEURON,
THIS LITTLE THING PUTS OUT ARMS JUST LIKE A TREE BRANCHES.
AND AS YOU WATCH IT ON THE MICROSCOPE,
IT'S DOING FEELY-TOUCHY EVERYWHERE,
AND IT REACHES OUT...GULP...
AND AS SOON AS IT TOUCHES ANOTHER ONE,
IT KNOWS WHAT IT'S TOUCHED, AND IT'S WIRED ITSELF.
AND THEN IT BEGINS TO STRETCH THROUGH
SO IT CAN SENSE THE PERIPHERY,
YOUR FINGERTIPS, AND YOUR TONGUE--
THEY ALL COME BACK TO THE SPINAL CORD
AND THEY ALL MAKE THEIR WAY UP HERE FINALLY TO THE BRAIN.
AND THE BRAIN IS WHERE ALL THESE COLLECTIVE PROPERTIES
ARE PUTTING ALL THIS TOGETHER.
SAYS, "NOW I CAN SENSE THE UNIVERSE."
"WOW! I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS."
I KNOW THAT IT'S THESE CELLS THAT DO THIS.
BUT HOW DOES THAT BRAIN INSIDE THE CAVITY IN THE HEAD WORK?
SOME STRANGE THINGS GOIN' ON THERE.
SO WHAT THE FRONTIER, OF COURSE IS, IS UNDERSTANDING THE BRAIN.
Duffy: SPELL THE WORD "MAN."
M-A-N.
Narrator: BACK AT THE MAYO CLINIC,
SCOTT IS LESS THAN A DAY AWAY FROM SURGERY.
TO GIVE DOCTORS A BETTER UNDERSTANDING
OF HOW HIS PARTICULAR BRAIN WORKS,
HE UNDERGOES A SERIES OF BASIC COGNITIVE AND LANGUAGE TESTS.
Duffy: SAY "THEY RAISE GOOD POTATOES."
THEY RAISE GOOD POTATOES.
Duffy: "WILL YOU ANSWER THE TELEPHONE?"
WILL YOU ANSWER THE TELEPHONE?
Duffy: "I ORDERED A HAM SANDWICH,"
"A GLASS OF MILK, AND A PIECE OF APPLE PIE."
I ORDERED A HAM SANDWICH... A PIECE OF APPLE PIE...
AND...A GLASS OF MILK.
PENGUIN...
Narrator: THIS KNOWLEDGE WILL ENABLE THE SURGICAL TEAM
TO PERCEIVE CHANGE-- SIGNS OF DANGER--
AS THEY TALK TO SCOTT THROUGHOUT THE OPERATION.
Lisa: I WISH HE DIDN'T HAVE TO BE AWAKE
AND HE COULD JUST PUT HIM TO SLEEP
AND DO IT AND BE OVER WITH IT BUT YET HAVE THE SAME RESULTS.
I MEAN, IT'S GONNA BE TOUGH.
Scott: I NEED TO BE CONSCIOUS THROUGH THE WHOLE THING.
I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY HOW IT'S ALL GOING TO GO,
BUT THAT'S VERY INTIMIDATING.
Coffey: DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY IMAGES
YOUR EYE HAS SEEN SINCE YOU WERE BORN?
DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY SOUNDS YOU'VE HEARD?
HOW IN THE WORLD COULD YOU HAVE STORED ALL OF THOSE SOUNDS,
AND ALL OF THOSE IMAGES-- IN FRENCH, GERMAN, ENGLISH,
OR WHATEVER YOU'RE STORING IT IN--
AND BE ABLE TO RETRIEVE IT WHEN I JUST SAY THE WORD?
IF I SAY "SATURN'S RINGS," HOW ARE YOU ABLE,
IN THE LENGTH OF TIME IT TOOK THE SOUND WAVE TO HIT YOUR EAR,
TO RETRIEVE THAT?
IT IS SO ASTOUNDING WHEN WE TAKE A LOOK AT...
AT HOW FAST THE BRAIN WORKS AND HOW AMAZING IT IS.
Narrator: HOW, AND WHERE, THE BRAIN ACHIEVES THIS COMPLEX FEAT OF MEMORY
HAS PUZZLED SCIENTISTS FOR CENTURIES.
SCIENCE IS ON THE TRAIL OF THIS GREAT MYSTERY
AND AN UNEXPECTED ANSWER COMES FROM AN UNLIKELY SOURCE...
LONDON'S LEGENDARY TAXI DRIVERS
ARE THE OLYMPIC ATHLETES OF MEMORY.
NAVIGATING THE INTIMIDATING LABYRINTH THAT IS CENTRAL LONDON,
THEY MUST CREATE AN INTRICATE MENTAL MAP,
CONSISTING OF THOUSANDS OF STREETS, LANDMARKS, AND LOCATIONS.
Kelly: LONDON IS SUCH AN ENORMOUS CITY.
IT'S A MASSIVE AREA, CHAOTIC GEOGRAPHY...
AND IT'S GROWN UP ORGANICALLY. THERE'S NO REAL PLANNING TO IT.
SO THE STREETS BEND, THEY TWIST.
Osborne: I MEAN, IN LONDON WE'VE GOT STREETS
WHERE ON ONE SIDE OF THE STREET IT'S CALLED ONE NAME,
AND ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET IT'S GOT ANOTHER NAME.
Lee: LONDON WASN'T LAID OUT FOR THE TRAFFIC THAT WE'VE GOT NOW.
IT WAS LAID OUT FOR HORSES AND CARTS, AND WHATEVER.
AND IT'S ADAPTED TO A LARGE EXTENT.
SO WE'VE HAD TO ADAPT TO IT AS WELL, YOU KNOW?
Narrator: UNIVERSITY OF LONDON SCIENTIST STUDYING THE SHAPE OF MEMORY
FOUND IDEAL SUBJECTS RIGHT IN THEIR OWN BACKYARD.
FOR 150 YEARS, EVERY NEW CAB DRIVER
HAS HAD TO PASS A GRUELING EXAM,
KNOWN TO LONDONERS SIMPLY AS "THE KNOWLEDGE."
IT TAKES MOST HOPEFULS AT LEAST TWO YEARS TO MASTER--
GIVING RESEARCHERS A SUPERB OPPORTUNITY
TO LOOK AT HOW THE BRAIN ADAPTS WHEN REQUIRED
TO RETAIN VAST AMOUNTS OF INFORMATION.
Lee: I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY OTHER CITY IN THE WORLD
WHERE THE CAB DRIVERS HAVE TO TAKE AS MUCH OF A TEST AS WE DO.
Man: THANKS, MATE, CAN YOU TAKE ME TO ALBERT HALL...
Lee: WHEN SOMEBODY GETS IN YOUR CAB,
THEY'LL SAY, "TAKE ME TO SO-AND-SO,"
IT'S GOT TO BE LIKE THAT, YOU'VE GOT TO KNOW INSTANTLY
WHERE YOU'RE GOING, WHICH WAY TO BE POINTING.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF RETENTION--
YOU'VE GOT TO RETAIN A LOT OF WHAT YOU'VE LEARNED AS WELL.
Narrator: HERE ARE ORDINARY PEOPLE WHOSE JOBS DEPEND ON
EXERCISING THEIR BRAINS IN AN EXTRAORDINARY WAY.
SCIENTISTS SUSPECT THAT A PARTICULAR REGION OF THEIR BRAINS--
CALLED THE HIPPOCAMPUS--MIGHT BE THE KEY TO THEIR SUCCESS.
Frackowiac: THE HIPPOCAMPUS IS A PART OF THE BRAIN DEEP IN THE BRAIN.
IT'S ON THE INSIDES OF WHAT WE CALL THE TEMPORAL LOBES,
WHICH ARE THE PARTS OF THE BRAIN IMMEDIATELY TO EITHER SIDE OF THE TEMPLE,
JUST BEHIND THE BONE THERE.
IT'S TWO STRUCTURES, ONE ON EACH SIDE,
CRITICAL FOR LAYING DOWN NEW MEMORIES.
Instructor: NOW, RUN ME TO THE NEAREST POLICE STATION.
Student: LEAVE BY WATERLOO BRIDGE, FORWARD LANCASTER PLACE...
Narrator: IF MEMORY DEPENDS UPON THE HIPPOCAMPUS,
AT THE KNOWLEDGE POINT SCHOOL, DRIVERS-IN-TRAINING
SURELY GIVE THIS PART OF THEIR BRAINS A GOOD WORKOUT.
Student: ...LOWER ROBERTS STREET...
Student 2: ...RIGHT, UM, YORK WAY...
...LEFT SHAFTESBURY AVENUE LEFT GREAT WINDMILL STREET...
...RIGHT INTO [?] AND SET DOWN ON THE LEFT.
Derek: DAVE, GIVE ME THE NAME OF A RESTAURANT ON PORTLAND ROAD
WITH A LADY'S NAME.
Dave: CHUTNEY MARY'S
Derek: HEREFORD ROAD-- WHERE WOULD YOU GIVE ME?
Student: VERONICA'S.
Derek: DENISE, SOUTH HAMPTON ROAD
CONTAINS A RESTAURANT WITH A LADY'S NAME.
WOULD THAT BE DENISE'S RESTAURANT?
Derek: IF I THEN SAID TO YOU ZAFFARONO'S RESTAURANT?
ZAFFAREN RESTAURANT? ZUKOR, ZOE...I NOW WANT ZINC.
IT'S VERY IMPORTANT, WITH ALL THESE POINTS,
THAT YOU KEEP THEM IN YOUR MIND AND SEE THEM IN YOUR EYES, OKAY?
THAT'S IT. THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING AND KEEP THESE SHEETS.
ANYTHING WE DIDN'T NOTE, PLEASE GO OUT AND LOOK FOR IT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
Narrator: AFTER CLASS, STUDENTS LIKE ANDY MILLER
TAKE TO THE STREETS.
SINCE VISUAL PROCESSING OCCUPIES MORE BRAIN ACTIVITY
THAN ALL THE OTHER SENSES COMBINED,
IT IS NOT SURPRISING THAT DIRECT EXPERIENCE
IS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF THE KNOWLEDGE TRAINING.
YOU START OFF LEARNING ALL THE ROADS.
THEN YOU HAVE TO LEARN ALL THE PLACES ON EVERY ROAD.
WITH ALL THE ROUTES THAT YOU HAVE TO DO FOR THE KNOWLEDGE,
YOU COULDN'T POSSIBLY DO IT ON A MAP.
YOU HAVE TO GET OUT ON YOUR BIKE,
IN THE RAIN, THE COLD, THE SNOW. YOU LEARN IT BIT BY BIT.
THE BRAIN IS GRADUALLY GATHERING
MORE AND MORE AND MORE INFORMATION.
AS LONG AS YOU KEEP REMEMBERING AND REVISING STREETS,
THEY WILL STAY IN YOUR BRAIN.
Narrator: BUT HOW DOES THE BRAIN RETAIN AND ORDER ALL THAT INFORMATION?
AS THE SCIENTISTS SUSPECTED, MASTERING THE KNOWLEDGE
MAY HAVE A PHYSICAL IMPACT ON THE BRAIN ITSELF.
THEIR STUDY CONCLUDED THAT PART OF THE HIPPOCAMPUS
WAS, INDEED, LARGER-THAN-AVERAGE IN THESE DRIVERS.
IN FACT, THE MOST DRAMATIC DIFFERENCES
WERE SEEN IN THE DRIVERS WHO WERE ON THE JOB THE LONGEST.
Smith: THE HIPPOCAMPUS HAS A SPATIAL MAP IN IT.
AND WHAT SEEMS TO BE HAPPENING IN THE TAXI DRIVERS
IS THAT THE SPATIAL MAP IS LAID OUT OF CENTRAL LONDON,
AND LAYING THIS DOWN CAUSED THE CONNECTIONS TO DEVELOP
AND GROW, AND MORE OF THEM TO FORM,
AND THAT MAKES PART OF THE HIPPOCAMPUS GET BIGGER.
Kelly: IT'S ALMOST LIKE
YOU'VE SOMEHOW, SOMEWHERE UP IN YOUR BRAIN,
YOU'VE CREATED ENOUGH SPACE TO SORT OF SLIP THIS MAP IN,
A LITTLE BIT OF SOFTWARE.
Osborne: YOU'VE GOT TO SEE IT IN YOUR HEAD...
ON A MAP IN YOUR HEAD.
YOU'VE BUILT UP A BIG PICTURE OF LONDON AS A MAP IN YOUR MIND,
AND YOU CAN SEE THE LINES AND THE WIGGLES OF THE STREETS,
SO THAT YOU CAN SEE EXACTLY WHERE EVERYTHING IS.
Narrator: THIS STUDY SUGGESTS SOMETHING WE PRESUMED NOT POSSIBLE--
THAT THE ADULT BRAIN CAN RE-FASHION IT'S BASIC ANATOMY
ACCORDING TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF IT'S OWNER.
Smith: I THINK IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT STUDY
BECAUSE IT'S SHOWN FOR THE FIRST TIME--IN MAN--
THAT THE HIPPOCAMPUS CAN REORGANIZE ITSELF.
BUT WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
IT MEANS THAT THE HIPPOCAMPUS IS CHANGEABLE.
WE SAY IN SCIENCE IT'S PLASTIC, LIKE A LITTLE PLASTICINE, YOU KNOW.
IT ACTUALLY CAN CHANGE SHAPE.
Lee: I DEFINITELY FEEL AS IF
I'VE GOT A LARGER HIPPOCAMPUS THAN MOST PEOPLE.
IN FACT, IT'S BEEN SAID.
I'VE HAD PEOPLE GET IN THE CAB AND SAY,
"I'VE NOTICED YOU'VE GOT"
"A LARGER HIPPOCAMPUS THAN MOST OTHERS."
IT'S QUITE INTERESTING REALLY
BECAUSE WE JUST SET OUT TO DO THE KNOWLEDGE,
TO LEARN IT FOR OUR JOB.
AND NOW WE'RE BEING TOLD
THAT WE'VE EXERCISED PART OF OUR BRAIN
WHICH IS ENLARGED NOW AND...YOU KNOW,
IT'S GOING TO BE A BONUS ISN'T IT?
Narrator: IF HUMAN EXISTENCE
CAN BE DESCRIBED AS THE SUM OF OUR MEMORIES,
THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE STUDY ARE DRAMATIC AND FAR-REACHING.
ONCE WE WOULDN'T HAVE DARED TO DREAM
OUR BRAINS MIGHT POSSESS THIS KIND OF ADAPTABILITY.
NOW WE DREAM. CAN THESE INSIGHTS BE USED
TO HELP RESTORE THE MINDS OF STROKE VICTIMS,
ALZHEIMER'S PATIENTS, AND THOSE SUFFERING BRAIN TRAUMAS?
Mikkaela: I DO KNOW THAT HE'S GOING TO HAVE SURGERY
AND I KNOW HE'S GOING TO STAY IN THE HOSPITAL
FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS.
AND I KNOW THAT HE MIGHT HAVE TO LEARN
HOW TO READ AND WRITE AGAIN, A LITTLE BIT.
SO I MIGHT HAVE TO READ HIM SOME BOOKS
AND TEACH HIM HOW TO WRITE AGAIN.
AND I KNOW THAT HE'S KINDA SCARED ABOUT THIS,
AND MY MOM IS TOO.
Narrator: IT'S BEEN A SLEEPLESS NIGHT FOR SCOTT TOENIES,
SO BEING AWAKE FOR SURGERY AT 6 AM IS NOT A PROBLEM.
Lisa: RIGHT NOW I JUST... I'M TO THE POINT NOW
WHERE I WANT TO GET IT OVER WITH
JUST 'CAUSE I KNOW WHAT HE'S GOING THROUGH.
WE KNOW AND WE WERE TOLD
THAT HE WILL BE BANGED UP FOR A LITTLE WHILE.
BUT HOW LONG IS THAT GOING TO TAKE?
AND HOW MUCH IS IT GOING TO BE? THAT'S THE SCARY PART.
I WAS CALM UNTIL I SAW HIM WALK AWAY.
I TRIED TO FOLLOW AS FAR AS I COULD,
AND I KNEW I COULDN'T GO ANY FARTHER
WHEN HE GOT INTO THE PRE-OP.
IT'S LIKE I SAID "GOODBYE," BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW
WHAT HE WOULD BE LIKE COMING OUT.
Scott: I'M VERY SCARED. THERE'S A REASON YOU HAVE A SKULL.
IT'S TO PROTECT YOUR BRAIN.
AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY'RE GOING TO CRACK THAT OPEN
AND GO INTO YOUR BRAIN AND TAKE SOMETHING OUT OF THERE.
YOU KNOW, THE THOUGHT THAT SOMEONE THAT I'VE ONLY MET ONCE
IS GONNA...I'M TRUSTING MY HEAD TO BE DUG AROUND IN
BY THIS PERSON... IT'S A SCARY THOUGHT.
Narrator: SCOTT MUST REMAIN ABSOLUTELY STILL FOR THE SURGERY,
WHICH COULD LAST AS LONG AS SIX HOURS...
SO HIS HEAD IS BOLTED INTO PLACE.
THE DOTS FROM THE PREVIOUS DAY'S SCAN
ALLOW SURGEONS TO ALIGN THE IMAGES OF HIS BRAIN
WITH HIS ACTUAL BRAIN.
SCOTT IS BRIEFLY PUT TO SLEEP
WHILE HIS SKULL IS BEING OPENED FOR SURGERY.
THE DOCTORS WILL SOON WAKE HIM FOR THE REST OF THE OPERATION.
Meyer: FIRST THING WE'RE GONNA DO, I THINK,
IS WE'LL GO AHEAD AND STIMULATE...
CONFIRM THE PRE-CENTRAL GYRUS AS A START.
Narrator: GUIDED BY THE EXTRAORDINARY 3-D IMAGES
TO SEE WHERE HIS EYES CANNOT,
DR. MEYER IS ABLE TO CLOSE IN ON THE BORDERS OF THE TUMOR.
Meyer: WE COME TO THE TUMOR...
LOOKS LIKE WE'RE JUST ON THE OUTSIDE OF IT...
AND ANTERIORLY, THERE'S THE BORDER,
JUST AS YOU WOULD PREDICT.
SO THE TUMOR GOES FROM HERE...
FROM HERE, ALL THE WAY UP TO ABOUT HERE.
AND, OF COURSE, IT'S GOING DOWN DEEP, TOO.
ALL RIGHT, WE'RE GONNA START THE STIMULATION THEN, OKAY?
Narrator: ELECTRICAL IMPULSES WILL BRIEFLY SHUT DOWN BRAIN ACTIVITY
IN THE SPECIFIC AREA BEING TESTED
ALLOWING DR. MEYER TO SEE HOW FAR HE CAN CUT
WITHOUT SIGNIFICANT LOSS.
A FEW MILLIMETERS TO THE LEFT COULD IMPINGE SPEECH,
A FEW MILLIMETERS TO THE RIGHT COULD IMPEDE MOVEMENT.
Meyer: ON...
Scott: NUMB...NUMB... NUMB...MY ARM...
Soo: NUMBNESS OF THE ARM...
THERE'S A JERK AT THE FOREARM AND THE ELBOW.
Meyer: THIS AREA CAUSED MOVEMENT
OF HIS ARM, HIS HAND, HIS FINGERS AND THUMB, ALL IN HERE.
AND IT'S ALWAYS AMAZING, I THINK, TO ALL OF US,
THAT SUCH A LITTLE PART OF THE BRAIN HAS SO MUCH FUNCTION,
SORT OF A MIRACULOUS THING.
Narrator: IT WILL BE HOURS BEFORE LISA WILL HEAR ANY NEWS.
Lisa: I COULD SIT FOR MAYBE 20 MINUTES AT A STRETCH,
BUT THEN I WOULD HAVE TO DO SOMETHING ELSE.
I TRIED TO KEEP MYSELF OCCUPIED BUT IT WAS HARD.
I KEPT LOOKING AT MY WATCH AND...I WAS SCARED, VERY SCARED.
Narrator: AS DR. MEYER CUTS WITH HIS SCALPEL,
DR. DUFFY KEEPS A VIGIL
TO VERIFY THAT LANGUAGE IS NOT LOST.
Duffy: "PLEASE SIT DOWN."
Scott: PLEASE SIT DOWN.
"THEY RAISE GOOD POTATOES."
THEY RAISE GOOD POTATOES.
"WILL YOU ANSWER THE TELEPHONE?"
WILL YOU ANSWER THE TELEPHONE?
Scott: ACORN...WHOA, MY LEG, MY LEG, MY LEG, MY LEG...
Duffy: YOUR LEG?
Scott: ...MY LEG, MY LEG... IT'S TIGHTENING UP.
Duffy: HE FEELS TIGHTNESS IN HIS RIGHT LEG.
Meyer: OKAY.
Duffy: SPELL THE WORD "WATCH."
Scott: W-A-T-C-H.
Duffy: THE WORD "YELLOW."
Scott: Y-E-YELL... Y-E-YELL...Y-E-L-L-O-W.
Meyer: IS EVERYTHING OKAY?
Soo: THE RIGHT LEG IS GETTING A LITTLE BIT WEAKER.
Scott: THAT ONE GOT A LOT WEAKER.
Meyer: A LOT OR A LITTLE?
Scott: A LOT.
Soo: IT'S ABOUT MODERATE. IT'S ABOUT A MINUS TWO.
Meyer: OKAY, SO WE'LL STOP OUR RE-SECTION IN THAT AREA.
YOUR SPEECH IS JUST FINE, OBVIOUSLY. YOUR ARM'S OKAY,
BUT WE'RE NOT GONNA RESECT ANY MORE IN THAT LEG REGION, OKAY?
FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH, SCOTT,
WE'RE GETTING A VERY BIG REMOVAL OF YOUR TUMOR.
Scott: OKAY.
Meyer: I THINK IF WE GO ANY MORE,
WE'RE GONNA REALLY PROBABLY GUARANTEE GIVING YOU A PARALYSIS,
AND I DON'T THINK THAT'S A GOOD TRADE-OFF.
IF I WERE IN YOUR SHOES, I'D WANT ME TO STOP.
Meyer: WHAT PATIENTS GO THROUGH IS REALLY AN AWFUL EVENT.
IT'S AN AWFUL EXPERIENCE.
AND I THINK IT'S HELPFUL FOR THEM TO VISUALLY SEE...
"GOSH, THIS WAS IN ME AND NOW IT'S OUT."
Duffy: CAN YOU SEE THAT?
Scott: YES, I CAN. THAT'S THE TUMOR, HUH?
THAT'S THE TUMOR.
COOL. OKAY...
OKAY? ALL RIGHT. SEEN ENOUGH, HUH?
Meyer: AH, THERE YOU ARE. HE'S DOING JUST FINE.
EVERYTHING WENT AS WELL AS WE COULD HOPE FOR.
IT LOOKS LIKE WELL OVER 90 PERCENT OF THE TUMOR'S BEEN REMOVED,
WHICH IS BETTER THAN I THOUGHT WE WOULD DO, AS YOU KNOW.
IN TERMS OF HIS FUNCTION, UM,
I THINK IT'S SORT OF AS I PREDICTED TO YOU, BUT BETTER.
HIS LANGUAGE IS FINE. HIS ARM'S NORMAL...
Lisa: I WAS VERY NERVOUS WHEN DR. MEYER CAME AND TALKED TO US
BECAUSE I WAS EXPECTING DREADED NEWS.
BUT AS HE KEPT TALKING, IT KEPT LOOKING BETTER AND BETTER...
GOT A LITTLE BIT OF THE BRICK OFF MY SHOULDER.
Meyer: WE WOULD NEVER SAY THAT THIS IS A CURE,
BUT, I THINK, IN TERMS OF THE SPECTRUM OF THINGS,
I THINK WHAT WE DID TODAY
HAS GIVEN HIM A GOOD SHOT TO TRY TO BEAT IT.
Meyer: OKAY? OKAY, WE'LL LET YOU BE.
Lisa: I WAS SCARED TO SEE HIM, WHAT HE WOULD LOOK LIKE.
I WALKED AROUND THE CORNER SLOW
BECAUSE I KNEW WHAT WAS AHEAD, BUT I DIDN'T KNOW.
I EXPECTED HIS FACE TO BE SWOLLEN UP
AND ON OXYGEN AND THINGS LIKE THAT,
BUT WHEN I SAW HIM, I WAS, LIKE, RELIEVED. I COULD HANDLE IT.
HEY, YOU...
YOU MADE IT.
Scott: WHAT I'M FEELING RIGHT NOW IS...A LITTLE HEADACHE.
A LITTLE HEADACHE?
YEAH.
Lisa: HE SOUNDED VERY GOOD.
HE SQUEEZED MY HAND AND IT WAS PRETTY TIGHT
FOR HAVING SOME WEAKNESS FROM THE SWELLING.
Narrator: HAVING COME VERY CLOSE TO FACING DEATH,
SCOTT IS ABLE TO SPEAK AND MOVE.
WITHOUT AWAKE SURGERY
AND THE IMAGES THAT RENDERED HIS BRAIN TRANSPARENT,
THE RESULT MIGHT HAVE BEEN DISASTROUSLY DIFFERENT.
Lisa: IT'S GOOD TO SEE HIM SMILE 'CAUSE HE'S,
YOU KNOW...IT'S BEEN HARD FOR HIM TO SMILE LATELY.
Lisa: I LOVE YOU.
I LOVE YOU, TOO.
Narrator: SIX MONTHS LATER,
SCOTT RETURNS TO TEACHING AND COACHING FOOTBALL.
SOMEDAY, HIS CHILDREN'S GENERATION WILL INHABIT A WORLD
WHERE THE LEAPS OF SCIENCE THAT SAVED HIM WILL SEEM COMMONPLACE,
SURPASSED BY NEW ONES NOW UNIMAGINABLE TO US.
Coffey: EACH TIME A TOOL COMES INTO PLACE,
IT EXPANDS WHAT WE CAN DO.
IT'S LIKE THE INTERNET; IT CONSTANTLY IS EXPANDING.
SO WHAT I HAVE SEEN HAPPEN IN MY LIFETIME IN BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE
IS THE CHANGE FROM A HORSE AND CARRIAGE TO A SPACE SHUTTLE.
THE COMPUTER CHANGES ARE MINOR
COMPARED TO WHAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO SEE
CHANGE IN BIOLOGICAL UNDERSTANDING.
Narrator: FOR INEZ AND DARRYL,
THIS UNDERSTANDING HAS BEGOTTEN TWO LIVES--
LIVES THAT QUICKLY REVEAL THEIR OWN RESILIENCE.
BORN PREMATURELY BY EMERGENCY CAESARIAN,
KAYLA AND KASIM PEARSON
SPEND THEIR FIRST WEEKS IN THE HOSPITAL,
BUT SOON GROW HEALTHY AND STRONG.
Coffey: IS IT MAGIC?
IT'S LIKE WHEN YOU HOLD YOUR BABY FOR THE FIRST TIME.
YOU COULD SAY, "OH, THIS IS JUST DNA DIVIDING CELLS..."
WAIT A MINUTE-- THIS IS PRETTY AMAZING.
THIS GOES BEYOND JUST A SIMPLE DIVIDING DNA.
WHERE IN HERE DOES SOMETHING BECOME "MIRACLE OR MAGIC?"
A HUMAN, WHEN IT ALL COMES TOGETHER,
MAKES SOMETHING THAT'S MORE THAN THE SUM OF IT'S PARTS.
AND THAT SOMETHING IS CONSCIOUSNESS,
IS THE ABILITY TO STORE INFORMATION, TO THINK,
TO CREATE, AND TO CONCEIVE THE UNIVERSE.
THIS IS THE MYSTERY OF THE HUMAN.
WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT THE HUMAN POTENTIAL IS.
EVERYTHING WE THINK IS A ROADBLOCK
TO WHAT A HUMAN CAN DO PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY,
IS PROVEN TO BE WRONG.
AND THIS JUST MEANS THE LIMITATIONS THAT WE HAVE SET
CAN BE OVERCOME.
CAPTIONING CONVERTED TO SUBTITLES BY BLUE_EYED_DEVIL. Thanks DrDave.
THANK YOU NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC FOR YOUR EXCELLENT DOCUMENTARIES!