1 00:00:01,700 --> 00:00:04,933 -The human body is full of systems. 2 00:00:07,400 --> 00:00:09,733 {\an1}Some protect us... 3 00:00:09,766 --> 00:00:13,133 others nourish us or keep us moving... 4 00:00:13,166 --> 00:00:16,033 {\an8}♪♪ 5 00:00:16,066 --> 00:00:20,700 {\an1}But there's one system that controls all the others... 6 00:00:20,733 --> 00:00:26,700 {\an1}and it might be the one that truly makes you you... 7 00:00:26,733 --> 00:00:28,466 {\an1}the nervous system. 8 00:00:28,500 --> 00:00:31,400 {\an8}♪♪ 9 00:00:31,433 --> 00:00:34,500 To put it simply, it perceives the world 10 00:00:34,533 --> 00:00:37,400 and tells you how to react to it. 11 00:00:37,433 --> 00:00:39,900 {\an1}Should you jump... 12 00:00:39,933 --> 00:00:42,833 run...eat... 13 00:00:42,866 --> 00:00:46,466 shiver...cry? 14 00:00:46,500 --> 00:00:49,533 {\an1}It makes all of those split-second decisions. 15 00:00:49,566 --> 00:00:55,666 {\an1}And it also creates emotions, ideas, and memories. 16 00:00:55,700 --> 00:00:58,833 {\an1}Altogether, it's one incredible machine 17 00:00:58,866 --> 00:01:00,800 {\an1}that never stops reacting. 18 00:01:02,833 --> 00:01:06,100 {\an1}We're about to take a trip through an astonishing universe 19 00:01:06,133 --> 00:01:08,966 {\an1}that lives right inside our bodies 20 00:01:09,000 --> 00:01:12,400 {\an1}to uncover the systems that make us human. 21 00:01:12,433 --> 00:01:18,933 {\an8}♪♪ 22 00:01:18,966 --> 00:01:25,433 {\an8}♪♪ 23 00:01:25,466 --> 00:01:31,966 {\an8}♪♪ 24 00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:36,966 {\an1}It sits inside the skull in total darkness... 25 00:01:37,000 --> 00:01:40,533 three pounds of grayish-white matter, 26 00:01:40,566 --> 00:01:42,900 {\an1}the consistency of tofu. 27 00:01:45,433 --> 00:01:47,466 {\an1}It's more than 80% water 28 00:01:47,500 --> 00:01:49,933 with a little fat and a little protein. 29 00:01:49,966 --> 00:01:54,233 {\an8}♪♪ 30 00:01:54,266 --> 00:01:56,100 The brain. 31 00:01:56,133 --> 00:01:59,866 Mission control of the human body... 32 00:01:59,900 --> 00:02:03,966 {\an1}and the nervous system. 33 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:08,500 {\an1}It's in charge of how we react to everything. 34 00:02:10,866 --> 00:02:15,000 The brain is pure processing power, 35 00:02:15,033 --> 00:02:18,133 {\an1}connected to a giant network of nerves and fibers 36 00:02:18,166 --> 00:02:20,600 {\an1}that work in perfect synergy 37 00:02:20,633 --> 00:02:24,100 {\an1}to turn data to action. 38 00:02:24,133 --> 00:02:27,800 {\an8}♪♪ 39 00:02:27,833 --> 00:02:30,666 Especially when life comes at you fast. 40 00:02:30,700 --> 00:02:35,400 {\an8}♪♪ 41 00:02:39,700 --> 00:02:41,833 {\an7}-My name is Iman James. 42 00:02:41,866 --> 00:02:43,500 {\an8}I'm 29 years old, 43 00:02:43,533 --> 00:02:45,633 {\an7}and I am an amateur boxer. 44 00:02:45,666 --> 00:02:50,266 {\an8}♪♪ 45 00:02:50,300 --> 00:02:55,500 {\an8}♪♪ 46 00:02:55,533 --> 00:02:58,033 {\an1}-There are few sports that challenge your nervous system 47 00:02:58,066 --> 00:02:59,833 {\an1}quite like boxing. 48 00:02:59,866 --> 00:03:02,600 {\an1}I mean, think about it. 49 00:03:02,633 --> 00:03:05,100 {\an1}In a fraction of a second, you got to process 50 00:03:05,133 --> 00:03:09,100 {\an1}your opponent's move and react to it. 51 00:03:09,133 --> 00:03:10,933 {\an1}If you're not quick enough... 52 00:03:10,966 --> 00:03:12,733 {\an1}you definitely feel it. 53 00:03:12,766 --> 00:03:16,366 {\an8}♪♪ 54 00:03:16,400 --> 00:03:19,100 But as furious as the action seems 55 00:03:19,133 --> 00:03:20,900 {\an1}outside the body... 56 00:03:20,933 --> 00:03:22,766 {\an1}an even more high-speed dance 57 00:03:22,800 --> 00:03:25,600 {\an1}is occurring every moment on the inside. 58 00:03:29,900 --> 00:03:32,766 {\an8}♪♪ 59 00:03:32,800 --> 00:03:34,366 {\an1}See, the nervous system 60 00:03:34,400 --> 00:03:38,066 {\an1}is made up of highly specialized cells called neurons 61 00:03:38,100 --> 00:03:43,100 that send signals at hundreds of miles per hour. 62 00:03:43,133 --> 00:03:46,933 {\an1}-Neurons are the building blocks of the brain. 63 00:03:46,966 --> 00:03:52,366 {\an7}They are the parts that actually make you think... 64 00:03:52,400 --> 00:03:54,733 decide... 65 00:03:54,766 --> 00:03:57,033 imagine... 66 00:03:57,066 --> 00:03:59,666 see things or listen to things. 67 00:03:59,700 --> 00:04:02,333 -[ Laughs ] 68 00:04:02,366 --> 00:04:05,233 {\an1}-Neurons don't look like other cells. 69 00:04:05,266 --> 00:04:08,233 {\an1}Most cells are compact and round, 70 00:04:08,266 --> 00:04:11,966 {\an1}but neurons, they look more like the roots of a flower 71 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:14,666 {\an1}with strands that branch out in every direction 72 00:04:14,700 --> 00:04:16,300 {\an1}to connect to other neurons 73 00:04:16,333 --> 00:04:18,833 {\an1}so that they can pass information back and forth. 74 00:04:20,933 --> 00:04:25,133 {\an1}There are 100 billion of them inside the brain, 75 00:04:25,166 --> 00:04:27,633 {\an1}with millions more snaked throughout the body. 76 00:04:30,333 --> 00:04:33,266 {\an1}But what really makes them ingenious 77 00:04:33,300 --> 00:04:38,400 {\an1}is that we can train these cells to do almost anything... 78 00:04:38,433 --> 00:04:42,433 {\an1}and in the process, completely transform who we are. 79 00:04:42,466 --> 00:04:49,433 {\an8}♪♪ 80 00:04:49,466 --> 00:04:51,266 {\an1}-Everyone can box. 81 00:04:51,300 --> 00:04:55,266 {\an1}You have to kind of push aside that self-doubt at some point, 82 00:04:55,300 --> 00:04:57,266 {\an1}and once you accept that, you're like, 83 00:04:57,300 --> 00:05:00,866 {\an1}"Oh, what I become is entirely up to me." 84 00:05:00,900 --> 00:05:02,866 I am a teacher. 85 00:05:02,900 --> 00:05:06,733 {\an1}I teach middle school and high school math and health. 86 00:05:06,766 --> 00:05:09,466 {\an1}I became a teacher because I wanted to fulfill 87 00:05:09,500 --> 00:05:13,466 {\an1}some sort of need in kids' lives to push them to be better. 88 00:05:13,500 --> 00:05:16,366 {\an1}I want my students to know they can do anything they want. 89 00:05:16,400 --> 00:05:19,366 {\an8}♪♪ 90 00:05:19,400 --> 00:05:21,233 A lot of people make the assumption 91 00:05:21,266 --> 00:05:26,033 {\an1}that boxers come from, like, the hard knocks of life, 92 00:05:26,066 --> 00:05:30,200 {\an1}that you have to be really rough, maybe even angry. 93 00:05:30,233 --> 00:05:35,066 {\an1}I never got into a single physical fight as a kid. 94 00:05:35,100 --> 00:05:38,566 {\an1}I started boxing to lose weight in college. 95 00:05:38,600 --> 00:05:41,466 {\an1}I just totally fell in love with the sport. 96 00:05:41,500 --> 00:05:43,833 {\an1}Anytime I was hitting something, I was like, "Oh!" 97 00:05:43,866 --> 00:05:46,733 {\an1}It was like endorphins all the time. 98 00:05:46,766 --> 00:05:50,333 {\an1}That's what makes boxing so intoxicating. 99 00:05:54,233 --> 00:05:57,700 {\an1}-Being a boxer isn't just about landing a punch. 100 00:05:57,733 --> 00:06:01,800 It requires extreme mental agility. 101 00:06:01,833 --> 00:06:04,900 {\an1}And it all begins with sight. 102 00:06:04,933 --> 00:06:09,966 {\an8}♪♪ 103 00:06:10,000 --> 00:06:16,300 {\an1}Everything we see starts as one thing: light. 104 00:06:16,333 --> 00:06:18,600 {\an1}When light particles enter the eye 105 00:06:18,633 --> 00:06:22,133 {\an1}through that black hole at the center... 106 00:06:22,166 --> 00:06:24,466 {\an1}they make their way to the back wall of the eyeball 107 00:06:24,500 --> 00:06:28,066 where they hit a thin piece of tissue... 108 00:06:28,100 --> 00:06:29,633 {\an1}called the retina. 109 00:06:29,666 --> 00:06:32,900 {\an8}♪♪ 110 00:06:32,933 --> 00:06:38,100 {\an1}The retina has millions of tiny receptors called rods and cones, 111 00:06:38,133 --> 00:06:40,800 {\an1}which absorb the light particles coming in 112 00:06:40,833 --> 00:06:44,466 {\an1}and send them back as something the brain can use: 113 00:06:44,500 --> 00:06:46,266 electricity. 114 00:06:48,500 --> 00:06:52,100 {\an1}These electrical signals travel to the optic nerve 115 00:06:52,133 --> 00:06:54,266 {\an1}and onto the brain. 116 00:06:54,300 --> 00:06:56,933 {\an1}Impulses are kind of like Morse Code, 117 00:06:56,966 --> 00:07:01,666 {\an1}and the brain takes that code and turns it into your reality. 118 00:07:03,666 --> 00:07:06,633 {\an7}-The amount of compression of data 119 00:07:06,666 --> 00:07:10,166 {\an7}that happens between the retina and the optic nerve 120 00:07:10,200 --> 00:07:13,000 {\an1}is the biggest amount of data compression 121 00:07:13,033 --> 00:07:15,166 that we've really witnessed in biology, 122 00:07:15,200 --> 00:07:18,833 {\an1}and it's right here in our eyes. 123 00:07:18,866 --> 00:07:21,833 {\an1}-Every second, the eye transmits 124 00:07:21,866 --> 00:07:24,600 {\an1}10 million pulses to the brain 125 00:07:24,633 --> 00:07:28,666 at a speed of 270 miles per hour. 126 00:07:28,700 --> 00:07:34,433 {\an1}Then just as quickly, the brain has to react. 127 00:07:34,466 --> 00:07:37,333 {\an1}So a boxer sees a punch coming. 128 00:07:37,366 --> 00:07:41,133 {\an1}That info zips to the brain, 129 00:07:41,166 --> 00:07:42,866 {\an1}then a conversation happens. 130 00:07:42,900 --> 00:07:46,466 {\an1}Should I duck or knock her out? 131 00:07:46,500 --> 00:07:49,700 {\an1}Like any decision, it's about weighing the options. 132 00:07:52,366 --> 00:07:57,033 {\an1}Maybe the boxer has a memory of being punched before... 133 00:07:57,066 --> 00:07:59,933 or maybe this is a brand-new experience. 134 00:07:59,966 --> 00:08:03,000 {\an8}♪♪ 135 00:08:03,033 --> 00:08:06,700 {\an1}Either way, in an instant the brain makes a call, 136 00:08:06,733 --> 00:08:09,400 {\an1}and a host of neurons begin firing. 137 00:08:09,433 --> 00:08:13,233 {\an8}♪♪ 138 00:08:13,266 --> 00:08:17,266 {\an7}-Neurons in the brain communicate through electricity 139 00:08:17,300 --> 00:08:19,600 {\an7}and through releasing chemicals. 140 00:08:19,633 --> 00:08:22,900 {\an1}At the end of a cell is a synapse 141 00:08:22,933 --> 00:08:25,933 {\an1}and it's the small space between neurons. 142 00:08:25,966 --> 00:08:29,066 {\an1}So the first neuron releases a chemical substance 143 00:08:29,100 --> 00:08:30,900 that's detected by the second neuron 144 00:08:30,933 --> 00:08:34,666 {\an1}which then continues that electrical activity. 145 00:08:34,700 --> 00:08:37,766 {\an1}You can say it's a mixture of a lighting storm 146 00:08:37,800 --> 00:08:40,566 {\an1}and a chemical storm. 147 00:08:40,600 --> 00:08:43,733 {\an1}-Our brain sends new impulses across our body 148 00:08:43,766 --> 00:08:46,366 triggering just the right muscles... 149 00:08:46,400 --> 00:08:47,933 to react. 150 00:08:47,966 --> 00:08:51,933 {\an8}♪♪ 151 00:08:51,966 --> 00:08:56,533 {\an8}♪♪ 152 00:08:56,566 --> 00:09:01,466 {\an1}-The first time I sparred, I almost, I swear to God, died. 153 00:09:01,500 --> 00:09:03,133 {\an1}We did three 2-minute rounds. 154 00:09:03,166 --> 00:09:07,000 {\an1}It was the longest six minutes of my life... 155 00:09:07,033 --> 00:09:09,333 and it was hard and I got hit a lot, 156 00:09:09,366 --> 00:09:12,000 {\an1}but I knew what I needed to work on, 157 00:09:12,033 --> 00:09:14,233 and that's what this sport is about. 158 00:09:14,266 --> 00:09:19,266 {\an8}♪♪ 159 00:09:19,300 --> 00:09:21,933 {\an1}-One of the most remarkable things about the brain 160 00:09:21,966 --> 00:09:24,933 {\an1}is how adaptable it is... 161 00:09:24,966 --> 00:09:26,666 {\an1}with a little practice. 162 00:09:26,700 --> 00:09:28,800 {\an8}♪♪ 163 00:09:28,833 --> 00:09:33,166 {\an1}-So a boxer, like most athletes, carry out the same movements 164 00:09:33,200 --> 00:09:36,033 {\an1}repeatedly over and over. 165 00:09:36,066 --> 00:09:38,800 {\an8}♪♪ 166 00:09:38,833 --> 00:09:42,633 {\an1}And the more and more you do it, the brain learns, 167 00:09:42,666 --> 00:09:46,300 {\an1}and it gets encoded into muscle memory. 168 00:09:48,833 --> 00:09:53,633 {\an1}-PJ has been my coach since 2015. 169 00:09:53,666 --> 00:09:57,066 {\an1}Hitting the pads with PJ does a lot to help me prepare. 170 00:09:57,100 --> 00:10:00,233 {\an1}Helps me to work on timing, on defense, 171 00:10:00,266 --> 00:10:02,966 {\an1}on footwork, combinations. 172 00:10:03,000 --> 00:10:06,433 {\an1}What we're trying to get to is perfection. 173 00:10:06,466 --> 00:10:08,966 {\an1}Obviously that doesn't really exist, 174 00:10:09,000 --> 00:10:13,633 {\an1}but if you're not striving for it, then what's the point? 175 00:10:13,666 --> 00:10:16,600 {\an1}-The more you practice something, 176 00:10:16,633 --> 00:10:21,633 the more somehow your brain changes. 177 00:10:21,666 --> 00:10:24,500 {\an1}This is called neuroplasticity. 178 00:10:24,533 --> 00:10:28,066 {\an8}♪♪ 179 00:10:28,100 --> 00:10:30,466 {\an1}-This system is pretty flexible. 180 00:10:30,500 --> 00:10:32,733 {\an1}Every single neuron in the brain 181 00:10:32,766 --> 00:10:36,566 {\an1}can form up to 10,000 connections with other neurons. 182 00:10:36,600 --> 00:10:39,233 {\an1}And those links change... 183 00:10:39,266 --> 00:10:41,466 {\an1}based on the things that we do most. 184 00:10:43,533 --> 00:10:46,466 {\an1}When a boxer learns a new move... 185 00:10:46,500 --> 00:10:50,433 {\an1}the pathway is temporary, 186 00:10:50,466 --> 00:10:55,100 {\an1}forged by chemicals surrounding the neuron. 187 00:10:55,133 --> 00:10:57,766 {\an1}But as she practices... 188 00:10:57,800 --> 00:10:59,900 day in... 189 00:10:59,933 --> 00:11:01,900 day out... 190 00:11:01,933 --> 00:11:05,800 {\an1}those chemical changes become structural. 191 00:11:05,833 --> 00:11:08,533 {\an1}Over time, neurons will actually change shape 192 00:11:08,566 --> 00:11:10,733 {\an1}and shift their position. 193 00:11:10,766 --> 00:11:13,800 {\an1}And as the pathway gets more fixed... 194 00:11:13,833 --> 00:11:17,233 {\an1}connections between different brain regions strengthen. 195 00:11:20,533 --> 00:11:23,566 {\an1}-Since I first started fighting, 196 00:11:23,600 --> 00:11:28,366 {\an1}I've definitely gotten calmer in the ring. 197 00:11:28,400 --> 00:11:32,666 {\an1}Punches come to me and I'm not overreacting. 198 00:11:32,700 --> 00:11:36,166 {\an1}When I'm fighting, time disappears. 199 00:11:36,200 --> 00:11:38,000 {\an1}I don't even have to think, 200 00:11:38,033 --> 00:11:41,700 {\an1}but instinctively I'm moving and evading those punches, 201 00:11:41,733 --> 00:11:46,366 {\an1}and it takes no effort when the mind and body are one. 202 00:11:51,066 --> 00:11:53,566 {\an8}♪♪ 203 00:11:53,600 --> 00:11:55,200 {\an1}-It's astonishing to me 204 00:11:55,233 --> 00:11:59,500 {\an1}just how adaptable our brain can be. 205 00:11:59,533 --> 00:12:03,100 {\an1}By practicing things we want to get good at, we do get better. 206 00:12:03,133 --> 00:12:05,600 {\an1}We do lay down the neural frameworks 207 00:12:05,633 --> 00:12:09,933 {\an1}to be able to improve ourselves at certain tasks. 208 00:12:09,966 --> 00:12:12,433 That mechanism of transmitting 209 00:12:12,466 --> 00:12:14,933 {\an1}those, what we call actual potentials, 210 00:12:14,966 --> 00:12:16,766 {\an1}from one neuron to another 211 00:12:16,800 --> 00:12:21,266 {\an1}is the basis of how information is transmitted in our body, 212 00:12:21,300 --> 00:12:24,266 {\an1}is the basis of computation, 213 00:12:24,300 --> 00:12:28,866 {\an1}and is the basis of memory in our minds. 214 00:12:28,900 --> 00:12:31,433 {\an8}♪♪ 215 00:12:31,466 --> 00:12:34,100 {\an1}-A memory is just a group of neurons 216 00:12:34,133 --> 00:12:36,233 {\an1}having a familiar conversation. 217 00:12:38,633 --> 00:12:40,200 {\an1}So as we learn a new skill, 218 00:12:40,233 --> 00:12:42,866 {\an1}we're forming a stronger and stronger memory 219 00:12:42,900 --> 00:12:45,766 {\an1}of how to accomplish that task. 220 00:12:45,800 --> 00:12:48,733 {\an1}Skills that require us to use our muscles... 221 00:12:48,766 --> 00:12:52,366 {\an1}like sinking a basket, playing the piano, 222 00:12:52,400 --> 00:12:55,300 {\an1}or tying a shoe, can be locked into our memories 223 00:12:55,333 --> 00:12:57,433 for a lifetime. 224 00:12:57,466 --> 00:13:00,466 Hence the saying, "It's like riding a bike." 225 00:13:04,200 --> 00:13:07,600 {\an1}But other memories, like faces and names, 226 00:13:07,633 --> 00:13:11,866 {\an1}can fade over time as we need them less. 227 00:13:11,900 --> 00:13:15,233 {\an1}Our neurons forget how to make those connections. 228 00:13:18,033 --> 00:13:21,200 {\an1}There is one way a memory tends to stick around... 229 00:13:23,366 --> 00:13:26,500 {\an1}and that's when there's a strong emotion attached to it. 230 00:13:26,533 --> 00:13:29,466 {\an8}♪♪ 231 00:13:29,500 --> 00:13:34,166 {\an1}In fact, emotions and the nervous system go hand in hand. 232 00:13:36,466 --> 00:13:37,966 {\an1}The nervous system is in charge 233 00:13:38,000 --> 00:13:40,700 {\an1}not only of processing our emotions, 234 00:13:40,733 --> 00:13:43,033 but deciding how we react to them. 235 00:13:45,466 --> 00:13:48,500 {\an1}But sometimes, emotions are so strong 236 00:13:48,533 --> 00:13:50,433 {\an1}that they overload the system... 237 00:13:50,466 --> 00:13:54,266 {\an8}♪♪ 238 00:13:54,300 --> 00:13:56,466 {\an1}...with life threatening consequences. 239 00:13:56,500 --> 00:13:59,800 {\an1}[ Birds chirping ] 240 00:14:06,233 --> 00:14:11,500 {\an8}♪♪ 241 00:14:11,533 --> 00:14:16,833 {\an8}♪♪ 242 00:14:16,866 --> 00:14:19,300 {\an7}-[ Speaking Spanish ] 243 00:14:59,933 --> 00:15:02,233 {\an1}-We are following the path of Hurricane Maria 244 00:15:02,266 --> 00:15:04,166 {\an1}now battering Puerto Rico. 245 00:15:04,200 --> 00:15:06,300 {\an1}-The hurricane is doing incredible damage 246 00:15:06,333 --> 00:15:10,466 {\an1}to a country that really is not in any shape to withstand it. 247 00:15:10,500 --> 00:15:13,100 {\an1}-In September 2017, 248 00:15:13,133 --> 00:15:17,300 {\an1}a category 5 hurricane descended upon Puerto Rico. 249 00:15:21,500 --> 00:15:24,266 {\an1}Magaly Rodriguez lived with her two daughters 250 00:15:24,300 --> 00:15:27,300 {\an1}on a remote stretch of the island. 251 00:15:27,333 --> 00:15:31,000 {\an1}She was about to live through two kinds of hell -- 252 00:15:31,033 --> 00:15:35,133 the storm itself, and fear shutting down her body. 253 00:15:35,166 --> 00:15:38,133 {\an8}♪♪ 254 00:15:38,166 --> 00:15:40,666 {\an7}-[ Speaking Spanish ] 255 00:16:24,500 --> 00:16:28,800 {\an1}-Fear is a very powerful protective mechanism 256 00:16:28,833 --> 00:16:30,400 for us as people. 257 00:16:31,900 --> 00:16:37,033 {\an1}It's an enormously powerful adaptation 258 00:16:37,066 --> 00:16:40,400 {\an1}to helping us internalize a threat 259 00:16:40,433 --> 00:16:43,033 and then be able to respond to it 260 00:16:43,066 --> 00:16:45,400 {\an1}hopefully before the threat catches up to us. 261 00:16:45,433 --> 00:16:48,033 {\an8}♪♪ 262 00:16:48,066 --> 00:16:49,900 {\an1}-Inside the brain, 263 00:16:49,933 --> 00:16:53,800 {\an1}you find one region that really controls the fear instinct. 264 00:16:53,833 --> 00:16:56,800 It's an inch-long almond-shaped bulb 265 00:16:56,833 --> 00:16:58,400 {\an1}called the amygdala. 266 00:17:01,266 --> 00:17:03,600 {\an1}When we're faced with a dangerous situation, 267 00:17:03,633 --> 00:17:07,100 {\an1}the amygdala sounds an alarm... 268 00:17:07,133 --> 00:17:09,433 {\an1}setting off a chain of events. 269 00:17:11,633 --> 00:17:14,566 {\an1}A cocktail of hormones courses through the body. 270 00:17:17,066 --> 00:17:20,900 {\an1}Pupils dilate to take in more light. 271 00:17:20,933 --> 00:17:23,500 The heart begins pumping blood faster. 272 00:17:25,800 --> 00:17:28,966 {\an1}And that blood is rerouted from less essential organs 273 00:17:29,000 --> 00:17:31,866 {\an1}to higher priority ones like leg muscles 274 00:17:31,900 --> 00:17:34,100 {\an1}that can kick or run. 275 00:17:34,133 --> 00:17:37,466 {\an8}♪♪ 276 00:17:37,500 --> 00:17:41,633 {\an1}That's why when you're scared, you get butterflies. 277 00:17:41,666 --> 00:17:44,966 {\an1}Blood flow to your stomach dramatically slows down. 278 00:17:45,000 --> 00:17:48,966 {\an8}♪♪ 279 00:17:49,000 --> 00:17:51,300 {\an1}It's also why you get the chills, 280 00:17:51,333 --> 00:17:55,366 {\an1}with less blood in the skin to keep you warm. 281 00:17:55,400 --> 00:17:58,100 {\an1}All of these changes are preparing you 282 00:17:58,133 --> 00:18:00,866 {\an1}to react to the threat... 283 00:18:02,366 --> 00:18:07,333 {\an1}...by either standing your ground or running for your life. 284 00:18:07,366 --> 00:18:09,700 {\an1}-The fight or flight response is ancient. 285 00:18:09,733 --> 00:18:13,466 {\an1}In humans, it's similar to how it is in other organisms. 286 00:18:13,500 --> 00:18:17,833 {\an7}It's what happens when you are faced with a sudden danger 287 00:18:17,866 --> 00:18:20,366 {\an7}or something that alarms you. 288 00:18:20,400 --> 00:18:21,866 {\an1}-But danger is usually 289 00:18:21,900 --> 00:18:24,833 more complex than just fight or flight. 290 00:18:24,866 --> 00:18:27,800 {\an1}And when you're staring at a crisis, fear, 291 00:18:27,833 --> 00:18:29,766 {\an1}and how your brain interprets it, 292 00:18:29,800 --> 00:18:32,566 {\an1}can quickly become the greatest threat. 293 00:18:35,566 --> 00:18:38,000 {\an7}-[ Speaking Spanish ] 294 00:19:04,933 --> 00:19:08,000 -Sometimes during extreme stress, 295 00:19:08,033 --> 00:19:12,766 {\an1}the fear response takes total control of the mind and body. 296 00:19:12,800 --> 00:19:16,733 {\an1}We end up completely paralyzed by our own emotions. 297 00:19:17,900 --> 00:19:21,066 {\an1}It's a phenomenon known as the amygdala hijack. 298 00:19:24,033 --> 00:19:26,433 {\an1}The parts of the brain that use logic and reason 299 00:19:26,466 --> 00:19:28,666 {\an1}shut down completely. 300 00:19:28,700 --> 00:19:30,766 {\an1}No signals can reach them. 301 00:19:30,800 --> 00:19:33,200 {\an1}The impulses go straight to the amygdala, 302 00:19:33,233 --> 00:19:37,566 {\an1}which runs totally on instinct and emotion. 303 00:19:37,600 --> 00:19:40,766 {\an1}When this happens, you might experience an unwarranted 304 00:19:40,800 --> 00:19:44,900 outburst of anger or become frozen in fear. 305 00:19:46,900 --> 00:19:49,266 {\an7}-[ Speaking Spanish ] 306 00:20:10,766 --> 00:20:13,600 {\an1}-Magaly's fear response left her powerless 307 00:20:13,633 --> 00:20:15,933 {\an1}when her daughters needed her to be strong. 308 00:20:18,300 --> 00:20:22,100 {\an1}She was determined to never let that happen again. 309 00:20:22,133 --> 00:20:24,600 {\an1}-When fear goes too far, 310 00:20:24,633 --> 00:20:27,766 if fear becomes the dominant sensation 311 00:20:27,800 --> 00:20:31,400 {\an1}that we experience as humans, that can prevent us 312 00:20:31,433 --> 00:20:36,633 {\an1}from taking on new challenges and potentially growing. 313 00:20:40,233 --> 00:20:44,733 {\an8}♪♪ 314 00:20:44,766 --> 00:20:48,466 {\an1}-But how our brains react is actually up to us. 315 00:20:50,866 --> 00:20:53,066 {\an1}We can learn to control fear 316 00:20:53,100 --> 00:20:55,600 {\an1}by making it more familiar. 317 00:20:55,633 --> 00:20:57,600 That's why now 318 00:20:57,633 --> 00:21:00,700 {\an1}Magaly is training to become a first responder. 319 00:21:03,466 --> 00:21:06,100 {\an1}She's about to take part in a disaster rescue drill 320 00:21:06,133 --> 00:21:09,066 {\an1}that will put her fear tolerance to the test... 321 00:21:09,100 --> 00:21:11,500 {\an8}♪♪ 322 00:21:11,533 --> 00:21:16,333 {\an1}...so she can learn to quiet her amygdala's alarm bells. 323 00:21:16,366 --> 00:21:21,233 {\an1}-We can train different parts of our brain to turn on and off. 324 00:21:21,266 --> 00:21:26,466 {\an7}There's a huge component of biofeedback, of thinking, 325 00:21:26,500 --> 00:21:28,766 {\an8}of breathing that can really help us. 326 00:21:30,866 --> 00:21:33,600 {\an7}-[ Speaking Spanish ] 327 00:21:57,500 --> 00:21:59,166 {\an1}-[ Moaning in distance ] 328 00:22:17,666 --> 00:22:19,233 -Blood... 329 00:22:19,266 --> 00:22:21,166 smoke... 330 00:22:21,200 --> 00:22:23,533 screams. -[ Screaming in distance ] 331 00:22:23,566 --> 00:22:28,333 {\an1}-All meant to flood the brain with stress. 332 00:22:28,366 --> 00:22:31,700 {\an1}But that's the whole point. 333 00:22:31,733 --> 00:22:34,966 {\an1}It's mental boot camp. 334 00:22:35,000 --> 00:22:37,366 {\an1}Just like how we can improve our muscles' speed 335 00:22:37,400 --> 00:22:40,333 {\an1}and strength with practice... 336 00:22:40,366 --> 00:22:42,700 {\an1}we can do the same with our emotions. 337 00:22:48,900 --> 00:22:52,066 {\an1}-When we expose ourselves in small, controlled doses 338 00:22:52,100 --> 00:22:54,566 to the things that make us stressed, 339 00:22:54,600 --> 00:22:56,700 {\an1}we can build resistance. 340 00:22:56,733 --> 00:23:00,033 {\an1}Our anxiety tolerance goes up, 341 00:23:00,066 --> 00:23:03,433 {\an1}and the amygdala can work to our advantage. 342 00:23:03,466 --> 00:23:07,400 {\an1}-The amygdala is a beautiful, beautiful structure 343 00:23:07,433 --> 00:23:09,566 {\an1}because that's where a lot of memories, 344 00:23:09,600 --> 00:23:13,400 {\an1}especially emotional memories are stored. 345 00:23:13,433 --> 00:23:20,366 {\an1}It stores not only negative, but also positive memories. 346 00:23:20,400 --> 00:23:22,466 {\an1}-If we can train our brains to remember 347 00:23:22,500 --> 00:23:25,900 how we handled the stressful situation, 348 00:23:25,933 --> 00:23:28,866 {\an1}the amygdala will recall that stored memory 349 00:23:28,900 --> 00:23:32,266 {\an1}in a future moment of fear... 350 00:23:32,300 --> 00:23:37,166 {\an1}and allow logic and reason to stick around. 351 00:23:54,800 --> 00:23:58,133 {\an1}-Your nervous system actually has all the tools it needs 352 00:23:58,166 --> 00:24:01,700 to keep you calm during stressful situations... 353 00:24:01,733 --> 00:24:04,366 {\an1}You just need to know how to activate them. 354 00:24:04,400 --> 00:24:06,700 -We essentially have two branches 355 00:24:06,733 --> 00:24:08,866 {\an1}of our autonomic nervous system, 356 00:24:08,900 --> 00:24:12,633 {\an1}the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic. 357 00:24:12,666 --> 00:24:16,366 {\an1}Now, sympathetic nervous system is our fight or flight response. 358 00:24:16,400 --> 00:24:19,100 {\an1}Too much of this stress response is not a good thing, 359 00:24:19,133 --> 00:24:20,533 {\an1}and that's when we need a kick 360 00:24:20,566 --> 00:24:22,366 {\an1}in our parasympathetic nervous system. 361 00:24:22,400 --> 00:24:24,300 {\an1}This is the part of your body that's going to help you 362 00:24:24,333 --> 00:24:27,200 {\an1}basically do all the maintenance things such as digesting food. 363 00:24:27,233 --> 00:24:30,533 {\an1}Being able to activate your parasympathetic nervous system 364 00:24:30,566 --> 00:24:32,933 a little bit more is a good thing, 365 00:24:32,966 --> 00:24:35,366 {\an1}and people can do this when they're in a stressful situation 366 00:24:35,400 --> 00:24:38,033 that might fire their sympathetic nervous system 367 00:24:38,066 --> 00:24:41,266 {\an1}by taking a step back, calming their anxiety, 368 00:24:41,300 --> 00:24:43,866 {\an1}calming their stress, taking a deep breath. 369 00:24:43,900 --> 00:24:46,033 {\an1}And trying to get a little bit more in tune 370 00:24:46,066 --> 00:24:48,166 {\an1}to what the situation is. 371 00:24:50,866 --> 00:24:52,600 -[ Moaning ] -[ Speaking Spanish ] 372 00:24:52,633 --> 00:24:54,266 {\an1}-The types of stimuli 373 00:24:54,300 --> 00:24:56,833 {\an1}that we expose ourselves to repeatedly... 374 00:24:58,533 --> 00:25:01,033 {\an1}...become the kinds of stimuli 375 00:25:01,066 --> 00:25:06,766 {\an1}that we become masters eventually at dealing with. 376 00:25:39,700 --> 00:25:43,400 {\an8}♪♪ 377 00:25:48,400 --> 00:25:52,033 {\an1}-We're still discovering day by day how the brain works. 378 00:25:54,466 --> 00:25:57,733 {\an1}The brain is made up of so many complex pieces 379 00:25:57,766 --> 00:26:00,033 {\an1}working all the time all together 380 00:26:00,066 --> 00:26:03,500 {\an1}to achieve the things that you want to do. 381 00:26:03,533 --> 00:26:06,733 {\an1}The most interesting part for me happens in the brain 382 00:26:06,766 --> 00:26:10,600 {\an1}and its communication with the spinal cord. 383 00:26:10,633 --> 00:26:13,966 {\an1}-The spinal cord is like a super highway 384 00:26:14,000 --> 00:26:18,300 {\an1}that connects the brain to the rest of the body. 385 00:26:18,333 --> 00:26:22,166 {\an1}This thick bundle of cables has 31 pairs of nerve fibers 386 00:26:22,200 --> 00:26:24,966 that branch out to our extremities... 387 00:26:25,000 --> 00:26:27,933 {\an1}The way it's laid out allows the brain to interact 388 00:26:27,966 --> 00:26:31,166 with every organ, muscle, and cell. 389 00:26:31,200 --> 00:26:34,066 {\an8}♪♪ 390 00:26:34,100 --> 00:26:38,000 {\an1}-All these neurons are all interconnected 391 00:26:38,033 --> 00:26:41,666 {\an1}so they can all talk to each other 392 00:26:41,700 --> 00:26:45,433 and through this very important network 393 00:26:45,466 --> 00:26:47,833 {\an1}we are able to constantly sense 394 00:26:47,866 --> 00:26:50,133 what is going on in the outside world. 395 00:26:52,666 --> 00:26:55,333 {\an1}-From our little pinky toe to our brain, 396 00:26:55,366 --> 00:26:59,233 {\an1}our body uses a system of communication in our nerves 397 00:26:59,266 --> 00:27:02,100 {\an1}that's a lot like digital data. 398 00:27:04,200 --> 00:27:08,833 {\an1}We store information as almost like ones and zeros, 399 00:27:08,866 --> 00:27:13,300 pulses of voltage that represent information. 400 00:27:13,333 --> 00:27:17,366 {\an8}♪♪ 401 00:27:17,400 --> 00:27:20,800 -Together, the brain and spinal cord 402 00:27:20,833 --> 00:27:24,200 {\an1}form the body's main electrical hub. 403 00:27:24,233 --> 00:27:28,533 {\an1}The wiring they contain is extremely delicate, 404 00:27:28,566 --> 00:27:31,066 {\an1}so they nestle inside the solid bone layers 405 00:27:31,100 --> 00:27:33,633 {\an1}of the skull and vertebrae. 406 00:27:33,666 --> 00:27:38,533 {\an1}They're also suspended in a clear fluid that absorbs shock. 407 00:27:38,566 --> 00:27:42,333 {\an1}No other piece of our biology has this level of protection. 408 00:27:44,000 --> 00:27:46,166 {\an1}And for good reason. 409 00:27:46,200 --> 00:27:50,133 {\an1}Just like when the electrical grids that power cities go dark, 410 00:27:50,166 --> 00:27:53,033 {\an1}a damaged nervous system wreak havoc. 411 00:27:53,066 --> 00:27:56,800 And for the body, a blackout means pain. 412 00:27:56,833 --> 00:28:01,600 {\an8}♪♪ 413 00:28:01,633 --> 00:28:06,400 {\an8}♪♪ 414 00:28:09,400 --> 00:28:15,400 {\an8}♪♪ 415 00:28:15,433 --> 00:28:17,366 {\an7}-My name is Andy Haldane. 416 00:28:17,400 --> 00:28:20,800 {\an7}I'm a cell tower engineer. 417 00:28:20,833 --> 00:28:24,066 {\an1}The carrier reported a signal loss, 418 00:28:24,100 --> 00:28:26,300 {\an1}so we're here today to assess the situation 419 00:28:26,333 --> 00:28:28,466 and make sure we can bring the signal back up. 420 00:28:28,500 --> 00:28:32,366 {\an1}Ready to get this done? -Let's do it. 421 00:28:32,400 --> 00:28:34,700 {\an1}-Today we're going to climb a 120-foot tower. 422 00:28:34,733 --> 00:28:37,466 {\an8}♪♪ 423 00:28:37,500 --> 00:28:39,966 {\an1}Working on towers has historically been 424 00:28:40,000 --> 00:28:43,800 {\an1}one of the most hazardous jobs out there. 425 00:28:43,833 --> 00:28:45,933 {\an1}It's physically demanding. 426 00:28:45,966 --> 00:28:51,133 {\an1}Physically reaching and pulling yourself up over and over again. 427 00:28:51,166 --> 00:28:52,600 {\an1}I don't care how in shape you are, 428 00:28:52,633 --> 00:28:54,300 you can only do so many pull ups. 429 00:28:56,466 --> 00:28:58,633 {\an1}The longer I climb, different fatigue 430 00:28:58,666 --> 00:29:01,366 starts setting in different places. 431 00:29:01,400 --> 00:29:05,033 {\an1}At some point you can't go on without taking a breather. 432 00:29:05,066 --> 00:29:06,633 -Hold, Mike. -Yup. 433 00:29:06,666 --> 00:29:09,800 {\an8}♪♪ 434 00:29:09,833 --> 00:29:12,633 -I do suffer from lower back pain. 435 00:29:12,666 --> 00:29:15,466 {\an1}-Man, you gotta give me a minute, Mike. 436 00:29:15,500 --> 00:29:19,600 {\an1}Needs a little aerial yoga, getting this thing worked out. 437 00:29:19,633 --> 00:29:22,166 {\an1}-Tower climbing is not for everybody. 438 00:29:22,200 --> 00:29:25,200 {\an1}I think it's a unique skill set to be smart enough 439 00:29:25,233 --> 00:29:28,666 {\an1}to be an engineer and dumb enough to climb a tower. 440 00:29:28,700 --> 00:29:33,366 {\an8}♪♪ 441 00:29:33,400 --> 00:29:36,266 {\an1}-One of the strongest lines of evidence for evolution 442 00:29:36,300 --> 00:29:40,033 is the fact that we're not perfect. 443 00:29:40,066 --> 00:29:41,366 {\an1}When we look at our own bodies, 444 00:29:41,400 --> 00:29:43,933 there are things that don't make sense. 445 00:29:43,966 --> 00:29:47,966 {\an1}Like the fact that back pain is so common in humans. 446 00:29:48,000 --> 00:29:50,666 {\an1}And that's because our spinal column 447 00:29:50,700 --> 00:29:55,000 {\an1}is a structure that was based on a quadrupedal design 448 00:29:55,033 --> 00:29:58,266 {\an1}because our ancestors were quadrupeds and not bipeds. 449 00:29:58,300 --> 00:30:01,433 {\an1}So we've taken this quadrupedal design and modified it 450 00:30:01,466 --> 00:30:03,600 {\an1}so that we can be upright, which means 451 00:30:03,633 --> 00:30:06,366 that our spine have curvatures and shapes 452 00:30:06,400 --> 00:30:09,066 {\an1}that are not found in other organisms. 453 00:30:11,466 --> 00:30:14,800 {\an1}-This design flaw means that nerves often get sandwiched 454 00:30:14,833 --> 00:30:17,833 {\an1}between the very bones meant to protect them... 455 00:30:20,300 --> 00:30:25,700 {\an1}And when that happens, a whole new neural sensation can occur: 456 00:30:25,733 --> 00:30:28,200 pain. 457 00:30:28,233 --> 00:30:32,500 In other words, evolution kind of hurts. 458 00:30:32,533 --> 00:30:35,300 {\an1}-We have pain fibers all throughout our body. 459 00:30:35,333 --> 00:30:37,533 {\an1}Now, these fibers can send a specific signal 460 00:30:37,566 --> 00:30:41,500 {\an1}right to our brain, and our brain can process this as pain. 461 00:30:43,233 --> 00:30:45,766 And it also tells what to do about it. 462 00:30:45,800 --> 00:30:47,166 {\an1}It then sends a signal back down 463 00:30:47,200 --> 00:30:49,200 {\an1}through a separate tract on our spinal cord, 464 00:30:49,233 --> 00:30:51,533 {\an1}which then controls the motor function 465 00:30:51,566 --> 00:30:54,366 {\an1}where the pain originated from. 466 00:30:54,400 --> 00:30:56,000 {\an1}This is why when you grab a hot cup of water, 467 00:30:56,033 --> 00:30:57,500 {\an1}you immediately retract your hand from it 468 00:30:57,533 --> 00:30:59,033 {\an1}without even thinking. 469 00:30:59,066 --> 00:31:02,200 {\an1}It's instantaneous. 470 00:31:02,233 --> 00:31:05,766 -Pain is actually a really good thing. 471 00:31:05,800 --> 00:31:07,666 {\an1}It's the nervous system's way of telling you 472 00:31:07,700 --> 00:31:10,766 {\an1}that something is wrong, so you can fix it. 473 00:31:14,233 --> 00:31:17,366 {\an1}But when that pain is caused by a pinched nerve, 474 00:31:17,400 --> 00:31:19,933 {\an1}the effects can last much longer 475 00:31:19,966 --> 00:31:22,700 {\an1}because the thing that usually tells us about damage 476 00:31:22,733 --> 00:31:25,266 {\an1}is itself in need of repair. 477 00:31:25,300 --> 00:31:27,833 {\an1}If you experience something that feels like a burning, 478 00:31:27,866 --> 00:31:30,266 {\an1}stabbing, or shooting pain, 479 00:31:30,300 --> 00:31:33,533 {\an1}especially if there's numbness or tingling, 480 00:31:33,566 --> 00:31:35,933 {\an1}it's likely to be a nerve pain. 481 00:31:35,966 --> 00:31:39,266 {\an1}And one of the most debilitating forms of nerve pain 482 00:31:39,300 --> 00:31:41,066 is sciatica. 483 00:31:42,400 --> 00:31:44,000 {\an1}-Hi, Andy, how are you doing? 484 00:31:44,033 --> 00:31:46,066 Good to see you. -Good to see you. 485 00:31:46,100 --> 00:31:47,900 {\an7}If you want to lay on your left side, 486 00:31:47,933 --> 00:31:50,733 {\an1}facing me, we'll work through your hips. 487 00:31:50,766 --> 00:31:52,400 {\an1}-Sciatica is a symptom of compression 488 00:31:52,433 --> 00:31:56,000 {\an1}of one of the largest nerves in the body. 489 00:31:56,033 --> 00:31:58,333 {\an1}The sciatic nerve starts separate nerve roots 490 00:31:58,366 --> 00:32:00,166 {\an1}in the lower back. 491 00:32:00,200 --> 00:32:02,733 {\an1}They converge together in the back of the hip 492 00:32:02,766 --> 00:32:05,833 {\an1}and then travel down the leg as a single sciatic nerve 493 00:32:05,866 --> 00:32:10,133 {\an1}and then splits in the lower leg and to separate nerves. 494 00:32:10,166 --> 00:32:12,800 {\an1}The majority of people have inflammation around the discs 495 00:32:12,833 --> 00:32:15,733 {\an7}and their spine or herniation or disc bulge 496 00:32:15,766 --> 00:32:17,666 {\an1}due to physical overuse. 497 00:32:17,700 --> 00:32:19,300 {\an1}It can happen at the hip 498 00:32:19,333 --> 00:32:22,333 {\an1}where the nerve comes out of the pelvis into the leg. 499 00:32:22,366 --> 00:32:26,566 {\an1}It can basically happen anywhere along the course of the nerve. 500 00:32:26,600 --> 00:32:28,500 {\an1}With Andy, with what he's doing with climbing, 501 00:32:28,533 --> 00:32:30,966 {\an1}he's wearing harnesses, his compression's 502 00:32:31,000 --> 00:32:32,600 {\an1}occurring actually in the back of the hip 503 00:32:32,633 --> 00:32:34,333 {\an1}with some of those muscles tightening 504 00:32:34,366 --> 00:32:37,133 {\an1}and sitting directly on the nerve. 505 00:32:37,166 --> 00:32:38,966 Nerves don't like pressure on them 506 00:32:39,000 --> 00:32:40,666 {\an1}and they don't like to be stretched, 507 00:32:40,700 --> 00:32:42,266 so when you have compression of the nerve 508 00:32:42,300 --> 00:32:43,900 or if the nerves are overstretched, 509 00:32:43,933 --> 00:32:45,933 {\an1}you're going to start to have pain along the nerve 510 00:32:45,966 --> 00:32:47,666 {\an1}or you may present as numbness. 511 00:32:50,366 --> 00:32:54,200 {\an1}-Numbness is a clear sign of system malfunction. 512 00:32:56,433 --> 00:32:58,900 {\an1}It means that neural connections to the brain 513 00:32:58,933 --> 00:33:01,000 {\an1}have been compromised. 514 00:33:01,033 --> 00:33:03,666 {\an1}When a nerve is injured, instead of going dark, 515 00:33:03,700 --> 00:33:06,366 {\an1}it starts firing even harder, 516 00:33:06,400 --> 00:33:10,200 {\an1}causing sensations like pins and needles. 517 00:33:10,233 --> 00:33:13,300 {\an1}That's why when you hit your elbow, 518 00:33:13,333 --> 00:33:17,866 {\an1}you feel a tingling down your whole arm. 519 00:33:17,900 --> 00:33:20,900 {\an1}Your funny bone isn't a bone at all. 520 00:33:20,933 --> 00:33:23,166 {\an1}It's a cluster of nerves. 521 00:33:23,200 --> 00:33:26,066 {\an1}Hit it just right, and you're pinching those nerves, 522 00:33:26,100 --> 00:33:29,833 {\an1}sending confused signals up and down your arm. 523 00:33:29,866 --> 00:33:32,700 {\an1}The same thing happens when your foot falls asleep. 524 00:33:32,733 --> 00:33:35,400 {\an1}It's not really asleep, and it has nothing to do 525 00:33:35,433 --> 00:33:38,133 with blood flow. 526 00:33:38,166 --> 00:33:41,633 {\an1}It's a compressed nerve. 527 00:33:41,666 --> 00:33:46,566 {\an1}In both cases, the feeling goes away after about a minute. 528 00:33:46,600 --> 00:33:49,866 {\an1}But the pain of sciatica can last much longer. 529 00:33:49,900 --> 00:33:52,533 {\an8}♪♪ 530 00:33:52,566 --> 00:33:55,733 {\an1}Fortunately, the nervous system is resilient, 531 00:33:55,766 --> 00:33:59,600 {\an1}and with proper treatment, our bodies can bounce back. 532 00:34:02,733 --> 00:34:05,033 {\an1}-Okay. We'll do the same thing on the other side. 533 00:34:05,066 --> 00:34:06,433 {\an1}I just want to keep you balanced. 534 00:34:06,466 --> 00:34:10,066 {\an1}I know this leg doesn't have too many issues. 535 00:34:10,100 --> 00:34:11,866 {\an1}-To treat sciatica, I do a technique 536 00:34:11,900 --> 00:34:14,466 called the active release technique. 537 00:34:14,500 --> 00:34:17,300 {\an1}That's where I work the muscles around the nerve 538 00:34:17,333 --> 00:34:18,933 {\an1}and try to get the nerve to glide 539 00:34:18,966 --> 00:34:21,900 {\an1}better through those muscles. 540 00:34:21,933 --> 00:34:23,800 {\an1}We're just trying to free up along the whole course 541 00:34:23,833 --> 00:34:25,466 {\an1}of the nerve so the nerve roots come out here 542 00:34:25,500 --> 00:34:27,066 {\an1}and your lower back. 543 00:34:27,100 --> 00:34:29,800 {\an1}A lot of your restrictions here behind your hip, 544 00:34:29,833 --> 00:34:33,033 {\an1}that's going to tighten up a lot as you're climbing. 545 00:34:33,066 --> 00:34:34,766 {\an1}I think the workouts have been helping you, 546 00:34:34,800 --> 00:34:36,366 {\an1}so I'd keep up with that. 547 00:34:36,400 --> 00:34:40,266 {\an8}♪♪ 548 00:34:40,300 --> 00:34:43,066 {\an1}-To help prevent future sciatica pain, 549 00:34:43,100 --> 00:34:45,933 Andy works on building strength 550 00:34:45,966 --> 00:34:49,133 {\an1}in his core and back. 551 00:34:49,166 --> 00:34:53,533 Strong muscles help stabilize the body. 552 00:34:53,566 --> 00:34:55,866 {\an1}And the act of building muscles 553 00:34:55,900 --> 00:34:58,366 is in many ways a neural activity. 554 00:34:58,400 --> 00:35:02,033 {\an8}♪♪ 555 00:35:02,066 --> 00:35:03,600 {\an1}-I'm big into physical fitness. 556 00:35:03,633 --> 00:35:06,133 It helps me stay in climbing shape. 557 00:35:06,166 --> 00:35:08,800 {\an1}You know, it's up to me to keep myself in shape 558 00:35:08,833 --> 00:35:10,833 {\an1}mentally and physically in order 559 00:35:10,866 --> 00:35:14,200 {\an1}to maintain my ability to do my job. 560 00:35:14,233 --> 00:35:18,933 {\an1}-You probably associate exercise with your muscles or heart. 561 00:35:18,966 --> 00:35:22,500 {\an1}But recent studies have shown that when we lift weights, 562 00:35:22,533 --> 00:35:27,333 {\an1}our nervous system actually get stronger before our biceps. 563 00:35:27,366 --> 00:35:31,100 {\an1}Working out increases neurons in certain parts of the brain. 564 00:35:31,133 --> 00:35:33,800 {\an1}That might be why when we train to do a pull up, 565 00:35:33,833 --> 00:35:35,366 {\an1}we often achieve the feat 566 00:35:35,400 --> 00:35:39,900 {\an1}before we see any growth in the muscles being used. 567 00:35:43,200 --> 00:35:45,600 {\an1}-Ready to finish this thing? -Let's do it, man. 568 00:35:45,633 --> 00:35:47,933 {\an1}-Alright, let's rock and roll. 569 00:35:47,966 --> 00:35:49,166 -I think it's a personal challenge 570 00:35:49,200 --> 00:35:51,000 {\an1}to climb each structure. 571 00:35:51,033 --> 00:35:54,366 {\an8}♪♪ 572 00:35:54,400 --> 00:35:56,000 {\an1}It's something that's important to me 573 00:35:56,033 --> 00:35:59,033 {\an1}to make sure the communications system is intact 574 00:35:59,066 --> 00:36:01,766 {\an1}and able to function properly. 575 00:36:01,800 --> 00:36:03,466 -Good here, here. 576 00:36:05,233 --> 00:36:07,733 {\an1}-There's definitely a feeling of accomplishment 577 00:36:07,766 --> 00:36:09,533 {\an1}when you reach the top. 578 00:36:09,566 --> 00:36:11,200 {\an1}And the view is spectacular. 579 00:36:11,233 --> 00:36:13,266 {\an1}The stuff that I'm able to see on a day-to-day basis 580 00:36:13,300 --> 00:36:16,066 {\an1}is pretty special. 581 00:36:16,100 --> 00:36:19,100 {\an1}I feel pretty lucky to be able to do what I do for a living. 582 00:36:22,633 --> 00:36:28,333 {\an8}♪♪ 583 00:36:28,366 --> 00:36:31,066 {\an1}-The world around us is always changing. 584 00:36:31,100 --> 00:36:35,900 {\an8}♪♪ 585 00:36:35,933 --> 00:36:39,700 {\an1}So as a species, we are constantly finding ways 586 00:36:39,733 --> 00:36:41,966 {\an1}to react and adjust. 587 00:36:43,466 --> 00:36:47,600 {\an1}-The human body is such an adaptable, 588 00:36:47,633 --> 00:36:50,033 living system. 589 00:36:51,233 --> 00:36:53,100 {\an1}We often hear the adage 590 00:36:53,133 --> 00:36:56,866 that our bodies are like an exquisite machine. 591 00:36:56,900 --> 00:37:00,033 {\an1}It's interesting that throughout so much of human history, 592 00:37:00,066 --> 00:37:03,166 {\an1}we tend to view our bodies in a very similar way 593 00:37:03,200 --> 00:37:06,500 {\an1}to the dominant technology of the day. 594 00:37:06,533 --> 00:37:08,300 {\an1}So around the same time that we were learning 595 00:37:08,333 --> 00:37:10,633 {\an1}about interchangeable parts on the assembly line 596 00:37:10,666 --> 00:37:13,500 {\an1}we started to view our bodies in similar manners, 597 00:37:13,533 --> 00:37:16,766 {\an1}as a kind of accumulation of parts. 598 00:37:16,800 --> 00:37:19,833 {\an1}But what I think is interesting is that each of those parts 599 00:37:19,866 --> 00:37:24,000 {\an1}is comprised of many other smaller functional units, 600 00:37:24,033 --> 00:37:25,766 and that each of those functional units 601 00:37:25,800 --> 00:37:29,233 {\an1}have their own intelligence. 602 00:37:29,266 --> 00:37:32,466 {\an1}-When I think about the difference between humans 603 00:37:32,500 --> 00:37:34,733 {\an1}and other mammals, 604 00:37:34,766 --> 00:37:37,666 {\an1}I think about our brains. 605 00:37:37,700 --> 00:37:40,600 {\an1}Mentally we are extremely fit, we have this incredible ability 606 00:37:40,633 --> 00:37:44,066 {\an1}to adapt to our circumstances and persevere. 607 00:37:44,100 --> 00:37:46,666 {\an8}♪♪ 608 00:37:46,700 --> 00:37:48,966 {\an1}But what really grips me is when I learn 609 00:37:49,000 --> 00:37:52,300 about the ways people are helping others. 610 00:37:52,333 --> 00:37:55,000 {\an1}The research scientists, the biomedical engineers, 611 00:37:55,033 --> 00:37:57,333 {\an1}people out there who are making these crazy advancements 612 00:37:57,366 --> 00:37:58,966 {\an1}in medical technology, 613 00:37:59,000 --> 00:38:01,700 {\an1}and somehow it always comes back to neuroscience. 614 00:38:04,833 --> 00:38:10,633 {\an8}♪♪ 615 00:38:10,666 --> 00:38:16,466 {\an8}♪♪ 616 00:38:16,500 --> 00:38:22,300 {\an8}♪♪ 617 00:38:22,333 --> 00:38:25,166 -Okay. The next object is ready. 618 00:38:25,200 --> 00:38:26,533 Ready? -Ready. 619 00:38:26,566 --> 00:38:28,566 {\an1}-Try to tell us what it is. 620 00:38:28,600 --> 00:38:30,200 -Okay. 621 00:38:30,233 --> 00:38:34,033 {\an8}♪♪ 622 00:38:34,066 --> 00:38:38,466 {\an8}♪♪ 623 00:38:38,500 --> 00:38:41,366 {\an7}-My name is Ranu Jung. 624 00:38:41,400 --> 00:38:42,866 {\an7}I'm a professor and chair 625 00:38:42,900 --> 00:38:45,300 {\an7}of the Department of Biomedical Engineering 626 00:38:45,333 --> 00:38:49,366 {\an1}at Florida International University. 627 00:38:49,400 --> 00:38:52,966 My lab is called the Adaptive Neural Systems lab, 628 00:38:53,000 --> 00:38:57,900 {\an1}and the idea is, can we do something with engineering, 629 00:38:57,933 --> 00:39:02,600 {\an1}with technology, to restore lost function inside the body? 630 00:39:05,166 --> 00:39:10,600 {\an1}How might we be able to restore the sense of touch 631 00:39:10,633 --> 00:39:13,766 to somebody that has lost their hand? 632 00:39:13,800 --> 00:39:20,233 {\an8}♪♪ 633 00:39:20,266 --> 00:39:23,933 {\an1}-People are usually curious about the cause. 634 00:39:23,966 --> 00:39:26,600 {\an1}How did you lose your arm? What happened? 635 00:39:26,633 --> 00:39:29,066 Sometimes I'll say it was a gator. 636 00:39:29,100 --> 00:39:31,966 Sometimes it was a group of ninjas 637 00:39:32,000 --> 00:39:34,933 {\an1}'cause, you know, "car accident" is a pretty boring story. 638 00:39:34,966 --> 00:39:38,366 {\an8}♪♪ 639 00:39:38,400 --> 00:39:42,633 {\an1}Losing an appendage, they say it's like losing a loved one. 640 00:39:44,233 --> 00:39:49,866 {\an1}You go through mourning. You really grieve the loss. 641 00:39:49,900 --> 00:39:52,600 {\an8}♪♪ 642 00:39:52,633 --> 00:39:56,266 {\an7}-I remember early on every day was something -- 643 00:39:56,300 --> 00:39:59,100 {\an7}tying a trash bag, tying shoes. 644 00:39:59,133 --> 00:40:00,800 {\an1}He had a motorcycle at the time. 645 00:40:00,833 --> 00:40:04,400 {\an1}He no longer has a left hand to pull in the clutch. 646 00:40:04,433 --> 00:40:06,200 {\an1}-If we brought an infant into the world, 647 00:40:06,233 --> 00:40:08,133 {\an1}would I be able to care for that infant? 648 00:40:08,166 --> 00:40:11,233 {\an1}Would I be able to -- to play catch with my boy 649 00:40:11,266 --> 00:40:13,100 {\an1}in the front yard? 650 00:40:13,133 --> 00:40:17,633 {\an1}That really struck home to me, and it really made me concerned 651 00:40:17,666 --> 00:40:19,800 {\an1}that this would be something 652 00:40:19,833 --> 00:40:24,200 {\an1}that would negatively affect me for the rest of my life. 653 00:40:24,233 --> 00:40:28,100 {\an1}What would life be like with just one hand? 654 00:40:29,466 --> 00:40:33,933 {\an1}-Our hands transmit a lot of information to our brain 655 00:40:33,966 --> 00:40:35,866 {\an1}about the physical world. 656 00:40:35,900 --> 00:40:39,966 {\an1}So what happens when there's an interruption 657 00:40:40,000 --> 00:40:42,966 of all of that input to the brain? 658 00:40:45,600 --> 00:40:48,366 {\an1}-You know how the first stage of grief is denial. 659 00:40:48,400 --> 00:40:50,400 {\an1}That's kind of what happens in the brain 660 00:40:50,433 --> 00:40:55,133 {\an1}when you lose a limb, or so we think. 661 00:40:55,166 --> 00:40:57,266 {\an1}Our best guess is that the information 662 00:40:57,300 --> 00:41:01,700 {\an1}traveling to the brain comes to a screeching halt. 663 00:41:01,733 --> 00:41:05,833 {\an1}The brain thinks, "Well, something must be really wrong. 664 00:41:05,866 --> 00:41:10,366 {\an1}The cells are dead, but they can't be gone." 665 00:41:10,400 --> 00:41:12,600 {\an1}So it keeps trying to reach a part of us 666 00:41:12,633 --> 00:41:15,500 {\an1}that's no longer there. 667 00:41:15,533 --> 00:41:18,800 {\an1}The strange phenomenon of phantom pain. 668 00:41:21,133 --> 00:41:23,833 And the brain never really gives up. 669 00:41:23,866 --> 00:41:28,333 {\an1}The neurons that knew that hand for your entire life 670 00:41:28,366 --> 00:41:30,233 {\an1}are kind of waiting for a comeback. 671 00:41:33,066 --> 00:41:35,166 {\an1}-Shortly after the accident, we were at the beach 672 00:41:35,200 --> 00:41:36,866 and someone threw a Frisbee at me 673 00:41:36,900 --> 00:41:38,700 {\an1}and I wasn't wearing a prosthetic or anything. 674 00:41:38,733 --> 00:41:42,766 {\an1}I stuck my phantom limb out to grab that Frisbee 675 00:41:42,800 --> 00:41:44,500 {\an1}and it went right by and if my hand was there, 676 00:41:44,533 --> 00:41:46,333 {\an1}I would have caught it. 677 00:41:46,366 --> 00:41:48,866 {\an1}Even though it's not there, 678 00:41:48,900 --> 00:41:50,866 {\an1}my brain still thinks it is. 679 00:41:50,900 --> 00:41:53,766 I feel tingling and kind of numbness. 680 00:41:53,800 --> 00:41:57,866 {\an1}It never really goes away. 681 00:41:57,900 --> 00:42:01,266 {\an1}-We don't quite know why it is 682 00:42:01,300 --> 00:42:03,933 that the mind has a self-conception 683 00:42:03,966 --> 00:42:06,333 {\an1}of what signals are going to be coming to it, 684 00:42:06,366 --> 00:42:08,200 {\an1}but what's really interesting is that now 685 00:42:08,233 --> 00:42:10,566 {\an1}with certain bionic limbs, 686 00:42:10,600 --> 00:42:13,900 {\an1}we can create technology that can speak 687 00:42:13,933 --> 00:42:16,433 {\an1}to the electrical signals that are still being generated 688 00:42:16,466 --> 00:42:19,400 {\an1}in that healthy part of the body. 689 00:42:22,466 --> 00:42:25,266 {\an1}-At Dr. Ranu Jung's lab in Miami, Florida, 690 00:42:25,300 --> 00:42:28,733 researchers have created a neural interface 691 00:42:28,766 --> 00:42:30,900 {\an1}for Jason's prosthetic arm 692 00:42:30,933 --> 00:42:33,900 that can tap into the body's nervous system 693 00:42:33,933 --> 00:42:37,033 {\an1}and rekindle those lost connections. 694 00:42:37,066 --> 00:42:41,400 {\an1}-When somebody loses an arm, you can imagine that the nerves 695 00:42:41,433 --> 00:42:45,600 {\an1}that were communicating back and forth are cut. 696 00:42:45,633 --> 00:42:48,900 {\an1}However, the rest of the nerves are still intact. 697 00:42:48,933 --> 00:42:52,833 {\an1}So if there was a way to communicate to those nerves, 698 00:42:52,866 --> 00:42:54,933 {\an1}then you could still perhaps 699 00:42:54,966 --> 00:42:58,933 {\an1}reach the spinal cord or the brain. 700 00:42:58,966 --> 00:43:01,266 {\an1}That's what my lab is all about. 701 00:43:01,300 --> 00:43:04,766 {\an1}Can we make an advanced prosthetic hand system 702 00:43:04,800 --> 00:43:07,633 {\an1}to restore the sense of touch? 703 00:43:07,666 --> 00:43:09,933 {\an1}-The first person in the world to test this new, 704 00:43:09,966 --> 00:43:14,433 {\an1}experimental technology is Jason Little. 705 00:43:14,466 --> 00:43:16,733 {\an1}-Hey, Jason, how are you doing? -Good to see you. 706 00:43:16,766 --> 00:43:18,400 -Good to see you. How are things? 707 00:43:18,433 --> 00:43:20,933 {\an1}-Very good, very good. 708 00:43:20,966 --> 00:43:22,766 {\an1}-If you look at this prosthetic arm, 709 00:43:22,800 --> 00:43:24,466 {\an1}he can open and close it. 710 00:43:24,500 --> 00:43:27,500 {\an1}But when a person opens and closes a prosthetic hand, 711 00:43:27,533 --> 00:43:28,900 {\an1}they can't feel anything. 712 00:43:28,933 --> 00:43:30,800 {\an1}So if I were to put my finger in there 713 00:43:30,833 --> 00:43:32,800 {\an1}and it could be squished hard, 714 00:43:32,833 --> 00:43:34,633 but you know this is a very special hand 715 00:43:34,666 --> 00:43:37,633 {\an1}because this has got sensors in the prosthetic hand 716 00:43:37,666 --> 00:43:42,000 {\an1}and this sensor information is being conveyed to Jason. 717 00:43:45,800 --> 00:43:48,800 {\an1}-The sensors in the hand can actually send information 718 00:43:48,833 --> 00:43:51,733 {\an1}back to the brain... 719 00:43:51,766 --> 00:43:53,266 {\an1}and how the brain interprets 720 00:43:53,300 --> 00:43:58,066 {\an1}that new sensation is astonishing. 721 00:43:58,100 --> 00:44:02,000 Something called a neurostimulator 722 00:44:02,033 --> 00:44:04,033 was implanted into Jason's arm. 723 00:44:06,233 --> 00:44:11,633 {\an1}Connected to this device are fine wires like human hair, 724 00:44:11,666 --> 00:44:16,200 {\an1}which were threaded into Jason's existing nerves... 725 00:44:16,233 --> 00:44:19,200 {\an1}the ones that have been sitting around in his upper arm 726 00:44:19,233 --> 00:44:21,633 {\an1}waiting for a signal. 727 00:44:21,666 --> 00:44:26,366 {\an1}-Right here inside Jason's arm is a little radio receiver, 728 00:44:26,400 --> 00:44:27,966 {\an1}and there's a little magnet in that 729 00:44:28,000 --> 00:44:29,533 {\an1}and this has a little magnet. 730 00:44:29,566 --> 00:44:33,200 {\an1}And so if you put it here, see it links together. 731 00:44:33,233 --> 00:44:37,166 {\an1}So the information from the outside goes to the fine wires 732 00:44:37,200 --> 00:44:39,500 into the nerves that are inside the arm. 733 00:44:39,533 --> 00:44:42,200 {\an1}These are the same nerves that are there in all of us 734 00:44:42,233 --> 00:44:44,466 {\an1}that take information from the hands 735 00:44:44,500 --> 00:44:48,233 {\an1}and then go into the brain. 736 00:44:48,266 --> 00:44:51,166 -An unbroken line of communication 737 00:44:51,200 --> 00:44:53,666 {\an1}from Jason's prosthetic fingertips 738 00:44:53,700 --> 00:44:58,033 all the way up to his very human brain... 739 00:44:58,066 --> 00:45:00,000 {\an1}But will Jason's brain accept, 740 00:45:00,033 --> 00:45:03,933 {\an1}and even more importantly, understand, this new signal? 741 00:45:03,966 --> 00:45:05,533 -Hey, Jason. -Hey, how's it going, Andres? 742 00:45:05,566 --> 00:45:07,100 -How are you? -Good. 743 00:45:07,133 --> 00:45:09,766 {\an1}-Alright, let me have your hand. 744 00:45:09,800 --> 00:45:14,700 {\an1}-Jason is the first person to have this implant system. 745 00:45:14,733 --> 00:45:17,533 {\an1}-Ready to play with some blocks? -Yeah, let's do it. 746 00:45:17,566 --> 00:45:20,866 {\an1}-And is providing us with very needed data 747 00:45:20,900 --> 00:45:24,900 {\an1}to tell us how safe, how efficacious is the system. 748 00:45:24,933 --> 00:45:26,766 -So in this test, what we want to know 749 00:45:26,800 --> 00:45:31,266 {\an1}is what is Jason's capability to figure out the sense of touch. 750 00:45:31,300 --> 00:45:33,800 {\an1}So we want to isolate him from anything 751 00:45:33,833 --> 00:45:36,100 {\an1}that may give him a clue. 752 00:45:36,133 --> 00:45:39,233 {\an1}We have separated out the prosthetic arm 753 00:45:39,266 --> 00:45:42,100 so he cannot feel the vibrations of the motors 754 00:45:42,133 --> 00:45:46,766 {\an1}so that he can purely rely on the sensation that he's getting. 755 00:45:46,800 --> 00:45:49,366 {\an1}-We're going to try to see if you can detect the difference 756 00:45:49,400 --> 00:45:52,266 {\an1}between a hard block or a soft block, 757 00:45:52,300 --> 00:45:54,400 {\an1}that they should deliver sensation that you will get. 758 00:45:54,433 --> 00:45:57,100 And just tell me what you think the block is. 759 00:45:57,133 --> 00:45:58,700 {\an1}Let's start by taking the stimulation off. 760 00:45:58,733 --> 00:46:00,166 {\an1}So will you remove your coil please? 761 00:46:00,200 --> 00:46:01,766 Okay. 762 00:46:01,800 --> 00:46:04,333 {\an1}-By removing the transmitter, Jason's preventing 763 00:46:04,366 --> 00:46:06,933 any information coming from his hand 764 00:46:06,966 --> 00:46:09,133 {\an1}from reaching his brain. 765 00:46:09,166 --> 00:46:10,700 {\an1}-The block is ready. 766 00:46:10,733 --> 00:46:14,866 {\an8}♪♪ 767 00:46:14,900 --> 00:46:19,666 {\an8}♪♪ 768 00:46:19,700 --> 00:46:22,666 {\an1}-I have no stimulation to give me feedback. 769 00:46:22,700 --> 00:46:26,166 {\an1}So this is completely a guess in the dark to say 770 00:46:26,200 --> 00:46:29,866 {\an1}that this is a soft object. 771 00:46:29,900 --> 00:46:32,166 {\an1}-So that was incorrect. 772 00:46:32,200 --> 00:46:35,633 {\an1}-Next, Jason connects the transmitter to his arm, 773 00:46:35,666 --> 00:46:39,000 {\an1}creating a continuous neural path from hand 774 00:46:39,033 --> 00:46:40,333 to brain. 775 00:46:40,366 --> 00:46:41,600 {\an1}-I'll turn it on for you. 776 00:46:41,633 --> 00:46:43,666 Let me know if you start feeling it. 777 00:46:43,700 --> 00:46:45,500 -Ah! -[ Chuckles ] 778 00:46:45,533 --> 00:46:47,966 {\an1}-He's giving you a heart attack. 779 00:46:48,000 --> 00:46:50,833 -Could you open and close the hand? 780 00:46:50,866 --> 00:46:52,366 Good to go? -Yep. 781 00:46:52,400 --> 00:46:55,033 {\an1}Are you getting stimulation, getting sensation? 782 00:46:55,066 --> 00:46:58,166 -Yes. -Perfect. 783 00:46:58,200 --> 00:47:00,766 {\an1}Jason, next block is ready, you can close the hand. 784 00:47:04,933 --> 00:47:07,733 {\an1}-Um, I feel this sensation come on very slowly 785 00:47:07,766 --> 00:47:09,566 {\an1}rather than abruptly. 786 00:47:09,600 --> 00:47:14,600 {\an1}So this block is soft, and it's large soft. 787 00:47:14,633 --> 00:47:16,733 {\an1}-You are 100% correct. 788 00:47:16,766 --> 00:47:19,700 {\an1}-I can actually feel 789 00:47:19,733 --> 00:47:22,600 {\an1}a little vibrating tingling sensation 790 00:47:22,633 --> 00:47:24,600 {\an1}in my phantom limb 791 00:47:24,633 --> 00:47:30,400 {\an1}telling me that I am making contact with an object. 792 00:47:30,433 --> 00:47:33,200 {\an1}-How is the brain adapting? 793 00:47:33,233 --> 00:47:36,100 Will this process of neurostimulation 794 00:47:36,133 --> 00:47:38,666 {\an1}over weeks, months, years 795 00:47:38,700 --> 00:47:42,666 actually change the organization in the brain? 796 00:47:42,700 --> 00:47:44,166 {\an1}-Putting my arm on, 797 00:47:44,200 --> 00:47:47,733 {\an1}it immediately becomes part of me. 798 00:47:47,766 --> 00:47:50,100 It's no longer this foreign object. 799 00:47:50,133 --> 00:47:52,800 {\an1}It's -- It's my left arm. 800 00:47:54,100 --> 00:47:57,233 {\an1}-For years, Jason's brain was left wondering 801 00:47:57,266 --> 00:47:59,200 {\an1}what happened to his hand, 802 00:47:59,233 --> 00:48:03,266 {\an1}still trying to speak to it, trying to reach it. 803 00:48:03,300 --> 00:48:07,900 {\an1}Then one day, strange new messages started coming back. 804 00:48:07,933 --> 00:48:12,133 {\an1}They weren't like the old ones, but they're familiar enough, 805 00:48:12,166 --> 00:48:14,933 {\an1}speaking a language the brain could understand. 806 00:48:14,966 --> 00:48:17,433 {\an8}♪♪ 807 00:48:17,466 --> 00:48:19,600 {\an1}This technology gives the brain the chance 808 00:48:19,633 --> 00:48:21,966 {\an1}to do what it's best at... 809 00:48:22,000 --> 00:48:23,600 adapt. 810 00:48:23,633 --> 00:48:29,566 {\an8}♪♪ 811 00:48:29,600 --> 00:48:32,400 {\an1}-Our brains are very plastic, 812 00:48:32,433 --> 00:48:35,966 {\an1}so they're always changing. 813 00:48:36,000 --> 00:48:41,633 {\an1}The adult brain has much more capacity for hacking itself -- 814 00:48:41,666 --> 00:48:43,966 {\an1}Being able to rewire in ways 815 00:48:44,000 --> 00:48:47,333 that we didn't anticipate before. 816 00:48:49,633 --> 00:48:53,066 {\an1}-You know, having that touch sensation come back 817 00:48:53,100 --> 00:48:56,766 {\an1}was something that I never thought I would have. 818 00:48:56,800 --> 00:48:59,300 {\an1}That confidence that I've gained now 819 00:48:59,333 --> 00:49:01,233 {\an1}has been a game changer for me. 820 00:49:01,266 --> 00:49:03,800 {\an1}It's allowed me to regain a little bit 821 00:49:03,833 --> 00:49:05,800 {\an1}of my old self back again. 822 00:49:05,833 --> 00:49:10,400 {\an8}♪♪ 823 00:49:10,433 --> 00:49:12,366 {\an1}Since I get sensory feedback, 824 00:49:12,400 --> 00:49:14,966 {\an1}I know how hard I'm holding this egg, 825 00:49:15,000 --> 00:49:18,466 so, um, I know that if I push down any further, 826 00:49:18,500 --> 00:49:20,133 I'm going to completely crush it. 827 00:49:20,166 --> 00:49:24,300 {\an8}♪♪ 828 00:49:24,333 --> 00:49:26,666 {\an1}The first time I felt the sensation, 829 00:49:26,700 --> 00:49:30,700 we had Krystal put her hand in mine. 830 00:49:33,500 --> 00:49:38,233 {\an1}I closed my eyes and I slowly closed the hand down 831 00:49:38,266 --> 00:49:40,466 on her hand, and I let her know 832 00:49:40,500 --> 00:49:44,300 that I was able to feel her holding my hand. 833 00:49:44,333 --> 00:49:46,166 -Just -- Just, it was a realization 834 00:49:46,200 --> 00:49:48,533 {\an1}that this is as much as this is research to other people, 835 00:49:48,566 --> 00:49:51,700 {\an1}this is our real lives. 836 00:49:51,733 --> 00:49:54,466 {\an1}-The longer this has gone on, the more I realized, 837 00:49:54,500 --> 00:49:56,300 {\an1}this has nothing to do with me. 838 00:49:56,333 --> 00:49:59,300 {\an1}This is all about the people that this is going to impact 839 00:49:59,333 --> 00:50:03,866 years from now, decades from now. 840 00:50:03,900 --> 00:50:06,833 {\an1}It's really given me a sense of purpose 841 00:50:06,866 --> 00:50:10,800 {\an1}that losing my arm wasn't in vain. 842 00:50:10,833 --> 00:50:14,366 {\an1}-Today it is for communicating with the prosthetic hand. 843 00:50:14,400 --> 00:50:16,500 Tomorrow it could be for people 844 00:50:16,533 --> 00:50:19,866 {\an1}who've lost both hands, they've lost a foot. 845 00:50:19,900 --> 00:50:22,333 {\an1}Down the road by stimulating the nerves 846 00:50:22,366 --> 00:50:25,500 {\an1}that control the spleen, that control the stomach, 847 00:50:25,533 --> 00:50:30,000 {\an1}that impact your immune system, we make cure a disease one day. 848 00:50:30,033 --> 00:50:35,066 {\an8}♪♪ 849 00:50:35,100 --> 00:50:40,866 {\an8}♪♪ 850 00:50:40,900 --> 00:50:44,466 {\an1}-It's astonishing to me just how adaptable 851 00:50:44,500 --> 00:50:46,300 {\an1}our living systems are 852 00:50:46,333 --> 00:50:49,166 to environments that are so diverse. 853 00:50:51,366 --> 00:50:54,366 {\an1}-The brain is evolving, that's for sure. 854 00:50:54,400 --> 00:50:57,666 {\an1}We know it because our nervous system 855 00:50:57,700 --> 00:51:00,233 {\an1}allows us to interact with the environment. 856 00:51:00,266 --> 00:51:02,600 {\an1}So as long as the environment changes, 857 00:51:02,633 --> 00:51:04,766 also the brain will keep changing. 858 00:51:04,800 --> 00:51:08,400 {\an8}♪♪ 859 00:51:08,433 --> 00:51:11,600 {\an1}-By managing everything that's going on inside the body 860 00:51:11,633 --> 00:51:14,466 {\an1}and keeping us in touch with what's outside, 861 00:51:14,500 --> 00:51:18,400 {\an1}the nervous system is at the core of who we are. 862 00:51:18,433 --> 00:51:20,866 {\an1}-What makes me realize that we have a lot more to learn 863 00:51:20,900 --> 00:51:22,366 {\an1}about human potential 864 00:51:22,400 --> 00:51:24,900 {\an1}is what human beings are able to adapt to. 865 00:51:24,933 --> 00:51:30,100 {\an8}♪♪ 866 00:51:30,133 --> 00:51:33,366 {\an1}The crazy ways people are breaking world records, 867 00:51:33,400 --> 00:51:37,766 {\an1}simply by learning to be more efficient and trying harder. 868 00:51:37,800 --> 00:51:40,800 {\an1}The ways people are surviving these horrific events, 869 00:51:40,833 --> 00:51:43,633 {\an1}the way people are able to translate a terrible experience 870 00:51:43,666 --> 00:51:46,933 {\an1}into a phenomenal story. 871 00:51:46,966 --> 00:51:49,566 {\an1}A lot of it has to do with the way we take information in 872 00:51:49,600 --> 00:51:52,966 {\an1}and we process it out in our own artistic way. 873 00:51:53,000 --> 00:51:58,900 {\an8}♪♪ 874 00:52:01,100 --> 00:52:06,666 {\an8}♪♪ 875 00:52:06,700 --> 00:52:12,866 {\an8}♪♪ 876 00:52:12,900 --> 00:52:15,700 {\an8}-To order "Human: The World Within" on DVD, 877 00:52:15,733 --> 00:52:17,866 {\an8}visit shopPBS.org 878 00:52:17,900 --> 00:52:20,166 {\an7}or call 1-800-PLAY-PBS. 879 00:52:20,200 --> 00:52:29,700 {\an8}♪♪