A startling new map of the human brain has emerged during the past decade of neuroscience research, contradicting much of what was previously believed. Narrated by Blair Brown and directed by David Grubin, this series tells stories through a mix of personal histories, expert commentary, and cutting-edge animation. Viewers learn startling new truths about the brain as they journey inside this complicated organ.

The five 60-minute programs are on three DVDs - each DVD also includes an interview with award-winning producer/director David Grubin:

DVD One

THE BABY'S BRAIN: Wider Than the Sky
Less than a month after conception, human brain cells are developing at the rate of 500,000 per minute. Billions of cells linked by trillions of connections form the brain, but how does it organize itself? What are the roles played by genetics and environment in brain development? Episode One traces formation of the infant brain through age one, the period when it is most open to molding through external influence and experience.
*Click here to VIEW CLIP

THE CHILD'S BRAIN: Syllable from Sound
The explosion of language in young children provides a dramatic illustration of the young brain at work. How do we learn to talk? How do we learn to read? Unlike adults, in whose brains most linguistic activity is restricted to the left hemisphere, very young children respond to language with the entire brain. But what happens when the brain is physically compromised? And what are the physical roots of language disorders such as dyslexia?
*Click here to VIEW CLIP
DVD Two:

THE TEENAGE BRAIN: A World of their Own
Parents who believe teenagers are different from other humans may be comforted to learn that it is literally true. During puberty the brain is a work in progress, teeming with hormones; areas that direct reasoning and impulse control are still in development. During adolescence, people are especially susceptible to addiction and schizophrenia, two areas under intensive study and benefiting from increased understanding of brain function.

DVD Three:

THE ADULT BRAIN: To Think By Feeling
The brain is the seat of both intellect and emotion, and this episode chronicles the critical balance between these processes and explores what happens when the balance is lost. Scientists draw insight from the stories of a stroke victim and a sufferer of post-traumatic stress disorder, and break new ground in the struggle to understand and treat depression.
*Click here to VIEW CLIP
THE AGING BRAIN: Through Many Lives
For years, science has suggested that we lose vast numbers of brain cells as we grow older; now it turns out that this is not true -- in fact, healthy brains continue to produce new neurons well into the 70s. Drawing on the most recent neuroscience discoveries, this episode presents a new view of how the brain ages, focusing in part on the remarkable strides being made in understanding stroke, Alzheimer's Disease and Parkinson's Disease.

*All programs are Closed Captioned