Human Body: Pushing the Limits

Excellent series!
This 2-disc set presents 4 episodes focused on different areas in which the human body is "pushing the limits": sight, strength, sensation, & brain power. I have actually shown some clips in my general psychology class as the material is presented in an easy to follow & interesting format -- perfect for freshmen! For anyone who is a Discovery Channel geek like myself, whether you're an educator or it's just a hobby (or both), this is a must-have for your collection. My only regret is that I bought it directly from the Discovery Channel website rather than Amazon.com -- I could've saved about $15!

Mildly informative show ruined by spasmodic editing, repetitive animations, and poor stylistic choices
The "Human Body" comes to us as four 40-minute episodes (Sight, Strength, Sensation, Brain Power) on 2 Blu-ray discs, housed in a standard-sized case. Each episode contains personal accounts of extraordinary survival tales, re-enactments by actors, and computer animations. The back of the box touts itself as a "groundbreaking program" with "stunning CGI", but the production is anything but innovative. The main problem is that it tries to look like an action movie instead of a science show. In an attempt to appeal to more casual audiences, Discovery has skipped over a lot of the science and medical presentation in favor of computer graphics and trendy camera tricks. It's heavy on stylization and light on the science, using a lot of fast cuts, cliche editing techniques, and repetitive CGI. For example, the first episode ("Sight") begins with a re-enactment of a high speed police car chase through crowded city streets, with overused Terminator-like cross-hair targeting motion graphics...

Was looking for supplemental materials for class and SCORED!
This is the first year that I am teaching a human anatomy and physiology class in high school. I was looking for some materials to supplement the usual textbook/memorization that accompanies a course like this. This is an excellent video(s). It's too long to show at one long stretch in class, but broken up, it really helps to break up the monotony that can so easily come to an anatomy class. And it's well done, so the kids enjoy it for it's entertainment value as well. It can be difficult to find videos that are educational and entertaining without being cheesey, but this video accomplishes that task well.

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