The BEST episodes directed by Nigel Walk

Who Are We?
star
8.73
164 votes

#1 - Who Are We?

The Story of Science: Power, Proof and Passion - Season 1 - Episode 6

Michael Mosley examines one of the least understood yet most important subjects in science - the human brain. He considers why it took until the 17th century for the organ to be studied in depth, reveals the surprising results of uniting the twin sciences of anatomy and psychology to learn what shapes thoughts, feelings and desires, and argues that whether people are aware of it or not, the workings of the brain mean everyone is a scientist underneath.

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Wind
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8.51
121 votes

#2 - Wind

How Earth Made Us - Season 1 - Episode 3

Professor Iain Stewart continues his epic exploration of how the planet has shaped human history. Iain sets sail on one of the fastest racing boats ever built to explore the story of our turbulent relationship with the wind. Travelling to iconic locations including the Sahara desert, the coast of West Africa and the South Pacific, Iain discovers how people have exploited the power of the wind for thousands of years. The wind is a force which at first sight appears chaotic. But the patterns that lie within the atmosphere have shaped the destiny of continents, and lie at the heart of some of the greatest turning points in human history.

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The Power of Flowers
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8.20
71 votes

#3 - The Power of Flowers

How to Grow a Planet - Season 1 - Episode 2

In the second episode, Iain discovers how flowers have transformed our planet. He journeys to the remote islands of the South Pacific to track down the earliest flowers. In the deserts of Africa and rainforests of Vietnam, he sees how they brought brilliant colour to the most barren landscapes and sculpted the earth itself. And he learns how they drove the evolution of all animals - kick-starting our human story.

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First Peoples: Asia
star
7.72
103 votes

#4 - First Peoples: Asia

First Peoples - Season 1 - Episode 3

What happened when early humans ventured out of Africa and into Asia? Where did they go and whom did they meet along the way? The latest evidence suggests they left far earlier than previously thought and interbred with other types of ancient human - Homo erectus, Neanderthals and also the Denisovans, whose existence was established only five years ago when geneticists extracted DNA from a tiny fragment of finger bone. Because these ancient humans mated with our ancestors, their genes have found a home in our DNA. More than that, they’ve helped us survive and thrive.

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First Peoples: Africa
star
7.46
103 votes

#5 - First Peoples: Africa

First Peoples - Season 1 - Episode 2

Around 200,000 years ago, a new species, Homo sapiens, appeared on the African landscape. While scientists have imagined eastern Africa as a real-life Garden of Eden, the latest research suggests humans evolved in many places across the continent at the same time. DNA from a 19th-century African-American slave is forcing geneticists to re-think the origins of our species. The theory is that our ancestors met, mated and hybridized with other human types in Africa — creating ever greater diversity within our species.

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