There seems to be an insatiable demand these days for
popular science shows. But do they titillate more than
they educate? Cable health programs, like The Sex Files
or Trauma—Life in the ER often condense health
issues in their rush to cash in on the reality TV frenzy.
It's true they provide a platform for researchers to present
their findings and insights to an interested public, but
is there a danger in parsing medical research into TV-friendly
sound bites?
"One has to be very careful of
taking complex issues and over-simplifying them," says
Dr Anthony Feinstein, a psychiatry professor at the
University of Toronto and a participant in Human
Nature, a Canadian documentary that looks at four
of the most common human responses: crying, laughter,
pleasure and pain, and how these responses are connected
to the brain and how they affect behaviour. "You lose
a lot of important details," adds Dr Feinstein. "But
at the same time it's important to get the message out
— otherwise why do the research?"
LET
ME ENTERTAIN YOU
Human Nature's director had no intention of giving
science short shrift, but he also had to balance it
with his other primary aim: to entertain. "If it only
had scientific content then it would only be interesting
to those in the field," says Mr Peter Svatek, the award-winning
filmmaker who co-produced, wrote and directed this four-part
documentary series. "People have to be able to relate
to it and see something of their own lives. I also didn't
want to dumb it down to where it has no scientific content
at all."
Dr Feinstein says that Human
Nature's scientific rigour sets it apart from other
programs that squeeze the scientific lifeblood out of
complex issues. "It's often so incredibly superficial
that I'm not sure what anyone can get from it."
The entertainment component of
the film was certainly not sacrificed — especially
since crying, laughter, pleasure and pain are so much
a part of the television viewing experience. In the
laughter portion, Dr Robert Provine, PhD, the psychology
professor and assistant director of the neuroscience
program at the University of Maryland, beefs up the
'laughter is the best medicine' clich�. He says laughter's
social binding powers are what coincidentally lead to
the health benefits. Fun fact: women laugh 126% more
than men.
There's pathos too. In the episode
called "The Anatomy of Pain," retired McGill pain researcher
Dr Ronald Melzack, PhD, explains his groundbreaking
work, including identifying the role of memories and
emotions in the way people experience pain. Viewers
meet Amy Cotton, 23, a juvenile arthritis sufferer but
also the current Canadian judo champion in her weight
class.
And pleasure and crying? We'll
leave those responses up to you — after you see
the show.
Human Nature airs on the Discovery
Health Channel over 4 weeks starting February 21
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