Documentary Description
With the help of a hammer-wielding scientist, Jennifer Aniston and a
general anaesthetic, Professor Marcus du Sautoy goes in search of
answers to one of science's greatest mysteries: how do we know who we
are? While the thoughts that make us feel as though we know ourselves
are easy to experience, they are notoriously difficult to explain. So,
in order to find out where they come from, Marcus subjects himself to a
series of probing experiments.
He learns at what age our self-awareness emerges and whether other
species share this trait. Next, he has his mind scrambled by a
cutting-edge experiment in anaesthesia. Having survived that ordeal,
Marcus is given an out-of-body experience in a bid to locate his true
self. And in Hollywood, he learns how celebrities are helping scientists
understand the microscopic activities of our brain. Finally, he takes
part in a mind-reading experiment that both helps explain and radically
alters his understanding of who he is.
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