Frozen in the permafrost, their remains could still hold the virus that caused the greatest single epidemic in history. Scientists want to extract the killer, and track down what made the flu so lethal. Horizon explores the latest research into the causes and effects of eating disorders, and follows scientists as they track down anorexia in the least expected places. The hunt is on for new medicines and new foods to help us get thin. The Padded Lillies, an obese water ballet troupe, blame their shape on their biology.
Life is a serious business.
Or so children are being told. But laughter and play are being marginalised in children's lives, just as new scientific research is discovering how fundamental they are to our development. The most notorious drug of modern times is being made once again. A drug responsible for one of the biggest medical disasters in history. This is the story of thalidomide's return to respectability and our desperate attempts to understand and control this dangerous molecule.