The human spark
By: written and produced by Graham Chedd ; directed by Larry Engel ; a co-production of Chedd-Angier-Lewis Productions and Thirteen in association with WNET.ORG
Contributors: Chedd-Angier-Lewis Productions; WNET (Television station : New York, N.Y.); Public Broadcasting Service (U.S.); PBS Distribution (Firm)
Publisher: PBS Distribution
Published: 2010
Place of publication: [Boston, Mass.]
Language: eng
Format: [videorecording] /
Number of pages: 180
ISBN-13: 9781608831364
Subjects: Human evolution; Human beings; Origin; Human biology; Brain; Evolution
Description: Alan Alda takes a look at how humans first appeared on Earth millions of years ago, and how our species not only survived, but thrived, through some unimaginable conditions. Alda visits with dozens of scientists on three continents, and participates directly in many experiments - including the detailed examination of his own brain.
Notes: Originally produced in 2007; originally broadcast as a 3 part series on PBS in 2009.

Special feature: deleted scenes.

Director of photography, Larry Engel ; editor, David Berenson ; music, John Keltonic.

Host, Alan Alda.

Not rated.

DVD, NTSC, widescreen, English: stereo, Region 1.

Closed-captioned.
Table of contents: title: Episode one. Becoming us:; title: Our earliest ancestors; title: Our Neanderthal cousins; title: Flickerings of the human spark; title: Stone-age social networking; title: Crash course in primitive tool making; title: New theories about our origins; title: Episode two. So human, so chimp:; title: Our closest living relatives; title: Thinking like a chimp; title: Monkey business : concepts of mind; title: Apes vs. humans; title: Chimp see, chimp do; title: A helping hand; title: Episode three. Brain matters:; title: Welcome to Alan's brain; title: The spark ignites; title: Seeing the spark; title: Is language genetic?; title: The best intentions; title: The essential human spark.