How many episodes in 7 season: 8 episodes
From food-fraud to flu, from plastics to poisons, and from superbugs to sugar, TV science legend Maggie Philbin joins presenters Liz Bonnin and Jem Stansfield as the team investigate the science that makes sense of the stories that affect us all. Over the course of this series: Maggie finds out if planes really are the incubators of disease we think they are, while Liz explains why antibiotics are running out; Jem discovers how gasses are used to keep food fresh, while Liz explores the DNA testing used to identify food that isn't what it claims to be; the team put sugar and plastics on trial to find out if they really are as much of a health risk as some might believe - discovering some surprising new medical uses for both; and child safety comes under the microscope as we ask why the same accidents put young people at risk year after year.
In response to recent fears about the future of antibiotics, the team investigates germs and infection. Liz Bonnin reveals why doctors can be reluctant to prescribe antibiotics for coughs and colds, and explains what bacterial resistance is all about. Maggie Philbin finds out whether people are right to worry about catching infections when cooped up inside an aeroplane, and reveals a remarkable new technique that takes the guesswork out of prescribing antibiotics. Meanwhile, Jem Stansfield heads to a scrapyard for a striking demonstration of the difference between viruses and bacteria.
Sugar is on trial in this programme. Widely blamed for all manner of health issues beyond rotten teeth and expanding waistlines, the team investigate whether sugar really deserves such a lousy health reputation. Jem sets out to make some pure, white, granulated sugar of his own, while Maggie meets a surprise victim of fatty liver disease. Maggie also discovers how sugar is being used to preserve life-saving vaccines, while Liz explores the power sugar has to switch on our brains.
The team look at some of the things threatening the safety of your family on a daily basis. Liz finds out why old and very young pedestrians may never be safe crossing the road; on the anniversary of Fabrice Muamba's miraculous survival following a heart attack playing for Bolton Wanderers, Maggie asks how many young people could be carrying a similar time-bomb, and how science can help them; Maggie also investigates a revolutionary new burns dressing that could drastically reduce the risk of scarring; and Jem turns crash-test dummy as he asks why European legislation is preparing to make rear-facing seats compulsory for more children.
With the recent horsemeat scandal fresh in our minds, the team ask how much we really know about what's on our dinner plate, and investigate the surprising world of food technology. Maggie finds out how scientists use DNA to identify what is in ready meals, and why the horsemeat scandal wasn't detected earlier; and she asks how much of our food is actually a product of the chemistry lab. Liz investigates how flavour scientists have been fooling our taste buds for years, and finds out what makes meat taste of meat; while Jem explores the science of suspended animation that keeps old food looking deceptively fresh on the shelf.
In this episode, the team look at Britain under pressure. With the population of the UK topping 63 million, what are scientists and engineers doing to reduce the strain on our ageing infrastructure? Maggie heads 50 metres beneath the River Thames to see how the UK's biggest ever water engineering project aims to prevent raw sewage flowing into the Thames every time heavy rain overwhelms London's sewers; Liz explores the possibilities of urban underground farming, and also finds out how engineers protect us from smells like landfill; while Jem investigates a new idea that could help to tackle the problem of overcrowded graveyards.
In this episode, the team explore the new era of personal medicine. With people taking ever bigger roles in their own health care, for the first time you can be in the driving seat when it comes to medicine. Maggie Philbin explores the rise of online diagnosis tools, putting them to the test against a real doctor, and also reports on the revolution in personally tailored medicine that is giving new life to young asthma sufferers; Jem Stansfield tests out the very latest in self-monitoring gadgets as he investigates the world of self-tracking; while Liz Bonnin finds out how a rare genetic condition that causes blindness can be corrected by a new technique that actually alters your genes.
Air pollution is now second only to smoking as a hugger in the UK, yet as a nation we are failing to meet targets on reducing emissions. The team investigate what air pollution is, where it comes from, and what it is doing to us. Jem Stansfield reveals that cleaner-looking air doesn't necessarily mean healthier air; and he demonstrates why modern diesel engines, in spite of their growing green credentials, may be bigger polluters than petrol. Maggie Philbin follows some typical commuters to reveal how much pollution we all actually breathe in, and she also finds out how a soap powder additive could turn all our clothes into personal pollution filters. And while people continue to worry about the health of their lungs, Liz Bonnin investigates new research that suggests it may be our hearts that are more at risk from air pollution.
