About this season
A long journey in 8 episodes to discover the human body, with Piero Angela who closely observes our organism, focusing each time on a theme: the eye, the ear, taste and smell, the stomach and the intestine, liver, bones, lungs and heart. How does our "wonder machine" work? To make each explanation direct and clear, the program uses films, animations and photographs developed with the scanning electron microscope.
Episodes (8)
1. The Ear
8.0Aired 25 October 1990 • 57 min
The first episode of the program "The Wonderful Machine" is dedicated to the ear. The auricle helps to hear well and to locate noises, explains Piero Angela: traveling virtually inside the ear, this organ is investigated, whose characteristics are illustrated, from the ear canal to the eardrum, from the cochlea to the labyrinth.
2. The Eye
Aired 1 November 1990 • 67 min
From the cornea to the lens up to the retina: discovering the eye, Piero Angela begins his exciting journey with the eyelids, "shutters", he says, with different functions such as "protecting the eye, isolating the brain from light and thus promoting sleep , but also constantly cleaning the cornea thanks to rapid movements".
3. Taste and Smell
Aired 8 November 1990 • 48 min
"Taste smell" is the title of the episode of the program with Piero Angela to discover the human body. How does the language work? And how are sensations formed? Step by step, we delve into the delicate and complex mechanisms of our "wonderful machine".
4. The Stomach and Intestines
Aired 15 November 1990 • 59 min
What is the role of the esophagus? How is the stomach made? And the intestines? Piero Angela leads us to the discovery of the human body, a "wonderful machine" with a complex and fascinating functioning, showing us the "fantastic landscapes" that are within us.
5. The Liver
Aired 22 November 1990 • 64 min
Piero Angela is "special correspondent" to discover the characteristics and functioning of the liver, a real "biochemical factory", whose various "departments" are explored. A decisive organ for the proper functioning of our "wonderful machine".
6. The Bones
Aired 29 November 1990 • 66 min
"A world full of surprises", this is how Piero Angela announces it, his special patrol inside the bones of our "wonderful machine". How many bones do we have at birth? And what happens when we grow up? Questions and answers, with a direct and precise informative style, allow us to get to know our body much more closely.
7. The Lungs
Aired 6 December 1990 • 64 min
A journey of exploration following the air that enters and exits our bodies: Piero Angela leads us to discover the lungs, their characteristics and how they work. What happens when we breathe? We find out with the support of images of the inside of our body.
8. The Heart
Aired 13 December 1990 • 63 min
A journey to discover the "engine" of the organism: the heart. At the beginning of the episode Angela asks a series of questions: how many times does this organ beat in a lifetime? How does it work? What exactly happens when something goes wrong? The description of this "four-chamber pump" is careful and punctual, as in Piero Angela's style. When observed under a scanning electron microscope, the organ reveals many interesting details that are worth paying attention to.