The Nature of Things Season 51

One of the most powerful hallucinogenic drugs on the planet is in a tea made from medicinal plants: it's called ayahuasca. There are studies around the world that say that this indigenous cure may also provide answers as to how to treat Western drug addicts.

In Istanbul, Turkey, workers building a railway tunnel make a remarkable discovery - an ancient harbour, buried and shrouded in mystery ...until now. Will archaeologists be able to uncover the treasures of the past before it is buried again?

Scientist Jennifer Gardy turns her critical eye towards the myths, lies, misunderstandings and errors behind the headlines, putting the science of the daily news to the test both in the lab and on the streets.

Examining modern China's ideas about nature and the environment.

A fresh perspective on autism research with the developing "Bacterial Theory" of autism. The fastest-growing developmental disorder in the industrialized world, autism has increased an astounding 600 per cent over the last 20 years. Science cannot say why. Some say it's triggered by environmental factors and point to another intriguing statistic: 70 per cent of kids with autism also have severe gastrointestinal symptoms. Could autism actually begin in the gut? The Autism Enigma looks at the progress of an international group of scientists who are studying the gut's amazingly diverse and powerful microbial ecosystem for clues to the baffling disorder.

New science links man-made chemicals to the global obesity epidemic. Man-made chemicals may be programming us to be fat - before we're even born.

A look at the science deep within the teenage brain and a celebration of evolution's masterpiece - the years that bring us judgment, adaptation and innovation. In short the years that make us human.

Scientists explore the mysteries of animal consciousness and find growing evidence of compassion, cooperation, altruism, empathy, intelligence and communication in all sorts of different species.

Most tigers today are privately owned - experts estimate that the number of tigers living in the United States is nearly double of those in the wild. What's life like for the American tiger?

Multiple sclerosis patients use social media to engage in an unprecedented battle with the Canadian medical establishment for access to a controversial treatment.

In a new installment of Suzuki Diaries, David and his daughter, Sarika, set out to discover whether some of Canada's biggest cities are ready for the challenges of the future.

David Suzuki travels to the areas most affected by the tsunami on its anniversary.

Anthropologist Niobe Thompson explores the evolutionary past of humans.

The secrets of plant behavior.

Shot over twelve months, this blue chip wildlife documentary tells the story a young polar bear's epic migration through the icy waters of Hudson Bay and his subsequent adventures on land, where he must spend the ice-free season. It is his first summer alone without his mother to guide and feed him. His struggle to survive is set against the biggest environmental story of our time: climate change.