Episode 3

"The Strongest  Man  Alive"
Synopsis

 

Our muscles are capable of high strength for short periods of time (“skeletal muscle”) or low strength for long periods of time (“smooth muscle”).

Why do these limitations exist?

What was the evolutionary process that created the first muscle cell?

How do contraction and relaxation work at the molecular level?

Skeletal muscle shows a high degree of “plasticity” (the ability to change). We prove this every time we exercise and build more muscle.

But even the strongest man alive cannot produce a force that remotely equals the force generated by simple hydraulic machinery.

How would human muscle strength look like, if it were the result of engineering instead of evolution?

Can genomic manipulation create a real-life “Superman“?

Many diseases cause skeletal muscle loss (ALS, dystrophia, etc.) and the episode will feature scientists whose goal is to overcome these diseases using a myriad of techniques: electric stimulation, stem-cells-mediated regeneration, exoskeletons, and more.