Quick Connections with Alie Ward
Presenter Alie Ward takes us on a wild, twisting journey through human history, connecting seemingly unrelated events, objects and people to the most intriguing phenomena of the modern world. Tracing these connections reveals deep insight into the nature of change and points a finger to the future of our species.
- 2023-2023
- 1 season
- CuriosityStream
- Documentary
Presenter Alie Ward takes us on a wild, twisting journey through human history, connecting seemingly unrelated events, objects and people to the most intriguing phenomena of the modern world. Tracing these connections reveals deep insight into the nature of change and points a finger to the future of our species.
Season 1 Episode Guide
6 Episodes 2023
Episode 1
Living Virtually
Thu, Nov 9, 2023
How might the desire to invent photography lead us to a world where we live entirely virtually? From photojournalism, war and anarchy, to wild hedonistic people gathered naked in the desert in search of communion, Alie Ward will point us towards a future where we might upload ourselves to the web.
Episode 2
Fighting Mortality
Thu, Nov 9, 2023
What is the secret to eternal life? Alie Ward takes us on a journey from an ancient herbal remedy, through naturalistic theatre, the horrifying results of atomic weapons, to embryonic stem cells and a tantalizing prospect - a future where our bodies are tricked into keeping us forever young.
Episode 3
Hacking Happiness
Thu, Nov 9, 2023
What could possibly link rockets and antidepressants? Are we on the cusp of having a neural switch that can control our moods? Alie Ward weaves a chain of extraordinary connections, from our earliest dreams of standing on the moon, to our pill-popping present and a future of happiness on-demand.
Episode 4
Faking Faces
Thu, Nov 9, 2023
Alie Ward takes us on a journey that at face value seems very dubious. From deceitfully taking Parisian women to a swamp in Louisiana, poker faced mischief, a mathematical code for winning games, to machines that can invent faces so real that nobody, not even other machines, can tell they are fake.
Episode 5
Engineering Earth
Thu, Nov 9, 2023
A heroic bid for freedom by an enslaved couple in 19th century America precipitates great innovation and genius, culminating in people literally making the heavens open. With a process called cloud seeding. But can controlling the weather save us from climate catastrophe or are we playing god?
Episode 6
Becoming Bionic
Thu, Nov 9, 2023
A discovery in a gold mine in the Ural Mountains leads to a vivid paint that revolutionizes art and will later stun the world of science. From dissecting stolen corpses and peering into microscopes, the secret structure of the brain and nervous system is exposed. Could this lead to a race of superhumans?