Life's Greatest Miracle

Remember the old Bill Cosby routine where he wonders why science hasn't developed an instant baby that works like a Polaroid picture: “Kiss your wife and sixty seconds later boom!--there's the baby”? Even though instant babies are still not on the event horizon, science has been making strides in understanding the earliest stages of human development, greatly aided by photography--or, more accurately, microphotography. Nearly twenty years after the Emmy-award winning The Miracle of Life, a NOVA episode featuring the amazing in utero microphotography of Swedish photographer Lennart Nilsson, the NOVA team and Nilsson team up for this updated look at Life's Greatest Miracle, from conception to birth, using cutting edge equipment in microscopy and medical imaging, as well as computer animation to convey what happens inside embryonic cells. Following one couple's pregnancy through a full onscreen birth, this NOVA "remake" takes advantage of contemporary technology to once again produce an outstanding documentary that conveys both the science and mystery of human reproduction. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. Aud: H, C, P. (R. Reagan)