The Secret Life of Your Body Clock

“Why are you more likely to have a heart attack at 8 o'clock in the morning or crash your car on the motorway at 2 o'clock in the afternoon? Can taking your medication at the right time of day really save your life? And why should you encourage your teenager to lie in in the morning?” These questions, posed at the beginning of this BBC/Science Channel co-production directed by Alicky Sussman and narrated by Bernard Hill, are answered by prominent chronobiologists, including Dr. Till Roenneberg of the University of Munich and Dr. Russell Foster of Imperial College, London. It turns out that your body has evolved to have not just one, but many “clocks,” which operate at the cellular level to control blood pressure, digestion, and other functions. That's why, for example, you're five times more likely to have a heart attack between 6 and 10 a.m. than at any other time of day, why 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. is “the best time for thinking,” and why most Olympic records are broken between 4 and 6 p.m. An interesting introduction to the science of chronobiology, this is recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (F. Zoretich)