Meat the future?

Increasing global population and food demands drive the discovery for new food sources and imminent dietary change

Broadcaster: BBC TWO

Year: 2014

Genre: Factual

URL: http://bobnational.net/record/264386

Review by Ella Yabsley

This 4.5-minute clip from BBC Two’s Food & Drink could serve as a useful discussion-starter when considering the ethics of global meat consumption. The clip begins with the introduction of a new type of food source, cultured beef or in vitro meat (IVM). A  team from Maastricht University (Holland) claim that IVM was produced for numerous reasons: IVM is more sustainable compared to traditional animal farming practices; it could solve the current (and future) food crisis; and it could also help to combat climate change. Regardless of your ethical standpoint, this clip highlights some of the ethical, economic and health-related tensions that the ‘Western World’ is facing with regards to animal agriculture.

Cancer: Hope for sale? (Panorama)

Dr Stanislaw Burzynski promotes his antineoplastin treatment for cancer

Broadcaster: BBC1

Year: 2013

Genre: Documentary

URL: http://bobnational.net/record/265685

A 30 minute episode of the current affairs Panorama series, focusing on the controversial “antineoplastins” cancer therapy promoted by Texan doctor Stanislaw Burzynski. His work gets celebrity endorsement but he has never published peer-reviewed data on his procedure (although he has contributed to a movie about his treatments). Might be useful in a discussion on the nature of scientific evidence.

Disclaimer: listing of the programme here is not an endorsement of the procedure represented.

To Walk Again (Panorama)

Transplant of olfactory ensheathing cells from the olfactory bulb into a man’s own spine allowed reconnection between his brain and his lower limbs

Broadcaster: BBC 1

Year: 2014

Genre: Factual, News

http://bobnational.net/record/251760

In October 2014 research described as “more impressive than man walking on the moon” was published. Stem cells from Darek Fidyka’s olfactory bulbs (from the top of the nose) were used to repair damage to his spinal cord, reconnecting his brain with his lower extremities. A one-hour Panorama special looked in detail at what had been achieved. The coverage was notable for the balance in which the magnitude of the breakthrough was tempered by realism about the fact that, to date, this is just one patient and there is a need to see this replicated by different researchers in different labs.

A number of other news programmes covered the story on the same day. These include:

• Channel 4 News John Snow starts this 10 minute piece by stating that it is not often that you can report a truly remarkable breakthrough. In addition to coverage of the main story it also contains a very interesting studio interview with two women who are themselves wheelchair users following earlier accidents. Neither is certain that from their current vantage point they would want to undergo this treatment and argue for better recognition of disabled people in our society http://bobnational.net/record/251814
• BBC News at 10 This clip (6 mins) includes a package that summarises the key issues, plus a separate piece featuring Daniel Nicholls, whose father David funded some of the breakthrough research and an interview with Geoffrey Raisman who emphasised that the work was still at an early stage http://bobnational.net/record/251812
• ITV News A 3 minute summary of the story and an in-studio interview with Geoff Raisman and David Nicholls http://bobnational.net/record/251874

The BBC news website also has a written version of the story Paralysed man walks again after cell transplant (including links to a short video clip)