Episode
NOVA: The Rise of a Wonder Drug
Overview
When Alexander Fleming discovered the penicillin mold in 1928, he never considered its possible therapeutic value. NOVA explores the "Fleming myth" and reveals the true story of the scientists who worked behind the scenes to develop the wonder drug of the century.
Details
- Series
- NOVA
- Season
- Season 13
- Episode
- Episode 9
- Air date
- 1986-03-18
- Runtime
- 55 min
Episode context
The Rise of a Wonder Drug is Episode 9 in Season 13 of NOVA. It aired on 1986-03-18. The runtime is 55 min.
Previous / Next
Episode 8: Return of the Osprey
NOVA follows a conservation success story as environmentalists, scientists and bird-lovers fight to save the majestic Osprey from extinction.
Episode 10: When Wonder Drugs Don't Work
NOVA examines the medical community's alarm as the spread of antibiotic-resistant infection increases, and studies how one hospital fights its own dramatic epidemic.
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Episode 12: The Search for the Disappeared
NOVA joins scientists in Argentina as they help locate kidnapped children and identify thousands of dead in the aftermath of a military reign of terror.
Episode 5: The Case of the Frozen Addict
In July 1982, a 42-year-old addict in a San Jose, California jail became paralyzed—unable to move or talk. His symptoms, caused by a bad batch of synthetic heroin, were indistinguishable from those associated with Parkinson's disease, a degenerative nerve disorder that strikes the elderly. NOVA traces the story of a "designer" drug which could lead to a major medical breakthrough.
Episode 13: The Planet that Got Knocked on its Side
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Episode 4: Life's First Feelings
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Episode 14: High-Tech Babies
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Episode 3: Horsemen of China
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Episode 15: Can AIDS Be Stopped?
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