E2. Body Armour
Feb 21, 2008 · 30m
Dr. Brian Alters takes a dive from aboard the exploration boat, The Tiburon. Once beneath the surface of the waves, he takes a close look at some of the unusual protective suits of sea creatures including lobsters, sea snails, loggerhead turtles - and sharks. And he learns how the abalone, a shellfish, may have the toughest armour of all.
Re-enacting scenes reminiscent of the movie 300 Dr. Brian Fleck and Marc Huot do their best to do damage to replicas of the suits of armour used throughout the ages. From animal hides to chain mail to armour suits and then bulletproof vests, they demonstrate how new weapons drove the need to develop new armours.
Dr. Jennifer Gardy looks at the most personal form of armour, our skin, and finds that our body's largest organ contains the key to developing a new class of antibiotics. She travels down to the swamps of Louisiana to get up close and personal with an alligator - a reptile with impressive and surprising body armour.
