Episode Information

Throw away all of your preconceived ideas about the behaviour and nature of teenagers. New research suggests that without our turbulent teen years the human race would be, as Dr David Bainbridge puts it, “short lived and stupid.” The teenager. That odd creature that invades our homes and tests the limits of our reason and patience. But what if teenagers are doing exactly as nature intended? This programme looks at this critical developmental stage from a scientific and evolutionary point of view. Combining cutting-edge scientific research with a graphic novel approach, it illustrates that our teens are doing precisely what they should be doing to finesse the development of their brains and ensure the survival of the human species.