Extra Life: A Short History of Living Longer
This new four-part series examines the science and medical innovations that conquered some of the world’s deadliest diseases and doubled life expectancies for many across the globe. Set in the context of today’s COVID-19 crisis, it explores the lessons learned from previous global pandemics—including smallpox, cholera, the Spanish flu and others—and reveals how scientists, doctors, self-experimenters and activists launched a public health revolution, saving millions of lives, fundamentally changing how we think about illness and ultimately paving the way for modern medicine.
Each episode explores one aspect of public health that has played a central role in our battle to live longer.