Synopsis

With a team of Himalayan climbers, NOVA journeys toward the summit of Everest, conducting unprecedented experiments to understand how extreme environments impact the human mind and body. The question lingers: why are some individuals so vulnerable to the effects of high altitude, while others endure? Does prolonged exposure to hypoxia—oxygen deprivation—inflict lasting damage? Scans of the brain, taken before and after the expedition, may reveal the physical consequences of such conditions, offe