Signals from the Heart

Episode aired Apr 6, 1956
30m

IMDb RATING

7.2/10

YOUR RATING

Adventure Drama Sci-Fi

A doctor is blamed for a train wreck that killed two dozen people because he had just certified the engineer, who had suffered a fatal heart attack right before the crash, as fit for duty. T... Read allA doctor is blamed for a train wreck that killed two dozen people because he had just certified the engineer, who had suffered a fatal heart attack right before the crash, as fit for duty. To make up for the damage to his reputation, the doctor now hopes to develop a new cardiogr... Read allA doctor is blamed for a train wreck that killed two dozen people because he had just certified the engineer, who had suffered a fatal heart attack right before the crash, as fit for duty. To make up for the damage to his reputation, the doctor now hopes to develop a new cardiogram that will detect heart attacks from a distance.

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IMDb RATING

7.2/10

YOUR RATING

2User reviews

See production info at IMDbPro

User reviews2

Featured review

10/10

Predicting Technology

This episode is one of my favorites in predicting technology before it became reality. There are a number of plotting errors (which may have been intentional for dramatic purposes or may just be due to technology not being in existence/use in the mid-50s). The lead off accident that triggers the story is not possible since the train should have come to a stop when the engineer had his heart attack due to the engine being equipped with a "Dead Man" switch (which was in use for years before the story). As to his heart condition not being detected, I will give them a pass since in that time frame I do not know if exams involved the now standard stress test (such as running someone on a treadmill while being monitored). The portable EKG invented in this story which radioed its readings to a recorder eventually was developed for the space program to monitor the astronauts and acted as the needed stress test.