The toxic waste from drugs like ecstasy, speed or crystal meth

S08 E01 • Tuesday, Jan 2, 2024 • Jan 2 • 29m

Whether it’s ecstasy, speed or crystal meth, producing illicit synthetic drugs generates toxic waste. This often ends up in the local environment, posing a threat to humans, wildlife and the land. We look at cases in the Netherlands and Germany.

How much influence do the super rich have?

S08 E02 • Thursday, Jan 4, 2024 • Jan 4 • 43m

The lives of the Amish in the US

S08 E03 • Friday, Jan 5, 2024 • Jan 5 • 43m

How artificial light threatens nature

S08 E04 • Thursday, Jan 11, 2024 • Jan 11 • 43m

Many animals and plants are threatened by artificial light. Numerous organisms have found their evolutionary niche in the dark of night, and now have to adapt to bright nights. Not all of them succeed.

China's growing influence in Europe- Serbia and the New Silk Road

S08 E05 • Sunday, Jan 14, 2024 • Jan 14 • 43m

Dancing despite war- From war-torn Ukraine to the big ballet stage

S08 E06 • Wednesday, Jan 17, 2024 • Jan 17 • 41m

Personalized nutrition- Could genética tests improve your health and your figure?

S08 E07 • Thursday, Jan 18, 2024 • Jan 18 • 43m

Mental health and resilience- the secrets of inner strength

S08 E08 • Saturday, Jan 20, 2024 • Jan 20 • 52m

Transylvania- The heart of Romania

S08 E09 • Thursday, Jan 25, 2024 • Jan 25 • 43m

The mysterious death of an SS officer: a Nazi true crimen story

S08 E10 • Saturday, Jan 27, 2024 • Jan 27 • 1h 26m

Behind Asia's cyber slavery

S08 E11 • Monday, Jan 29, 2024 • Jan 29 • 29m

Ticking time bombs- What risk do abandoned oil and gas wells pose?

S08 E12 • Wednesday, Jan 31, 2024 • Jan 31 • 43m

The extraction of gas and oil poses a greater threat than previously thought. Leaks at disused drilling sites can trigger an environmental disaster at any time. If toxic substances escape, human lives are at risk. In many countries, oil and gas companies are legally obliged to seal abandoned wells immediately. However, the implementation and monitoring of these regulations is sporadic. Activists and whistleblowers are constantly trying to draw attention to this abuse.

Russia's energy empire: Putin and the rise of Gazprom

S08 E13 • Saturday, Feb 3, 2024 • Feb 3 • 51m

The dark side of the champagne industry

S08 E14 • Tuesday, Feb 6, 2024 • Feb 6 • 29m

Champagne: a symbol of glamor and celebration. Tens of thousands of migrant workers head to France every year to harvest grapes in the Champagne region. But some pay a high price to bring this luxury product to market.

Cryptocurrencies- The future of money?

S08 E15 • Wednesday, Feb 7, 2024 • Feb 7 • 43m

For some, cryptocurrencies are a dangerous bubble. For others, they represent the future of money. But what are the actual uses - and risks -- of cryptocurrencies? This documentary explores how crypto is altering global financial architecture.

How mass tourism is endangering the Dolomites

S08 E16 • Thursday, Feb 8, 2024 • Feb 8 • 43m

Mass tourism in South Tyrol is endangering the unique beauty of the Dolomites, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The region has just 530,000 inhabitants, while as many as 33 million overnight stays are recorded every year. Too many, according to locals. With the South Tyrolean government's Tourism Development Concept 2030+, the debate over how to deal with the region’s natural heritage has grown heated. What is a World Heritage designation actually worth? Does it really help to protect a unique landscape - or just serve to market it?

China's grab for the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization

S08 E17 • Friday, Feb 9, 2024 • Feb 9 • 43m

Russia's Gazprom- Corrupt politicians and the greed of the west

S08 E18 • Saturday, Feb 10, 2024 • Feb 10 • 51m

Meeting death on our own terms

S08 E19 • Thursday, Feb 15, 2024 • Feb 15 • 43m

Modern medicine is making it possible to keep people alive for longer and longer. However, hospitals can also earn a lot of money by treating the seriously ill, especially in intensive care units. Intensive care physician Uwe Janssens believes that, when it comes to death and dying, economics often play a key role. Doctors, nurses and the hospital's chaplain meet regularly to discuss ethics: Should a critically ill patient be assisted in dying, or kept alive artificially? What is the aim of therapy? What is the patient's will? What is medically feasible, what makes sense? Even for doctors, decisions at the end of a patient's life are never easy. The film touches on a taboo in Western society. How can people be protected from artificially extended morbid illness, yet still receive the medical help they need and want?

Racism in medicine

S08 E20 • Wednesday, Feb 21, 2024 • Feb 21 • 43m

This documentary hears from people who’ve been turned away or received inadequate care in a medical emergency; from midwives who report on racism in the delivery room; from students who criticize teaching according to white norms; as well as from doctors who reflect on the problem. The film shows just how dangerous conscious or unconscious racism in the healthcare sector can be. Its findings are based on the results of the first representative study on the issue in Germany, published in November 2023 by the German Centre for Integration and Migration Research.

Ayahuasca boom in Brazil

S08 E21 • Sunday, Feb 25, 2024 • Feb 25 • 26m

Barbie: The world's greatest influencer?

S08 E22 • Wednesday, Feb 28, 2024 • Feb 28 • 43m

She’s available in all skin colors, she’s diverse and inclusive. Created by businesswoman Ruth Handler, unveiled in New York in 1959, Barbie’s long been a money-maker. With millions of followers on Instagram, she’s now an influencer, too. The documentary dives into the world of Barbie content creators, meets the most famous collector (who owns 18,500 dolls), and speaks to fans and feminists. Barbie: the first doll with her own career. Still, she’s an object of love and hate. More than any other toy.

Extreme climate research- On the road in the icefields of Patagonia

S08 E23 • Sunday, Mar 3, 2024 • Mar 3 • 26m

Patagonia's icefields are very difficult to access. As a result, they remain largely unexplored by climate researchers. Now, a scientist and two extreme mountaineers are venturing into this hard-to-reach area, in search of new data for climate research.

Can algae save the world?

S08 E24 • Sunday, Mar 10, 2024 • Mar 10 • 26m

The research project called "Waste to value”, Kaiserslautern University of Applied Sciences biologist Michael Lakatos and his team are investigating the potential uses of microalgae. Some species form limestone, which could be used to make bio-cement - thereby reducing CO₂. Other forms of algae could serve as a biologically-based plastic substitute. Yet others could produce edible dyes - using sunlight and CO₂. The researchers are traveling the world in search of especially talented algae and bacteria. The filmmakers accompany the team members for almost a year - even following them into a Spanish cave used to emulate life on Mars. After all, algae could have many potential uses in space, including as a foodstuff for astronauts.

New quantum computers- Potential and pitfalls

S08 E25 • Tuesday, Mar 12, 2024 • Mar 12 • 29m

A Swiss start-up that produces artificial lungs is looking towards quantum algorithms to become more efficient and, for example, help find a cure for cancer and rendering experiments on animals redundant. A private investor has brought these goals one step closer by allowing Swiss start-ups to use quantum computers commercially. The technology is still considered to be at the beginning of its development curve, science does not yet know its full capabilities. Big players such as Google and IBM are in competition to create ever newer and faster quantum computers. This film opens a window into the world of supercomputers, and explores how their potential and their dangers seem to exist side by side.

Pyramids, dark matter & the Big Bang theory

S08 E26 • Wednesday, Mar 13, 2024 • Mar 13 • 43m

AI supremacy: The artificial intelligence battle between China, USA and Europe

S08 E27 • Saturday, Mar 16, 2024 • Mar 16 • 1h 29m

The documentary follows key figures from the tech industry, science and politics who are working on artificial intelligence around the globe. They are tasked with making far-reaching decisions within a very short space of time. How can the technology’s potential be harnessed, while preventing a science fiction dystopia? The potential benefits of the currently emerging super-infrastructure are as limitless as its existential dangers. The latter include disinformation and election manipulation, as well as new forms of warfare and surveillance.

The Mississippi - A journey through the heart of America

S08 E28 • Thursday, Mar 21, 2024 • Mar 21 • 43m

NATO - The largest military alliance in the world

S08 E29 • Thursday, Apr 4, 2024 • Apr 4 • 1h 29m

Colonial roots of the genocide in Rwanda

S08 E30 • Friday, Apr 5, 2024 • Apr 5 • 1h 26m

A Holocaust survivor returns - Margot Friedländer in Germany

S08 E31 • Wednesday, Apr 10, 2024 • Apr 10 • 43m

Mars - Life on the Red Planet?

S08 E32 • Friday, Apr 12, 2024 • Apr 12 • 43m

The new robot NASA sent to Mars is called "Perseverance". Its mission? To search for evidence of past life on the Red Planet - an important and ambitious endeavor. It took years to design the space probe and its small helicopter drone, called "Ingenuity". This documentary follows the rover's development, right up to its landing in the Jezero Crater on February 18, 2021.

Burnout - When does work start feeling pointless?

S08 E33 • Saturday, Apr 27, 2024 • Apr 27 • 52m

Superfluous meetings, endless paperwork and incompetent managers - sound familiar? Jobs that entail a steady stream of seemingly pointless demands can damage our health in the long-term. This film takes a humorous look at how we waste potentially valuable time in the workplace.

Illegal leather - How the car industry is threatening the rainforest

S08 E34 • Friday, May 3, 2024 • May 3 • 43m

Brazil’s tannery industry exports products worth 1.5 billion Euros every year. Cattle meat and hides are a huge economic driver. But this business often involves the illegal destruction of the rainforest for grazing land. With footage secretly filmed in abattoirs and interviews with insiders the team retraces the production steps of this illegal leather right to its source. From the Brazilian rainforest, via shady middlemen to German car dealerships offering the latest models by BMW, Mercedes & Co. - complete with their luxurious leather interiors. The film embarks on a journalistic quest for clues that turns into an economic crime thriller. After all, this isn’t an isolated case, it’s systematic environmental exploitation. Despite the many glossy brochures touting the carmakers’ sustainability credentials, these complex supply chains are often opaque - keeping their impact on people and the environment in the dark.

The International Space Station: a unique space project

S08 E35 • Tuesday, May 7, 2024 • May 7 • 29m

This documentary explores the singular historical situation that made the construction of the ISS possible and hears firsthand from crew members from various nations. It sheds light on the challenges that ISS crews have faced over the years, such as the fact that, for a long time, female astronauts were unable to carry out space walks because there were no suitable space suits available for women. Nonetheless, the International Space Station is proof that nations can work together towards incredible common goals - not for nothing has it been called "humankind’s most valuable machine”. But the end fast approaching. The project was supposed to end in 2024, until the US government agreed to continue operating the ISS until 2030. In 2031, the space station is due to be brought back to Earth using a controlled process of de-orbiting.

Women as spoils of war at the end of World War Two

S08 E36 • Wednesday, May 8, 2024 • May 8 • 43m

In early 1945, at least 860,000 women and girls in Germany were sexually abused by Allied soldiers. The victims, and the children they bore after being raped, suffer trauma to this day. Many remained silent throughout their lives and took their stories to their graves. The documentary hears the stories of some of these victims, talks to their children and grandchildren, as well as historians to reveal how the trauma has affected them throughout their lives. The documentary also shows how important it is to confront the taboo head on: After all, sexual violence against women and girls is still very much part of modern warfare.

Between the desert and the Pacific Ocean

S08 E37 • Thursday, May 16, 2024 • May 16 • 43m

There are men on this planet who challenge death every day to feed their families. Between the desert and the Pacific Ocean, in the region of Huarmey in Peru, stand vertiginous cliffs. Men like Purunga must overcome them.

Birds - Survivalists with special powers

S08 E38 • Wednesday, May 22, 2024 • May 22 • 43m

Almost of a third of all birds in the US have disappeared since 1970. That’s just under three billion animals. In Europe, the number has been decimated by around 25 per cent. Climate change and the destruction of natural habitats pose the greatest challenges. Conservation efforts are more urgent than ever.

How car tires drive deforestation

S08 E39 • Thursday, May 23, 2024 • May 23 • 29m

Rainforests are sacrificed to provide the rubber used in tires, even though alternatives exist. 70% of the global rubber harvest goes to the tire industry, which must now meet new supply chain rules approved by the European Parliament in April 2024. The rules are designed to ensure due diligence and corporate accountability. Once the law takes effect, manufacturers in the EU will need to show their tires do not contain natural rubber from deforested land. This certification process poses a problem for producers. Most natural rubber is produced in Asia. The supply chains from rubber farmers through various intermediaries to Europe have, however, been largely nontransparent to date. Companies are therefore exploring alternative materials and methods. In addition, discarded old tires could be retreaded, recycled, and put back on the market - instead of ending up on a landfill site. Is the industry having a genuine change of heart, or are these merely examples of greenwashing?

Floods, heavy rain, extreme weather - Why we need to build differently

S08 E40 • Sunday, May 26, 2024 • May 26 • 26m

Billions of people in cities around the world are affected by climate change. Sustainable urban planning can help reduce risks and improve life in urban centers.

What is life like without smells?

S08 E41 • Thursday, May 30, 2024 • May 30 • 43m

Since Covid-19 and the symptoms of loss of smell and taste, many people have begun to realize just how important smell is in our lives. Our sense of smell is the oldest sense we have. Not only the enjoyment of our food, but also our memories, emotions and social interactions are influenced by it. The loss of the sense of smell, or ‘anosmia’, significantly impairs people's experience of the world. In this documentary, people talk about their lives without smell. But what if you've never been able to smell before? Lauren Ramoser only noticed at the age of 11 in chemistry class that the strong-smelling acids seemed to smell "corrosive" to her classmates, but that she didn't notice anything herself. How does this affect a person’s life?

India's new generation between luxury and poverty

S08 E42 • Tuesday, Jun 4, 2024 • Jun 4 • 45m

India, a nation on the verge of becoming a superpower? The country has overtaken China and is now the world’s most populous nation. The average age is 28. What dreams and what opportunities for advancement does this generation in India have today?

European migration? How a continent is sealing itself off

S08 E43 • Thursday, Jun 6, 2024 • Jun 6 • 45m

There’s hardly a more divisive topic in Europe than the issue of immigration. When the refugee crisis began in 2015, the EU welcomed many with open arms. Now, tightened borders have become the norm.

Ozempic - What’s the truth behind the hype?

S08 E44 • Tuesday, Jun 25, 2024 • Jun 25 • 29m

The hype is enormous: A new weight-loss drug is being aggressively marketed on social media - promising patients a quick fix for obesity. But what’s the truth behind the hype?

Melting wetlands - How can nature slow down climate change?

S08 E45 • Wednesday, Jul 3, 2024 • Jul 3 • 43m

Peatlands and wetlands play an important role in global warming because they influence the greenhouse gas cycle. But not all bogs are the same. Some bind carbon, while others release it into the atmosphere in the form of carbon dioxide and methane emissions. The film follows the work of two research teams investigating the influence of moors and swamps on the climate. Greenhouse gases escape when permafrost moors melt. But swamp and mire areas that have been thrown out of balance, for example by plantation farming for the production of palm oil, can actually accelerate climate change. The documentary explains what happens when carbon escapes from swamp and moorland areas into the atmosphere and how nature's potential can be used to slow down climate change.

Isolation and dementia - Why we should protect our ears

S08 E46 • Sunday, Jul 7, 2024 • Jul 7 • 43m

If you’re young, you don’t usually do enough to protect your hearing. But more than a billion youngsters are at risk of hearing loss worldwide. People often turn to assistive devices when it’s already too late. Hearing loss can result in isolation and accelerate the onset of dementia. We introduce young people suffering from hearing loss as a result of listening to music too loudly for too long, look at everyday situations that put extreme strain on our hearing and present new solutions from the hearing aid industry. In the making of this film, directors Duki Dror and Jens Strohschnieder revisit scenes where the 7 October attack took place and speak to survivors, journalists and security experts.

Raid on the Atlantic - Overfishing and exploitation of the sea

S08 E47 • Thursday, Jul 11, 2024 • Jul 11 • 43m

West African waters once had some of the richest fish stocks in the world. Today they are severely depleted. Fishermen in Senegal fear for their livelihoods. Europeans, Chinese, Russians and Turks have overfished the waters.

Nuclear fusion's hope - The dream of endless clean energy

S08 E48 • Friday, Jul 12, 2024 • Jul 12 • 43m

Could nuclear fusion generate an infinite amount of clean energy? In contrast to nuclear fission, nuclear fusion looks favorable when it comes to environmental and safety concerns. Could nuclear fusion be the solution to our environmental problems? The film explains how nuclear fusion works and what role it could play in the European energy landscape, the challenges involved, the difference between fission and fusion and whether this just might be the solution to humanity's hunger for energy.

America’s right-wing radicals - US veterans against democracy

S08 E49 • Saturday, Jul 13, 2024 • Jul 13 • 1h 23m

On 6 January 2021, hundreds of Donald Trump supporters stormed the Capitol in Washington. Five people were killed and many injured. Some 15 per cent of those involved were former members of the US military or police. The US-American filmmaker Charlie Sadoff and his co-writer and producer Kenneth Harbaugh both used to be in the military, something that allowed them to delve deep into the veterans’ world. Through them, they gained access to violent rightwing extremist circles in America, including anti-government militias such as the Proud Boys, the Three Percenters and the Oath Keepers. These groups - organized and led by well-educated, highly motivated military veterans - represent the greatest threat to democracy in the United States today. The documentary examines the complexity of this development, tracing it back to its historical roots.

Turning vapor into drinking water

S08 E50 • Wednesday, Jul 17, 2024 • Jul 17 • 43m

Turning vapor into drinking water: a bizarre response to the impact of climate change? Or a stroke of genius? It’s hoped that the cloud catchers - nets that fish water out of the air - will provide a solution to water shortages worldwide. But how does it work?