Your skin to find out how your body reacts to tattoo ink welcome to the show. And we kick off with a dispatch from our reporter on home run. To mark the 250th birthday of alexander from home but 1st in travel to ecuador and colombia 3 countries that the great naturalist explored during his expedition to the americas. Part 2 of the trip takes us to the volcanoes of ecuador. Meaning. The entire planet to work eternal is a single ball kayak. Hearth the subterranean fire breaks forth now from one of these openings now from another. That is how alexander for unbolt recalled his expedition through the andes in his book views of nature in 10000 to the naturalist an explorer traveled to ecuador to study the honest active volcanoes on the planet and we are following in his footsteps unfortunately they were more afraid of. Anything this guy is crazy about try to have 200000 workers. Who are whats fascinating about this group so. Its a good thing that she decided to do that in this country because they would have is crucial. To maven who can count on just purchased my. Own gold hauled to dozens of measuring instruments with him up to the crater of pitching check he wanted to find imperial evidence that volcano was were connected underground and that eruptions could create Mountain Ranges now basic knowledge for volcanologists like but among scientists have determined that the kitchen counter complex is more than a 1000000 years old its youngest crater was torn out of the Mountain Range by a gigantic eruption 1000 years ago as the researchers thermal imaging cameras shows beaching show is very much alive today. I come to something like. This with a camera. Its. Called from. Below there and all the rain just coming side is. And then you can just throw some doctors are because the pressure is increase and the crater and. And then you could have explosives as i have before. 73. 00 volcanoes more than a dozen of them still active all crowded together in a stretch of less than 200 kilometers. Called this unique mountain chain the avenue of the volcanoes nowhere else in the world other so many volcanoes in such a small space millions of people in ecuador live under the constant threat of an eruption. Its a threat monitored by scientists at the Geophysical Institute in quito. For all the technical advances since one bird stay precise forecasts remain elusive but the team is able to closely observe activities inside the volcano from temperature fluctuations to expanding magma chambers and increased gas emissions and he changes could be an indication of an imminent eruption. Of the code in the use of the status report from the refuge the volcano is completely submerged in the clouds not possible to observe any emissions of gas over. You know. Well scott rubio is the one Man Patrol Team on cotopaxi one of the most active volcanoes in the ecuadorian andes the volcano is under permanent surveillance. Uncle and also as hes known up here at the mountain refuge is not easily shaken. Minor tremors inside the crater are par for the course and often felt in his lodge. The. Interruption would give us no more than 5 minutes to respond up here on cotopaxi if the volcano gives us enough time we follow a strict evacuation plan but if not ill just take my place in the front row to watch this magnificent natural spectacle and then goodbye im not afraid of what itll. Be hike across the barren landscape at the foot of cunto boxing were walking over what were once deep gorges filled in by the countless tons of mud and debris that has swept through here over the course of millennia. 23456 different layers. And maybe the last one the one and close to the top is the one that was producing during the 877 eruption the last big ocean and could have actually working at a higher amount flow its produce it when. Its coming on eruption and delay should have melted a lot more 6000 meters and then you can imagine the potential energy when the water start to probe down and finally after descending 345 even more kilometers from the top of the work i know we have their deposits but our lift from. The powerful volcanic mud close can reach speeds of up to 60 Kilometers Per Hour destroying everything in their path the last major eruption of cotopaxi devastated the town of la to congo. Its modern day residents have no more than 5 minutes to evacuate if the volcano begins to rumble as it did most recently in 2015 was there was all heard this early we went outside and saw that the volcano had already started spewing ash. We knew we had to pack our thing as and get out of town on the busy i thought we was here but we found shelter under the roof of our house and waited there. In the cloud of ash descended and the children became sick thats when we fled. If that didnt hurt. Our journey through the avenue of the volcanoes and is at the chilean tulsa a colossal rock hurled a distance of 13 kilometers from quarterbacks. The awesome Destructive Force or volcanoes was to stay on humboldts mind long after he returned from his andes expedition. Years later he explained to the world how most in russia is forced up to the surface from the earths interior to form the outer face of our planet a truly groundbreaking scientific insight. Eruption speel mineral rich nava and ash from the earths crust onto its surface. Thats why the soil around will cain as is often superficial so while volcanic eruptions can be terrifying they also provide a Rich Foundation for life and on the topic of life how the seine from india sent in a question. How could life arise from inorganic matter. And money like dead matter living organisms need nutrition they reproduce and develop in part according to a genetically programmed plan but how did life originate and where there are many different theories heres one. The story began some 4000000000 years ago thats when the 1st primitive organisms appeared on earth temperatures had dropped on the early earth. Water vapor condensed into rain and filled basins on the surface to form oceans. By examining the genomes of simple microbes researchers concluded that their earliest ancestors probably resided and only true thermal vents on the ocean floor. These kinds of active hot springs are known to exist today in the deepest part of the atlantic ocean. So this might be one of the best places to go in search of the origin of life. Beneath the sea floor the rock pretty tight reacts with water to produce hydrogen which reduces c o 2 to form methane. In the presence of iron containing minerals in the sea bed these molecules can combine to form amino acids and other Building Blocks of life. Too late in the pairs of the bedrock they may then have undergone a chain of chemical reactions developing into average more complex bio molecules that ultimately became self replicating the next crucial step was the formation of membranes which would have enabled the 1st cells to exist independently as organisms. Over time the cells grew larger and more complex this gave rise to you carrying it these are organisms like ourselves each of who sells has its d. N. A. Packed into a cell nucleus surrounded by a membrane and the rest is history. The problem is read write. It. To you have a science question that youve always wanted answered it were happy to help out send it to us as a video text ovoid smell if we answer it on the show well send you a little surprise as a thank you can i just ask. This was one of the most stunning fossil finds of recent years in 2014 scientists in chile discovered the petrified remains of whales dating back 5000000 years its believed the mammals were stranded after ingesting toxic algae. Fossils provide clues about the past and their popular in museums but then this Natural HistoryMuseum Showcases specimens ranging from dinosaurs to a very special bird. And this is yet. Our best specimen. But its also a symbol of the museum. For xander fun humboldts parrot yacob who sat on his shoulder for 35 years. Later it turned out that jacobo was in fact female no matter how both bird is something of an icon for the berlin Natural History museum which likes to play up the association with home but the berlin born polymath is still celebrated for his expedition to the americas and for the wealth of days or specimens and notes he brought back with him. The newseum director has a clear goal Yohannes Fogel wants to take a position on debates in society and present nature in context much in the tradition of humbled. Doesnt really interest me as a Museum Director is how can we raise the next generation of. Can we get young people excited about nature from nature both as a scientific and a societal or political topic and how can we get them to pursue it with passion and throughout their lives you leave that for me is the legacy of. Some of the objects that brought back from his expeditions are here in the Natural History museum above all mineral specimens. All together the museum houses 30000000. 00 objects including the popular terran a saurus rex skeleton tristan. Only a few of these objects make it into exhibitions most of them are kept out of the limelight in the museum repositories but for the Research Carried out in the museum for objects like this archaeopteryx an ancient relative of modern day birds are just as useful stored in a drawer scientists often make important discoveries in the collection for example bone deformities found in a 150000000 year old dinosaur skeleton might have been caused by a viral disease. Here in the museum we have people who were able to discover Something Special in the specimens paleo pathologists who study the evolution of diseases. And they Say Something odd they take a c. T. Scan and all of a sudden this bone could be the earliest evidence for a certain disease causing virus in the history of the earth. It was. Just like that. In conspicuous display. To see if it has discovery or. Coming into a room like this you might wonder do we really have to keep all of this. Absolutely says Museum Director johan this. What were looking at here are birds nests and they are the future of the Natural History museum of phineas nests are a window into time when they were collected 150 years ago these bird species still existed. So did the plants the necessary made of. A lot of that has vanished today but with the help of genetics we can look into this these are ecosystems frozen in time i know from them we can read how the world was 150 years ago. Whether its exploring ecosystems with genetic analysis or making objects available worldwide through digitize ation modern technologies are taking the museum from the past to the future the digital record of these months collected in vietnam makes the journey there are necessary now researchers anywhere in the world can access them on a computer. Museum intends to digitize all 30000000 specimens in its collections. We have a Global Collection and we want to be part of a bigger Global Network well for someone like alexander fun who is the great role model he was the 1st globally thinking politically thinking networks of german scientist. Exhibitions present the world in the tradition of home as a holistic entity from the origin of the earth to simulations of how it might look 250000000 years from now. Wants to make his museum fit for the future. What its me its not just the interplay of responsibility and freedom but a very interesting piece of wisdom from africa its the best time to have planted a tree was 20 years ago the 2nd best time is today. And that is what should guide us we shouldnt moan about whether we should have rescued the world 20 years ago or not and what we did wrong back then but instead. We have to actively shape today and tomorrow. And the study of nature is a major contribution to that goal as alexander from home showed. For more about alexander for hubbards adventures check out our special online coverage to mark his 250th birthday. D. W. Dot com slash science or find us on social media. Because you know we often take to facebook to ask you what you think about various issues. This time we asked how you feel about tattoos. So long can any james would like to get one that this mother wont hit him for religious reasons. Says tattoos are a way to express your personality she says it all depends on what you want to say she herself doesnt have one she says thats a form of selfexpression to. Sunny your to a cockroach joyeux points to the artistic merits of tattoos describing them as an asset for both the artist and the person receiving the tattoo. Body art is popular all around the world one survey found that nearly half of people in italy. The incidence is almost as high in sweden the United States australia and argentina. And while tattoos arent that common everywhere in countries like brazil france and germany over a 3rd of people report having at least one. But what do tattoos actually do in the body lets take a look at the science. Michelle hale has been thinking about this tattoo for years hes come to ritchie an artist who specializes in brightly colored and photo realistic. Misha is a paramedic and he wants a blue star with the serpent entwined rod it is clear God Associated with healing and medicine. Does he actually know why tattoos dont disappear over time. Those who wish to get a very deep into a deeper layer of the skin so when it regenerates theory doesnt come out. The Scientific Consensus was that pigments were locked into a layer of connected to shoe but recent Research Shows they actually end up in white blood cells called macrophages. Marsay is a port city on the french mediterranean coast tattoos are a common sight here. Lots of people have them. A team of immunologists at xmas a university thinks they might have figured out why tattoos are prominent. And they used to help this super mouse. Its been specially bred so that researchers can target and kill the macrophages in its skin. This is done under completely sterile conditions because macrophages are a crucial part of the immune system they digest cellular debris and foreign substances. Immunologist. Has tattooed the tails of several mice. If the tattoo pigment really isnt golf by the macrophages then it should disappear as soon as the macrophages die. But it doesnt. Hoping for some answers so he examines the macrophages of the tattooed mask under the microscope. What we see that. Its with using the ink and as you can see here. In the now if you wait a bit longer they will be recapture by new arriving and thats what you find here. Again. This is a brand new insight so the researchers want to make sure theyre not mistaken that the ink really is passing between the macrophages so they transfer the skin of a tattooed mouse onto an un tattooed one to see the color transfers with it. And indeed the macrophages from the un tattooed mouse take up the pass to it from the tattooed mouse. Where the explosion runs through all those that. Are always taking up and then and then again. That also explains why tattoos often fake or become blurry over time the new macrophages dont manage to catch all the ink thats been released. So what happens to the ink that escapes medical physicist. Is researching that at the university of in germany. He cut open the lymph nodes of deceased people and discovered that some of the pigment had ended up there he found green and red. That about 30 percent of the pigments remain in the skin but the person with the tattoo hardly notices the reduction because the colors are so intense the rest gets carried off. The lymph nodes and the liver a smaller amount was eventually expelled from the body. Anybody who wants to get a tattoo should be aware of the fact that a lot. Of the pigment will remain in their body for ever and that includes cancer causing substances. So what happens when someone wants to remove their tattoo. Family and friend i want to wear short sleeves at family events or in the summer i cant identify with my tattoos anymore its not me i want them removed the said scientific. The standard way to remove tattoos nowadays is by laser. I really have to force myself to go its very painful and. The laser blasts the pigment molecules into smaller pieces and destroys the enclosing macrophages other macrophages take up some of this pigment so it doesnt disappear straight away i need to has to have 4 appointments and all the latest findings from france might change these painful procedures that would be the. Move that that will make sure that the michael fudge wont be. Any more and 2 of the says that would be draining the big months out of the skin. But trying to switch off the immune response briefly for the duration of the laser removal procedure is a suggestion that professor boiler rejects. The laser destroys tissue in the skin it causes tiny tears on the skin surface these let him slack tyria so its not a good idea to knock out the microfiche is the very souls that would heal the wound and attack the bacteria. But michele for one is certain he wont ever need to go through the removal process. Its obvious i want to keep it forever its also. Probably good he feels that way because that tattoo is here to stay. And thats. From tomorrow today tonight next time for the latest installment of our expedition in the footsteps of home but until then its good bye take a. Trip. To. Africa. Meet the artist and encounter with richard for one of americas great storytellers to be a his works cast a sharp eye on the American Dream to be a cult as he views the Current Situation in his home country and what drives his creativity to move we need to richard forge a moment of accomplishment. Coming up on the. News of the last of the current. Whole species on the brink of extinction. Garden gnomes are dying out. Their natural habitat is under threat. And they have very few safe haven floods. Is it already too late for the garden gnomes. The romance in 30 minutes long t. W. The world is getting worse and. Moores kids asteroids among problems. The global 3000. 00 talks would seem british researchers to take a more optimistic view. The world is not always a good plan but its much much better than it was how. Is the world really getting better. At global 3000. 00 special reports. Starts august 19th on t. V. A. Small supply inspired big change in the people making it possible to go to africa. Fantastic right trying that as they set out to save the environment. To learn from one another. And Work Together for a future. For. W. The womens world cup the america the gold cup and the africa cup of nations it was a season high pitched some pressure as you hands down the next exciting event is michael around the corner the German Bundesliga is heating up and as always we are there to keep you up to date with the latest john. Business of starting over 16. Its in these far right leg of policy has said it will call for a vote of no confidence in its own Government Party leader meto salvini who is also one of the countrys deputy prime ministers and interior minister announced that political differences with populist Coalition Partners the 5 Star Movement could not be overcome. Around 450 student activists from the fridays for future movement have ended a 5 day summit in switzerland by unanimously