Dots places where maximum annual limits are exceeded. Most urban areas german cities may soon start banning diesel vehicles from parts of town theyre the main culprits on the road and road traffic is the biggest source of nitrogen oxides. But no roads themselves might help solve the problem. Toxic exhaust air that literally makes you sick thats become normal in many cities official e. U. Figures suggest that across europe some eighty thousand premature deaths a year can be attributed to nitrogen dioxide pollution. Conrad mollenhauer at the university of casa has joined up with experts from all over germany to look for solutions to this problem of the various car exhaust emissions nitrogen dioxide this one of the most hazardous to. Human health. Nitrogen dioxide emissions have increased in recent years thats because there are more and more diesel powered vehicles when diesel fuel is burned nitrogen and oxygen from the air injected into the engine combine to form measures in dioxide its toxic and has been linked to cancer but there may be a way to get rid of it. Get my from where working with industry and other Research Institutes to develop a material that could be added to asphalt road surfaces. The material the scientists are working with is called titanium dioxide in the form of a white powder it would be mixed with the asphalt when a road is built or resurfaced. Its an idea thats already being explored in the Construction Industry the German Company stay out of Power Minerals has developed a method for mixing titanium dioxide with concrete. The company has produced paving slabs which it says can literally purify the air in what it hopes will be a groundbreaking development. And. Because its a very Creative Technology it i jokingly called the inventor our gyro gear loose. He had the idea of using fuel ash thats formed when coal is burned and mixing it with titanium dioxide to get this photo catalytic air cleaning effect and what. They call their concrete additive photo meant this is how it works. When light falls on the trees it road surface it triggers a chemical reaction. The sunlight causes electrons in the titanium dioxide to be released to the surface these electrons in turn break up oxygen molecules in the air into individual atoms they oxidize the nearby nitrogen dioxide turning it into nitrate which is water soluble and can be flushed away by rainwater but nitrate is toxic to so does this create a new problem. As bordon to top last sample measurements showed the nitrates were indeed at a level that would be problematic for fish but they were well within the permitted level for Drinking Water to moderate and about without doubt. And you have to remember this rain water came directly off the surface treated with titanium dioxide you know from it once mixed with other rainwater the overall runoff going into our waterways and groundwater will not be significantly affected. So the amount of nitrates produced through this photo catalytic reaction appears to be too small to be a threat to our groundwater or indeed Drinking Water. The city of butter up became one of the first places in germany to give it a try. Some fifty thousand photo meant slabs were installed covering a surface of seven hundred fifty square metres. As a result the nitrogen dioxide levels in the area dropped by a around twelve percent in this case that was enough to bring the area back to within the permitted limit. As it was as it is in fits of us that we are basically satisfied with that result we are currently doing major work in the city center and well be using photo meant slabs for around a third of the new road area for them and. The extra cost amounts to three to five euros per square meter. But the photo meant slabs arent the only option. The scientists at the university of castle are looking into ways of adding titanium dioxide to the surface of highways and its actually possible that the substance could be added to a number of structures whether tiled roofs the facades of buildings or noise barriers. Or a model calculations which look at what would happen if you could add type. To all concrete surfaces that wouldnt just reduce the concentration of nitrogen dioxide in individual areas but could give an entire city the capacity to purify its a local. That has raised hopes of creating an urban environment free of nitrogen dioxide however titanium dioxide itself is controversial there are indications it too may have an adverse effect on human health and could even cause cancer its a problem that is keen to play down youve got it with the fiber vice and wherever you see the color white and your environment there is titanium dioxide on it whether its a white wall or white plastic titanium dioxide will have been used its obviously its a chemically manufactured substance and accordingly there are parameters that need to be adhered to with the kings in the latest studies show that titanium dioxide in powder form is indeed harmful but once incorporated into a solid like asphalt or concrete its considered safe. So could titanium dioxide be the solution it certainly wont be a quick fix for the problem of highly polluted cities that would require drastic measures such as driving bans for diesel cars but in cities where nitrogen dioxide emissions are only slightly above the permitted levels new construction substances could certainly be helpful. And by mental pollution overpopulation and Climate Change in view of these threats british Physicist Stephen Hawking thinks humanity has just one hundred years left on it and that to survive well have to leave and colonize other worlds. But where to go we asked our viewers where in the universe could you imagine living. Realistic prehensile the central galaxy of the a bell twenty twenty nine galaxy. Thats to more than a billion light years from a lovely thought maybe. Davison says earth will always be home if goes with it. Also maximus suggests that china is in the nth as he won galaxy so a long journey through space the ring like syria has a question about that. From pew wants to know. How long can schumann survive in space. The first sputnik an unmanned satellite was launched on october fourth one nine hundred fifty seven it was a giant leap into a new realm. Of. Monkeys and dogs were among the first living passengers on spaceships most of the animals survive their stay in microgravity as long as the equipment didnt break down. The first human took off into orbit on april twelfth one thousand nine hundred sixty one. Yuri gagarin circled the earth for two hours just four years later both russian and american astronauts were already leaving their protective capsules to carry out spacewalks and perform repairers nowadays life in orbit has become almost routine missions on the International Space station can last twelve months but a stay in space is hazardous astronauts are exposed to high levels of cosmic rays which may cause cancer bones and muscles weaken under conditions of weightlessness although crews on the spent hours exercising every day the world record for the longest space flight was actually set twenty three years ago. Russian cosmonaut valery poliakoff spend four hundred thirty seven days on the mir space station apparently with no ill effects on his health. The next destination for human space flight is likely to be mars using todays technology a manned mission there would take around three years and the potential risks are varied adventure are still being investigated. One recent study has shown that a journey to mars might be bad for you Health Doctors found that after as little as three months exposed to microgravity astronauts had changes to their brain structure. If you have a science question go to our website and send it in if we answer it on the show youll get out the video featuring a lighthearted look at albert einsteins most famous theories. The most important thing is to never stop asking questions. When it be terrible if planet earth became uninhabitable due to loss of ecosystems and diminished species diversity. To what characterizes a well functioning ecosystem anyway. Scientists have been trying to find out with a long term study in a meadow. This is no ordinary meadow it serves as a one hundred thousand square metre outdoor look barratry to a number of scientists. Here to find out what makes a good meadow using some unusual methods. The researchers have divided the field into about ninety sections based on certain criteria. This part is home to a monoculture of clover. Just a few metres away theres a patch with sixty plant species. Ecologist Nico Eisenhauer is taking soil samples. Hes in charge of the project which was set up fifteen years ago. To begin the initially we thought it didnt matter for soil organisms and other processes how many different plant species a meadow had so we were surprised to see the enormous impact the number of plant species has on processes in the soil. Plants turn out to be real team players diversity above ground means an active life in the soil below and a more vital soil means better quality so ill. Funky that microorganisms thrive in it up to a billion in a single gram of soil. The tiny soil dwellers supply the plants with nutrients. The plants arent the only essential component of a medicine ecosystem the biodiversity here is only possible because insects pollinate the flowers but without a diverse supply of plants the insects wouldnt have a habitat. In the meadow everything is interconnected in the cycle of life here aphids feed on the plants and ladybug love i eat the aphids as do the adult ladybugs the. Dead insects in turn fertilize the soil they provide nitrogen which helps the plants grow better species richfield will produce more soil nutrients. In addition to taking soil samples the researchers analyze water samples from varying depths the water indicates how many nutrients are stored in the individual plots as well as the amount of carbon from climate harming c o two thats trapped in the ground. Near plants and more plant species in a field. The more microorganisms in the soil converting plant compounds and storing carbon in the ground what weve found is that with high plant diversity we get three times more carbon stored in the soil then with less plant diversity. Diversity in. The soil is ability to bind c o two increases over the years the discovery that would never have been made without this long term experiment. However in twenty thirteen disaster struck it seemed that the whole effort had been a waste of time. The worst flooding in one hundred years completely submerged the experimental meadow. And first it was a huge shock at the far end of the field the water was two meters deep in places and we thought the whole thing was over. The meadow lies on the banks of the xylo river. For three weeks the entire area was flooded but instead of giving up the scientists decided to look into the effects of the flood and they made a stunning discovery. The experimental patches with more plant species regenerated with a greater density of plants than ever before they were especially resistant but the patches with fewer species took much longer to recover the research as spared no effort in the push to obtain data from each individual patch. One method involves vacuuming up insects from the experimental areas once every three weeks preserved to be counted and identified later in the laboratory. Its even harder to keep the exact number of species on each patch under control wind and insects spread seeds around the meadow that means a lot of weeding has to be done over and over again please. The meticulous work has been rewarded with unambiguous results. First and foremost that biodiversity pays for agriculture as well so that definitive there are definite advantages for farmers because the soil not only Stores Carbon but we also found that along with the carbon more nitrogen is stored in the soil with them coarse stuff. That saves fertilizer and because species rich meadows produce more nutrients animal feed quality is better as well so a diverse meadow is an ecological multitalented. A field cant be a multitalented if it grows just a single crop monoculture is bad for the soil one reason why good farmland has become such a source of to commodity world why its being snapped up by rich investors and agro companies such land grabs often take place in developing countries thats in eastern germany fields are being too and thats hurting small farms. Mario iceland is an organic farmer out in the countryside near berlin his land is in what used to be communist east germany. He thought the property at an auction as state owned land was being privatized taking out a loan to do so. The Government Agency in charge of privatisation has been up and running since one thousand nine hundred two two years after east germany ceased to exist. The plan is to complete all sales by twenty thirty. Is always go to the highest bidder. But theres the problem since the financial crisis in two thousand and eight land prices have been soaring wealthy individuals and corporations have discuss. Farmland secure and promising investment as demand for land in eastern germany rises the price rises too and all too often actual farmers cant keep up in the bidding. Really here flew here for certainly some land became available here at the agency put it on the market along with other plots in the area. Submitted a rather high bid fifteen to twenty thousand euros a hectare usually about as high as it goes but we bid twenty five thousand. Of. A second stretch of land he could only ration still survives and thats getting harder and harder. I know of the bombers who say that surrounded by investors that are preparing for the moment when theyll have to give up because they wont be able to compete. In the price of land is way beyond what you can earn as a regular. Small farms tend to host a greater range of species of plants and wildlife agribusiness layout huge fields often growing a single crop and biodiversity suffers and when farmers give up and locals move away villages die out. Claims a gap in the law. Under german law must have priority over nonfamous when it comes to buying farm land and. As a loophole involving shared deals and. Investors a quiet share of a farming operation a company that in turn owns the land coughed up big investor can acquire hundreds of excess. Between the two groups. Mario feisty and financed his new mobile chicken coop by a crowd Funding Investment is returned in time to produce or eggs or far. Visits he also offers consumers a kind of subscription. We produce for a group of people who commit to buying our produce throughout the year with different vegetables depending on the season and locally grown this helps us plan ahead. Chrysler may have eager customers but in the face of soaring land prices and predatory corporations its far from clear whether he can expand his farm and remain viable for the long term. Not through all those facts and figures are you ready for a diversion maybe a few minutes of grumpy cats would do the trick the frowning feline is an internet star and shes just one of many cats rule the internet. But what exactly is it about alfie line friends that makes them so valuable. To. Elegant. Well usually. Ruthless hunted. Sometimes kind of dumb. In any case theyre playful and an endless source of entertainment to humans. Weve come to a catch cafe in cologne to talk to some fans of felines about the phenomenon of cat videos on social media. What accounts for these films incredible popularity. Cat also there in the bathroom and pretends to be a bathmat on some of. The solutions i love the picture of the little cat in the hand is quite touching. Tribute to the. I guess the. Endorphins just start to gush when you watch these videos. Psychologist c. N. C. Learning has been studying the relationship between humans and cats for two decades. The new media give caton as more ways to talk with each other than in the past so often dog owners could always meet and chat when they were out for a walk but not catalinas now become on social media. And you know. Thats benefiting the better god i wouldnt dare take it on a skater if you had to think that i mean scared it would fall off. Dead so they could die. To see this but i dont see whats so great about this one the beginning makes you laugh. There is a limit but when im watching these videos i do think theyre funny. And going to basically were always projecting something on to cats so we anthropomorphize them as if they were little humans. If thats overdone there are two different reactions good sides are a little say its too much like that. Or they find it funny and. Thats months. Even when cats show the nasty side not. Look not knowing. When i think of when i hear cat. Provocation on now i shouldnt but i will. Not ask each of them since they can get pretty intense i have two cats and when they find it looks dramatic with yelling and hissing but five minutes later its all good again. For a few newbie doesnt. Make this one for us humans its no longer acceptable to be aggressive or angry or a real jerk that just doesnt fit with the way we live nowadays. Did. But animals can act that out on our behalf so to speak when we see a real jerk of a cat breaking something or how dressing another animal we recognize our own desire to be. Not to have to swallow our emotions. The cat is doing it for us. But sometimes you dont want to see yourself in a cut. Of that even your form of those videos where the catus planning to jump and you know the ground a slippery but the cat doesnt so you get a brief superman style jump followed by a crash landing thats just plain funny. Thats your typical cat pure hubris that. When we see them strutting around so arrogant and full of themselves the way people pose nowadays and it all goes wrong we enjoy that tells us that things dont always work out even for cats american. Spreading cuts. On the internet so with many faces many or discord cats represent just about anything you want them to. Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah from the world of science and technology on our website if you have a question or comment get in touch on twitter and facebook wed love to hear from you the bold thats all for now next time well be looking at you but he says more than ten Million People around the world become sick with each year. But no new vaccine is on the horizon join us for that see you soon. The fire. On. The but. The baltic directly germany mubarak is primarily undertaking has met with a lot of opposition bloc politics with pipelines from europe and natural gas. In fifteen minutes on. Freedom of expression. Of value that always has to be defended and new. All over the world are to a Freedom Freedom of art. A multimedia project about artists and their right to express their views freely. D. W. Dot com or the freedom of. Germany state by state. The most colorful. The liveliest. The most traditional. Find it all at any time. Check in with a web special. Take a tour of germany state by state. On t. W. Dot com. The race for immortality has begun. Leading neuroscientists are researching ways to replicate the human brain. Androids are taking over physical labor. The code of the human brain is deciphered. Theres a major commercial if new enjoys for the artificial consciousness or the number one item on the market time in their generation needs first to get into fighting against good cooking families or foods. The transfer of the human mind into an avatar is successful immortality is within reach. But what drugs can remember you cant woodsmen you have votes we need to plan it and make sure you wouldnt want to. Bring factory starting march twenty fourth on t w. This is deja vu news live from berlin colombian voters fact right wing parties critical of the governments peace deal with former marxist rebels conservatives emerged as a Political Force but still fall short of a majority and a disastrous result for the former fark guerillas in their first ever election and also coming up. At