42: The Answer to Almost Everything
42: The Answer to Almost Everything

42: The Answer to Almost Everything

2021 1 Seasons 198 Episodes ⭐ 9.6 Documentary

What would we be without mucus? Can we live on water? How much does life weigh? Finding out the answers is the aim of ARTE's new science show. In a nod to Douglas Adams's "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy", where the figure 42 is the ultimate answer to all questions, 42 tries to provide the answers.

What would we be without mucus? Can we live on water? How much does life weigh? Finding out the answers is the aim of ARTE's new science show. In a nod to Douglas Adams's "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy", where the figure 42 is the ultimate answer to all questions, 42 tries to provide the answers.

Seasons & Episodes

EP 1

Can we dig our way through the Earth?

This report explores the challenges and insights gained from deep drilling into the Earth. Researchers from Germany, Fra

EP 2

Could We Live on the Moon?

A new lunar cycle begins with 95 planned missions over the next ten years, including contributions from smaller nations.

EP 3

Should we use lotteries instead of elections?

The ancient Greeks practiced sortition as a cost-effective method to prevent corruption and abuse of power and to establ

EP 4

How Much Does Life Weigh?

A research team led by Israeli biologist Ron Milo has attempted to calculate the total mass of all living things on Eart

EP 5

Will we move onto the water?

Climate change could cause sea levels to rise by up to 20 millimeters per year by the end of the century, threatening is

EP 6

Can Algorithms Make Us Healthy?

Bodily data, from genes to the microbiome, could indicate diseases early if analyzed precisely. Computers and algorithms

EP 7

What if there were no mucus?

Mucus, a versatile substance in nature, fulfills various functions: It can glide, stick, select, and even serve as a pro

EP 8

How do we solve the nuclear waste puzzle?

Long considered clean and inexpensive, nuclear energy raises a major problem: ultimate radioactive waste. This waste mus

EP 9

What if Fear Didn't Exist?

Life would be fantastic if we were never scared. We could cross deep ravines on tightropes, ski down the steepest mounta

EP 10

What if the ice disappeared?

With global warming, the melting of the ice is accelerating. The Arctic is warming two to three times faster than the re

EP 11

Do We All hear the Same Thing?

From birth we are surrounded by sounds which, often without our knowledge, influence our view of the world. But are our

EP 12

Are we too pessimistic?

Although we are mostly optimistic about our own lives, we tend to be rather pessimistic when we consider the future of t

EP 13

Does the Perfect Song Exist?

What's the recipe for making a song a global hit? Musicologists, brain scientists and professionals in the music industr

EP 14

Are we alone in space?

The universe is vast. So vast that it defies the imagination. To the point that we find it strange that we "Earthlings"

EP 15

Why Do We Eat What We Eat?

Tea of coffee? Fish or meat? Every day human beings make around 200 decisions about what to eat. But what drivess these

EP 16

What is the secret of light?

Light, as both a wave and a particle, travels at a constant speed. A beam of light originating in the sun's interior rea

EP 17

Can we save the trees?

Drought and insects threaten forests. What can be done to save them? In northern France, researchers are trying to intro

EP 18

What if dust didn't exist?

Nobody likes dust. Attempts to get rid of it are futile; it always comes back. And that's a good thing! Because without

EP 19

Geoengineering: Earth's Last Resort

To tackle climate change, one option is to artificially cool the Earth or capture CO2. The field of geoengineering is fu

EP 20

Could Algae Save the Planet?

The fact that we have a breathable atmosphere on Earth is largely down to algae. Could these aquatic plants be the secre

EP 21

Will Messenger RNA Save Us From Cancer?

The sharpest weapon of the pandemic has given us a vaccination technique that almost no one knew about before the corona

EP 22

Will We Stop Flying?

Giving up flying overnight would cause global logistical problems, as many delivery chains would be interrupted. But pla

EP 23

Will We Like Robots?

It is estimated that there are now more than 1.7 million robots with social capabilities in the world. They feed us, edu

EP 24

The Purpose of Parasites

Parasites get a bad rap: they can make us sick or even kill us. For centuries, we have been trying to protect ourselves

EP 25

Could We Sleep Less?

We spend a third of our lives sleeping. Is it possible for us to sleep less and enjoy extra waking years for leisure and

EP 26

Are Cryptocurrencies the Future?

In September 2021, El Salvador became the first country in the world to introduce Bitcoin as legal tender. From now on,

EP 27

Do We Live in a Black Hole?

Black holes can tell us a lot about the universe. But could they hold the key to understanding our world? Astrophysicist

EP 28

The Power of Dreams

Humans spend up to six years dreaming over the course of their lifetime. What if dreams were more than unreal visions? C

EP 29

Where do people migrate to?

Researchers are searching for patterns and models to predict migration. Factors such as technological developments, demo

EP 30

What Do Animals Talk About?

The mystery of animal communication stands in contrast to human language: Elephants use infrasound, cats vocalize, and w

EP 31

Are we getting dumber?

The Flynn effect showed an increase in intelligence scores since the 20th century. However, since the turn of the millen

EP 32

Do Computers Have Biases?

Let's not kid ourselves: everyone has biases. Whether it's filling a position, granting credit, or handing down a prison

EP 33

How can everyone be fed?

Modern, highly efficient agriculture feeds many people, but it is reaching its ecological limits with declining soil fer

EP 34

Are We Doing More Drugs?

Drugs have a bad press. But scientists have long been convinced that the use of psychedelics can sometimes be beneficial

EP 35

Are We Ready for Mars?

As soon as weightlessness sets in in Earth orbit, everything floats, including bodily fluids. Most astronauts suffer fro

EP 36

Can we glimpse the afterlife?

Brain researcher Gerhard Roth describes near-death experiences as frequent encounters with bright light and feelings of

EP 37

Could we become immortal?

Humanity has dreamed of a Fountain of Youth since the dawn of time. A dream that may have become reality. Laboratories a

EP 38

Could We Live Without Agriculture?

Both a blessing and a curse, farming feeds us humans but is also harmful to the environment. Agriculture has radically t

EP 39

How dangerous is space weather?

We like to talk about the weather because it affects us every day. But have you ever heard of space weather? Not just fo

EP 40

Will we travel to Mars?

According to Elon Musk, we could soon be living on Mars. Yet, this idea seems unrealistic: extreme cold, an atmosphere c

EP 41

Can We Create Money from Nothing?

Imagine a friend wants to borrow your car, you promise to provide one even though you only have a windscreen wiper. Absu

EP 42

How do we end wars?

With over 13,000 nuclear weapons in the world, there is a risk of massive destruction. The program "42 – The Answer to

EP 43

Is Space Being Stolen From Us?

Getting into space has never been easier and the resources of our solar system are highly coveted. But with the legal fr

EP 44

What Power Do Thoughts Have?

It has been known since antiquity that thoughts have an influence on health. Research, such as imaging techniques that d

EP 45

Can We Trust Ourselves?

We cannot escape our fate and we cannot escape ourselves. But we also have our limits: confused thinking, misleading int

EP 46

Are we more intelligent in swarms?

Swarms are fascinating phenomena without clear leadership. In beehives, anthills, in the sky, or in the sea, they operat

EP 47

The Search for a Universal Theory

Formulating the theory of everything, the one that would describe all the laws of the Universe from a single fundamental

EP 48

Can we turn crap into gold?

Humanity has been hoping for a sensational discovery. Ever since we succeeded in converting wind and sun into energy, we

EP 49

Are You Psychopathic?

Psychopaths like Ted Bundy are not isolated cases; approximately 1-2% of the population are considered psychopathic. Psy

EP 50

How does a wave become rogue?

Every seven days, a large ship goes missing. This is due, among other things, to monstrous waves that appear out of nowh

EP 51

Do We Need Economic Growth?

All living beings stop growing at some point. The global economy is different: it just keeps growing. Is a world without

EP 52

Are we gambling away our lives?

Humans don't just play for fun, but also for evolutionary reasons. Playing helped hunter-gatherers develop important ski

EP 53

Why do we have limits?

Usain Bolt ran 100 meters in 9.58 seconds, Petra Felke threw the javelin 80 meters. These are absolute limits that no on

EP 54

Where to Find Perfect Energy?

Energy from fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and gas made modern life possible in the first place; however, at the same t

EP 55

What if sharks disappeared?

As fascinating as they are frightening, sharks are now threatened. Of the 536 species known today, a third are endangere

EP 56

Are Animals Self-Aware?

For a long time, humanity was relatively unanimous: animals are little more than biological machines. This view has grad

EP 57

Why do We Fall in Love?

When we're really in love, all hell breaks loose. The heart races, palms sweat, the mouth goes dry and the brain switche

EP 58

What if nature had a price?

"Be careful! It's precious!" – we've probably all heard such warnings as children, for example, when we wanted to exam

EP 59

Can we copy our blood?

The search for artificial blood that could solve several problems, such as anemia, the risk of disease transmission, and

EP 60

Why do we hate?

Dealing deeply with hate is no fun. But as with all unpleasant things, it helps to confront the issue rather than avoid

EP 61

Could We Bring Back the Wooly Mammoth?

Researchers want to use cloning and gene editing to bring back lost species. If humanity played God by killing them off,

EP 62

Can seals go to court?

Andreas Weber, biologist and philosopher, argues for granting animals and plants the right to defend themselves in court

EP 63

Do colors manipulate us?

We already see in everyday life how much colors control us: we're often warmer in a red down jacket than in the same dow

EP 64

Will there be a new 'human species'?

Modern civilization does not mean the end of evolutionary adaptation. Researchers like Frank Rühli observe ongoing chan

EP 65

Is There a Male Fertility Crisis?

A man has enough sperm. Or so you might think - up to 600 million per ejaculation. And yet there is cause for concern: s

EP 66

Can Cities Save the World?

Yes, urban life can make a crucial contribution to saving the planet, according to sustainability researcher Xuemei Bai.

EP 67

When the Heavens Rain Down

The fear that the sky could one day fall on our heads dates back to the dawn of time. The impact of an asteroid or a com

EP 68

Do Fungi Rule Us?

What do we know about fungi? They are neither animals nor plants. Some are poisonous, many are delicious. But that was t

EP 69

The A***hole Effect

Pushing to the front of a line, parking a car quickly on a bicycle lane, occupying seats on a train that do not belong t

EP 70

How It All Ends

The universe could be heading towards different scenarios, including the "Big Freeze" as it expands, cools, and disinteg

EP 71

When Will the World End?

From Armageddon to Extinction Rebellion, the end-of-the-world narrative is a socio-cultural phenomenon. The apocalypse h

EP 72

How to Travel Through Time?

Is time travel just science fiction? Not quite: scientists from the fields of quantum physics, string theory, and astrop

EP 73

Mind Reading: A Reality?

We can't see inside other people's minds, but we sometimes believe we can read their thoughts. When we talk to someone,

EP 74

Surviving Our Polluted Planet

Chemistry makes our sweaters softer, our world more colourful and pleasant, and it can even save lives. The flip side: w

EP 75

The Chaos of Chance

Chance, destiny, predestination, God. People have come up with many explanations for events that either seem completely

EP 76

Who Owns the Sea?

The vast sea - a symbol of boundlessness. But is it really so? Who does the sea actually belong to? In the past, it was

EP 77

Do Animals Appreciate Beauty?

The beauty of the peacock troubled Darwin for a long time. It didn't quite fit into his theory of evolution and the idea

EP 78

Will a new wind soon blow?

Many researchers believe that we won't experience more and more wind in the world, but rather less and less. Indeed, if

EP 79

Are we going to disappear beneath the waves?

Let's be honest: when we think about rising sea levels, we initially think that the water rises the same way all over th

EP 80

Are We All Bisexual?

Most people can tell quite early on whether they are attracted to women or men. But what if our desire isn't as determin

EP 81

The Advent of Turbo-Evolution

The dominance of our species has consequences: we have created conditions that fuel rapid evolution. Global warming, cli

EP 82

Why do we lose our memory?

We've all experienced it: a name that slips our mind or a new password. Forgetting is annoying and sometimes embarrassin

EP 83

Humanity's True Nature

Humans lie, deceive, and wage merciless wars. Sometimes it seems as if evil is typically human. On the other hand, human

EP 84

Can We Live Without Electricity?

Humanity is dependent on electricity. Power outages have been rare for us so far, but our electricity system is being tr

EP 85

What Happens When the Glaciers Disappear?

Glaciers are wonders of nature and tourist attractions, and they are also the largest reservoirs of drinking water on th

EP 86

Could We Reach the Stars?

Since the dawn of time, mankind has aspired to one thing only: to go further and further beyond the limits of what he kn

EP 87

Is Lying Good For Us?

From a very early age, we are instilled with the idea that lying is wrong. Yet learning to lie is a normal and necessary

EP 88

Will we one day be cryogenically frozen?

Some people dream of being cryogenically frozen. It's a way to defy death, to come back when things are better, or simpl

EP 89

Will we run out of sand?

Whether in mobile phones, glass or even in our underwear, sand is everywhere in our lives. Without it, there would be no

EP 90

What's So Funny?

Adults laugh 20 times a day, children up to 500 times. But where does humour begin and end? And why does someone find so

EP 91

The Origin of Life

While scientists agree on the date (4 billion years ago), their opinions diverge on the place and conditions that saw th

EP 92

Does Punishment Work?

When we harm someone, we may be punished, the point of which is to be made aware of the harm we have done to others. So

EP 93

What Are Our Imaginations For?

We spend large stretches of our waking hours imagining things or just daydreaming. Why are we so often away in the cloud

EP 94

Can We Trick Our Genes?

Our genes determine many of our characteristics: our build, our height, the colour of our eyes or even our predispositio

EP 95

Amasia: The Supercontinent of the Future

The biggest movement in our lives is one that we don't even notice: The continents of the earth are on the move, albeit

EP 96

Do Dogs Really Love Us?

Every dog ​​owner knows this well: the relationship between humans and dogs is unique. A powerful and unbreakable bo

EP 97

Do We Need Corruption?

Corruption has been part of society since the dawn of time, swallowing up colossal sums of money which could be spent on

EP 98

Are Animals Cleverer than Us?

Vultures can spot a dead antelope from five kilometres away, while seals can dive into deep water, even under the ice. I

EP 99

Are Billionaires a Problem?

The richest man in the world - Frenchman Bernard Arnault - is worth more than 200 billion euros. Around the world, the s

EP 100

How strongly does our mother tongue shape us?

Words shape our thoughts. And it is most often in our mother tongue that we reflect, that we find the words to understan

EP 101

Do We Live in a Multiverse?

The idea that our universe isn't as unique as we think is not only captivating the imaginations of authors and filmmaker

EP 102

Does History Repeat Itself?

Wars, pandemics, economic crises...: so many episodes during which we look back and wonder if history isn't repeating it

EP 103

Are there too many of us on Earth?

In a century, the number of humans on Earth has more than quadrupled, rising from nearly 2 billion to over 8 billion. So

EP 104

Is stress good for us?

The relationship between stress and humans is anything but a love affair. According to the WHO, 85% of us would prefer t

EP 105

Do Disasters Make Us Better?

Humanity survived the last Ice Age as well as the plague that decimated half of Europe in the 1300s. But do disasters on

EP 106

Is the Metaverse Real?

We still work in office buildings, buy our groceries at the supermarket and visit museums in the flesh. But soon, these

EP 107

Do We All Have a Doppelganger?

Stories of unrelated people who look exactly alike are common. While having a doppelganger could pose risks like identit

EP 108

Could We Programme Evoluton?

Although our planet has already overcome numerous crises, Homo Sapiens have disrupted the natural world nature so much t

EP 109

Is There an Upside to Climate Change?

Periods of climate change in the past have caused mass extinctions. But they have also led to the emergence of new compl

EP 110

Do We Need More Utopias?

Depictions of the future in popular science fiction novels or films are often bleak, while positive utopias and tales of

EP 111

Can we control clouds?

Clouds carry water particles, which they release onto Earth as rain. However, the way they distribute water across the p

EP 112

Does Sugar Make Us Stupid?

Our view of sugar has changed drastically. Once seen as a healthy appetite suppressant in the 1960s, it's now linked to

EP 113

What if the poles reversed again?

In theory, it's simple: the North Pole is in the north, and the South Pole is in the south. And a compass needle always

EP 114

What power do smells have?

Many people don't consider their sense of smell particularly important. However, if we had to give up one of our senses,

EP 115

Can We Shrink the Economy?

It seems that economic growth is a prerequisite for collective prosperity. But what if this is just a myth or a dangerou

EP 116

How Do Plants Live?

Do houseplants grow faster when we talk to them? Does a cactus get bored in a pot? Do plants have human senses that are

EP 117

How to Become Popular

Like food, drink or sex, feeling valued is one of our most basic needs: we aspire to be loved, sometimes even adored. Bu

EP 118

Do We Need to Have Power?

From the sandbox to the office, power dynamics shape our lives. Power can change our personalities and make us take reck

EP 119

Should Humans Be Smaller?

Is being big and strong necessarily the key to success? Not really: it's the small creatures that seem to have more adva

EP 120

Is AI Out of Control?

The fantasy of artificial intelligence developing a life of its own and unleashing an army of robots on humanity has dom

EP 121

Are Invasive Species Always a Problem?

Raccoons, tiger mosquitoes, grey squirrels... these invasive species can destroy crops, transmit fatal diseases and caus

EP 122

Would We Be Happier Without Happiness?

Happiness increases our satisfaction, our cognitive capacity and our motivation, but being happy is not so simple. And e

EP 123

Why Do We Cry?

All terrestrial species are capable of crying, but human beings are unique in being the only species to cry from joy, sa

EP 124

Could Sea Currents Change?

The sharp decline in ocean circulation since the 1950s is probably related to human activity. Its complete cessation cou

EP 125

Could Matriarchy Be the Solution?

Imagine a world where men were at home with the children, while women were heads of state and company directors, earning

EP 126

Are Aliens Like Us?

For many scientists, the emergence of living organisms elsewhere in the universe is only a matter of time. But most envi

EP 127

Is Pain Necessary?

Pain has a bad reputation, and we go to great lengths to avoid it: from painkillers to general self-care. It has even be

EP 128

Do Animals Have Better Societies?

Societies built by humans, rarely seem to stand the test of time, whereas ants have been living in colonies since the da

EP 129

How Powerful are Maps?

Why do so many world maps place Europe at the centre? Why not Australia? And why is the north always at the top? 42 expl

EP 130

Does Quantum Physics Change Our Reality?

Our universe is made up of two worlds: the one we can see, and the microscopic world of quanta made up of the very small

EP 131

Why Do We Have Less Sex?

There have never been more opportunities to meet new sexual partners in our liberated world of dating apps, sex parties

EP 132

Has Slavery Made Us Racist?

What is the link between racism and slavery? How do racist theories to justify the transatlantic slave trade still linge

EP 133

Why Is Housing So Expensive?

Everywhere is Europe, it seems, housing is becoming more expensive and more of a burden on households. Why is this? And

EP 134

Can We Make Friends with Our Enemies?

Long-running conflicts and wars in our world feed into the pessimistic idea that reconciliation is impossible. But can w

EP 135

Can We Replace Pollination?

For millions of years, there has been an intimate pact between plants and their pollinators: with relationships so cleve

EP 136

Are We Taking Enough Risks?

If we wanted to completely avoid risk, we would not be able to leave the house in the morning, and even then, we would s

EP 137

Who Really Were Our Ancestors?

Nations invent stories about their glorious pasts and links to ancient peoples on the land. But who really were our ance

EP 138

Is a World Without Violence Possible?

Why is violence still so prevalent in our society, when the state is supposed to ensure everyone's safety? Is violence s

EP 139

Can We Remember Precisely?

Memory is our identity: our representation of the world, ourselves and others is based on what we remember. But is it po

EP 140

What Holds the Universe Together?

Beyond what human beings can see, exists something that makes up 80% of the universe. Scientists are convinced that dark

EP 141

Do We Need God?

Religious faith is in decline in Europe, and yet 70% of human beings in the world believe in the existence of one or man

EP 142

What Protests Work?

All over the world, people are taking to the streets about injustice, freedom, and calling for more rights. But in this

EP 143

How do Children Function?

You might think that children are small, unfinished people who don't yet understand the world. Perhaps this is where the

EP 144

Will We Grieve Differently in Future?

With the increase in the world population in recent decades, there have never been as many people living, but also dying

EP 145

Do We Need Weapons for Peace?

Every year, astronomical sums of money are spent worldwide on arms, when it would be a thousand times better to invest i

EP 146

What Should We Actually Eat?

Are eggs good for us? Are eggs bad for us? Official health advice sometimes to contradict itself. What food we consume i

EP 147

Are We Ready for Aliens?

Although no proof of the existence of extraterrestrial life has yet been found, the discovery of habitable planets in th

EP 148

How Important is Our Microbiome?

The human body is home to some 30 billion microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, viruses, algae). The composition of this micr

EP 149

Why Is Wealth So Unfairly Distributed?

While some people spend millions on holidays in space or splash out on extravagant weddings, others live in shanty towns

EP 150

What Makes Us Depressed?

20% of people will experience depression at some point in their lives. But what do we really know about this condition?

EP 151

Does the Perfect Code Exist?

People have always tried to find the perfect code to protect secrets. But even the very best codes only keep our informa

EP 152

Are We Ready for World Government?

Climate disasters, global inequalities, the threat of a third world war... Wouldn't it be reassuring if an international

EP 153

Are We Wasting Period Blood?

Every month around 100 million litres of menstrual blood is thrown away or flushed down the toilet. But what if this ver

EP 154

Can We Feel Time?

Time is one of the great mysteries of our lives. It passes the same way for everyone and yet everyone experiences it dif

EP 155

How Does Water Create Life?

Without water there would be no life on Earth. But what is so special about it? Research has shown water is much more th

EP 156

Are Cyborgs the Future?

We humans think that we are the best creation on this earth. But with sickness, aging, brittle bones and weak muscles…

EP 157

Can We Save Truth?

It may seem that the idea of Truth is under siege. Donald Trump, for example, was elected despite countless false statem

EP 158

Can We Cure Addictions?

Once you become addicted to a substance you can live a life of abstinence, but you are never considered cured. Will this

EP 159

Are We Too Curious?

Curiosity is at the very root of humanity's development, but it is often vilified and mistrusted. Is curiosity a good th

EP 160

What Did Dinosaurs Really Look Like?

No film has influenced our perception of dinosaurs more than Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park. But more than three dec

EP 161

Can We Outwit Viruses?

Viruses are geniuses of evolution. They can constantly mutate, penetrate cells, mingle with our genome an, worst of all,

EP 162

Where Does Madness Begin?

How can we define what is normal and what is mad? Although every human being functions differently, madness is associate

EP 163

Should We Be Bored More Often?

Boredom has a bad reputation. All the more so as ennui is often accompanied by a feeling of emptiness and frustration. R

EP 164

How Powerful is Disinformation?

In the AI era, highly convincing fake videos and pictures can be produced that can easily deceive. What impact does targ

EP 165

Why Do Civilisations Fall?

Was the fall of the Roman Empire due to its decadent morals? Did the people of Easter Island exhaust its natural resourc

EP 166

Should We Argue More?

Fiery debates online, explosions of anger on the streets, tense conversations with our loved-ones: Arguing can be exhaus

EP 167

How Mathematic is the Universe?

Plant growth is determined by the golden ratio symbolised by the Greek letter Phi, pine cones grow in a logarithmic spir

EP 168

Is The World Better Than We Think?

News and social media can often give us the idea that the world is a terrible place and its only getting worse. But what

EP 169

How Smart Are the Animals We Eat

Animals raised for human consumption such as chickens, pigs, goats or cows, are rarely acknowledged as being intelligent

EP 170

Does Failure Help Us Succeed?

Setbacks and bad decision often leave a bitter taste in the mouth, but they can help you bounce back. Research shows tha

EP 171

Was Stone-Age Man Dumber Than Us?

We sometimes think of our ancestors in the stone age as primitive beings, unable to cope with complex tasks or the deman

EP 172

The Age of Fire

Humans are the only species that can produce fire. For a long time, we lived intimately with fire, which helped our deve

EP 173

Why Does Music Move Us?

Music has immense power: it can lift or lower our mood and make us forget the world. But why is music so important to hu

EP 174

Optimisation: Is It Making Us Mad?

On social media everyone seems to be optimising themselves into healthy, perfect humans. But is our search for perfectio

EP 175

Is a Superbug Pandemic Coming?

Our use and overuse of antibiotics means that bacteria – those little masters of evolution – are becoming increasing

EP 176

Can Humans Hibernate?

Hibernation in humans – so far, it's pure science fiction. However, some researchers suspect that humans might possess

EP 177

Does Society Need Alcohol?

Success, failure, birthdays, funerals… any occasion can be an excuse to drink. However, the line between pleasure and

EP 178

...We Make Free Decisions?

In a democratic society, decisions are taken on the basis of free will. But is this really always the case? Since we kno

EP 179

What was there before the Big Bang?

The planets, the galaxies, the universe: Has it always been there – or was there a beginning? The Big Bang, from which

EP 180

How Powerful Are Images?

Would Donald Trump have won the US election if not for the now-iconic photo of him with a bloody ear? Would the US have

EP 181

How Does the Female Orgasm Work?

For centuries, female sexuality was neglected and considered uninteresting by men. The apogee came in the 19th century,

EP 182

Is Space Debris Dangerous for Earth?

Everything that goes up must come down. But what about space debris? Will rockets and unused satellites eventually come

EP 183

Can Our Brains Still Concentrate?

In a world full of push notifications, quickfire TikTok videos and constant distraction, deep concentration seems to be

EP 184

Why Do We Love Horror?

Why do we like to be terrified by scary movies? When watching horror, people experience an intense rollercoaster of emot

EP 185

Does Planet Nine Really Exist?

In 2006, the International Astronomical Union voted to demote Pluto to a "dwarf planet," reducing the official number of

EP 186

Are We An Evolutionary Superspecies?

From the deserts of Australia to the steppes of Siberia, no other mammal has colonised more habitats than humans. More t

EP 187

Are Wasps Game Changers of Evolution?

Wasps are much more than just an inconvenience for al fresco diners. As one of the very first social species on our plan

EP 188

Why do we sing?

Songs are considered part of humanity's cultural heritage, and all over the world, their social functions are similar: t

EP 189

How monogamous are humans?

Monogamy – a lifelong promise of love or an outdated ideal? Despite high divorce rates and the increasing acceptance o

EP 190

Why Do We Love Gold?

The term "gold rush" speaks volumes about our special relationship with the shiny precious metal. For thousands of years

EP 191

Do Emotions Control the Markets?

The stock market is the temple of rationality, figures, data and models. But what happens when emotions drive prices? Wh

EP 192

What if life were mirrored?

Imagine for a moment that everything was reversed. It may sound mind-boggling, but it is not entirely absurd. Many of th

EP 193

Do we need the alpha male?

Dominant, strong, a “real man.” Women want him, men want to be like him. This is the image of the “alpha male” p

EP 194

Black Holes: A Future Energy Source?

We know black holes as destroyers: they tear apart stars, devour light and bend space-time. At the same time, they are a

EP 195

Is Brain Washing Possible?

Is it possible to ‘reboot’ a human brain like we can for a computer? A dream for some and a nightmare for most peopl

EP 196

Why Are We So Competitive?

From childhood onwards, we compare ourselves to others and try to be better than our neighbour. But where does this comp

EP 197

Do We Need Siblings?

Why do some brothers and sisters become rivals while others become lifelong allies? How does birth order - being the old

EP 198

Has Globalisation Failed?

With wars, financial crises, and energy crises, global trade seems to be suffering. But is globalisation on the way out?

EP 199

How does trash change the world?

To be remembered, to leave a legacy – that's what everyone wants. But what if, in 100,000 years, aliens visit the exti

EP 200

Is vacation really relaxing?

Need a vacation? It's a sign that it's time to rest and relax. Yet, scientists can't explain what happens when we get aw

EP 201

Can we change?

Is our personality fixed from birth – or can we consciously change it? Can composure be learned, conscientiousness tra

EP 202

Is there another Earth in the universe?

"There is no Planet B!" This slogan is a constant at all pro-climate demonstrations. But what would become of humanity i

EP 203

Can AI Feel Us?

Our feelings are something very intimate, something that belongs only to us—or at least we wish it did. But now, artif

EP 204

Does a Trauma Lie Dormant in Everyone?

When the subject of trauma arises, most people immediately think of extreme events: war, violence, severe accidents, or

EP 205

What Lies Behind UFOs?

Are UFOs being unfairly dismissed? For a long time, mysterious flying objects were associated mainly with science fictio

EP 206

Can states go into debt indefinitely?

In reality, no state ever repays its debts. And yet, insolvency doesn't necessarily lead to bankruptcy. Public debt isn'

EP 207

Does scrolling make teens stupid?

A hotly debated topic: the impact of social media on young people. While Australia has already banned its use for those

EP 208

Can We Live Without Work?

We spend more than seven years of our lives working — a significant portion of our time on Earth. But as artificial in

EP 209

Is there a female fertility crisis?

More and more women struggle to conceive or cannot have children at all, while birth rates decline and fertility clinics

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