Superquark+ – Short Stories About Science
Episodes
Hair Biography
How many do we have and why they have different colors. And then, what do we need them for, when did we start dyeing them and how can we make them reborn. In this episode the hair reveals its secrets and also explains what is true in the old and new remedies of popular tradition.
Live To Be 120?
The lifespan of human beings has become much longer. But can we all live to be 120 years old? A short journey to discover the secrets of other species, of what we know about the importance of genetics and lifestyles. Also thinking about the consequences of a world of centenarians.
Why the Earth Doesn't Break
There is a force that acts everywhere in the universe: the force of gravity. It keeps us grounded, but it has also shaped the universe as we know it. If it wasn't there, everything would be turned upside down. But to find out what it feels like when it seems like gravity isn't there, we asked a famous astronaut.
The Unknown Universe
The Universe is gigantic, but will we ever know if there is something beyond the boundaries of what we can see? And what is it really made of? Will we ever be able to understand where all the matter swallowed by black holes ends up? Cosmologists' answers to the most disturbing questions.
The Foods of the Future
The world population is increasing and everyone needs to be fed. We need more and more food, but we also need healthy food produced with respect for the environment. Here are the ways in which science and technology are trying to overcome the most important challenge.
It's Easy To Say Plastic
Plastic is an extraordinary material, capable of unthinkable performances. Yet it has become a public danger, which risks suffocating the world. But whose fault is it? Meanwhile, science and technology have already found solutions: even creating biodegradable plastic from vegetable waste.
The Vertical Air
We live immersed in an ocean of air, but we almost never notice its presence. Yet the air around us has a long story to tell us: the Earth's atmosphere has not always been like this. The air makes planes fly, it allows us to breathe, but it is only a very thin veil that envelops the planet.
The Surprises of New Materials
We live immersed in an ocean of air, but we almost never notice its presence. Yet the air around us has a long story to tell us: the Earth's atmosphere has not always been like this. The air makes planes fly, it allows us to breathe, but it is only a very thin veil that envelops the planet.
Living on the Moon
A real space house built on site. Or orbiting the Moon. So after fifty years man will return to our satellite, to stay there. But what are we going to do there? And have we really solved all the problems of life so far from Earth?
The New Frontiers of DNA
The genetic code is a book that we have just learned to decipher. And we are already capable of reading a person's entire DNA in just a few hours. But now we are also learning to modify it, in an increasingly precise way. And even to create new forms of life.