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When we're really in love, all hell breaks loose. The heart races, palms sweat, the mouth goes dry and the brain switches to "happily insane" mode. Some cultures are convinced that that's not a solid foundation to build a marriage and family on, opting for arranged partnerships instead. But romantic love evolved for a reason. If we loved each other in small groups, then males would know who they were related to, and would fight for them and their children. 

Why do We Fall in Love?

Love may drive you crazy - but it also keeps you alive.

42: The Answer to (Almost) Everything

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Since the dawn of time, mankind has dreamed of a Fountain of Youth. A dream that may be coming true. Laboratories all over the world are announcing that they have rejuvenated animal species like mice, nematodes and fruit flies. Anti-ageing research has achieved the impossible: these animals live longer and healthier lives. Next step: humans?

Could We Live Forever?

Since the dawn of time, mankind has dreamed of a Fountain of Youth. A dream that may be coming true today.

42: The Answer to Almost Everything

Tiny man shorts, long flowing hair, custumes and the exchange of perfectly timed insults... is wrestling pure performance or is it a legitimate sport?

Gymnastics

Is wrestling pure performance or is it a legitimate sport?

Wrestling: All Sport or All Show?

Slumped on the sofa, speaking slowly... why are teenagers so pathetic, asks one frazzled mother. Professor Mustache has the answer: being a teenager is a physically as well as mentally taxing time in a person's life.

How to Die Clever

Slumped on the sofa, speaking slowly... why are teenagers so pathetic, asks one frazzled mother.

Are Teenagers Lame?

Did you have a stupid and incoherent dream again last night? It's normal. Prof Mustache takes stock of the latest scientific hypotheses on the subject. Remember, you are not crazy. But your brain is working non-stop. 

The Point of Dreams

Why do dying patients sometimes see light at the end of a long tunnel, and an overwhelming sense of peace? What are the medical reasons for it?

How to Die Clever (19/30)

Why do dying patients sometimes see light at the end of a long tunnel, and an overwhelming sense of peace?

The Near Death Experience

Stop believing that a gunshot wound is like in the movies! Professor Mustache and Nathanaël prove that a real gunshot wound is very different and far more dangerous, not least because bullets are basically filthy. 

Stop believing that a gunshot wound is like in the movies! 

Do Bullets Hurt?

Where does the cliché of the dumb athlete come from? Is cycling essentially futile? For this episode on intelligence and the meaning of sport, Raphaël Enthoven talks with Guillaume Martin, cyclist and philosopher, as well as Chantal Jouanno, former Minister of Sports.

Philosophy

Where does the cliché of the dumb athlete come from?

Is Sport Meaningless?

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Medicine and health

Science can be much easier to understand than you might think.

Eureka!

The Alps’ majestic summits hide a mortal danger: Avalanches. These torrents of snow sweep away everything in their path with enormous speed and power causing loss of life and damage to property. Scientists across Europe are studying avalanches in order to forecast them better but climate change seems set to make the situation worse.

The White Death

The Alps’ majestic summits hide a mortal danger: Avalanches. These torrents of snow sweep away everything in their path with enormous speed and power.

Avalanches

Energy from fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas made modern life possible in the first place; but that modern way of life is now in danger from the climate crisis and temperature extremes. Can we find an energy source that provides just as much energy as fossil fuels, but is still clean and easily available - a kind of perfect energy?

Can we find an energy source that provides just as much energy as fossil fuels, but is still clean and easily available - a kind of perfect energy?

The Perfect Energy Source

The Zaporizhia nuclear power plant is in a war zone, and the area has been bombed. Damage to the plant, or cutting off its electricity, could mean a major radioactive leak at Europe's largest nuclear power plant. We take stock of nuclear power generation around the world.

Nuclear Energy - Past or Future?

We take stock of nuclear power generation around the world.

Mapping the World

The Dolomites are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to half a million locals. But the mountain range has nearly 33 million night stays per year, on top of daytrippers. Authorities have imposed a visitor cap to curb the ecological impact of mass tourism. A mountain guide and an architect are actively campaigning to preserve their region.

The Dolomites are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a major tourist attraction. Locals have had enough.

Re: Saving the Dolomites

Symbol of the industrial revolution at the end of the 18th century, the extraction of coal catapulted the world into the modern era. It also galvanised the labour movement and continues to be burned to this day. But it will accelerate climate change.

Coal: The Poisonous Black Diamond

Symbol of the industrial revolution, coal catapulted the world into the modern era.

Making History

Lithium is crucial for use in batteries, and as Europe tried to go green and switch to electric cars, demand for this white gold is skyrocketing. The EU imports most of its lithium, but its demand keeps increasing. Mining companies are tempted by the possibility of finding and exploiting reserves right here in Europe. But that would mean sacificing small rural  communities, for 'the greater good'.

ARTE Reportage

Rural mountains in Portugal have vital reserves of lithium. But villagers vow they'll stop any development

The Dirty Truth Behind Green Cars

Saype is a graffiti artist with a difference. He doesn't spray his works on walls but in fields and on grass, using his own biodegradable paint. His huge works of art are best appreciated by drone, where the true scale is revealed. 

Saype, Green-Fingered Graffitti Artist

Environment

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Technology and innovation

Human beings evolved in the warm climate of Africa before striking out to live in colder parts of the world. It is testament to our ingenuity as a species that we can now survive in hostile climates. But what if the cold was actually good for us? This documentary explores the science of cold with elite Finnish cold swimmer Elina as she attempts the Polar Ice Mile in arctic Svalbard.

What if the cold was  good for us? This documentary explores the science of cold with elite Finnish cold swimmer Elina as she attempts the Polar Ice Mile in arctic Svalbard.

Into the Cold

Junk foods’ effects on the body are well documented. But what are their effects on the brain? This documentary draws on the latest research looking at how different diets effect our mood, our memory, and our brain matter, a fascinating journey into neuro-nutrition.

Eat Yourself Smart and Happy

An examination of the tragically brief life and spectacular mathematical work of Maryam Mirzakhani, an Iranian immigrant to the United States who became a superstar in her field. In 2014, she was both the first woman and the first Iranian to be honoured by mathematics’ highest prize, the Fields Medal.

The Mathematical Vision of Maryam Mirzakhani

An examination of the tragically brief life and spectacular mathematical work of Maryam Mirzakhani, an Iranian immigrant to the United States who became a superstar in her field.

Secrets of the Surface

Could psychedelics treat depression? Banned substances such as LSD and psilocybin are now being tested for various afflictions. Several studies are ongoing with one of the largest being conducted by the Charité hospital in Berlin and the Central Institute for Mental Health in Mannheim, Germany. Since the risks and side effects of the substances have not yet been fully researched, their use for therapeutic purposes remains highly controversial.

Could Psychedelics Treat Depression?

Several studies are researching how psychedelic substances could treat mental illnesses, but their medicinal use remains controversial.

Drugs that Heal

In this episode of our travels in the land of maths, we are heading towards Infinity. And even beyond, because infinity comes in many sizes. That may seem strange, but Georg Kantor and his set theory will help us come to terms with this maths concept of dizzying scale.

On the Road to Infinity

In this episode of our travels in the land of maths, we are heading towards Infinity

The Land of Mathematics

If climate change continues unchecked, the seas will rise by up to 20 millimeters per year by the end of the century, threatening the very existence of Fiji, Vanuatu, and Bangladesh, along with major cities such as New York and Shanghai. One solution: if you can't fight the waves, join the waves. Architects have already started working on the world's first floating city.

Could We Live on Water?

If you can't fight the waves, join the waves

Frank Benford observed that the number one seems to pop up a lot in both in the supermarket and on tax bills. In understanding this law, it helps to simply look at the world from a different perspective.

Benford's Law

Frank Benford observed that the number one seems to pop up a lot in both in the supermarket and on tax bills

In October 1970 Scientific American magazine introduced a game under the heading "Mathematical Games" that quickly became a cult classic. The idea behind John Conway's “Game of Life” is cellular automaton. The game's creator hoped to help with the understanding, simulating or even recreation of life itself

The Game of Life

In October 1970 Scientific American magazine introduced a game under the heading "Mathematical Games" that quickly became a cult classic

The deeper you get into the bowels of the earth, the less scientists know about what's there. How far can you dig? And what are the depths hiding? This new documentary series plunges into the heart of the world's mysteries.

The Hidden World Beneath Our Feet

The deeper you get into the bowels of the earth, the less scientists know about what's there

All living beings stop growing at some point. The global economy is different: it just keeps growing. Is a world without economic growth possible and what might that mean for the future?

Do We Need Economic Growth?

42 - The Answer to Almost Everything

The universe is big. So big, that surely 'Earthlings' can't possibly be the only form of intelligent life. What then is the probability that extraterrestrials exist? What could they look like? Finally, wouldn't their existence force us to rethink our place in the cosmos?

Are We Alone in the Universe?

The universe is big. So big, that surely 'Earthlings' can't possibly be the only form of intelligent life

Illnesses, accidents, assaults ... Faced with traumatic events, a force within us allows us to overcome and move forward: resilience. Far from being an innate characteristic, it is a capacity that we can work on.

Psycho: Resilience

Formulating the theory of everything, the one that would describe all the laws of the Universe from a single fundamental law, would be the pinnacle achievement of physics. We could finally understand everything and solve the mysteries that still escape us. Heisenberg, Einstein, Hawking… All the great scientists have tried. All have failed. So can we still hope to find the theory of everything one day?

The Search for a Universal Theory

All the great scientists have tried to come up with a theory of everything. All have failed.

42 – The Answer to Almost Everything

A documentary that takes the viewer deep inside the intriguing world of non-verbal communication.
As human beings, our bodies communicate our inner emotions and feelings in ways that can often be easily seen by others, but at other times are barely visible. On every continent and in every ethnicity, expressions of emotions such as happiness, surprise, anger and fear are universally recognized. These expressions are hard-wired into our facial muscles for reasons that have everything to do with human evolution and survival of the species. To the trained observer, the way people move can be more revealing than the things people say.

A documentary that takes the viewer deep inside the intriguing world of non-verbal communication

Body Language Decoded

Drugs have a bad press. But scientists have long been convinced that the use of psychedelics can sometimes be beneficial. The use of ecstasy, LSD and other hallucinogens could soon be authorised for therapeutic purposes. Should we change our relationship to certain drugs?

Are We Doing More Drugs?

Scientists have long been convinced that the use of psychedelics can sometimes be beneficial.

Perseverance is the latest rover designed by NASA to explore Mars. A marvel of technology that is hoped will lead to new discoveries and help prepare for a future manned mission to the Red Planet in the 21st century.

Perseverance is the latest rover to explore Mars that could help prepare for a future manned mission to the Red Planet.

Perseverance: A Year on Mars

We cannot escape our fate and we cannot escape ourselves. But we also have our limits: confused thinking, misleading intuitions, unrealiable memories... What consequences do these potential errors have on our relationship to the world and to ourselves? Just how far can we trust ourselves?

Can We Trust Ourselves?

42: The Answer to Nearly Everything

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The Alps’ majestic summits hide a mortal danger: Avalanches. These torrents of snow sweep away everything in their path with enormous speed and power causing loss of life and damage to property. Scientists across Europe are studying avalanches in order to give be able to forecast them better but climate change seems set to make the situation worse.

From childhood, we are taught to take care of the things we value. But strangely enough, this does not seem to apply to nature: Would putting a monetary value on the natural world help us protect it better?

What if the natural world made us pay?

From childhood, we are taught to take care of the things we value. But this does not seem to apply to nature: Would putting a monetary value on the natural world help us protect it better?

We like to talk about the weather because it affects us every day. But have you ever heard of space weather? Not just for astronauts, it also our affects lives on Earth. Scientists are particularly interested in solar activity as it can quickly disrupt our life on Earth.

How dangerous is space weather?

Have you ever heard of space weather? It's not just for astronauts and also our affects lives on Earth. 

Getting into space has never been easier and the resources of our solar system are highly coveted. But with the legal framework of space exploration and the exploitation of its resources still unclear, is space being stolen from us?

With the legal framework of space exploration and the exploitation of its resources still unclear, is space being stolen from us?

Is Space Being Stolen From Us?

Researchers want to use cloning and gene editing to bring back lost species. If humanity played God by killing them off, some say we should also play God and put things right again. US Scientists claim that in just a few short years, they could bring back mammoths, which died out 4,000 years ago.

Could We Bring Back the Wooly Mammoth?

When the last individual of a species draws its last breath, that doesn't have to be the end of the story.

The loss of biodiversity is highly alarming: our planet is currently experiencing the greatest extinction since the age of the dinosaurs. This film documents the extinction of species currently happening around the world. But it also highlights hopeful initiatives as committed men and women on every continent fight to save endangered species and work towards improving biodiversity.

Mankind's Greatest Challenge

Biodiversity or Extinction

 French swimmer Florent Manaudou, German pentathlete Marvin Dogue and French sabre fencer Cécilia Berder all trained hard for the Tokyo Olympics, but the most important part of their training they say is in the mind. Mental conditioning is a growing science designed to get the best out of sports champions at a time when they could crumble under the pressure. 

At the beginning of World War Two, American airforce pilots struggled to face off against the Japanese fleet. Cue Bud Winter: in peace time, a sports coach, and in war, a mental conditioner who taught the pilots how to keep their head in the game even in life-or-death situations. Gradually, the idea that sportsmen and women were as much mind as they were muscle took hold. 

 For Olympic French swimmer Florent Manaudou, his greatest challenge is mental, not physical

Inside the Heads of Champions

It seemed that human intelligence could progress indefinitely. The evolution of medicine, science and technology looked to be limitless. Research proved each generation of human was more intelligent than the last. Until suddenly they weren't. Humanity is getting stupider.

Are We Getting Stupider?

For a long time, IQ increased from generation to generation. But recently, progress has stalled. Why?

Life would be fantastic if we were never scared. We could cross deep ravines on tightropes, ski down the steepest mountainsides and feel fine. Unfortunately, fear runs deep inside us.

What if Fear Didn't Exist?

Mucus captures pathogens and protects sensitive organs. Some animals wrap themselves in a protective layer of mucus, like snails. Others use it as a weapon to defend themselves against predators.

Why Do We Need Mucus?

Some animals wrap themselves in a protective layer of mucus, like snails. Others use it as a weapon

The big data craze has not yet revolutionised medicine. But many researchers want to integrate algorithmic data processing into health policy. Is it time to rethink our vision of the body, from an individual system of organs, and instead think of ourselves as a set of data points among many?

Doctor Algorithm

The big data craze has not yet revolutionised medicine

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The fact that we have a breathable atmosphere on Earth is largely down to algae. Could these aquatic plants be the secret of solving climate change and saving ourselves and the planet?

Could Algae Save the Planet?

The Answer to Almost Everything

The bowels of our cities are traversed by a vast network of pipes containing our wastewater. Treated by complex purification systems, this nauseating broth conceals a wealth of information on the circulation of viruses, drugs, and more.

This nauseating broth conceals a wealth of information on the circulation of viruses, drugs, and more...

The Secrets of Sewer Water

We are only just beginning to understand the many ways in which animals communicate with each other. Elephants use infrasound, cats use vowel sounds, whales flip their fins. Would we treat animals differently if we could understand what they're saying?

Talking With Animals

Would we treat animals differently if we could understand what they're saying?

Our dependence on fossil fuels has never been more painfully obvious than now, as prices soar in the wake of the war in Ukraine. But the issue is more than economic and geopolitical. We're living in a climate emergency, and decarbonisation of the continent is urgent. The European Union's Green Deal aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Can it be done?

Energy For All

The European Union's Green Deal aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Can it be done?

Europe At A Crossroads

While Europe has developed gigantic infrastructures to keep up with the flow of goods and people, the continent must now deal with saturated urban roads, underserved regions, and soaring petrol prices. As the demand for transport increases, so does its carbon footprint. It's one of the leading sources of CO2 emissions. How can we make Europe's transport sector accessible and green?

The Transport Revolution

As the demand for transport increases, so does its carbon footprint. Can we make Europe's transport accessible and green?

The humanitarian catastrophe triggered by the war in Ukraine and the complex reception structures for refugees created in record time show how contradictory Europe is when it comes to refugees. Some are welcomed with open arms, others are rejected. But foreign workers play a crucial role in the European economy, even if Europe seems to do its best to keep the majority of economic migrants out.

The New Europeans

Why are some refugees somehow more deserving than others?

Europe seems to be lagging behind its American and Chinese rivals when it comes to the digital economy. Fake news, insecure employment and data theft have all proliferated under American digital hegemony where just a few private companies dominate the digital world. However, some European countries such as Sweden and Estonia are paving the way for European digital sovereignty.

Digital Transformation

Europe seems to be lagging behind its rivals when it comes to the digital economy. Can the continent reach digital sovereignty?

Europe at a Crossroads

Driven to produce ever more and less expensively, European breeders and farmers are exhausted. Despite the terrible effects of intensive agriculture on the environment and health, the European Union continues to give subsidies to large farms. Contributing indirectly to global warming and deforestation, our meat consumption has increased by 60% in sixty years. How can we sustainably feed more than 500 million Europeans? From north to south of the continent, different avenues are being explored: organic or urban agriculture, crops assisted by artificial intelligence, synthetic meat... Are we on the verge of a new green revolution?

The Green Revolution

Organic or urban agriculture, crops assisted by AI, synthetic meat... what is the future of food?

The climate crisis and the loss of biodiversity dramatically highlights how badly we need to change our relationship with nature. We take you to the melting glaciers in the Alps, the plastic-polluted coasts of Greece, the blue butterflies in the meadows of England, and to the primary forests of Romania. Here, Europeans are looking for ways to find a new balance with nature.

Conservation Across A Continent

Europeans are looking for ways to find a new balance with nature

Some animals are whats, and others are whos. Cats and dogs have distinct personalities; we couldn't possibly eat them. And then there are the pigs, cows, and sheep: an amorphous mass that end up on our plates. Dirk Nienhaus shows us his pig fattening facility. Meanwhile animal welfare activist Friedrich Mülln secretly checks for animal welfare violations on nightly missions. Cow farmer Anja Hradetzky is looking for a way to combine animal welfare and livestock husbandry - and comes up against the limits of the system.

The Status Quo

Activists, scientists and philosophers expose the consequences of factory farming and reflect on the status of animals in our societies.

Who We Eat

Why do we love dogs and eat pigs? The second episode of Who We Eat is dedicated to the cultural and psychological roots of meat consumption.Psychologist Melanie Joy explains why she believes we all subscribe to an invisible ideology. The cultural historian Ilja Steffelbauer traces the history of meat from the beginnings of mankind to the present day. And Niko Rittenau, as a nutritionist, investigates how necessary the consumption of meat actually is.