Science unscripted

What's it like living next to a shaking, spewing volcano? And what can, or should, Hawaiians do about it? Also, we go inside the caldera of a German volcano that erupted with such violence that it stopped the River Rhine entirely - with catastrophic consequences.

Hike Elba's trails without ever leaving the armchair, Germany's young hackers aren't really hacking anything, and the Netherlands even big enough for a wildlife preserve?

Germans get 'lethargic' before they catch spring fever, the 'ashtray of Europe,' a songbird decline in France, and a quiz for listeners. (Plus, health tips to get you fit for summer!)

On this week’s show, we’re going to take a look ahead to German astronaut Alexander Gerst’s new space mission. It’s called Horizons, and it will bring him back to the ISS in June. The Deutsche Welle science team was given exclusive access to the European Astronaut Center this week, so if you’d like to know what it takes to be an astronaut, please tune in to this special edition of Spectrum.

On the show: Can obesity induced inflammation reduce your ability to taste? How much CO² does one sandwich produce? You’ll be surprised.

This week’s show is all about driving, flying and cycling. We navigate the streets of one European city on our bikes. Dodge rush-hour traffic in an electric car in another. And, ever wondered what it takes to be a drone pilot? Wonder no more. All that and more on this jam-packed edition of Spectrum with host Jessie Wingard.

An Italian shoemaker "imports feet," an ancient city discovered by lasers, polluted UK rivers, de-polluting air, wood as tough as steel - and a whole lot of health tips to boot.

Can you eat rice in space? Do we digest food differently in zero g's? And also, why can't astronauts eat as much salt as down here on Earth? Join us as we try the space food dishes unveiled for the upcoming mission to the ISS.

Someone gives you €25 million. In exchange, you have to build an autonomous car – basically from scratch. Sound crazy? It's kind of happening now in Aachen, Germany.

For German hunters, it’s open season on wild boars all year round. There is, perhaps, good reason for the new decree, given that the African Swine Fever is rampant in a number of European countries east of Germany. From a forest near Bonn, Spectrum hosts Gabriel Borrud and Conor Dillon present Germany’s wild boar problem this week, while in search of the peculiarly robust beasts.