Science unscripted

With recent hurricanes leaving parts of the US and Latin America reeling, we look to the Dutch. Over one fifth of the Netherlands is below sea level, and the country's been building and maintaining an enormous barrier system.

A zebra finch speaks its mind, laser beams below Hamburg, introducing an undersea sociopath, Earth without the hurricanes, and changing lives by slicing brains.

Technology gets blamed for many things - from causing obesity, to a reduction in our ability to communicate with each other - but could it also be leading to evolutionary changes? Specifically, are our hands changing as a response to tools and gadgets such as smartphones? Also, we talk about how the city of Chicago is struggling with a growing problem with rats.

Those who have experienced an extraordinary event like an eclipse say it's the most amazing thing they’ve ever seen. The total eclipse of the sun seems like a good enough reason to collect some interesting facts about it.

Could wood reshape the auto industry? Researchers in Austria hope so. They want to see wood replace steel and plastic parts. Plus, why e-scooters are taking off in Taiwan.

On the show today, we're going to take a look at the life and times of German-born physicist Albert Einstein – it's not all E = MC².

On this week's show: Across myriad cultures, human beings can tell when wild animals are upset, what does this mean? + Why the western world is half the man it used to be + The wristband that lets us know when we're depressed + And we meet two scientists, one from Tanzania and one from Nigeria, who are putting a spin on the idea of brain drain.

For the fourth year running, the number of drug-related deaths in Germany has risen. According to a report published Monday in the Bundestag, the lower house of parliament, 1333 people died as a result of illegal drugs. The basis for the majority of these deaths is addiction, and this week’s show will look into various facets of addiction, starting with the reward system in the human brain.

Today's programme is all about water – in various forms. Do it like the Japanese and relax in Hot Springs – daily, if possible. A cool experience: Swimming in one of Germany's many lakes. Can a simple glass of water be as complex as a glass of wine ? We meet a water sommelier in Los Angeles.

Spiders eat more meat each year than humans do, and they could easily eat the human race each year - more than once! Spiders are not only hungry, however; they are incredibly adaptable, arguably terrifying, and understudied. With that in mind, Spectrum is all about these amazing arachnids this week.