Our sun is a huge ball of electrically charged gas that’s been shining bright for around 4.5 billion years and providing the earth with heat and light. Without it, the rich diversity of life on earth would never have developed.

This week’s viewer question comes from Kal Mbye in Gambia.

From Brussels to Barcelona in an hour – a dream that could soon become a reality. Join us on a high-speed trip to the Netherlands and learn more about the vision of a pan-European Hyperloop transit network!

Almost every battery in the world contains lithium, a rare metal that harms the environment. Are there alternatives? Sodium or magnesium are in plentiful supply, and magnesium can provide more energy than lithium.

Li-Fi, short for "Light Fidelity" is a wireless technology that uses LED light to share data. It is faster and safer than regular WiFi. And it could soon be put into practice.

Blanketing the Antarctic ice sheet in artificial snow might sound outlandish. But could geoengineering help to counteract runaway climate change? One thing is clear: many of the ideas could be very risky.

Africa’s first climate monitoring station is located on Mount Mugogo in Rwanda. Scientists there monitor levels of various greenhouse gases. They hope their data will help strengthen Africa’s position at international climate negotiations.

In the Gorongosa National Park, young female scientists are cataloguing flora and fauna for a global genetic database. It will enhance our understanding of the diversity of life on earth and the roles different species play.

If sap could be manipulated to make a plant more attractive to various pollinators, it would help secure harvests. A common plant pest is helping researchers in the process.

Whether hard drives or electric motors, rare earth elements play a key role in a range of technologies. The metals mostly come from China. To ease dependence, researchers at the RWTH Aachen University are working on recycling the precious elements.