Fíorscéal - Season 25

The story of the busy scavengers who live among us in our cities. To us, it's garbage. To them, it's dinner.

A group of scientists embark on a mission to the most inhospitable place on Earth to discover the keys that will allow humanity to survive the changes of the future.

Situated next to the Arctic Circle Iceland is covered in snow during long winters. In contrast, the heat beneath its surface, where two tectonic plates are splitting apart, emerges with relentless volcanic activity.

The immune system is indispensable for humans. It is both complex and fascinating. This scientific documentary offers us an insightful and entertaining view of our immune system and shows us when it can fail and how we can boost it.

Scientists from all over the world are warning of the impact of plastics on human health. Every day, thousands of chemicals make their way into food and most of them have never been tested for consumption. They disrupt hormones, modify how the body functions and are the root cause of many cancers. Even so, this insidious daily poison has been the cash cow of the petrochemical industry. 

Climate change has upset the water cycle and natural freshwater reservoirs are at risk of disappearing so researchers are looking to new technologies to save drinking water. The seabed off Malta, Europe's most arid country, contains groundwater from the last ice age. A team of researchers is using new methods to analyse the seabed. This technique could be used to help dry coastal regions elsewhere in the world face the challenges of the future

Over the past sixty years, over a million 'orphans' were adopted by Western families from around the world. Now many are discovering their past was a lie. From the children who were stolen from their mothers during the Pinochet dictatorship, to Africa's fake orphans, international adoption is at the heart of an unprecedented scandal. We join investigative journalists, activists and researchers in South Korea, Sweden, France, Chile, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland.

Svalbard is global warming ground zero as no part of the planet is warming faster than Svalbard. The Norwegian archipelago also clashes with the geopolitical interests of the West, Russia and China. The melting ice will open up new sea routes and give access to new natural resources. It is the closest inhabited place to the North Pole, and home to the Global Seed Vault, created to save humanity's biodiversity in the event of a global catastrophe.

Airbus, the world's largest aircraft manufacturer, is competing with several student-founded start-ups; their aim is to win the race for flying green.

Eighty percent of all goods traded worldwide today are transported by ship. But their environmental impact is significant, emitting large quantities of pollutants and contributing to global CO2 emissions. While other transport sectors have embraced energy transition, shipping has lagged behind in climate protection. However, legal requirements and consumer demands are pressuring the industry to transition to climate-neutral fuels. This documentary follows pioneers striving to revolutionize maritime transportation, ensuring profitability while protecting the climate and environment.

The fight for Tibetan independence has disappeared from the global media landscape. Yet 6 million Tibetans are still living under the Chinese oppression. This programme looks at the roots of the conflict and at China's strategy.