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Divisions in US society are so deep that parts of the country are talking about a potential collapse of the federal union. Itâs an idea thatâs especially popular among the far-right.
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In 2022, the Republican Party of Texas called for a referendum on a âTexitâ â in other words, breaking off from the rest of the country to become its own independent nation. Some counties in states like Oregon and Illinois have been increasingly toying with secessionist ideas as well.
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At the Claremont Institute, a right-wing think tank, strategists like David Reaboi are pushing for a ânational divorceâ - the breakup of the United States.
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But the idea is by no means widespread across the political spectrum, and experts are unsure about its feasibility.
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đ Find out more in âThe rise of the ultra-right in the USâ on our YouTube channel. Just follow the link in our bio to watch the full-length documentary.Â
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All around the world, entrepreneurs and scientists are looking for a way out of factory farming. Theyâre concerned by the issue of animal welfare. But a primary motive is the ecological impact of industrial livestock farming. đ
From plant-based to lab-grown meat, alternatives are being explored.Â
đ Find out more in âFake steak - Future-proof foodâ on our YouTube channel. Just follow the link in our bio to watch the full-length documentary.Â
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On Slovakiaâs Tatra Mountains, delivery service is done the traditional way.
One of the smallest mountain ranges in the world, this national park is a strictly protected UNESCO biosphere reserve, so building more roads and cable cars is out of the question.
Luckily, the several huts spread throughout the remote heights can rely on the dedicated âTatra Sherpasâ, who work hard to deliver essential supplies, while keeping traditions alive.
How much weight could you carry on your back?
đ Find out more in âSlovak porters - The last in Europeâ on our YouTube channel. Just follow the link in our bio to watch the full-length documentary.
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On this volcanic island, a decade of persistent drought, combined with a booming tourism industry, has put massive strain on limited natural springs. But high above the struggle, Miguel Antonio discovered a secret resource.
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He doesnât wait for rain. Instead, he uses nets to âfishâ fresh water directly from the mountain mist. âď¸đ§
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This isnât just a clever hack, itâs Miguelâs life and livelihood. From his spectacular clifftop garden, he transforms his âcloud-grownâ herbs into artisanal teas and schnapps, sold at a small roadside stand to locals and tourists passing by.
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đ Find out more in âCape Verde: Volcanoes, pristine beaches, carnivalâ by following the link in our bio to watch the full documentary.
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Oumuamua, the first interstellar object ever observed to visit our solar system, was discovered on 19 October 2017 with the University of Hawaiiâs Pan-STARRS1 telescope. It appeared to be elongated, almost cigar-shaped, with a reddish hue.
By the time of its discovery, the object had already passed its closest point to the Sun and was accelerating away from our solar system. Even the most powerful telescope would not be able to see Oumuamua at this point.
Its unusual characteristics have fueled all kinds of theories and left many questions unanswered. But scientists are gleaning all they can from Oumuamuaâs visit â and how we can prepare the next time an interstellar object stops by.
đ Find out more in âOumuamua - A mysterious object from another starâ by following the link in our bio to watch the full documentary.
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Color expert Jeanet Marit Herbst is redesigning the interiors of large clinics. Her work shows that colors can lower blood pressure, lift a personâs mood, and help reduce medication use. âColor does everything,â says Herbst. âIt heals, supports, and provides stability.â
đ Find out more in âThe magic of colorsâ by following the link in our bio to watch the full documentary.
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Despite wind and rain, bike couriers deliver food to homes across Germany every day. Many riders are from India and have come to Germany to study.
Often recruited by agencies that place them in expensive, private universities, they incur heavy debts so take on courier jobs to help cover costs. Increasingly, however, poor working conditions have become a serious problem, with some cases now reaching German courts.
đ Find out more in âThe courier driver businessâ. Just follow the link in our bio to watch the full documentary.
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We often talk about focus as something we can simply switch on. But neuroscience suggests something different.
True peak performance is not just about attention. It emerges when intense focus and reduced fear briefly align, a brain state where certain regions become less active. This is what allows for complete immersion and extreme concentration.
Despite how vital this âFlow Stateâ is, it remains one of the most difficult phenomena to study in neuroscience. Because flow is deeply subjective, researchers often rely on post-experience reports. Measuring the brain in real time risks disrupting the very state they are trying to observe.
đ Find out more in âThe secret to concentration - How to increase your attention spanâ. Just follow the link in our bio to watch the full documentary.
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Xochimilco, Mexico Cityâs ancient wetland, is famous for its chinampas, artificially created floating gardens, its colorful trajineras, gondola-like boats, and for being home to the endemic amphibian, the axolotl. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has become a popular tourist attraction.
But due the growing metropolis of Mexico City, only a few heavily polluted canals around Xochimilco are left.
Xochimilcoâs water is so polluted by domestic waste, commercial activity, and the presence of heavy metals, that there are almost no axolotls left in its waters. Census figures have revealed that between 1998 and 2014, the axolotl population per square kilometer fell from 6,000 to 36.
Locals and scientists are working together to save the canals as well as the threatened axolotl.
đ Find out more in âAxolotl - The magical healing powers of a salamanderâ. Follow the link in our bio to watch the full documentary.
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Octopus is a culinary delicacy in many parts of Europe. Demand is driving overfishing and threatening local ecosystems. đ
In the Mediterranean, octopus populations are shrinking due to the use of illegal traps. The NGO Sea Shepherd is working together with Greeceâs coast guard to remove them and releasing trapped octopuses. But there are simply too many for this method to work on its own.
In Italy, the consequences of overfishing are already visible. Without the octopus as a natural predator, the invasive blue crab is spreading unchecked, wreaking havoc for shellfish farmers in the Po Delta and threatening their livelihoods.
đ Find out more in âOctopus under threat.â Just follow the link in our bio to watch the full documentary.
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Basma Mostafa is an Egyptian investigative journalist who was forced to flee the country. But even in her new home in Berlin, where she has been granted asylum, she continues to be threatened. Experts believe she could be being tracked by agents through data from her phone.
đ Find out more in âDangerous apps - In the web of data brokersâ. Just follow the link in our bio to watch the full documentary. ďż˝ ďż˝đ #documentary #dwdocs
The increasing demand for illegal synthetic drugs worldwide is leading to the creation of larger illegal production labs where toxic chemicals are used. Chemical vapors, like carbon monoxide, can be released during the process, posing a lethal risk. These chemicals can only be disposed of illegally.
In the Netherlands, one of Europeâs biggest centers for producing synthetic drugs, the annual production of amphetamine can generate between 3,000 and 180,000 tons of waste. But the actual amount of toxic waste disposed of could be a lot higher than the amount reported to the police.
Waste is sometimes dumped in sewage systems and rivers, which poses a danger to ecosystems, animals, and humans. Despite the dangers, this issue receives little attention.
đ Find out more in âThe toxic waste from drugs like ecstasy, speed or crystal methâ. Just follow the link in our bio to watch the full documentary.
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