Facing Forces of Nature

It's just a matter of time until an asteroid sets course for the earth - in the worst case, its impact will release the force of millions of Hiroshima bombs. With today's technology, do we stand a chance against a planet killer from space? How quickly do our early warning systems detect danger? What options do we have to defend our planet? And - how prepared are we when the impact is imminent?

Tornadoes - they can appear at anytime, anywhere in the world and devastate entire regions: In most cases, they form within a few short minutes. Scientists are working under high pressure to better the forecasting and warning systems. Can we use modern technology to effectively counter this threat? Is there any chance to detect a tornado early and predict its direction? And what are our chances when a tornado heads straight for our towns and villages?

Things are bubbling beneath our feet: One-thousand five-hundred active volcanoes could erupt at any time. Our chance to prevent such disasters in the future: seismometers, supercomputers, satellites and geoengineering. How accurately can volcanic eruptions be predicted? How well are we prepared for disaster? And can we actually prevent eruptions in the future?

In the last hundred years alone, average temperatures have risen by one-point-two degrees Celsius. With catastrophic consequences: Mountain glaciers, permafrost and Arctic Sea ice are rapidly melting and the polar ice caps have shrunken extremely. How can we prevent killer mountain floods in the future? How prepared are we for pathogens from the eternal ice? Is there still time to avert a climate catastrophe?

Water one of the most important resources in the world. But due to sea level rise an increasing threat to humanity. What natural disasters await us as a result? How can we protect our coastlines worldwide? All over the world engineers and scientists develop concepts to protect our coasts and cities. With our latest ingenious engineering - do we stand a chance against the consequences of sea-level rise?

The world is in constant danger. The reason: the sun. It's only a matter of time until the sun shoots a superstorm which is heading towards Earth. Our only chance to prepare for the next impact: Observe. 24 hours, 365 days a year. How quickly do our current systems detect the impending danger? And what options do we have when the next storm races toward Earth?