Season 25 · Episode 2

Superquark: Prosthetics, speed on skis, and Italian "top guns"

This episode features an interesting investigation into prosthetics and implants. Every year, two million pacemakers are implanted, as well as two million silicone breast implants, heart valves, and femoral heads. Of the 10 million artificial prosthesis implants performed, approximately one-third are performed to address rejection or infection. The University of Zurich has developed a material that appears to solve this problem. It's cellulose-based, and its ability to bind human cells together would make the prostheses... invisible. Superquark reporters then visited Italian Air Force test pilots and documented their daily work at the Pratica di Mare base, to discover how this profession is changing, now called upon to flight test not only new aircraft but also new avionics software for fighter jets like the Eurofighter.