Animals with all the answers

We begin in Japan, at the Kanagawa Institute of Technology, where scientists are studying whether our pets can offer advanced warning of an earthquake. While the evidence is not irrefutable, there are many signs animals do indeed have a sixth sense.

Next, we explore how biotechnology can be used to help detect dangerous pollutants in water. Researchers at WatchFrog in France are inserting a fluorescent gene - normally found in jellyfish - into tadpoles and then testing whether they shine in the presence of chemical, pharmaceutical and cosmetic waste.

Our last stop is in India, where the sacred cow is offering an unexpected blessing for farmers. In Kerala, in the country’s south-west, cow urine is being hailed as a cheap and organic fertiliser.