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In the early 1970s construction workers near Changsha in central China unearthed the tomb of Xin Zhui, an aristocrat from China's Han Dynasty. Filled with precious and wonderful objects, the tomb told a life lived in wealth and luxury. But it was the body itself, rather than the objects that surrounded it, that has astounded the world's scientists. The body of Xin Zhui is arguably the best preserved ancient human ever found. It was as if she had died very recently, despite being entombed for over two millennia. Her skin and internal organs were still soft and flexible, her hair was intact and there was still blood in her veins. How did these ancient morticians achieve such a level of preservation? And did they, whether by accident or design, have a recipe for eternal life?

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Experience the world of the food-obsessed, as four stars of the blogging world share their opinions on all things edible. Australian Mark Lowerson is on the prowl for the best Pho in Hanoi. Get a caffeine buzz in San Francisco with Pim of the blog Chez Pim. Blogger Josh finds authentic Cantonese food in Hong Kong. Former pastry chef David Lebovitz gathers the sweet goods on the streets of Paris.

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In this episode, the BIG STORY is the UK road network. Richard and Jonny go to the Traffic Management Centre in South Wales to see how they monitor the traffic to keep it flowing and turn on warning signs where necessary, 24/7. The centre is so futuristic it’s even been featured in a sci-fi drama. The boys explain how the gigantic MIDAS system automatically instructs the 3,000 dot matrix signs to show certain speeds and give warnings right across Britain. It uses thousands of buried loops of copper wire beneath the roadways which can sense traffic flow changes. These are constantly fed back to the MIDAS computer system. These loops are easy to spot reveals Jonny – just look for the lines of bitumen. The boys get up close and personal with the dot matrix signs – even a small weighs 1 ton and costs £50,000. There are more than 1 million illegal vehicles on Britain’s roads. The boys check out the police’s latest weapon called Automated Number Plate Recognition. It’s a camera based hi-tech unit which can read plates incredibly quickly. It bounces infra red light off plates and records the image – or in fact up to 50 images taken in blisteringly fast succession – and a state of the art computer works out what’s on the plate. Jonny puts the system to the test as he flips a number plate in mid air. It captures and reads it in 5 milliseconds – that’s five 1000ths of a second. The boys explain how traditional cats eyes (invented in 1934) work and see the latest solar powered version. Plus, they get their hands dirty painting white lines invented, first approved for roads in 1925. The paint is surprisingly hi-tech and contains four elements: sand, resin, pigment made from titanium compound and glass beads to aid reflectivity. Richard challenges Jonny to a white line paint-a-thon. In TESTING TESTING we go to a laboratory in Holland to see the extreme tests motorbike helmets endure. The ‘Weather Test’ puts the helmet through six hours of simulated driving rain and six hours in

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Mexico City is the world’s biggest city. It sprawls across more than 1,400 square kilometres. But for the 18 million people who live there, it's not just another metropolis. Mexico City is ground zero. This mega city violates the first rule of real estate: location. On one side: one of the world's most earthquake-prone hotspots. On the other: one of the world's most active volcanoes. And beneath their feet - a shaky foundation of landfill. To Mother Nature, Mexico City is one big target. And any moment, another big earthquake could hit the city. But against the most destructive force of nature, the city is tapping the power of science. Towering over the city is Latin America’s tallest skyscraper – built to ride out an earthquake on giant shock absorbers. From subways to freeways, this episode examines how Mexico City is harnessing cutting-edge technology to build in safety. In Mexico City, the difference between life and death comes down to sixty seconds.

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The Dragon, a fire breathing predator that has haunted mankind’s imagination from time immemorial. Why is the dragon such a powerful part of countless myths and legends, from the dawn of civilization to the 21st Century? In every culture we find dragons, they are one of history’s most enduring mythological creatures. Even today, popular movies depend upon the awe-inspiring power of these creatures to draw in their audiences. But where did the dragon come from and why is it so universal?

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Forced to leave behind his cell phone, GPS and even newspapers before entering the country, Diego Buñuel must pose as an actor to enter North Korea. Every move he makes is constantly monitored, with two watchers 'escorting' him wherever he goes. Starting in the capital of Pyongyang, Diego is housed in a hotel built on an island to keep visitors from interacting with locals, and where all the rooms are bugged. Attending a Catholic mass in Pyongyang, Diego finds that there are no ordained priests in North Korea; mass is led by party members. Diego also tours a fairground where children have the chance to 'Kill American Imperialism' in a shooting game. Venturing to the world's largest stadium, Diego watches 100,000 dancers perform in celebration of 60 years of dictatorship. While this festivity paints an image of happiness and unity, the portrait is not quite as picturesque in the countryside. The effects of poverty, famine and oppression are deeply etched in the faces of its people and the landscape. Even in Pyongyang, the signs of repression are omnipresent - from the number of dances allowed to be performed (only 5-7 according to one party member) to the images of Kim Jung Il found in every corner.

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