Bluedot FM No. 6 at Radio Bonn/Rhein-Sieg

November 11 marks the start of the carnival season in the Rhineland. Reason enough for the presenter team Pelin Öztopcu and Julius Seifert to welcome Tom Bette to the studio. He is a trombonist in the brass band Knallblech and one of five members who study at Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg. The 12-piece band has already been booked for over 100 gigs between now and the end of the festive season to get everyone in the mood. Their rousing party music has already made them famous far beyond the region. Tom Bette tells us how he manages to juggle his studies and music, how he personally feels about carnival and what Knallblech's next goals are.

We continue with the topic of the energy transition: Wind power alone now accounts for almost 30 percent of electricity generation. But it could be more. One problem: wind turbines make noise. Philipp Spelten, a doctoral student at H-BRS, is researching the topic. Reporter Simon Rodig asked him about it and reports on possible solutions.

Reporter Melanie Kruse focuses on the topic of perpetual chemicals, perfluorinated and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS). They are found in outdoor clothing, fast food packaging, ski wax, fire extinguishing foam, non-stick coatings for kitchen appliances and much more. PFAS are harmful to humans - to the liver, endocrine system and immune system - and are virtually non-degradable. Through the KLUGER Transfer project, an initiative of the H-BRS together with the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Mainz, Melanie Kruse finds the scientist Gerhard Lammel. He is researching the effects of organic chemicals on the environment.

If you don't have time on Saturday evening because of the carnival, you can also listen to the episode online at www.bluedot-fm.de, either as a compact podcast or, from next week, in full length with music.