The voice of CG pop idol Hatsune Miku simply soars! Perhaps you've heard it? Singing voices synthesized by computers are storming on to the stage. One recording with synthesized singing even reached number one on the Japanese charts! And all of this is underpinned by the amazing progress of voice synthesizing technology, just in the past few years. The voices are made by computer, but they sound natural and full of feeling! There is even technology that can synthesize just about anybody's voice, even yours! What are the secrets behind these amazing advances? What is the essence of expression? What does singing mean to people? We ask these essential questions from the front line of voice synthesizing technology.

Technological advances are shedding light on the world of the deep ocean. One focus of interest is hydrothermal vents that spew out super heated water from the ocean floor. These vents are home to many fantastic creatures that feed on poisonous chemical compounds like hydrogen sulfide and methane. Recent studies even suggest that life on earth may have started around hydrothermal vents. Japan's most advanced submersible performed the world's first major survey to investigate this hypothesis. Did it find clues about the birth of life? Tune in to find out all the details!

The Japanese spacecraft Hayabusa crashed down like a falling star into the dessert in Australia in June 2010. It was an image that captivated many people around the world. Hayabusa's return to earth marked the end of its 6 billion kilometer journey that lasted 7 years. The unprecedented project landed a probe on the asteroid Itokawa and brought a sample back. But along the way there was all sorts of trouble including engine problems and a fuel leak, but the ion engine developed in Japan managed to bring Hayabusa nack home safely. Two films also came out in February and March 2012, keeping Hayabusa very much in the spotlight in Japan. We go behind the scenes of this first ever successful sample return mission to a celestial body other than the moon.