The program takes an inter-disciplinary approach to problem-solving. The goal is to “look at a problem each week and to ask experts to give a reaction or a solution…in a sort of public brainstorming,” according to Blank.
Nieuwslicht called on Blank to solve a problem brought to its attention by biologists and residents near the high-speed train line near the A16 by Breda. Transparent walls surrounding the train line protect residents from the thundering noise. Unfortunately the walls are also death traps for thousands of birds who unwittingly fly into them.
Aesthetic objections ruled out placing stickers to chase away the birds. The challenge for Blank and his team was to find a solution that kept the walls transparent while creating a way to reflect UV rays that would deter birds from flying into the walls. The answer - which Blank had to produce in one short week - is a five-nanometer thick layer of aluminum on a plastic foil applied to the plastic walls. A prudent scientist, Blank cautions that this is but a preliminary remedy rather than the ultimate solution, which will require far more research.
The Nieuwslicht segment on Blank and his bird deterrent lasted a mere two and a half minutes, surely not enough time to fully delineate the scientific complexities of a such a challenge. Still, Blank insists that “the nice thing is that there is a problem and that someone from biological sciences and people from different disciplines help to solve.”
