ukraine teetering on the brink of civil war - is russia winning the battle of publish perception in the east? global concern for the nigerian hostages. worried that the kidnapped girls country. could researchers have found a modern-day fountain of youth in mice. moscow, we have a problem. i'm antonio mora, welcome to "consider this". here is more of what is ahead.

. >> ukraine's military is trying to regain control. >> four government soldiers were killed in gun battles. >> it seems to me the world is facing a new war. >> human rights watch documents violations carried out by venezuela security forces. >> the accusations are from torture to rest. >> a horrifying turn in the case of 200 nigerian girls. responsibility. >> the leader of boko haram says slaves. sisters... >> vampire therapy, others see it as the fountain of youth. >> studies show the blood of young mice can make the cells of older mice youthful again. fierce fighting continued in ukraine on monday, so did calls to split up the country with separatorists calling for

eastern regions to have autonomy within ukraine. four ukranian forces were killed near slovyansk. ukraine's government says it has now surrounded the area. another military helicopter were shot down by separatists, the pilots are reported to have escaped. another 30 were wounded in fighting around the city. >> a police unit was sent to odessa, a third-largest city after pro-russian groups attacked a police headquarters and freed 67 people, following clashes in a building fire that killed 46 on friday. in washington, jay carney, white house press secrete said russia -- secretary said russia must not impose it's will on ukraine. >> ukrainians must decide for themselves, it's not for another

nation or militants within a nation supported by or embedded by, to force anything upon the people of ukraine. >> in donetsk miners demanded autonomy insisting russia was not paying them to protest. for more, i'm join friday washington by ambassador william courtney, former ambassador to georgia and pakistan, and also lincoln mitchell, an advise or to the human rights watch, and works as a consultant on business and politics. he's the author of the book "the color revolutions." good to have you both on the show. i'll start with you crimea, and cities throughout north-eastern ukraine and odessa. is this turning into a full-scale civil war? >> it's not yet a full-scale civil war, but the russian government is trying to test ukranian authorities, how far

the russians can push with crimean-like incursions where you have soldiers without identification taking over key facilities. the local police have been disappointing in ukraine. the military is getting involved. they are likely to be more effective and there are special police, better trained police. we have not seen how the battle is going work out. the most interesting thing, in some respects is when the pro-russian forces take over the building, there's not large popular uprisings storing them, but the disappointed. >> i'll let you address what the ambassador is saying. >> i don't think it's a fall-scale civil war. in that respect it could be moving to a civil war, one in which an outside country is playing a force.

vladimir putin is arguing there should be a direct dialogue between the government and the separatist. russians foreign ministry said ukraine's government should come to their senses, stop the blood shed, sit at the table and have a dialogue. should they have a dialogue with people that have a gun to their head. >> the dialogue is with moscow. without moscow, there's not a strong force. for moscow to say it, it's an effort for them to frame the conflict. it's not what it's about. >> ambassador, we have seen the police forces in the east being passive. military forces have seen defections as the crisis is unfolding. we heard a lot of comments from ukrainians in the east. one commander told the new york times:

>> how much, as lincoln said - how much of this is russian interference, how much of it is a popular uprising? >> actually, the russians - ethnic russians have a majority in crimea, 60%. in none of the eastern parts of ukraine, do the ethnic russians have a majority. they have 40%, two fifth. so i think that's a key difference there. for the russians to try to gain more sway they need to have more people coming out to support. they haven't had enough of that yet. i think this caused the kremlin to hesitate about the russians going to the water but haven't taken a drink in relation to a more formal invasion.

>> some of their actions has been scary. we saw the attack on police, where they hid beneath their shields. action. >> there has been aggressive action, no question about that. the idea of a conventional military attack, sefrt times in recent -- several times in recent weeks, it looked like russia was on the verge of this. i think they were a little scared of them area. >> a government supporter said both sides of the conflict have victims, it will take many years for them to go back to a peaceful life. it ukraine condemned to years of the instability. >> i can't read the future. i don't see this ending quickly. russia, who plays a major role - an unstable role is a victory for russia. if you are the kremlin and

smart, you realise that a full-scale invasion could raise problems. they could confront an insurgency, but they don't need a full-scale invasion to achieve their foreign policy. there's no easy future. >> that instability is an upintending structure to help keep mostly peace for the past couple of decades, more if you don't consider the breaking up of the soviet union as something that is peaceful. wouldn't is reward vladimir putin if the u.s. rewards them to do what they want and negotiate with a gun to their head, with the rebels. >> if the u.s. urged kiev and the authorities to enter into advantageous.

>> now, it's important for a presidential elizabeth on may the 25th enhancing the legitimacy of the government of ukraine. and it should include election activities. i think the short-term goal will be to disrupt the possibility of elections in the east, by squaring people from going out to vote in the elections, and after the elections russians would claim they were not legitimate, because they didn't ukraine. >> there's american senators saying elections will not work at this point. >> there's a tendency to focus on the election because it's the thing in front of us. it is not going to be a turning point. if things go well, it will not solve this problem. it will give legitimacy to the government, but it's easy to craft a narrative that it's not legitimate. there's no talk, or little talk of

voting in crimea. if you have an election and don't vote in crimea, does it solidify that crimea is not part of ukraine. >> at a time when the country is in dire economic straits. development. >> it's an economic future for the ukraine. it will be difficult. even with the loans. >> lincoln mitchell, ambassador william courtney, great to have you on the show. let's hope things improve there. later in the show we'll look at the negative consequences that sanctions could have on n.a.s.a. turning to nigeria, the leader of boko haram claimed responsibility for the abduction of hundreds of school girls. in a chilling video released, abubakar shekau said he kidnapped the girls because they were getting a western education and announced plans for them. .

>> translation: i abducted your girls. i will sell them in the market by allah. there's a market for selling humans. allah says i should sell and commands me to sell. i will sell woman. the united states is offering technical and satellite assistance, but made it clear it's up to the nigerian government to take the lead. international outrage is going, as are calls for a rescue mission for the girls kidnapped in a predawn raid. we are joined by rona peligal, deputy director of human rights watch. good of you to join us. >> thank you. >> we have been on the story for a few days and it's horrifying. you have been on human rights abuses in africa for years. this video, what is it doing putting it out now? >> it's not clear what the motivation is.

what we heard on the video rit rates what we know about boko haram. it's an islamist group, seeking to enforce a form of shahhia law, and registering objection to western education, especially for girls. >> could there be a silver lining in the video. it exploded the attention, the story, which almost did not get the attention until last week. >> social media has taken off in nigeria, and the campaign to bring back our girls on twitter has exploded the amount of tension that the issue of boko haram has received in nigeria and globally as well. >> as you said, the problem is not glocially, it's in -- globally, it's in nigeria. it wasn't until the last weekend that the nigerian president addressed

this. >> . >>: >> how can he possibly say the girls haven't been hurt? >> i don't know how he can say that, none of us knows that. the reason we are seeing an outcry is people are disenchanted with the way the nigeria government responded to the episode. >> not just the president, but his wife. she called to meet with some of the mothers and guardians of the girls that live in the north-east of the country, few made it there. arrested. >> she called for - she arranged for the arrest of two of the women.

one had been released. one was detained. on what charges, we don't know, it's fishy and seems as if the government is trying to suppress people who are raising questions about the treatment. >> because the government was looking forward to being in the world spotlight. they had the world economic forum starting on wednesday. is this part of the problem. >> the activists were accused of starting and how it is handling the swags. >> the state department is saying the girls may have been taken out of the country. >> we have heard stories, we haven't been able to confirm that. the forest is near the poureder of northern nigeria and other countries, it's possible that the girls have been taken across national boundaries.

it wouldn't surprise me, but we haven't been able to determine where they are yet. >> nigeria, oil rich, they have a substantial military that has had incursions in other places. how in the world can they not get their act together to figure out something to help the girls? >> i think it's interesting, and shows the failures of nigeria's policy around boko haram. we need to acknowledge that the security forces themselves have been responsible for abuses around boko haram, killing civilians as well. that is also fuelled boko haram's atrocities. boko haram is responding to mismanagement and corruption and impunity, lack of development affecting northerners and others. given that it is a rich country, i think what you are seeing is a lot of problems that nigeria has been grappling with is coming out of the wood work exemplified in this situation.

>> boko haram killed thousands, and is increasing the kill rate. it kidnapped other people. the name is that western education is sin. it hates that girls are educated. they are referred to as the nim earian taliban -- nigerian taliban. do you think the nigeans will girls. >> i hope the government accepts help from others to help them develop a better strategy than the one it is currently using. >> thank you very much for coming in to continue to call story. >> from the human rights watch concern in nigeria to venezuela. first, humans are taking cues from mice, even vampires, for a breakthrough on ageing.

stories. >> talk about lucky, a clerical error gave a convicted felon a second chance at life. what he did with that gave him a third. while you are watching let us know what you think: >> i'm joe berlinger this is the system people want to believe that the justice system works. people wanna believe that prosecutors and police do the right thing. i think every american needs to be concerned about that. we do have the best justice system in the world, in theory... the problem is, it's rum by human beings... human beings make mistakes...

i'd like to think of this show as a watch dog about the system... to make sure justice is being served. wrongful convictions happen, we need to be vigilant. with our personal liberties taken away from us, it better be done the right way. 

did dracula have it right. the vampire famously feasted on

the blood of others and it kept him feeling vibrant. separate teams of researchers at harvard and stamford found the effects of ageing and older mice could be refreshed with infusions of younger mice. finding it helped their muscle and improving memory and learning. amy wages is a professor of stem cell joining us from watertown massachusetts. very exciting stuff. can you explain the bases of the experiment with mice and what you found? >> sure, be happy to. we were searching for substances that are in the bloodstream and may affect the ability of tissues to maintain or repair themselves. we found a protein gdf11, abundant in the blood of young animals, but declines with age,

along with the dispurgens of functions, muscle wastage, weakness, decreased activity in the brain and cardiac muscle. when we added the protein to older animals, we could reverse the effects of ageing and restore healthy function in the tissues use. >> you think the protein activates stem cells, and that effect? >> yes, gdf11, when added into the bloodstreams of older mice improved the functioning of stem cells in the skeletal muscle and the brain, translating into a robust capacity of the brain. >> i saw a quote that was striking. it said that this no longer clock. >> it looks like, in fact, we are able, by adding back the

protein that is lost with age to restore some activity in the muscle and brain that normally would not be there. it steams that we are restoring it. it's important that we don't know for certain that this is a reversal, but it the restores function similar to what you would see. >> this is obviously in its early stages. how translatable do you think the results that you found in mice could be to humans. >> we are excited about the possibility of translating it to humans. the protein is identical to mice and humans. we are actively working to understand specifically to understand it in humans and how we might apply it to diseases. >> the fact that it's been isolated. could it be taken in the form of

a peel or would you have to have a blood transfusion. >> it probably wouldn't be taken in the form of a peel. they couldn't go further with our work because we have a protein that we are interested in how it's regulated. i think we'll be able to figure it out. that will lead to better options on how to target this so we can increase the body assist production later in life, or tart the effects of this ro seen. what time frame will you need to figure this out for humans. >> it's always, of course difficult to predict these things. and a trial that will build upon the results we report here. >> could it be. the most popular way of locking

humans. >> i think of it is a way to undertake healthy functioning, and focussing out not so much on life span but extending the years that the body functions. are you concerned in some ways protein could cause a reaction in triggering stem cells and increase the risk of cancer. >> always we thing about these things. so far we have not seen such effects or increases in the incidents of cancer or within older animals, we have only treated animals out to 60 days, and we want to look longer and carefully at the question.

>> it will be incredible if it study. >> it's been a pleasure to have you with us. thank you for sharing your thoughts on this. an alarming report from the human rights watch on the violence that gripped venezuela. it says protesters were shot at point blank range. severely beaten. some suffered physical and psych lodge i canal abuse including torture, broken bones, and faced rape and execution. human rights watch says these are not isolated incidents or the excesses of a few rogue accesses. they are part of a pattern of abuse, the worst seen in venezuela for years. >> i'm joined from caracas from al jazeera correspondent mariana sanchez. this report is tough on the government. has there been any reaction?

>> not yet, and we have been waiting throughout the day. we called the foreign ministry early and an official told us it was either the foreign minister or the president who would give a rehabilitation. i have to say that this government considers human rights watch an institution that is bias in favour of the opposition. how far, in the past few weeks president nicolas maduro has acknowledged there has been abuses perpetrated by the security forces, and he has said that all the abuses will be prosecuted. he also agreed with members of the countries union of south america, who are mediating in the dialogues between the opposition and the government, and agreed that they will create a human rights council, and this council, which will be led by

the vice president, will be reviewing all the human rights violation cases. >> amnesty international came out with a similar report a few weeks ago. when we look at this, one of the things pointed out is venezuelan judges and the attorney-general are accused of knowing, participating in or tolerating abuses committed by the security forces and pro-government gangs. the nicolas maduro government has been accused of dominating the media and controlling the judiciary. do you think anything will happen because the number of cases the government is prosecuting is small compared to the number of cases human rights watch is talking about. >> it's difficult to say. we understand by people - we have been speaking to lawyers that 90% of the cases resolved in venezuela are resolved in

favour of the government. the problem in venezuela is that all of the judges here have been named by the international assembly, and most are members - are in favour of the government. so all the judges here will rule mostly in favour of the government, and that is why the opposition does not trust that any of the rulings that come out in the face of these abuses will be fair. >> even the supreme court ruled that the right to peaceful protest is not absolute. does that mean any that targets the government could be illegal. >> yes, the supreme court ruled that the protests are now illegal. that means that the protesters will need permission to go out and protest. that is completely against the constitution. what they say is that venezuelans are guaranteed the

right to protest as long as they advise authorities, but the constitution also says that protests must be peace. so the ruling of the supreme court by many of the critics here is unconstitutional. >> have the protests been dying down. we were seeing massive protests week after week, and clashes every night. how have things changed over the past couple of months. >> in caracas, in the capital, basically they have died down. we have seen little things happening in the last few days, especially because it was a holiday. today is back to business, back from the holidays, and we have seen protests erupting in four large cities in venezuela, with trucks burnt, with students wounded and with many people detained.

>> a national guard captain released a video saying the president should resign over civilian death and they should release the prisoners. a military tribunal ordered the captain to be arrested, accusing him of plotting to over through the president in a coup with three air force generals and a captain that has been arrested. are there suggestions of breaks maduro. >> i don't think so. the captain, though he says eight out of 10 members of the military show discontent perhaps in the lower ranks. in the higher ranks the military showed their staunch support to the government of president nicolas maduro, and the military, to give you a hint of how powerful they are, the majority of ministers and governors in the country are

members of the military. >> we are nearing three months of chaos and things have not gotten better. people are having a struggle to buy and find basic goods. >> it's difficult to find basic goods. many people - most of the people in venezuela talk about having to go through not one day and five different stories, but two, three or four days from one place to another, to find their basic goods. now, the government in order to control has issued a ration card that is not mandatory, but in this way they say they will be able to distribute the food to the people without people hoarding products. he's become the main issue that worries venezuelans, despite the rampant crime for years.

now the food shortages was worrying venezuelans most. >> it's terrible to be talking about ration cards in an oil-rich country. a quick update on the journalists peter greste, mohamed fadel fahmy and baher mohamed have been detained in egypt for 128 days, accused of falsifying news and conspireing with the outlawed muslim brotherhood. abdullah al-shami has been held without charge and denied access to a lawyer or medical treatment since august. and has been on a hunger strike for 105 days. abdullah al-shami decried his conditions saying it's documented that i'm an strike: >> al jazeera rejects all

charges and continues to demand the unconditional release staff. time to see what is trending on the web. this case plays out like a movie. 14 years ago a clerical error gave a gaol-bound missouri man a second chance. monday a circuit chance gave him a third. in 2000 then 23-year-old cornelious mike anderson was sentenced to 13 years in prison for armed robbery. due to a clerical area, he was never contacted to report to gaol. the missouri department of the corrections thought he was already there. cornelious mike anderson spent the next 13 years turning his life around. he became a skilled carpenter, started a contracting business, got married and had kids. last july when he would have been due for release, the courts realised the error and the swat team arrested the father of four at his om. a change.org petition calling

for his release garnered 35,000, and the victim of the robbery said it would serve no purpose to gaol cornelious mike anderson now. a circuit judge agreed on monday, terry lynn brown of the mississippi county associate circuit praised anderson's behaviour during the 13 years as a free man and sent him home early. the judge said: >> the reactions on social media are positive. a lot say it's fair that anderson serve his time. let us know what you think. on this note, al jazeera has a new documentary series examining the state of america's criminal justice system. "the system" premieres on al jazeera america on may 18th

at 9:00 pm eastern. an incredible story. straight ahead - do cell phone companies care more with the bottom line than protecting you thieves. the most expensive home in u.s. history, where it is and why it cost so much. and in n.a.s.a., the big cost in >> you followed their journey across the border >> it was heart wrenching... >> now see how it changed the lives of the people involved. >> i didn't go back to the person that i was before i left... >> an emotional borderland reunion >> this trip was personal to me... this is real... >> long held beliefs >>...illegal in mexico too.. >> learn the language! come here... >>...most ridiculous thing i've heard in my life >> tested by hard lived truths... >> these migrants are being exploited >> beyond borderland... only on al jazeera america

more than 3 million americans had their mobile devices stlp last year - one in three. in san francisco, it was half of all robberies, the district attorney called smartphone theft an epidemic. why did californian senators rent a bill to fight the crime way. they have long been able to install a kill switch, antitheft software that allows you to lock the device if stolen or lost, making stealing it less attractive. joining us now is state senator mark leno who introduced a bill

for all smartphones to be sold with kill switches. this is start lipping. people have died in smartphone robberies. why didn't the bill pass? >> nationwide it's 40%. it's now 65%. in oakland. 75% of robberies include a smartphone. i define it as a crime of convenience. it's so easy. our police chief tells me that the folks he roasts for it refers -- arrests for it refers to the crime as apple picking. it's a crime of convenience. if we end the convenience, we end the crime. that's the deterrence that you already described. how is it the bill didn't pass? we came within two votes, and will be taking the bill up on another vote of reconsideration later this week. i'm confident having spoken with my colleagues, amendments taken

at the request of the industry will get us across the finish line, then it goes to the assembly for the process continue. >> there's similar legislation in new york. the new york police commissioner said: >> the numbers are pretty astonishing. phone companies make $30 billion in replacements for lost and stolen phones, and billions on insurance that people take out in case phones are stolen. is that why the industry does not want one of these enabled kill switches? >> well, the accusation of greed i'll leave for others. the point you make is accurate. 30 billion in lost and stolen phones, they benefit from - and

another 8 billion for selling insurance. if we end the crime or diminish it by 80 or 90%, they'll lose that amount of revenue. i have said that a business model that in part is based on the victimisation of its customers is not a business plan worth defending. >> and i know you need to be diplomatic, trying to get the votes, but is part of the issue that lobbyists for the industry are putting money behind, you know, this, and the industry doesn't really want it? >> it is an interesting dynamic, we have nearly universal industry opposition, and that's not just the cellphone carriers, but the manufacturers. some are stepping forward with suggestions that we have to keep in mind it was unfeasible, unworkable that the technology was not there. a week after that argument, i think they recognised they had a

pr problem ahead of them, and they proactively announced we have the technology, we'll do it voluntarily, now the debate is over whether it should be an opt in or out. for us that is not debatable. to make the situation so that criminals get the message that it's not worth their trouble, it has to be the quault position on all phones. you could opt out. but to have it as an opt in won't take more than 10, 20, 30% of crime off the top. >> the industry is saying yes, we'll do something by the summer of 2015, but what they are not committing to, and you want them to commit to is that this is something automatic. you are saying everywhere has a way of killing it as opposed to doing downloading. >> exactly. >> we are not sitting around

waiting to agree to it. >> if there is a kill switch, because the latest software on apple devices has it right there. it doesn't seem to have diminished in any way the robbery of iphones. there's a registry that the industry points to, so if you lose your phone, you put your name and phone in the registry so that if it's sold, you may be able to break it down. it's not internationally recognised and the value is on an international black mark, they can be worth up to there is,000 or $2 -- $1,000 to $2,000 because of high tariffs but on the phones. that's a technological solution to the problem. there's no good reason that we shouldn't move forward with a

requirement so it is prestalled, but industry is working hard to stop this, given the size of california's market. if we are successful here, it's likely not only will other states follow, but congress would have to acts. that is the place where the action should occur. >> it's a topic that i am sure will be debated because there had been legislation shot down in other parts of the country. given the amount of robberies that we are talking about, it's an important topic. keep us posted on your efforts, it's good to have your efforts. coming up, why america's earth bound issues with russia pace. how much would you pay for a house on the beach - i'm guessing it's less than $147 million. our >> how old are you?

>> 9 >> child labor in america >> in any other industry, kids need to be 16 years old to be able to work. you don't see any of that in agriculture >> low cost food >> how many of you get up at 4 or 5 o'clock in the morning to go out to the fields? >> who's paying the price? fault lines... al jazeera america's hard hitting... ground breaking... truth seeking... >> they don't wanna show what's really going on... >> award winning, investigative, documentary series. children at work only on al jazeera america >> now inroducing, the new al jazeea america mobile news app. get our exclusive in depth, reporting when you want it. a global perspective wherever you are. the major headlines in context. mashable says... you'll never miss the latest news >> they will continue looking for suvivors... >> the potential for energy production is huge... >> no noise, no clutter, just real reporting. the new al jazeera america mobile app, available for your apple and android mobile device. download it now

>> on techknow...

>> we're heading towards the glaciers >> a global warning >> is there an environmental urgency? >> that is closer than you think... >> even a modest rise, have dramatic impacts on humankind. >> how is it changing the way you live today? techknow... every saturday, go where science meets humanity... >> this is some of the best driving i've ever done... even though i can't see. >> techknow... >> we're here in the vortex... only on al jazeera america next. >> today's data dive looks at locations, location, location. a house on the ocean in east tamp area has taken the highest price. a hedge fund manager paid $147 million. the home was featured in the "new york times" home and garden section three years ago. neighbours include jerry sienfeld, and art dealer larry gagosian.

it has a pond, formal gardens and growing controversy. it was sold privately, and real estate brokers are upset saying the house could have sold for more, or they are mostly angry because no one got a commission. the record it broke was is 50 acre copper beach farm sold for $120 million, listed at 70 million more. the victorian mansion has 13,500 feet, 12 bedrooms, most with fireplaces and comes with two offshore island and a private beach. luxury home sales are on the rise. the sales of holes worth a million or more rose 14%. prices are going up. luxury homes are selling at doubt the average. sales of homes worth 2 million jumped 33%. the gains don't run throughout

the housing market. loan applications rose in february for home purchases of $500,000 or more. the mortgage bangers said lone applications for other level dropped. prices at all levels are going up. so are mortgage rates. the numbers of homes for sale is at a low. it's not a great time for buyers, unless you have $147 million lying around. >> earth bound conflicts could shoot into united states. american sanctions could boomerang against n.a.s.a.

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. tensions between the u.s. and russia over ukraine are reaching new heights - all the way to space. russia's deputy prime minister warns that sanctions could come back to bite the u.s. space programme. dmitry rogozin, in charge of russia's space agency, and targeted by american sanctions suggested n.a.s.a. astronauts may have to find another way to travel to the space station - perhaps by trampoline. let's bring in dr derrick pitts, from the franklin institute science museum. >> dmitry rogozin said after analysing the sanctions against our space industry, : >> now, i imagine he would not

be saying this if vladimir putin hadn't said it was okay. it's not a joke. the u.s. doesn't have an option of their own to get astronauts too and from the space station, we depend on the russians. >> that is true. although what he said has a grain of truth in it, that we do need - the point is that we need to get our own launch capability online, so we are not held hostage by the russians, or the russian space agency because of political reasons. the truth of the matter is that the russians are just as dependent on us as we are on them, but for different things. so whereas we may not be able to get there, they'll have challenges as far as operations and resupply are concerned for international space station, mostly for operations, so we really are mutually dependent on each other.

they actually won't take any severe action but could there be a hidden - you know, a silver lining in all of this. the haffed of spacex here in the u.s. responded by saying: . >> so could it be a boom for the private space industry? >> you know, there's a trampoline industry down the road from n.a.s.a. johnston and houston, they may be able to get that service cheaply. the real story is elun musk has an additional capability to be able to carry astronauts to the international space station and is trying hard to get the rating for his launch vehicles. i think the russian diplomats comment an opportunity to get back on the good foot, so to

speak, and perhaps loosen the purse strings for n.a.s.a. so it can fast-track other options to bring the launch capability online, faster than it has been scheduled. we need to get that back online. i tell you about something else we need on saturday. a bus-sized ator i had came closer to the earth than the moon it and was not spotted until wednesday. last week we talked about the b6-12 foundation and its work to identify asteroids to protect the earth. they said it's blind luck we haven't had a catastrophe, that we've had big hits from asteroids. is this asteroid that came close, the kind of threat we need to worry about? >> our concerns about being shut

by an asteroid from space has been directed at the large objects. those objects that we think could destroy the planet. the truth is that we've been able to identify almost all the large accounts, but it's the smaller ones, the size of the object that exploded over central russia last year is a good example of something that could cause a tremendous amount of damage and have wide-ranging effects, even if it doesn't strike a populated area of the planet. this object was half the size of the one in february. but again the amount of damage that could be caused by the fall-out effects, if you will, the additional effects besides striking a populated area, are the ones that we have to worry about. there are lots of these out there twos trajectories we need to identify.

>> if we can't, i know the group is working on a new satellite. will they be able to identify things of this size, and with more than 72 hours. it's not much time to do anything about it. >> no, that really leads to us the point of sweating bullets about what is going to happen, if we are capturing this 72 hours out. the purpose is to map the solar system to identify the objects of that size and give us enough early morning that we could mountain effective defense. that will be things like moving them out of the way, pushing them off course. we need a year or more to effectively push some of these things aside. >> that's not terribly encouraging. we have made a lot of progress in space. monday marks the 53rd

anniversary of alan shephard's launch on board of freedom ii. that lasted 15 minutes. today there are people spending the better part of a year in space on the international space station. i want to bring up a funny story in the context of something else. he waited for so long to launch, that they had - he ended up having to go to the bathroom in his pants because they didn't think it was going to take that long. it led to changes in space suits. now we have a new space suit for approved. >> yes, what we have seen is the new direction in which the design of space suits is going, and the reason why is because we need to design suits that can be used on a planetary surface. the space suits we've used for the longest time, they really

are meant for upper body warmth mostly. the protection that is required is the new space suits have to be workable on a surface. the boots have to flex for walking. all the joints have to be flexible for walking, bending. that's what the new design incorporates. it uses a hard upper torso, and protection. >> it's the zii suit and supposed to provide mobility and protection. cool. >> the majority vote from 63% of the vote people seem to be very happy with it. great to have you on the show. the show may be over, but the conversation continues on the website. you can find us on google+, twitter, for facebook.

see you next time. climate, dry vegas high and dry. >> prime time news on al jazeera america. >> welcome the al jazeera america. i'm del walters. climate change is here affecting our daily lives and the white house issues a damming report calling for urgent action. >> an armed group in nigeria claims it abducted even more girls. >> how those flash lights on guns are causing police to make deadly mistakes.