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PODCAST

Unexpected Elements

BBC World Service

The news you know, the science you don’t. Unexpected Elements looks beyond everyday narratives to discover a goldmine of scientific stories and connections from around the globe. From Afronauts, to why we argue, to a deep dive on animal lifespans: see the world in a new way.

science

All Episodes

49:30

Enduring it all

Unexpected Elements ·

2025/05/16

This month will see thousands of people take to streets around the world to test their feats of endurance. It’s marathon season. And this week, we’re looking at the science behind what keeps you running.We’ll learn about the psychological preparation that goes into undertaking mammoth challenges, like marathons and expeditions. And meet a science who’s endured the Antarctic winter, and is now training to be an astronaut. We’ll find out just how genetic our ability to cope with endurance

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49:29

Ant antics

Unexpected Elements ·

2025/05/09

This week, a court in Kenya sentenced four men to either a year in prison or a fine of £5,800 for trying to smuggle 5,000 ants out of the country. The contraband included highly-valued ants like the giant African harvester ant, and it’s believed these ants were intended for exotic pet markets abroad. But all this talk of ant smuggling got the Unexpected Elements team feeling antsy to talk ants! We learn about the earliest ants who lived among dinosaurs, ants that can sniff cancer, and ants who were

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49:30

In memoriam

Unexpected Elements ·

2025/05/02

On 21st April 2025, Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church, died. His funeral took place on 26th April, with thousands of mourners crowding into St Peter’s Square to pay their respects. Following the death of a Pope, there are centuries-old traditions and rituals that must be followed, and that got the Unexpected Elements team thinking about the science surrounding loss. First up, we delve into the thorny issue of when early humans started to carry out funerary rituals, before turning

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49:30

Kenya believe it?

Unexpected Elements ·

2025/04/25

This week the Unexpected Elements team left our windowless BBC studio and paid a visit to the CGIAR conference in Nairobi, Kenya. In this episode, we find out about the Kenyan invention that’s pulling clean, safe water from thin air, before discovering what makes Kenyan coffee taste so great. Next, we hear about the problems with burning charcoal and the ways in which briquettes could offer a cleaner, more sustainable solution. Plus, we’re joined by Joyce Maru, the regional director for Africa at

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49:30

An eggciting episode

Unexpected Elements ·

2025/04/18

This week is the Christian celebration of Easter, which sent the Unexpected Elements team scrambling for egg-related stories. First up, we find out about the rise of a vegan egg substitute. Next, we discover how to cook the perfect boiled egg, according to science. We then turn our attention to climate change, and find out how it is affecting the breeding patterns and nesting behaviour of sea turtles. Plus, we are joined by Dr Luis Welbanks, who tells us about a nearby exoplanet that reeks of rotten

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49:29

Navigating northward

Unexpected Elements ·

2025/04/11

The Aurora Borealis – also known as the Northern Lights – won’t be at their peak activity much longer, and the Unexpected Elements team dreams of going north to see them. And that has got us looking at the science of navigating our way north! We hear about how humans have been using the sky to navigate for millennia, and we learn about how relying on GPS may be impacting our memory ability. And while humans use maps to get around, how do animals know where to go on their long migrations? To find

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49:29

Oh, Rats!

Unexpected Elements ·

2025/04/04

On World Rat Day, we’re getting ratty! We look at the biology behind the eternal struggle between rats and rat poison, and we hear about rat-on-rat warfare and other forms of pest control. We don’t play games when it comes to rats, but we know someone who does. Dr Michael Brecht from the Humboldt University of Berlin tells us how he played hide-and-seek with lab rats and what that tells us about the behaviour of play. On the topic of ‘rat’ behaviour, we are joined by Dr Zach Berry from the

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49:29

Don’t be a fool!

Unexpected Elements ·

2025/03/28

April 1st is notorious across the globe. Renowned for being a day of practical jokes. And it’s no different here on the BBC World Service. Mischievous elephants, the secret to fool's gold and one of the biggest scientific hoaxes in scientific history. From the Magic Circle to the Magic Lab, the psychology underpinning why we humans are so delightfully easy to trick with Professor Gustav Kuhn. And a question sent in from one of you: if two people eat the same thing for breakfast, does the same thing

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49:30

What’s that smell?

Unexpected Elements ·

2025/03/21

Five years ago, people around the world were enduring COVID lockdowns as we attempted to prevent the spread of the virus. Today, many of those who caught COVID-19 are still suffering from lingering symptoms, including a loss of their sense of smell. And that got the Unexpected Elements team thinking about all things olfactory. First up, hold your noses as we investigate the two chemicals that make up the scent of death. Next, are you prone to telling lies? Well, research suggests that your nose

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49:29

The fast and the curious

Unexpected Elements ·

2025/03/14

It’s the month of Ramadan, when Muslims across the world fast between dawn and sunset in the belief that it will bring them closer to Allah. And this has inspired the Unexpected Elements team to turn their attention to all things fast.First, we explore the latest research around intermittent fasting.Next, we contemplate a new way to relax by harnessing the time-distorting power of black holes.We then find out why deserts in South Africa are spreading at an alarming rate.Plus, we’re joined by Dr

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49:26

Silent science

Unexpected Elements ·

2025/03/07

Sparked by a silent album released by 1,000 musicians in protest of the UK government’s planned changes to copyright law, Unexpected Elements hits the pause button... Is there any science to silence?Fear not, this week’s show is packed full of chatter! You might think there’s only one type of silence, but supposedly exists in political science too. In fact, there are seven distinct types.If you're a techy you probably have a pair of noise cancelling headphones. But have you ever wondered how they

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49:30

Topsy turvy

Unexpected Elements ·

2025/02/28

Unexpected Elements has a shake up looking into the topsy turvy world of science, all thanks to an upturned campervan in Western France.Explore why scientists are suspending rhinos from cranes, brace yourself for a quirky elementary particle that is hard to get your head around and if you love getting yourself in a tizz then fasten your seatbelts to meet one of the scientists responsible for curating the perfect theme park thrills. Professor Brendan Walker is sure to inject a scientific rush that

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49:29

Standing on the shoulders of giants

Unexpected Elements ·

2025/02/21

Monty the giant schnauzer won best in show at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. And rather than thinking of all things canine, this week the Unexpected Elements team turn their attention to all things giant. First, we find out how a giant virus could help keep our planet cool. Next up, we discover the origins of enormous Greek characters, such as the Titans and the Cyclops.We then find out how giant clams put solar panels to shame. Plus, we’re joined by Professor Shinobu Ishigaki, director of

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49:29

Let’s talk about love

Unexpected Elements ·

2025/02/14

Valentine’s Day is here - the one day of the year where you can be unashamedly romantic and splash out on posh dinners, flowers and chocolates for your beloved. So we dig into the science of love. First, we find out about a monogamous rodent that has a special way of forming lifelong bonds with its partner. Next, we discover how to apply maths to your love life, before delving into the technology behind AI chatbots, and find out if a new dating app can help shine a light on the science of

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49:29

All by myself

Unexpected Elements ·

2025/02/07

French president Emmanuel Macron recently announced that Leonardo da Vinci’s famous Mona Lisa painting will be moved to her very own room at the Louvre, as part of a plan to renovate the iconic museum.And that got us thinking. Once the crowds have gone home every night, the Mona Lisa will be all by herself, with no other paintings to smile at enigmatically across the room.So this week, we are talking all things isolation. We start things off by finding out about a key cognitive skill that may have

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49:29

Snake science

Unexpected Elements ·

2025/01/31

Celebrations for the Lunar New Year kicked off on 29th January, and this year is the Year of the Snake. We start things off by discussing the purpose of some mysterious serpent markings on the banks of the Orinoco River. Next, we find out about the origins of snake oil, before digging into the psychology of why we trust snake-like people. Plus, herpetologist Dr Mark O’Shea tells us all about his work identifying snakes, and what happened when he got bitten. That, plus many more Unexpected Elements

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49:29

Keep it clean

Unexpected Elements ·

2025/01/24

The Hindu festival of Kumbh Mela is currently underway in India. As part of the event, millions of pilgrims will take a cleansing dip in the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati.Inspired by this headline, we splash into a whole bathtub of stories about the science of cleaning. We find out why it’s so important to prevent contamination of other planets and moons, and how space scientists keep things clean. Next up, we discover how our brains clear out harmful toxins while

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49:29

Circles, circumferences and COVID

Unexpected Elements ·

2025/01/17

After the comic malfunctions of a self-driving car, which drove its passenger/prisoner in endless circles, Unexpected Elements rounds its attention on the humble circle.Explore how one man calculated the circumference of the Earth 2,000 years before GPS was invented, then be spellbound by the Magic Circle and the mysterious woman who broke into it. And as we hit the five-year anniversary of the COVID pandemic, we take a look at the cycle of infection and mutation, before asking, 'why don’t we

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49:29

Scientist spotlight

Unexpected Elements ·

2025/01/10

Team Unexpected have been digging into their mind palaces to pull on the scientific research that has stuck with them most over the past year.We hear from Professor John Parnell, geologist at the University of Aberdeen, about the role of plankton in forming ancient mountains. How ocean bubbles play a role in climate regulation with bubble physicist Dr Helen Czerski from University College London. Would you know how to measure the size of a bubble? We also participate in some memory sports

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49:29

(Re)New Year

Unexpected Elements ·

2025/01/03

Happy New Year! This week, the Unexpected Elements team is reflecting on 2024 and looking forward to 2025 for renewed chances to spot the northern lights while they're at their peak visibility in this current solar cycle, and we recap on cellular regeneration advancements and regulations in embryonic stem cell models.  We chat to Professor Rene Oudmaijer from the Royal Observatory of Belgium who explains that stars also renew themselves... and this process is key to our lovely planet (and ourselves)

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