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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.


Unexpected Elements

News of an Australian library book finally finding its way home 150 years after it was borrowed has the Unexpected Elements team thinking about things that get forgotten, filed away or simply turn up much later than expected.

We start with the story of a meteorite from Mars that spent millions of years travelling through space before ending up in a university drawer. Then, we investigate why scientists believe California may be centuries overdue for a massive earthquake known as "The Big One".

Next, Martin Woodward from GitHub joins us to explain how millions of lines of computer code are being preserved deep beneath the Arctic in a vault designed to protect humanity's digital knowledge for generations to come.

Plus, we hear about the penguin vaccinators working to protect Australian wildlife from bird flu, discover if smells, tastes and touch can be measured, and explore the dying art of reading a book. 
All that, plus many more, unexpected elements.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton
Producers: Lucy Davies, Ella Hubber, Imy Harper and Robbie Wojciechowski

Fashionably late

As Europe experiences its first total solar eclipse in almost 30 years this week, Unexpected Elements investigates the surprising science that emerges when sunlight is blocked out. 

We travel to the forests of Italy, where we investigate whether trees can communicate their eclipse plans to each other. We learn about an ambitious scientific plan to launch a wall of bubbles the size of Brazil into outer space. And we contemplate whether astronauts will ever need to take rice cookers the moon. 

Also on the show, Anneliese Hodge, a doctoral researcher from the University of Plymouth in the UK joins us to help us learn more about how sunscreen - while good for us humans - can be destructive to marine life. 

Elsewhere in the programme, we hear about the newly arrived crows bothering the people of Nairobi, Kenya, and discuss another pesky problem: people not wearing headphones on public transport. 

All that plus more unexpected elements. 

Presenter: Alex Lathbridge 

Producers: Dan Welsh, Lucy Davies and Robbie Wojciechowski

Light entertainment

The UK's Royal Society for the Protection of Birds has found that birdwatching is the second-fastest growing hobby amongst Gen Z with 750,000 of them regularly venturing into the outdoors to spot some of our feathered friends. Inspired by this new appreciation for an old pastime, the Unexpected Elements team are on the lookout for some birdwatching science. 

First, we watch birds, but did you know they watch us back? We hear how crows don't just hold grudges; they also pass on those grudges to their peers. Then, from birds watching us to birds watching for us. We learn all about the patterns of vulture crime scene detectives. 

Inspired by the citizen science nature of bird watching we talk to Professor Brooke Simmons about Galaxy Zoo, a website where people can volunteer to sort through images of galaxies and perhaps stumble on some mysterious green blobs. 

We also bring you the newest evidence of ice age-old bird appreciation, explore BALLS or the ambitious pan-African experiment to send spherical radio antennae to the moon, and ask does music distract or help you concentrate? The answer might depend on your social skills. 

 All that plus more unexpected elements. 

 Presenter: Marnie Chesterton

Producers: Ella Hubber, Lucy Davies and Robbie Wojciechowski

Someone's always watching

75 years ago, Walt Disney's Alice in Wonderland hit our screens, welcoming us into a technicolour, topsy-turvy world of eccentric characters – including the Mad Hatter, the Cheshire Cat, the Queen of Hearts, the White Rabbit and many more.

On Unexpected Elements, we're tumbling down the rabbit hole to uncover the strange and surprising science hidden within the classic story.

We’ll find out how bizzarro land of Lewis Carroll's original novel was inspired by the real scientific discoveries of his time? Dr. Franziska Kohlt tells us how Wonderland made sense of science for children – and we learn about a few scientific theories that have taken inspiration from Alice herself.

We also meet shrinking shrews, get wide-eyed over some adorable animals, and go underground to solve a subatomic puzzle.

All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton
Producers: Robbie Wojciechowski, Alice McKee, Imy Harper, and Nada Soufi

Down The Rabbit Hole

If you were lucky enough to be at rapper Pitbull's recent concert in Hyde Park in London, you would have been greeted by a sea of bald caps. A Guiness World record-breaking sea of 22,141 bald caps. And, in honour of this incredible feat, the Unexpected Elements team are exploring some science.

First, is hair the secret to healing? We find out why trading fur for sweat may have had unexpected consequences. Then, we learn all about ball lightning – real life fireballs that, despite first being sighted over 800 years ago, remain a mystery.

Next, is your garden full of rap stars? We're joined by Elizabeth MacDougall-Shackleton who tells us what we can learn from sparrows' surprisingly aggressive rap battles. We're also joined by Paulo Bittencourt who proves why we should all appreciate a nice big tree.

All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton
Producers: Margaret Sessa-Hawkins, Lucy Davies, Alice McKee, Robbie Wojciechowski, and Nada Soufi

Bald caps, sparrow raps and lightning claps

As the film adaptation of the Odyssey bursts onto screens around the world this week, here at Unexpected Elements we’re undertaking our own epic journey through science – all inspired by the ancient Greek epic.

First, we discover the tiny virus that’s using its own Trojan Horse to sneak into cells it wouldn’t usually be able to infect. Then, we hear about the daring 8000km voyage undertaken by iguanas 30 million years ago.

Next, we’re joined by Professor Steve Simpson from the University of Bristol in the UK. He tells us how he’s been using sounds to lure fish back to coral reefs around the world – much like how the Sirens in the Odyssey used their enticing songs to lure sailors to shore. Except in Steve’s work, rather than being lured to their deaths, the fish are helping corals recover from the devastating effects of climate change.

Also, the fake medicine that still makes you feel better and why some smells might make you sleepy.

All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Emmanuel Samani and Chhavi Sachdev
Producers: Sophie Ormiston, with Dan Welsh, Alice McKee and Nada Soufi

A scientific odyssey

A mysterious vigilante in Mexico nicknamed “Batman” has inspired the Unexpected Elements team to investigate the science of superheroes.

First up, we explore whether a Batman’s presence can actually change human behaviour. One unusual psychology experiment suggests that people may be more likely to perform acts of kindness when a caped crusader appears nearby. 

Then we discover a real human superpower: echolocation. Used by bats and many other animals, it turns out humans can learn to navigate the world using sound as well.

Next, we meet Mexico’s original Bat Man, conservationist Dr Rodrigo Medellín. He joins us to bust myths about a much maligned mammal, reveal how one species helps make tequila possible, and confess to keeping vampire bats in his bathroom.

Plus, how environmental DNA is helping researchers map biodiversity across the Arctic Ocean and a reflection on scientific heroes. Are great discoveries are ever really the work of just one person?

All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Caroline Steel, with Meral Jamal and Phillys Mwatee
Producer: Margaret Sessa-Hawkins, with Ella Hubber, Robbie Wojciechowski and Alice McKee

Everyone needs a hero

Pakistan has recently announced that they plan to abolish the 18% sales tax on menstrual products like pads or tampons. UN Women has welcomed the decision, saying that when these products become more affordable it means more girls and women stay in school and the workforce. For the Unexpected Elements team, the news has led us towards scientific stories of menstruation and different kinds of cycles. 

First up, a look at how the menstrual cycle affects drugs reaching the brain and an exploration of one of the only other animals to get a period, the weird and wonderful spiny mouse. Author of A City on Mars, Kelly Weinersmith, also joins us to ponder over what to do when you get your period in space. 

Plus, how termite brains change between sexes, why we can’t stop snacking, and the daily battle of the sleep/wake cycle. 

All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Caroline Steel, with Camilla Mota and Tristan Ahtone
Producers: Sophie Ormiston and Ella Hubber with Lucy Davies and Robbie Wojciechowski

Stuck in a cycle

This week South Korea announced they will be adjusting the Civilian Controlled Zone that borders the demilitarised area between North and South Korea. The reshuffle will allow thousands of civilians to be able to move with more freedoms, but for the Unexpected Elements team, it’s sparked a conversation about scientific borders, boundaries, lines and barriers. 

First up, a look at the Wallace Line, an obscure ecological border in Indonesia that marks the boundary between Asian tigers and Australian kangaroos with Dr Ian McFadden from Queen Mary University. We learn about the blood-brain barrier, could new ‘shuttle’ technologies help deliver vital new medicines that could help with Alzheimer’s?

Plus, why conflict causes the cost of flights to rise, and one scientist’s attempt to map underground fungi networks. 

All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Candice Bailey and Paul Adepoju
Producers: Margaret Sessa Hawkins, with Sophie Ormiston, Lucy Davies and Robbie Wojciechowski

Dividing lines

The spiralling cost and short supply of microchips – something the tech journalists have dubbed ‘RAMageddon’ – has the Unexpected Elements team investigating all things chip-related. 

We start things off by finding out about a mini cervix-on-a-chip and how this could help us better understand premature birth. 

We then feel a little salty when we discover that chips (also known as fries) may create cancer-causing acrylamides when cooked. Should we be worried?

Next up, Professor Paul Graham from the University of Sussex reveals why gulls love to steal your chips, and (crucially) tells us how to defend our dinner. 

Plus, the world’s largest whale graveyard, the health benefits of the humble spud and why some people are better at napping than others. 

All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Katie Silver and Kai Kupferschmidt
Producers: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, with Sophie Ormiston and Robbie Wojciechowski

Anyone for chips?

In a year when billions of people have been to the ballot box, what do stickleback fish have to do with it? Alex Lathbridge, Tristan Ahtone and Candice Bailey discuss some unexpected elements of electoral studies.

Can ancient geology really map election outcomes? What has machine learning done for polling? Psychologist Sandra Obradović drops in to share some of her expertise in the psychology of voting with the team.

Plus, what does a solar eclipse have to do with dragons?

Presenter: Alex Lathbridge, with Tristan Ahtone and Candice Bailey
Producer: Katie Tomsett, with Harrison Lewis, Alex Mansfield and Phil Sansom

Unexpected elections

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