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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

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?

As the Fifa Men’s World Cup kicks off this week in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, football fever is everywhere – and this has the Unexpected Elements team exploring all things football.

First, we discover how it took eight years and 170 experiments for scientists to create the perfect grass pitch. Then, why a football is not really a ball… it’s a truncated icosahedron. We discuss how this shape revolutionised not only the beautiful game, but nanotechnology too.

Then, what secrets can your sweat reveal? We are joined by Prof John Rogers who explains how sweat is an underappreciated and understudied biomarker of our health.

And whether in life or in football, what is a better strategy – survival of the fittest or co-operation and teamwork? Author Rowan Hooper joins us to battle it out.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Chhavi Sachdev and Ogechi Ekeanyanwu
Producer: Ella Hubber, with Sophie Ormiston, Lucy Davies and Robbie Wojciechowski

The beautiful game

Long live the king – of mangoes! In India the famed ‘king of mangoes’, the Alphonso mango, is in drastically short supply after a particularly bad bout of adverse weather. Inspired by the mango’s plight, the Unexpected Elements team takes a look at what fruit science can bear.

First, from the ‘king of mangoes’ to the ‘king of fruits’, we hear how the infamously stinky durian could be used to charge your phone. Then, an evil lemon planet. We discuss the planet so bizarre it sounds like it belongs in a sci-fi movie.

Plus, have you ever wondered what the key to immortality is? Well, if you guessed sea cucumbers you might be right. We’re joined by Dr Annie Mercier who tells us all about these eternal weirdos of the sea and their surprisingly vital role in the ocean’s ecosystem.

Also, a crayfish invasion, plant cause of death, and what exactly is El Niño? 

All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Sandy Ong and Michael Kaloki
Producers: Sophie Ormiston, with Lucy Davies, Alice Lipscombe-Southwell and Robbie

Science bears fruit

How do you translate the latest science work across the 2000 different languages spoken around the African continent? And have you heard of sky mountain? Africa Day has the Unexpected Elements team taking a deep dive into a range of unexpected stories from across the continent.

The day is celebrated every year to mark the establishment of the African Union in 1963. In the Turkana region of northern Kenya, we learn about a team of geologists who have been studying continental break-up. Researchers think it could be one of the weakest areas of the Earth’s crust. We explore the difficult process of translating scientific papers into the many languages spoken across the continent.

Plus, entomologist Dr Gimo Daniel tells us about the unexpected joys of dung beetles. And we learn how AI and large language models are finding new ways to track conservation and mass animal migrations. 

And finally, we explore why bats harbour so many diseases yet seem to be tolerant to things that humans get ill from.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Tristan Ahtone in Finland and Phillys Mwatee in Kenya 
Producer: Margaret Sessa-Hawkins, Alice Lipscombe-Southwell and Robbie Wojciechowski

Celebrating science on Africa Day

Have you ever wondered what happen to salmon when too much cocaine seeps into their rivers? Inspired by the Enhanced Games, we lookat unexpected areas of performance enhancement. Peptides are making a splash in influencer circles, but what is the science?

Plus, we hear from Prof David Putrino, who is making sure the athletes at the Enhanced Games are staying safe. He shares what we can learn from the Games – and how the data could help develop future medicines. 

Also on the show, whether radio waves can enhance your sense of smell, and is an hour at a gallery as beneficial as an hour at the gym?

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Katie Silver and Andrada Fiscutean
Producer: Sophie Ormiston, with Margaret Sessa-Hawkins, Robbie Wojciechowski and Scarlett Victoria

Unexpected enhancements

Human migration is in the headlines again – India and Australia have announced a new migration deal, in the US a Covid-inspired policy that allowed migrants to be quickly expelled has come to an end, and in the UK new measures were announced to stop foreign students bringing families with them, in a bid to reduce migration figures.

But what does science tell us about migration? With a team across three continents, we’re looking at the origins of human migration and exploring some of the greatest migrations in the animal kingdom. We discover that migrating birds are more like migrating humans than you might think, and learn how even the ground beneath our feet is trying to move somewhere else.

We’re also introduced to the real life people labelling images that inform the algorithms behind AI, a researcher with a wall of wind makes a bid for The Coolest Science in the World, we find out why tiles are colder than carpets and we dig deeper into the news that a company founded by Elon Musk has been given the go-ahead to trial a ‘brain-machine interface’.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton
Producers: Margaret Sessa Hawkins & Ben Motley

Migrate ideas

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