Unexpected Elements

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) existing!  

We also learn all about the potential of bogs and wetlands in the fight against climate change from Professor Christian Dunn of Bangor University. 

With another amazing year behind us, we reminisce about our favourite stories and listener correspondences in 2024. 

And finally, we're wowed by the regenerative ‘superpowers' of the magnificent axolotl who has the cellular capabilities to re-grow limbs! 

That, plus many more Unexpected Elements. 

Presenters: Marnie Chesterton and Caroline Steel 

Producers: Harrison Lewis, Imaan Moin and William Hornbrook 

Sound Engineer: Duncan Hannant

New year is giving Team Unexpected renewed chances to learn about regenerative science

Team Unexpected reflects and investigates the northern lights; embryonic stem cell models; life cycles of stars; wetlands as nature-based solutions; axolotl limb-regeneration.

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First, what does your heart desire? Well, at a cellular level, the perfect match! We hear how your heart is built by cells going speed dating. Then, we discuss how birds avoid in-flock collisions, and we learn all about mesmerising murmurations.

Next, we're joined by science journalist and author Robin George Andrews, who tells us about NASA's mission to avoid a city-killing disaster by bumping into an asteroid before it can bump into us.

Also, a colourful question about migraines, a surprising new treatment for them, and the scientists who took antimatter for a test drive.

All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton

Producers: Sophie Ormiston, with Ella Hubber, Katie Tomsett, Imy Harper and Lucy Davies

Colliding Japanese pedestrians has us exploring some bumpy science.

The viral ‘bumping man' phenomenon has Japanese pedestrians shoving each other, and the Unexpected Elements team exploring some bumpy science.

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First, we hear about a rare condition where the body brews its own alcohol. Next up, we find out that small amounts of alcohol make male fruit flies more attractive.

We're then joined in the studio by food historian Pen Vogler, who helps us travel back in time to explore beer's origins.

Next, we discover how air pollution is affecting our brains, and delve into some surprising ways that yeast could help the climate.

All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Chhavi Sachdev and Candice Bailey

Producers: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, with Lucy Davies and Robbie Wojciechowski

Inspired by the opening of a 150-year-old bottle of ale, we pore over beer-based stories

A 150-year-old bottle of Arctic Ale is being uncapped, which got the team talking about all things yeast and beer.

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First up, we hear about a shepherd who recently found a South African dinosaur, which has helped shed light on the period between the Triassic and Jurassic.

We then take a look at some new theories that suggest the mass extinctions that wiped out ancient creatures may not have been as massive as we thought.

But one extinction definitely is currently underway, according to ecologist Professor Dave Goulson. And that's the mass extinction of insects.

Plus, we find out the latest theory of why the Tyrannosaurus rex had such tiny arms, and we meet the rat ancestors that munched on dinosaurs.

All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Candice Bailey and Camilla Mota

Producer: Margaret Sessa Hawkins, with Alice Lipscombe-Southwell and Minnie Harrop

This week, a brand-new dinosaur sent us on a palaeontological stomp.

This week, a brand-new dinosaur has been unveiled at the Natural History Museum in London, which got us thinking about ancient animals, mass extinctions and fossils.

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We explore how stealthy spiders use tricks and deceit to rob precious prey from one another, and we look at how seagulls and other birds have the advantage when it comes to stealing food from humans. We also learn how our immunological security systems try to prevent bacteria from doing an iron-heist from our cells and blood.

But what about figuring out whodunnit? Forensic ecologist and palynologist Professor Patricia Wiltshire shares how pollen can be instrumental when solving crimes and how thorough, detailed forensic work can help uncover the truth when unravelling mysteries.

We also hear about the tensions between elephants and humans in Kenya, why we prefer the taste of certain foods, and how the code to a famous puzzle-filled sculpture might have finally been cracked.

All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Phillys Mwatee and Kai Kupferschmidt

Producers: Imaan Moin, with Lucy Davies, Eliane Glaser and Robbie Wojciechowski

The Louvre jewel theft has us inspecting heists and crime scenes in science.

The brazen robbery of crown jewels from the Louvre museum in Paris has us stealing your attention to inspect heists and crime scenes in science.

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After a fraudulent psychic dupes 1.3 million Americans, panellist Camilla Mota turns to history for insight into how scientists debunk such con artists. The Unexpected library harbours secrets of paranormal experimentation and dead air live on the BBC, and panellist Phillys Mwatee reveals why our beliefs win out over hard evidence written in ink. Nevertheless, in a world rife with conspiracy and vaccine hesitancy, Melissa Kapulu from the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme in Kilifi, Kenya, shares the fascinating scientific obstacles faced in the quest to eradicate malaria from Africa once and for all.

Also hear how a Nigerian pastor and super-star has been making Melissa's job much harder, and life on fake mars.

Presenter: Alex Lathbridge, Phillys Mwatee and Camilla Mota

Producer: Harrison Lewis, Alex Mansfield and Noa Dowling

Conjuring, not spirits, but critical thinking to expose fradulent psychics

We started to ponder, what could an extended period of being stuck in space do to your body?

Next we look to the world of psychedelics research, which has currently got itself a little bit stuck.

We also find out more about the Haraldskær Woman, discovered preserved in a Danish bog in the 1800s. Mads Ravn, head of archaeology, research and collections at the Vejle Museums in Denmark, reveals the stories behind the bog bodies and explains how they ended up stuck in the mud.

And staying with the theme of stickiness, we find out what Neanderthals used as glue.

That, plus many more Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Camilla Mota and Kai Kupferschmidt

Producer: Harrison Lewis, with Alice Lipscombe-Southwell and Noa Dowling.

Sound engineer: Mike Mallen

Two astronauts are stuck on the ISS, which got us thinking about other sticky issues.

Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are stranded on the ISS, which inspired us to get stuck into the science behind extended stays in space, Neanderthal adhesives and bogs.

We explore how AI might help us better predict the weather patterns, and whether it could act as an early warning signal to help us prepare for natural disasters, and we look at what a sinkhole off the Coast of Belize has helped reveal about 6000 years of storm history in the Caribbean.

Giles Harrison, Professor of Atmospheric Physics at Reading University helps explain the unexpected link between bees and storm clouds. We also investigate whether storms with female names are more deadly, your letters have us contemplating banana varieties, and whether wind turbines could ever have an effect on the breeze.

Presenter: Alex Lathbridge, with Andrada Fiscutean and Leonie Joubert

Producers: Margaret Sessa-Hawkins with Eliane Glaser, Minnie Harrop, and Lucy Davies

Hurricane Melissa has us thinking about the science of storms

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First, we look at how the microbial communities in cocoa beans fine tune the taste of chocolate. Also, could table sugar help us detect the missing bits of the universe? We look at how three elements in sugar were used in the hunt for dark matter.

We're then joined by Professor of Experimental Psychology Charles Spence, who explains the myriad ways that taste can be influenced – including the shape and name of chocolate, and even the music we listen to as we eat it. Plus, we hear about the rediscovery of a moth in South Africa that was lost to science for 150 years.

And finally, why we cry when we chop onions and the insects that pollinate the cocoa tree. That's all on this week's Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Candice Bailey and Sandy Ong

Producers: Sophie Ormiston, with Lucy Davies, Tim Dodd, Imy Harper and Margaret Sessa-Hawkins

A dip in global cocoa prices has us wondering about chocolate science.

A dip in global cocoa prices gave the Unexpected Elements team the perfect excuse to explore chocolate science.

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We hear about the dark history of sensory deprivation studies and why up until now, we've been in the dark about light's role in the fairly fundamental process of evaporation.

We'll be shining a light on the darkest oceans, meeting the fantastical creatures who can turn their bodies into flashlights.

Our Under the Radar story this week also comes from the sea as we discover how fish skin is helping to treat burn victims in Brazil.

We have an Ask the Unexpected question about why we don't sneeze when we're asleep, and more of your emails and voicenotes about obscure sports, tunnel living and earworms.

We even find time to wonder why the Brazil nut isn't called the Bolivia nut.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Camilla Mota and Chhavi Sachdev

Producer: Ben Motley, with Dan Welsh

The solstice takes us on a journey through darkness and light.

In the week of the solstice – the shortest or longest day of the year depending on your latitude – we bring you science tales of darkness and light.

In bunkers, basements and boreholes, we explore life going on underground

How would you feel if you spent more and more of your life underground? Could that be our future? Presenter Marnie Chesterton and the panel dig into subterranean science.

Plus, we make waves with a new wave energy testing facility, uncover the benefits (or costs) of bamboo alternatives and our panellist fight against the clock to pitch what they think should take the crown of Oregon's Coolest Science. And, we hear from our studio audience about how they experience the world and one of them even volunteers to do the fact file.

Recorded at Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) studios in Portland Oregon.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton

Producer: Julia Ravey

Production team: Alex Mansfield and Cathy Edwards

Studio engineer: Kate Barker and Darren Wardrobe

Join Marnie Chesterton and science journalists Chhavi Sachdev and Jes Burns, on their Ore

Join Marnie Chesterton and science journalists Chhavi Sachdev and Jes Burns, on their science mission to Oregon , USA.

Join Marnie Chesterton and her panel of science journalists Chhavi Schadev and Jes Burns, on their Oregon science mission. We investigate building materials of the future, from creative cement alternatives to buildings made of wood, and hear from forest scientist Sarah Jovan about how one humble plant has made huge changes to Portland's air quality.

Join Marnie Chesterton and science journalists Chhavi Schadev and Jes Burns, on their Ore

Join Marnie Chesterton and science journalists Chhavi Schadev and Jes Burns, on their science mission to Oregon , USA.

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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 been impacted by COVID-19 lockdowns.

Next, we discover more about the history of loneliness and the impact it can have on your health, before discussing what evolutionary roads isolated island species will go down.

Plus, we're joined by Professor Jonathan Harrington from the University of Munich. He reveals how our accents can be affected by isolation.

That, plus many more Unexpected Elements.

Presenters: Marnie Chesterton, with Christine Yohannes and Affelia Wibisono.

Producers: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, with Dan Welsh, William Hornbrook and Imaan Moin.

The Unexpected Elements team are discussing isolation.

The Mona Lisa is going to moved into her very own room at the Louvre, which got us thinking about loneliness and isolation

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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 eggs.

Finally, we delve into the science behind IVF.

All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Chhavi Sachdev and Sandy Ong

Producer: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, with Debbie Kilbride, Robbie Wojciechowski and William Hornbrook

The Christian celebration of Easter got us thinking about egg-related science.

It's Easter this week, so the Unexpected Elements team are cracking open the science behind egg substitutes, turtle nests, cooking the perfect egg, eggy planets and IVF.

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First, we hear from some of our insomniac listeners and explore how we fall asleep with neuroscientist Dr Ada Eban-Rothschild from the University of Michigan.

Next, we return to our favourite food facts with a small surprise for one of the presenters.

Then, we put our knowledge to the test with extra quizzes and examine the randomness of multiple-choice questions.

Finally, we're joined by Dr Alyn Euritt to discuss the importance of connection, especially between Marnie, Caroline and all the loyal listeners of the show.

All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements.

Presenters: Caroline Steel and Marnie Chesterton

Producers: Imaan Moin, with Margaret Sessa-Hawkins and Lucy Davies

In this special programme, we revisit our listeners' favourite topics and then dig deeper

We revisit our listeners' favourite topics and dig deeper in this special programme. We touch base about insomnia, delicious food, randomness, and the importance of connection.

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You will need:

• Meat - A tick capable of inducing alpha gal syndrome, a disease that makes you allergic to red meat.

• Garnish - Lettuce grown in space. (WARNING: it is more susceptible to bacterial infection than that grown on Earth).

• Buns - A short but thick guide to the human buttocks with Heather Radke. Why do we humans have such large behinds?

• Something sweet - We chose the humble baobab seed. An unusual tree indigenous to Madagascar, the subject of an incredibly successful conservation project.

• Fries - Of course! The humble potato is threatened by climate change, what is being done to futureproof it?

Instructions:

• Who are we kidding! There is no scientific method!

• Bang it all together and feast your ears on this week's show!

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton

Panellists: Candice Bailey and Affelia Wibisono

Producers: Harrison Lewis, Julia Ravey, Ben Motley and Noa Dowling

After McDonalds' recent court case loss the team cook up a scientific culinary delight

McDonalds' Big Mac hit the headlines last week. Unexpected Elements attempts to swap out the usual ingredients found in a burger with juicy scientific replacements.

• Something sweet - We've chosen the humble baobab seed. An unusual tree indigenous to Madagascar, the subject of an incredibly successful conservation project.

• Fries - Of course! The humble potato is threatened by climate change, what's being done to futureproof it?

Head chef/presenter: Marnie Chesterton

Sous chefs/panellists: Candice Bailey and Affelia Wibisono

Home ecs/producers: Harrison Lewis, Julia Ravey, Ben Motley and Noa Dowling

Presenter Marnie Chesterton and panellists Chhavi Sachdev in Mumbai, India, and Meral Jamal in Nunavut, Canada, tell stories of innovative ideas being tried in their parts of the world.

Marnie meets water detective Barbara Sherwood Lollar, professor in earth sciences at the University of Toronto, to hear how ancient water can help us plan for the future. Plus, how submersible speakers can help corals, and stories of living underground.

Producer: Dan Welsh with Tom Bonnett, Harrison Lewis, Jack Lee, Katie Tompsett and Emily Preston.

With water shortages and melting ice caps making the news we look at unexpected solutions

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 sent into space!

Then we take a turn from ants to anteaters and talk to Mariella Superina from the International Union for Conservation of Nature about the different adaptations and skills needed for anteaters to successfully eat ants.

Plus, we discuss plant smuggling and ant wrangling, both unexpectedly dangerous ventures.

All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements.   

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Leonie Joubert and Godfred Boafo

Producers: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, with Imaan Moin, Robbie Wojciechowski and Minnie Harrop

A Kenyan court sentenced four men for ant smuggling, so we're getting into ant antics!

This week, the Unexpected Elements team is getting antsy to learn about ants after four men in Kenya were sentenced for trying to smuggle 5,000 ants out of the country.

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First, we look at how music resonates in the brain and why listening to it live can feel more emotional. Also, can we measure how lucky we are? We look at a possible formula, and how you can increase your chances of striking on a lucky event.

We are then joined by professor of marketing Marco Bertini, who explains the wild west of dynamic pricing and gives us some tips and tricks along the way. Plus we hear about Kenya's ambitious plans to integrate traditional medicine into its health system.

And finally, why we dance when we pee and the Great British art of queuing. That's all on this week's Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Phillys Mwatee and Imaan Moin

Producer: Margaret Sessa-Hawkins, with Ella Hubber, Lucy Davies, Imy Harper and Tim Dodd

The formula behind how lucky you are - spoiler, it isn't just down to chance

The formula behind how lucky you are, and the hacks of dynamic pricing.

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We hear about an angry little fish that fights off its rivals in mouth-to-mouth combat, we discover how humans have looked to nature to design better armour, and we find out about the perfume that Julius Caesar would have worn.

We also speak to Dr Chris Nowinski, a former WWE professional wrestler who's now a pioneering neuroscientist. He's leading some research into how to prevent concussions in sport, and is co-founder of The Concussion Legacy Foundation.

That, plus many more Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Christine Yohannes and Chhavi Sachdev

Producers: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, Dan Welsh and Imaan Moin

Sound engineer: Dyfan Rose

Gladiator II is hitting the cinemas, so the Unexpected Elements team enters the arena.

Drawing inspiration from the release of Gladiator II, we take a look at some gladiatorial science, including fighting animals, armour and concussions.

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That's the name of an app that's gone massively viral in China. Every two days, you click a green button to confirm you're alive and well – but if you miss it, an emergency contact is alerted.

The app is aimed towards those who live alone, so it's got us contemplating the science of connection and loneliness. First, we take a look at the most isolated trees on Earth and how they act as important recorders of history. We also discuss NASA's space probe Voyager 1, and how we can connect with a device that's 25 billion kilometres away from us.

We're joined by glaciologist Liz Morris, who shares what it was like to do research far from civilisation, in Antarctica.

Then we reunite with a species that we thought was lost for ever, and answer an important question: just how big can spiders get?

All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Candice Bailey and Ogechi Ekeanyanwu

Producers: Ella Hubber, with Lucy Davies, Imy Harper, Tim Dodd, Sophie Ormiston and Margaret Sessa-Hawkins

China's viral app has us contemplating the science of connection.

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Scientists have been using balloons for a long time, from pig bladders dropped from great heights, to Michael Faraday inventing the rubber balloon.

Floating through the air seems like a great, energy-efficient way to fly. So why isn't the sky full of airships?

And party balloons are fun - but do we want to waste our precious helium on parties? What is this limited gas worth saving for?

Also, why you're likely smarter than your grandparents were at your age, why snails climb up walls, and scientists looking at clouds from space.

Presenter: MarnieChesterton

Panellists: Andrada Fiscutean, Meral Jamal

Guests: Prof Andrea Sella (University College London) and Prof Dave Hodgson (University of Exeter)

Producer: Florian Bohr with Harrison Lewis, Julia Ravey and Noa Dowling

Balloons in South Korea have us floating ideas about airships and helium.

After balloons carrying trash land in South Korea, we discuss airships, helium and how the father of electricity created rubber balloons.

First, we look at nature's drummer, the woodpecker, and why their pecking doesn't give them a concussion. We also discuss how the rhythm of your brain waves impacts your sense of ownership over your own body.

Then, we're joined by Daniel Levitin, author of Music as Medicine, who tells us all about using rhythm in the treatment of neurological conditions.

Next, we hear about a new claim to the title of the world's oldest computer, and how flying affects your body's natural rhythms.

All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Anand Jagatia, with Sandy Ong and Edd Gent

Producers: Sophie Ormiston, with Ella Hubber, Lucy Davies and Imy Harper

The world's most unlikely drumming duo has us banging the drum for some rhythmic science.

We've been inspired by the world's most unlikely diplomatic drumming duo to drum up some rhythmic science.

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We also hear how new species could be given names that refer to the locations they're found in, we discuss whether mining is causing the Earth to shrink and, of course, eclipses make an appearance. We shed some light on how an eclipse over 100 years ago helped prove Einstein's theory of relativity.

Beyonce's reappraisal of who can do country music spurs an Unexpected Elements hoedown

Beyonce's reappraisal of country music gets us rethinking who the original cowboys were, how the banjo gets its twang and we meet the man dancing chemistry in a tie dye lab coat

As climate change suggests more of our infrastructures need to be buried safely, and even living spaces could be cooler down there, we discuss future technologies for digging tunnels more safely and cleanly.

But tunnelling and boring could go back a long way - more evidence suggests species of dinosaurs used to to live semi-subterranean lives.

Tunnelling also happens at the very smallest scales and lowest temperatures, as observed this year by physicists at Innsbruck University. Dr Robert Wild of Innsbruck University in Austria describes quantum tunnelling - a crucial process that belies most chemistry and even the fusion of hydrogen in the sun, and which is increasingly becoming part of our electronic devices.

Also, a new technique for monitoring the rapid evolution of the malaria parasite, your correspondence including obscure sports and asteroid fantasies, and a discussion of the difficulties of hiring a panda.

Presenter: Caroline Steel, with Philistiah Mwatee and Alex Lathbridge

How might our future lie underground?

Also, climate change unearths some of our oldest fossils in Brazil, being scared of long words, and designing cities to be cooler.

Presented by Marnie Chesterton, with Philistiah Mwatee and Camilla Mota.

Produced by Alex Mansfield with Harrison Lewis, Dan Welsh and Noa Dowling.

Could we surf on Titan, or dance like a physicist? Olympic levels of science chat.

Could we surf on Titan, Climb like a gecko, or dance like a physicist? PBs all round as Marnie and the gang look at the newer Olympic sports.

The discovery of champagne in a shipwreck has us pondering preservation

First, we learn about how pollution from the X-Press Pearl explosion impacted the foundation of the marine food web – plankton. We also hear about an innovative system that can help slash the shipping industry's greenhouse gas emissions.

And we take a short trip in a time-machine back to the Stone Age, where biological anthropologist Professor Yousuke Kaifu from the University of Tokyo explains what it takes to recreate a Palaeolithic voyage from Taiwan to the Ryukyu Archipelago.

We also look at how artificial intelligence could help Canadian caribou cross sea ice, the science of lightning and thunder, and the tricky disputes around shipwrecks and treasure.

All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Meral Jamal and Godfred Boafo

Producer: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, Minnie Harrop and Imaan Moin

The X-Press Pearl disaster takes us on a voyage through shipping-related science.

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First, we discover that chicken may never have become domesticated if it wasn't for rice farming. We also ponder whether the chicken or the egg came first. Next, we find out that humans are surprisingly smart at translating chicken chatter.

We are by Dr Jingmai O'Connor, associate curator of fossil reptiles at the Field Museum of Natural History, who reveals more about the links between dinosaurs and birds.

Plus, how Brazil became a poultry superpower, and what happens to chickens in tornadoes.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Camilla Mota and Godfred Boafo

Producers: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, with Sophie Ormiston, Ella Hubber and Robbie Wojciechowski

Japan's love for fried chicken at Christmas gets us digging into chicken's origins.

Japan's love for fried chicken at Christmas gets us digging into chicken's origins, its popularity, and why it's the subject of what might be the world's most iconic joke.

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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 have one antiviral pill that kills them all?

We're joined by evolutionary psychologist Professor Robin Dunbar, who calculated Dunbar's number; that is, the maximum number of folks you can hold onto in your circle of friends... five? 500? 5,000? Robin reveals how many REAL friends science says you can have.

Presenters: Marnie Chesterton, with Camilla Mota and Phillys Mwatee

Producers: Harrison Lewis, with Alice Lipscombe-Southwell and William Hornbrook

From ancient Earth measurements to viral cycles and the science of friendly limits

Coming full circle: explore the ancient genius who measured the Earth, the viral cycles driving pandemics, and the science of true friendship. We'll keep you in the loop!

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But what was it like just 40 years ago trying to get yourself a home computer when your communist leaders didn't approve, and there were nowhere enough devices to go round anyway? Andrada Fiscutean spoke to some of the bootleggers.

These days, not only are computing devices in just about everyone's hands, they are mostly interconnected to vast arrays of machines collectively forming “the cloud ?, which provides so much of our economic and scientific infrastructure. It is no longer about stand alone computing.

But just maybe the deep future of computing lies in using individual atoms and photons as information-bearing digits. This is the basis of “quantum computing ? which could use the properties and mechanics of the quantum scale to perform hugely complicated calculations in fractions of a second.

Prof David Lucas of Oxford University physics department and colleagues are building some key demonstrators of the techniques we need to master. And just recently, they built an impressive manifestation of “Blind Quantum Computing ?, which just might enable something like the quantum cloud of the future.

Also, we have a look at an app for modern motorists that adjusts a piece of music to react to the movement of the car. Developed by Mercedes-AMG and the rapper Will.i.am, Christine Yohannes has been thinking about drivers becoming the musical maestros of their own journeys.

Presented by Alex Lathbridge, with Andrada Fiscutean and Christine Yohannes.

Produced by Alex Mansfield, with Harrison Lewis and Tom Bonnett.

From silicon chips behind the Iron Curtain to quantum computing in the cloud.

From the students who built illicit microcomputer clones in 1980s Romania, to the scientists today using atoms for bits, Alex Lathbridge and panel take a look at microchips.

Plus, Katie Tomsett looks at how tattoos could be used to indicate the health of our bodies. In Under the Radar we learn how batteries could one day charge through sound, we hear the story of an alleged spy pigeon caught in India, and we highlight the wonderful tale of a beluga whale.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Chhavi Sachdev and Kai Kupferschmidt

Producer: Tom Bonnett, with Alex Mansfield, Dan Welsh, Katie Tomsett and Jack Lee

News of a microchip implanted in a human brain sends our imagination running wild

The news of a microchip implanted in a human skull is sparking conversations about the future of humanity and how private our thoughts really are.

First, we hear how new, artificially intelligent video generators are modelled on diffusion. We also hear about the health impacts of home aroma diffusers and candles.

We're joined by conflict-mediator Gabrielle Rifkind of the Oxford Process, to discuss the psychological stakes behind defusing conflict in wars and at home.

We also taste-test the difference between raw and cooked broccoli, learn about in-insect synthesis, and explore an anechoic chamber.

All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Caroline Steel, with Tristan Ahtone and Edd Gent

Producer: Imaan Moin, with Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, Minnie Harrop and Debbie Kilbride

World War II bombs were defused in Cologne, Germany, so we're exploring diffusion science

We're spreading diffusion science after World War II bombs were defused in Cologne, Germany.

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We take a look at the huge underground trade of vital resources...not run by criminals but fungi.

Then it is onto illegal animal trade and the 300 pets who got a terrible deal, strapped to a man's chest as he tried to make it through airport security.

Have you ever asked a pigeon for advice when gambling? We hear from a professor of psychology about why you should not.

And finally, the story of Lee Sedol, the world's best player of the board game Go, who was challenged by Google to a game worth one million dollars.

Presenter: Caroline Steel, with Phillys Mwatee and Christine Yohannes

Producers: Emily Knight, Harrison Lewis, Imaan Moin and William Hornbrook

Sound engineer: Searle Whittney

It's Black Friday! And Unexpected Elements are on a hunt for the best deals

It's Black Friday! From underground fungi, to smuggled spiders, from a mind-bending game show, to a million-dollar board game, we are on the hunt for deals.

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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 come out the other end of both of them?

Prepare for a prank or two on Unexpected Elements.

Or as they say in Finland, ‘Aprillia, syö silliä, juo kuravettä päälle', which translates to ‘April trick, eat herring, drink muddy water afterwards!

Presenters: Caroline Steel with Camilla Mota and Phillys Mwatee

Producers: Harrison Lewis, Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, William Hornbrook and Imaan Moin

Your one stop shop for scientific pranking this April Fools' Day!

Mischievous elephants, the secret to fool's gold and one of the biggest scientific hoaxes in scientific history. Plenty of scientific tomfoolery to see this April Fools' Day.

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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 exercise is. How air pollution could be affecting your running times. And find out how evolution has gifted our animal friends with some unique ways of getting ahead.

As well as all that, there's the science of what makes something ugly. And an exciting innovation that could see us using cow dung to fuel our cars.

All that and more in this week's Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Alex Lathbridge, Chhavi Sachdev and Candice Bailey

Producers: Robbie Wojciechowski with Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, Imaan Moin, and Minnie Harrop

We're looking at the science that helps you put one foot in front of the other.

It's marathon season. And this week, the Unexpected Elements team have been uncovering some remarkable stories of human resilience.

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You might expect snow to make a solid fire extinguisher, but in Canada, it is somehow keeping embers alight. These ‘Zombie fires' keep burning through the winter, releasing huge amounts of carbon into the air and enhancing the tinderbox for summer wildfires.

While wildfires leave trails of destruction, for some plants and animals, they act as a catalyst for life – helping them to spread their seeds or flower. And the extent of these blazes can also be marshalled by nature – with elephants and beavers building natural fire breaks into landscapes to prevent uncontrollable flames.

We hear about when the first fires happened on Earth and how we can study ancient fires which have long since gone out. Plus, we unpick the key to monogamy (in mice), why cicadas love prime numbers as well as your thoughts on snakes...

Presenter: Caroline Steel with Philistiah Mwatee and Chhavi Sachdev

Producer: Alex Mansfield with Florian Bohr, Harrison Lewis, Julia Ravey and Noa Dowling

Sound engineer: Emily Preston

From Olympic torches to zombie fires, we stoke the flames which do not go out

Presenter Marnie Chesterton meets one of her heroes - American theoretical cosmologist and particle physicist Dr Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, who helps Marnie understand the universe with lyrical beauty.

K-Pop fans send us on a journey into fandom through Star Trek, football and physics

K-Pop fans send us on a journey into the science of fandom to explore Star Trek's utopia and how our allegiances affect behaviour. Plus, presenter Marnie gets to meet a hero.

Dr Ellen Garland of St Andrew's University tells how male humpback whales change their song with surprisingly infectious rapidity, and talks us through some recent hits.

Also, some catalytic promise for wastewater management, and how choosing a language in which to think changes your decision making.

Plus, this week's messages from you, and can poetry help science?

Presenter: Caroline Steel, with Chhavi Sachdev and Godfred Boafo

Producer: Alex Mansfield, with Tom Bonnet and Margaret Sessa-Hawkins

As Lagos Fashion Week begins, we follow the trends into science

As Lagos fashion week struts its stuff, we follow the trends through peanut shell wool, 1920 car marketing, tractor repairs to whales' greatest hits.

Unexpected Elements dives headfirst into the scientific bin to wallow in waste. Could worms be the unexpected heroes of our plastic pollution crisis? How much garbage have we jettisoned into space? And why is part of our very own genome called 'junk DNA'?

But it's not all rubbish, we're also talking trash. While celebrations can bring people together, spending too much time with loved ones can lead to tense moments. Rafi Kohan shares expert tips on how to outsmart your opponent during a heated board game debate.

And don't think trash talk is limited to sports fields. The world of science has its share of drama, too. We'll explore some of history's most scandalous squabbles with scientists behaving badly.

Come waste an hour with us on Unexpected Elements!

Presenter: Caroline Steel, with Chhavi Sachdev and Candice Bailey

Producers: Harrison Lewis, Imaan Moin, Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, William Hornbrook and Eliane Glaser

Sound engineer: Gavin Wong

December is a month of waste, rubbish and trash talk

December is the month for celebration, family rumbles and scientific feuds

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After learning about the causes of floods, we discover a nature-based solution in the form of mangrove forests. Laura Michie from the Mangrove Action Project tells us why these ecosystems are important, and how they can protect coastal zones.

We also find out that humans have moved so much water around the planet that we've shifted the location of the geographic North Pole.

Plus, a rare flooding event is currently taking place in the Australian Outback, awakening an ecosystem after years of dormancy.

And what could happen when hackers take control of tractors?

All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Andrada Fiscutean and Sandy Ong

Producers: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, with Lucy Davies, Debbie Kilbride and Margaret Sessa Hawkins

This week, the team discusses the causes of floods and possible solutions.

The team discusses the causes of floods and possible solutions, before finding out about a rare wildlife event in Australia, and what happens when hackers attack tractors.

[LISTEN NOW]

It has Marnie asking – can you predict if one of your kids will become the G.O.A.T – the Greatest of All Time in any sport? She'll also be investigating the other kind of goat – I'd say ordinary, but these ones are fighting wildfires.

We bring you the curious tale of a never-before-seen beach pebble washing up on the shores of a remote island. What are they? And get the lowdown on the most unpleasant sounding ultramarathons after a 40-year-old Scottish woman completes a race SO hard that only 20 people have finished .

Plus, gravitational waves, home-grown antivenom, and listening on double speed. Can your brain take it?

Presented by Marnie Chesterton, Phillys Mwatee and Camilla Mota.

Produced by Harrison Lewis with Tom Bonnett, Jack Lee and Cath Mcghee.

The greatest baseball player of all time and the greatest science to boot!

First up, we find out about a video game that could give people the power to battle misinformation.

We also hear how scientists are putting harbour seals in front of a computer monitor to decipher how they navigate under the water.

And Dr Brett Kagan from Cortical Labs joins us down the line to tell us why he taught a clump of brain cells to play the 1970s arcade game Pong.

Along the way, we discover what happens when artificial intelligence tries to explain idioms, we learn about a tiny frog named after Bilbo Baggins and try to establish whether or not video games benefit your brain.

All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements. 

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Kai Kupferschmidt and Leonie Joubert

Producer: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, with Margaret Sessa Hawkins, Imaan Moin and Minnie Harrop

The Nintendo Switch 2 has sent us on a supersonic spin into gaming-related science

The release of the Nintendo Switch 2 has got us loading up all our favourite gaming-related stories.

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And this got us thinking about all things home-related.

First up, we discover the intriguing reasons why you can't smell your own home, then we take a closer look at our homes and all the creatures that live there, before finding out about the ‘home scars' created by limpets.

Next we hear from Dr Nadescha Zwerschke, a scientist who spent time on Rothera research station in Antarctica. She reveals how she made this isolated outpost feel like home.

Also, we reveal that global talks to agree a reduction in plastics have collapsed, which could have an impact on all our homes from a pollution perspective.

And finally – a type of pasta that would be no good for your homecooked recipes.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Tristan Ahtone and Godfred Boafo

Producer: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, with Harrison Lewis and William Hornbrook

Sound engineer: Gavin Wong

A potential homecoming for Chagossians got us investigating the science of home.

If a deal between the UK and Mauritius can be agreed, Chagos Islanders may soon be able to return home. This got us wondering about everything home-related.

[LISTEN NOW]

Why do East African long distance runners continue to dominate the world stage? Can one group of indigenous people in the state of Chihuahua in Mexico, really run 100km without getting tired? And what makes you fall off the back of a treadmill when you just can't keep going? Is the limiting factor in endurance sports found in the body or the mind?

We also hear how one small insect is having a mighty impact on African ecosystems, and Marnie ponders the future of AI. What happens when we are no longer able to trust our eyes and ears in a world of deepfakes.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Philistian Mwatee and Tristan Ahtone

Producer: Harrison Lewis, with Dan Welsh, Tom Bonnett, Katie Tomsett and Jack Lee

A tribute to marathon runner Kelvin Kiptum and the science behind his record performances

A tribute to marathon runner Kelvin Kiptum and the science behind his record breaking performances.

Rampaging horses lead us to horse cloning and what horseriding can teach driverless cars

The sight of horses running wild in a city leads the panel on to conversations about welfare, cloning and what driverless cars can learn from horseriding

Also on the show, we look at why there's no human version of dog food, how conspiracy theories take hold, and the legal wranglings over an old Canadian oil pipeline.

Why is bedbugs' unconventional mode of reproduction so successful?

How did bedbugs become a global concern? We examine why their unconventional reproduction methods are so successful and how bedbugs and humans crossed paths in the first place.

We also look at how some animals use dung as biometric data with Dr. Adrian Shrader, how your walk can be used to ID you from Professor Mark Nixon, and why gold has its own special measurement. All that plus many more Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton

Producers: Margaret Sessa-Hawkins with Lucy Davies and Robbie Wojciechowski

Europe's new entry/exit system has us looking at the science behind biometric data.

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First, we look at the report by the World Meteorological Organisation and hear about what can be done to mitigate the dangers of dust.

We also find out the surprising way in which the Sahara is keeping the Amazon rainforest well-fed, and Derek Fabel from the University of Glasgow tells us how dust can help us to determine the age of glaciers.

Plus, the dusty maths that took 15 years to solve, and the musician who swapped jazz for space dust.

All that, and many more Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Caroline Steel

Producers: Margaret Sessa-Hawkins with Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, Minnie Harrop, Lucy Davies, and Robbie Wojciechowski

A new report on the dangers of dust sends us storming off into dust-related science.

After a new report sheds light on the dangers of dust, we storm off into some dust-related science.

[LISTEN NOW]

It's not just humans and microbes that are hitching a ride aboard sea vessels. Animals such as mussels can cling on to ship hulls, exposing previously pristine environments to potentially invasive species. We hear how scientists are tackling this problem with novel polymer lubricants.

And we're not done yet with marine creatures creating big issues. Professor John Parnell tells us the huge impact microscopic phytoplankton has had on Earth's geology, and how the stuff in your pencils could actually be the bodies of long dead plankton...

Plus, we explore the latest developments in rhino IVF, say ‘saluton' to our Esperanto listeners and answer a question about going grey. And as Alabama uses nitrogen to execute a prisoner, we look at the science behind death penalty drugs.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Yangyang Cheng and Philistiah Mwatee

Producer: Sophie Ormiston, with Margaret Sessa Hawkins, Alex Mansfield, Dan Welsh, Harrison Lewis, Katie Tomsett and Jack Lee

Production Co-ordinator: Elliott Prince & Jonathan Harris

The world's largest cruise ship has set sail - but what stowaways are hiding onboard?

The world's largest cruise ship has set sail – but what stowaways are hiding onboard? Also, we hear how plankton is nature's secret architect and explore the latest in rhino IVF.

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 our attention to graveyards and the life that thrives within these sacred environments.  

Next, we are joined Carl Öhman from Uppsala University in Sweden, who reveals what happens to our data when we die and why we should care about it.

Plus, we discuss the precious materials hiding in our old devices, and find out whether animals mourn.

All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements.   

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Andrada Fiscutean and Edd Gent  

Producers: Margaret Sessa Hawkins, with Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, Robbie Wojciechowski and Minnie Harrop

The death of the Pope inspired Unexpected Elements to look at the science of loss

This week, the pageantry and ritual surrounding the death of the Pope has inspired the team to create a show themed on thanatology, the study of death and loss.

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First, we hear how marmosets use their calls as a way of naming which friend they're talking to. Then, we discover why a phenomenon known as auditory pareidolia means you can't necessarily believe your ears.

We're then joined by David Kaiser, professor of physics and history of science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who explains just how hard it is to put physics into words.

Also, the disappearance of indigenous languages, the law for naming laws, and where did all our hair go?

All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton with Andrada Fiscutean and Michael Kaloki

Producers: Imy Harper, with Lucy Davies and Sophie Ormiston

Katy Perry vs Katie Perry, a trademark war has us exploring the science of names

Inspired by the near 17-year trademark dispute between popstar Katy Perry and fashion designer Katie Perry, the Unexpected Elements team explore the science of names.

[LISTEN NOW]

First, counting – or miscounting – populations. The global human population may be much larger than previously thought as research shows counts may have missed those living in more remote areas. And we learn about the species stuck in a neverending “species limbo ?, where they've gone unseen for decades but still can't officially be declared extinct.

Next, we're joined by geneticist Dr Ambroise Wonkam, one of the researchers behind the Three Million African Genomes project, who tells us why sequencing more African genomes is the key to unlocking a wealth of vital genetics knowledge.

Also, Mumbai's out of tune musical road, how we know volcanoes are extinct, and the weight of the internet.

All that, plus many more unexpected elements.

Presenter: Caroline Steel, with Chhavi Sachdev and Candice Bailey.

Producers: Lucy Davies, with Ella Hubber, Imy Harper and Georgia Christie.

India undertaking the world's largest ever census has us exploring population science.

This month, India began the immense undertaking of surveying over 1 billion people in the world's largest ever census, inspiring us to explore some population science

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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 we snooze.

And is there any truth in the saying, ‘tidy house, tidy mind'?

Finally, Marnie ponders whether it's possible to be too clean, or if being a bit grubby is okay.

Presenters: Marnie Chesterton, with Affelia Wibisono and Andrada Fiscutean

Producers: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, with Dan Welsh, William Hornbrook and Imaan Moin

A whole bathtub of science, from brains cleaning themselves to how space keeps sparkling

Inspired by pilgrims taking a dip in India, find out why we need to keep space clean, how the brain scrubs itself while you sleep, and why decluttering is good for you.

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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 the International Potato Centre. She reveals the science behind the orange-flesh sweet potato and explains how it could improve livelihoods and boost health across Africa.

We then hear about the story of the two Kenyan inventors who have created a Swahili-speaking robot.

Finally, our panellists go against the clock in our Kenyan Science Showdown.

All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements. 

Presenter: Alex Lathbridge, with Christine Yohannes and Phillys Mwatee

Producers: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, with Sophie Ormiston and Harrison Lewis

Studio engineers: Andrew Garratt and Gayl Gordon

The Unexpected Elements team visits Nairobi, Kenya.

Join the Unexpected Elements team on a field trip to Nairobi, as we dig into some of the most exciting science coming out of Kenya.

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Plus, the underwater mountain range discovered in Chile, a listener asks a question about keeping time and we hear what you've been getting in touch about over the past week.

As the leap year helps keep us in sync, we explore nature's ways of staying in rhythm

As the leap year helps keep us in sync with the sun, nature is battling to adapt to the forces like climate change that could push it out rhythm. Amazingly, it's finding ways

Did you know there are different types of ice? Professor Christoph Salzmann has discovered three of them, and tells us what makes them unique. Plus dinosaurs, disease, and whether we laugh with an accent. All on this week's Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Chhavi Sachdev and Tristan Ahtone

Producers: Margaret Sessa-Hawkins, with Lucy Davies, Imy Harper and Tim Dodd

How did one extra stitch cause a ski jumping scandal? -- Physics.

The physics of a ski jumping scandal, and the tale of India's lone luger.

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And waste not want not as we discover how the bits of a crustacean dinner you'd usually throw in the bin may be the key to a new generation of rechargeable batteries.

We'll also be exploring the science of spices with Dr Stuart Farrimond and singing the praises of a blue-blooded crab that's really a giant spider, which has been helping out the medical industry for decades.

That plus many other Unexpected Elements.

Bon appétit!

Everything you need for a French royal banquet, with an unexpected twist, of course.

President Macron served up a $500,000 banquet for British royalty at the end of last year, can the team find a scientific way to cut the costs?

Yes, all that is wonderful, but the Unexpected Elements team wanted to 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 up, we discover how to apply maths to your love life, before delving into the technology behind AI chatbots, and finding out if a new dating app can help shine a light on the science of compatibility.

Plus, we're joined by Bianca Acevedo, a research scientist at the University of California, Santa Barbara, who studies the neuroscience of love. She reveals what's going on in our brains when we're infatuated with someone and what purpose love serves.

That, plus many more Unexpected Elements.

Presenters: Marnie Chesterton, with Tristan Ahtone and Edd Gent.

Producers: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, with William Hornbrook, Debbie Kilbride, Imaan Moin and Noa Dowling.

The Unexpected Elements team are feeling the love.

Valentine's Day is here, which has got the team thinking about all things related to love.

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 compatibility.

Plus, we are joined by Bianca Acevedo, a research scientist at the University of California, Santa Barbara, who studies the neuroscience of love. She reveals what's going on in our brains when we are infatuated with someone and what purpose love serves.

Producers: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell,nWilliam Hornbrook, Debbie Kilbride, Imaan Moin and Noa Dowling

Dig into the science of love this Valentines Day, from the monogamous rodent to AI chatbots and a new dating app shining a light on the science of compatibility.

Dig into the science of love from monogamous rodents to AI chatbots and compatibility

[LISTEN NOW]

But Ecuador isn't the only place dealing with blackouts. In Nunavut, Canada, where panelist Meral Jamal lives, power outages happen frequently, including as she was preparing for this programme. How do you deal with a power outage in a remote place? And how did the Inuit manage the cold winter months without electricity at all?

What is the darkest colour in the world? You may think it is black, but, in fact, there is something even darker – ultra-black. Deep-sea fish, butterflies, and, surprisingly, even humans have used ultra-black for a variety of purposes, like being sneaky, fashion statements, and contemporary art.

But what about nature's blackouts? Ocean scientists Allie Clement tells us about long sunless winters in Antarctica, merry midwinter celebrations, and how ecosystems in Antarctica responds to months of darkness.

Also, the singular origin of a new apex predator hybrid, why alligators have such disgusting table manners, and the maths of scamming which adds up to some astonishingly big bucks.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton with Meral Jamal and Phillys Mwatee

Producer: Florian Bohr with Julia Ravey, Noa Dowling and Katie Tomsett

Sound engineer: Tim Heffer

A power outage in Ecuador has us pondering the darkness of blackouts

A power outage in Ecuador has us pondering blackouts, the darkest colours and winter in Antarctica

Also, rings, but not the wedding bands. Professor Valerie Trouet, from the Laboratory of Tree Ring Research at the University of Arizona tells tales of the ancient circles found within trees harbouring secrets of climates past and future.

Plus sleep divorce, why it might be a marriage saver, and finally putting to bed who has the best sleep pattern, the night owls or the early birds.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton

Panellists: Tristan Ahtone and Chhavi Sachdev

Producers: Harrison Lewis, Julia Ravey, Alex Mansfield and Noa Dowling

Ceremonies, rings and sleep divorce

The largest wedding, the oldest tree and one top tip to a happy marriage.

Come to hear about blackworm blobs – a wormy meeting that only happens in stressful situations - and how scientists are taking inspiration from it to design robots. Stay for the stories from nature where species are missing crucial pollination meetings thanks to that global stressful situation that is climate change. And what's better for the planet, a big meeting that everyone flies to or a telephone conference with no video?

In ‘Ask the Unexpected' we answer a listener's question about antibiotics - if there are good bacteria in the body, how do they know which ones to attack?

Also, OMG it's the OMG particle – we hear about the tiny but powerful particles that pound the planet from time to time.

All that plus your emails about toilets and the rules of Cricket.

Presented by Marnie Chesterton, with Chhavi Sachdev and Tristan Ahtone.

Produced by Ben Motley, with Alex Mansfield and Dan Welsh.

From worm blobs to mangoes - there's more to meetings than you thought.

From intelligent worm blobs saving themselves from desiccation to wild flowers saving bees from missing crucial pollination appointments, there's more to meetings than you thought

First up, we fuse medieval alchemy with particle physics and explore a method to turn lead into gold. We then look at the latest research that uses artificial intelligence to help us humans communicate with animals.

We put the spotlight on a favourite trope of science-fiction films – time travel! String theorist Brian Greene of Columbia University explains how going to the past, or back to the future, may or may not be hypothetically possible.

We also ponder ancient auroras, whether ants can plan a Hollywood-style heist, and what it takes to understand our consciousness.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Affelia Wibisono and Andrada Fiscutean

Producer: Imaan Moin, with Alice Lipscombe-Southwell

Studio engineer: Mike Mallen

Turning lead into gold, talking to animals and time travel seem impossible but are they?

Turning lead into gold, talking with animals and time travel all seem impossible but are they?

[LISTEN NOW]

Also on the show, we take your questions, read out your comments, and look at what it takes to physically measure the height of a peak like Everest.

All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Caroline Steel, with Chhavi Sachdev and Leonie Joubert

Producers: Margaret Sessa Hawkins, with Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, Imaan Moin and Lucy Davies

As Nepal makes 97 non-Everest peaks free to climb, we look at the science of overtourism.

As Nepal makes 97 peaks free to climb, we look at the science of mountains, hiking, and the effect that so many climbers have on the environment.

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But why take mushroom supplements in the first place? Social media claims fungi harnesses the power to unlock your hidden potential, to increase concentration and reduce stress. This week's panel looks into the evidence. Will these claims crumble under scrutiny?

Professor David Nutt pulls magic mushrooms out of the magicians hat to expose its secrets. These recreational drugs are classified as a psychedelic, causing users to hallucinate. Find out what hallucinations are and why David believes this shroom, illegal in much of the world, could become a key ingredient in medicinal treatments sometime soon.

Also, the first chemist on record, how touch screens can tell the difference between your finger and an inanimate object, and why some songs get stuck between your ears.

Presenter: Alex Lathbridge

Panellists: Christine Yohannes and Godfred Boafo

Producers: Harrison Lewis, Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, Noa Dowling and Florian Bohr

Hallucinatory, deadly or lifesaving? Your one-stop guide to everything fungi

A trip into the world of all things mycological, exposing the good, the bad and the ugly side of fungi.

We hear about the fabulous hagfish, which produces copious amounts of snot-like slime to defend itself from predators.

But what makes slime so slippery in the first place? And why is ketchup so hard to get out of a bottle? And what makes quicksand so difficult to escape from? It's all down to fluid dynamics. Professor Daniel Bonn, from the University of Amsterdam, explains the physics behind all these sticky situations.

Also this week, we find out more about a shipment of bath toys that tumbled overboard, and how they have helped scientists to decipher ocean currents.

Plus, we discover more about the restoration of mangrove forests, how flowers can cause weird dreams, the size of the biggest black forest gateau and a species of plankton and how it floats.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Camilla Mota and Phyllis Mwatee

Producer: Emily Knight, with Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, Eliane Glaser and Noa Dowling

Sound engineer: Gareth Tyrrell

Blobs are appearing on beaches, so the team look at the science of gooey things.

Weird white blobs are washing on a Newfoundland beach. This got us thinking about the slippery world of goo, slime, blobs and gunge.

[LISTEN NOW]

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 the answer, we speak to Dr Kayla Goforth at Texas A&M University who studies exactly how sea turtles and monarch butterflies innately know how to navigate the world around them.

We also learn why polar bears keep themselves ice-free, and we hear old records of the first men to reach the North Pole.

All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Caroline Steel, with Andrada Fiscutean and Phillys Mwatee

Producer: Imaan Moin, with Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, Noa Dowling and William Hornbrook

The Northern lights have us wondering how to go north (and other unexpected directions).

The Northern Lights are inspiring us to go north, but first we need to understand how to get there: from the impact of GPS on our brains to how animals navigate the Earth.

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We ask whether the new queen may have a biological advantage making her a better fit for leadership, whilst searching for examples of matriarchy in the animal kingdom and analogous human societies.

As is customary, NgĀ? Wai Hono i te Pŀ? was crowned on the same day as her father's funeral, thrust into a leadership role during a time of profound grief. We hear from Prof Lucy Selman, expert in palliative and end-of-life care from the University of Bristol, and founder of the Good Grief Festival. She speaks about the physical and emotional manifestations of grief and how it can be processed and overcome, even in the face of immense responsibility.

We remember the legendary voice of the late James Earl Jones, who played the intergalactic monarch, Darth Vader, as Marnie unpicks the science of stuttering.

Unravel a massive jigsaw puzzle, uncover a hidden secret behind Queen's hit song Don't Stop Me Now, and delve into the fascinating realm of neuroscience and much more on Unexpected Elements.

The crowing of the new M\u0101ori Kuini (Queen) is cause for a scientific celebration

A new MĀ?ori Kuini (Queen) prompts a well needed scientific analysis of matriarchal societies and leadership fit for any new monarch

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Are mother spiders in Africa behind the ultimate act of kindness? How are lightning and lava lamps involved in the quest for a truly random number? And the engineer trying to bring more compassion to the machines we use every day.

We also hear about the technology helping archaeologists discover lost worlds in South America, the maths that might benefit your love life, and Marnie receives her very own random act of kindness - a surprise trip to a lab to meet some of the most extraordinary creatures on the planet.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Andrada Fiscutean and Camilla Mota

Producer: Dan Welsh, with Tom Bonnett, Katie Tomsett and Alex Mansfield

Are African spiders behind the ultimate act of kindness in nature?

Nature's ultimate maternal sacrifice, how lava lamps are involved in the quest for random numbers, and the engineer bringing more compassion to the machines in our lives.

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 University of Southern California to talk about the psychology behind ratting people out in the workplace, testing the loyalty and morals of the Unexpected Elements team.

And speaking of rats in the workplace - we hear a first-hand report on whether African giant pouched rats might just be better staff members than humans when it comes to detecting tuberculosis at APOPO labs.

All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Anand Jagatia, with Tristan Ahtone and Christine Yohannes

Producer: Imaan Moin, with Debbie Kilbride, Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, Noa Dowling, Harrison Lewis and Sophie Ormiston.

Studio Manager: Cath McGhee

Can we make the case for remarkable rats, or are they just rubbish?

On World Rat Day, we make the case for rats: from playing hide and seek and detecting tuberculosis, to ratting out others and rat-on-rat warfare

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First, we discover that Vlad the Impaler, the Romanian prince who inspired Dracula, may have not only had blood on his hands, but also in his tears. We also hear about a woman in Guadeloupe with the world's newest and rarest blood type.

We're then joined by Dr Naomi Ewald from the UK's Freshwater Habitats Trust who tells us all about nature's little bloodsuckers – leeches – and why their use in medicine is not just a practice consigned to the history books.

Also, the gravity-defying gecko of the Gambia, how close are we to producing artificial blood, and the Patagonian dinosaur that looks like a judgemental chicken.

All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton

Producers: Ella Hubber, with Sophie Ormiston, Lucy Davies and Imy Harper

Oscar favourite Sinners has us sinking our teeth into some vampire-inspired science

With Sinners expected to sweep the Oscars, we're inspired to sink our teeth into some bloodthirsty vampire science

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First up, we peer down our microscopes at a bacterium that takes its inspiration from a pirate warship. Next, we turn our attention to scurvy, the disease that plagued mariners and is now making a comeback in the modern age.

We then get on the line with marine archaeologist Dr Sean Kingsley, who is about to set sail on a mission to survey the unexplored wrecks of Nassau.

Plus, we delve into the tricky topic of modern-day piracy and copyright, before testing our pirate knowledge in a swashbuckling quiz.

All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Kai Kupferschmidt and Sandy Ong

Producers: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell and Margaret Sessa Hawkins, with Robbie Wojciechowski and Imaan Moin

For International Talk Like a Pirate Day, we set anchor on some swashbuckling science.

[LISTEN NOW]

We'll be stopping off to hear how one species, much like the US president, should consider reducing its airmiles, if only to avoid a pointless 16,000km round trip every year. There'll also be a stopover in Northern Canada to hear how thinning ice is making it difficult for local communities to remain in touch with their ancestral heritage and traditional modes of travel.

Whilst we recommend considering more environmentally friendly alternatives here at Unexpected Elements Airways, we understand that some flights can't be avoided. Take time whilst onboard to consider how you can reduce the symptoms of jetlag with tricks learnt from the latest scientific understanding of human physiology. Professor Rosemary Braun tells us how the clocklike rhythms of the body can be manipulated to make any long haul flights more manageable.

Also, the smashing specificity of Wimbledon's grass tennis courts, a grand astronomical debate from the 1920s and a very special Nunavut Day.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton

Panellists: Christine Yohannes and Meral Jamal

Producers: Julia Ravey, Harrison Lewis, Dan Welsh and Noa Dowling

Brace yourself for presidential fights and pointless flights

How a better understanding of appetite, light and pointless flights could have saved US President Joe Biden from an embarrassing debate

The Unexpected Elements team on three continents meet the musical frogs who are having to climb a mountain to keep their populations stable, and dig deep to explore the earth's declining microbiome and the hope scientists have for the future.

As the Africa Cup of Nations continues, we'll be wondering how you might date a footballer. Not in a romantic sense - we hear about some suspiciously mature youth players and how science can help when the age on a passport isn't reliable.

Marnie will be wondering why Japanese men are shouting their love from a hilltop, and unpicking the recipe for a truly satisfying hug.

All that plus a postbag bursting with multilingual puns, and the reason Portuguese speakers have trouble with English doors.

Presented by Marnie Chesterton

Produced by Ben Motley, with Alex Mansfield, Dan Welsh, Katy Tomsett and Jack Lee

With China's population declining, would decreasing populations be better for the planet?

With China's population in decline, would decreasing populations be better for the planet? Also populations of musical tree frogs, declining microbiomes and multilingual puns.

The scientists behind the research have dubbed the new dinosaur the ‘punk rock dinosaur', which led the Unexpected Elements team to go out searching for the science on all things punk, rock, and heavy metal.

First up, we find out what other punks might be lurking in the fossil record. And meet a pair of unconventional molluscs.

Next up on the set list, we investigate the physics underpinning mosh pits and the implications this could have for crowd control.

We speak with Anirudh Patel, an astrophysicist from Columbia University, who is scouring deep space to find out more about the origins of heavy metals.

And we dig into the unexpected link between water pipes and IQ.

All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Camilla Mota and Meral Jamal

Producers: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, with Lucy Davies and Robbie Wojciechowski

A new, spiky dinosaur has us riffing through all things punk, rock and metal.

A punk rock dinosaur with metre-long spikes has been discovered. And that got us investigating emo fossils, the physics of mosh pits and where heavy metals come from.

[LISTEN NOW]

As Madonna embarks on her greatest hits world tour, the Unexpected Elements team on three continents take some of those hits and examine the science behind them.

Like a Virgin take us on an excursion into parthenogenesis, and the Komodo Dragons that can reproduce without the inconvenience of having to find a mate.

Madonna sung about travelling ‘quicker than a ray of light', but is that actually possible? We take a very fast trip through the strange world of warp bubbles.

And we Get Into the Groove with the physicist who created a record so tiny it fits into one of the grooves of a normal record.

We also hear about the “find your ancestry ? kits that have the capacity to solve so-called cold cases, identifying unknown human remains often decades old.

With the eyes of the world on events in Gaza, we discover how tech can help make sure that any reportage – video or photos – are accurate and not doctored.

All that plus your emails and WhatsApps, and a listener wonders whether fish can drown.

Presented by Marnie Chesterton, with Philistiah Mwatee and Katie Silver

Produced by Ben Motley, with Alex Mansfield, Tom Bonnett, Sophie Ormiston and Margaret Sessa Hawkins

Do Madonna's lyrics stand up to scientific scrutiny?

From animals reproducing 'like a virgin' to warp bubbles allowing travel 'quicker than a ray of light', the team asks whether Madonna's lyrics stand up to scientific scrutiny.

We look at what a network of underwater microphones can tell us about underwater geography, noisy ships, and whale conversations, and how it took nearly 300 researchers working together to map 140 000 neurons in a fruit fly's brain.

Then, we are joined by biogeochemist and author Karen Lloyd, who tells us about the long-lived microbes living deep in the crust below the sea floor, how they survive for 100 000 years, and what their mysterious existence tells us about life and evolution.

And forget sunken treasures – we will talk about the valuable, potato-sized mineral nodules that grow on the sea floor, and the pros, cons and current legality of mining them. Plus – how dolphins can help us track down abandoned undersea explosives.

All that and even more unexpected elements.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Katie Silver and Tristan Ahtone

Producers: Ella Hubber, with Lucy Davies and Georgia Christie

China's undersea mapping project has us scanning the deep for map-tastic science.

[LISTEN NOW]

Under the stress and strains of leadership, how might power affect youthfulness?

As France appoints a 34-year-old Prime Minister, we ask how stress and sleeplessness can age us and hear how measuring intelligence in young people isn't as easy as it might seem

We also look into a special frequency of sound, just below our human hearing range, that might cause rational people to start feeling spooky.

And we explore Cryptids and the zoology of creatures that don't really exist.

Plus, if you're bilingual, do you really have a first and second language?

We also explore why driving a taxi is a workout for your brain and look at the benefits and pitfalls of cycling around the world.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Camilla Mota and Godfred Boafo.

Producer: Margaret Sessa-Hawkins, with Alex Mansfield, Tom Bonnett and Ben Motley

Is fear good for you? In the week where many celebrated Halloween, we look at the science

Is fear good for you? Are spooky sightings caused by a special frequency of sound? Does Bigfoot really exist? In the week where many celebrated Halloween, we look at the science.

First, we discuss the surprising American origins of Australia's iconic marsupials and Marnie gets up close and personal with Pez the Tasmanian Devil.

We also talk to Andy Flies from the University of Tasmania who is working on a vaccine to combat a deadly contagious cancer spreading through Australia's Devil population.

Next, we're joined by Susan Sawyer from the University of Melbourne as we delve into the debate surrounding Australia's social media ban for under 16-year-olds. Are the kids alright? Plus, we find out about the tree that seems to be adding fuel to the country's recent wildfires.

All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Katie Silver and Jonathan Webb

Producers: Margaret Sessa-Hawkins, with Ella Hubber, Sophie Ormiston and Lucy Davies

The Unexpected Elements team takes a trip down under to discover some Australian science.

Unexpected Elements goes down under as we talk marsupials, social media bans and the trees that could be fuelling Australia's wildfires.

[LISTEN NOW]

First up, we hear how a Brazilian songbird courts its mate as part of a boyband. We then find out about the microbes that dance to survive in their extreme habitat.

Next up, Professor Troy Magney, a forest ecophysiologist at the University of Montana, tells us about his TSWIFT machine and how it can assess the health of the planet's forests.

Also in the programme, we find out why migratory birds trick weather data, how fish sing, and how hackers used SWIFT bank payments to nearly pull off a billion-dollar heist.

All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Camilla Mota and Godfred Boafo

Producers: Imaan Moin and Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, with Robbie Wojciechowski and Lucy Davies

Taylor Swift's new album The Life of a Showgirl inspires this week's episode.

Taylor Swift's new album The Life of a Showgirl gets us investigating dancing microbes, migratory birds, singing fish and a photosynthesis tool named the TSWIFT machine.

[LISTEN NOW]

We are then joined by plasma physicist Dr Fatima Ebrahimi from the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, who breaks down the mysteries behind nuclear fusion energy and how ambitious scientists are trying to channel the power of the Sun on Earth, in the hope of creating a massive source of clean energy.

Next, we investigate what blue-light-blocking glasses can do and consider what future scientists will think of the fossils of our civilisation!

Presenter: Caroline Steel, with Phillys Mwatee and Edd Gent

Producer: Imaan Moin

Exciting developments in science, in cervical cancer, xenotransplantation, fusion energy

Exciting developments in science, including the elimination of cervical cancer, xenotransplantation, fusion energy and many more.

[LISTEN NOW]

In the spirit of making you smile, the Unexpected Elements team has gathered science stories that bring them joy—each with a twist, of course.

Children across cultures have invented secret languages to confuse their parents—and there's science behind it. The human face can produce 19 different types of smiles. And let's not forget the Brazilian scientist who not only pioneered species classification but also became a key figure in the country's suffragette movement.

Meanwhile, Marnie Chesterton introduces us to the ever-cheerful Professor Andrea Sella from University College London, whose humour never fails to brighten her day. Together, they explore the role of humour in science and its importance in engaging both audiences and students.

Plus, we'll dive into the science of vocal fingerprints, meet a man who physically couldn't smile, and hear about a global update to cyber security regulations that just might make you grin.

Happy Friday!

Presenters: Marnie Chesterton with Andrada Fiscutean and Camilla Mota

Producers: Harrison Lewis with Jonathan Blackwell, Elizabeth Barsotti, and Anna Charalambou.

What better way to celebrate World Smile Day other than with scientific excellence

In order to spread the joy of World Smile Day the Unexpected Elements team each brought along a science story for the talk table

[LISTEN NOW]

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 with Jonas von Essen who is a two-time world memory champion. He helps us construct a mind palace in order to memorise really long strings of digits.

Plus we look into the backstory of the human buttocks with science journalist and reporter Heather Radke. She answers the question ‘why do we humans have such large behinds?

And we hear from Professor Andre Isaacs at the College of the Holy Cross who has filled his chemistry lab with music and dance in order to change perceptions about who can be a scientist.

That, plus many more Unexpected Elements. 

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton

Producer: Jonathan Blackwell and Harrison Lewis with Imaan Moin and Alice Lipscombe-Southwell

Humans outrunning horses, mountains made from plankton and much, much more.

From the role of plankton in making mountains, to the backstory of the human buttocks, the scientific expertise we have on the show truly make Unexpected Elements great!

[LISTEN NOW]

First, we look at how scientists have been confronting the possibility that they might soon be able to create an evil twin to life itself - mirror life. Also, we hear why the ‘Tatooine planets' which orbit twin stars are so rare in our galaxy.

We're then joined by professor of developmental psychology Nancy Segal, who explains why prosecutors should be able to distinguish between the French twins on trial. Plus, we hear how African farmers are struggling with a lack of data on pre-harvest crop loss.

And finally, why gorse flowers smell like pina coladas, and how the use of DNA evidence in court can still come down to interpretation. That's all on this week's Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Kai Kupferschmidt and Michael Kaloki

Producers: Ella Hubber, with Lucy Davies, Sophie Ormiston, Imy Harper and Tim Dodd

A pair of twins on trial for murder has us wondering about all things identical.

When do twins cease to be identical? And how creating non-identical mirror life could come with great risk.

[LISTEN NOW]

Turning our attention to non-popstar quakes, there are some animals that seem to predict earthquakes. A pond in Italy, usually filled with toads during breeding season, was suddenly void of them shortly before an earthquake hit. Are there any other animals with seismographic abilities? And is there a chance we could harness their abilities somehow?

Also, tremors on the small island of Mayotte led to a surprising deep-sea discovery. Nathalie Feuillet shares some earth-shattering facts about her team's discovery.

And, to shake things up, Marnie and panel talk about the 'Frenchness' of French fries, the tech hidden inside the Euros' footballs, and the gadgets that fools your employer into thinking you are working.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, Godfred Boafo, Christine Yohannes

Producer: Florian Bohr, Julia Ravey, Dan Welsh, Noa Dowling.

Sound engineer: Emily Preston

A Taylor Swift gig in Scotland made us look at human earthquakes and animal seismographs

A recent Taylor Swift concert in Scotland has us discussing human earthquakes and animal seismographs.

First, we learn how shark-inspired materials could help make aeroplane flights more efficient.

Next, we hear about the fish that don't flee from sharks... instead, they seek them out to help them hunt.

Bob Duke, Meyerson Professor of Music and Human Learning at the University of Texas, Austin, joins us in the studio to reveal how and why the iconic Jaws music taps into our psychology to leave us trembling.

We also hear about a couple of tiny islands in the Southern Ocean, on which an unexpected predator is wreaking havoc.

Plus, why a tiny fish is being ground up and fed to other fish.

All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Leonie Joubert and Christine Yohannes

Producer: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, Imaan Moin, Minnie Harrop and Margaret Sessa Hawkins

Shark Awareness Day sends us on a deep dive into marine biology.

[LISTEN NOW]

We hear about the psychology behind our magpie tendencies, and find out it might all be connected to one of our deepest evolutionary drives: for clean, fresh, sparkling water.

And we find out what the shiniest thing in the natural world is. An extraordinary blue berry with some mesmerising visual qualities.

We find out about diamonds made from your dead pets. And, we dissect the science behind the first flush of love. Why do we get so obsessed with a new partner? And why doesn't the feeling last?

Presenter: Caroline Steel, with Kai Kupferschmidt and Phyllis Mwatee

Producer: Harrison Lewis, with Emily Knight, Noa Dowling and Elizabeth Barsotti

Sound engineer: Searle Whittney

Like magpies, we're obsessed with everything shiny. What is behind this attraction?

From sparkling diamonds to juicy berries and brand new romances, we ask why we are so drawn to everything shiny and new.

[LISTEN NOW]

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 work? We'll take them apart to figure out how they work. Plus, dive into the fascinating world of gene silencing, definitely one of the coolest areas of genetics. Learn how this cutting-edge technology could help protect our crops from pests in the future.

Later, Caroline is joined by her two wonderful panellists to contemplate and reflect on silence, when might it be harmful? And does true silence even exist?

All that and many more Unexpected Elements.

Presenters: Caroline Steel, Candice Bailey and Kai Kupferschmidt

Producers: Harrison Lewis, with William Hornbrook, Debbie Kilbride and Noa Dowling

An album produced by musical legends contains just silence, is there any science to it?

What is silence? Can we ever truly experience it? When is it bad? An album consisting of just silence has the Unexpected Elements team pausing to consider the science of silence.

[LISTEN NOW]

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.

Presenters: Marnie Chesterton, with Chhavi Sachdev and Christine Yohannes.

Producers: Dan Welsh, with Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, William Hornbrook and Imaan Moin.

The Unexpected Elements team are talking all things snakes!

It's Lunar New Year, and this year is the Year of the Snake. This inspired the Unexpected Elements team to slither into countlesssssssss snake-related facts.

[LISTEN NOW]

We're then joined by Justin Gregg, a professor of animal behaviour and cognition. He reveals why we anthropomorphise cuddly toys – such as teddy bears – and why this isn't necessarily a bad thing.

We meet Alan Turing's teddy bear, before finding out why it's good to get lost.

All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Andrada Fiscutean and Chhavi Sachdev

Producers: Margaret Sessa-Hawkins, with Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, Alice McKee and Robbie Wojciechowski

A teddy lost in space has got us seeking stories about space, bears and getting lost!

A teddy bear launched into the upper atmosphere as part of a school science project has gone missing! And that got the team seeking out stories about space, bears and getting lost

[LISTEN NOW]

Also on the show, Oxford professor Marcus du Sautoy explains why maths can be beautiful, and former Miss Universe Ireland and NASA datanaut Fig O'Reilly talks about balancing pageants and a career in science outreach.

Plus, the science behind death metal singing, why civet coffee tastes so good, and how ugly plants inflame allergies, on this week's Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Caroline Steel, with Katie Silver and Sandy Ong

Producers: Margaret Sessa-Hawkins with Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, Lucy Davies, Robbie Wojciechowski and Alice McKee

The Miss Universe pageant final has us examining the science of beauty

As the Miss Universe pageant final takes place in Thailand, the Unexpected Elements team looks at the science of beauty, competitions, and even... the universe.

[LISTEN NOW]

But humans aren't the only ones building dams – Loren Taylor of the Beaver Institute joins us to talk all about nature's hydroengineers and the wide-spread benefits beavers (and their dams!) have on ecosystems.

Also on the program, how close are we to clean energy from space, the science behind holding your breath for a really, really, really, REALLY long time, and how natural sounds can be turned into musical instruments. All that, plus more unexpected elements.

Presenter: Alex Lathbridge with Andrada Fiscutean and Katie Silver

Producers: Margaret Sessa-Hawkins, Alice Lipscombe-Southwell and Robbie Wojciechowski.

How do we decide when, where, and even whether to build dams?

[LISTEN NOW]

First up, we hear about an ancient ice skate that's been unearthed in Prerov, Czech Republic, which sends us pondering about the physics of ice-skating.

We then discover why licking a flagpole on a chilly day is a bad idea, before delving into the science of cryopreservation.

Next up, we speak to Dr Mark Drinkwater of the European Space Agency, who reveals how satellites can help us monitor and better understand our planet's melting ice sheets.

Plus, what do you do if you want to play ice hockey but you live near the equator?

All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Chhavi Sachdev and Sandy Ong

Producer: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, with Margaret Sessa Hawkins and Minnie Harrop

This week, ice hockey's Stanley Cup sent us skating into ice-related science

This week, the Florida Panthers beat the Edmonton Oilers at the Stanley Cup ice hockey championship, which sent us skating into ice-related science.

[LISTEN NOW]

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 the Museum of Dinosaur Research at the Okayama University of Science. He tells us about the ginormous footprints he found in the Gobi Desert, and what they could teach us about herbivorous dinosaurs.

That, plus many more Unexpected Elements.

Presenters: Caroline Steel, with Chhavi Sachdev and Camilla Mota.

Producers: William Hornbrook, with Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, Debbie Kilbride, Imaan Moin and Noa Dowling.

The Unexpected Elements team are going supersized.

Monty the giant schnauzer won the US's most prestigious dog show. And that got us thinking BIG.

[LISTEN NOW]

This headline – along with Shakespeare being one of the world's most well-known playwrights – inspired the Unexpected Elements team to delve into the science of stories.

First up, we find out why your brain loves a tale. We then discover that some people can't see images in their mind when they read, and reveal the impact this could have.

Shakespeare's folios are almost 400 years old, but how have they survived that long? We get on the line with Kathryn Kenney, a book and paper conservator, to find out how she keeps precious books safe.

We also find out about a disappearing island, whether climate change needs a new narrative and if you could eat books to survive.

All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements. 

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Camilla Mota and Tristan Ahtone

Producer: Margaret Sessa Hawkins, with Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, Imaan Moin and Minnie Harrop

Studio Manager: Rhys Morris

This week we find out why your brain loves a good story, why some people can't see images when they read, and what animals feast on books.

[LISTEN NOW]

Could tensions around the Red Sea affect research into heat-resistant super corals?

Tardigrades are an obvious candidate – boil them, freeze them, irradiate them in space, these adorable creatures are almost indestructible. We also meet Dr Deep Sea, Joseph Dituri, from the University of South Florida, who lived under water for 100 days and swears by it as a boost for our health.

As the leader of the free world goes on an Amazon jungle tour, we talk tiny frogs, giant frogs and radiation tolerant frogs.

We also hear how cancer survivors may have a secret superpower and how we've co-opted plants superpowers for medicines.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Camilla Mota and Affelia Wibisono

Producers: Imaan Moin, Harrison Lewis and Dan Welsh

Sound engineer: Gavin Wong

Geopolitical superpowers have Team Unexpected on the hunt for scientific superheroes.

Spiderman has his web shooters, Superman can see through walls, but what superpowers does modern science have to offer us in the real world?

[LISTEN NOW]

This unpayable fine inspired us to look at extremely large numbers, from the amount of cells in our body, to infinity hotels and beyond. Plus, two-time world memory champion Jonas von Essen teaches us how to memorise these supermassive numbers.

Also, we unpick a dubious influential biodiversity statistic that has no basis whatsoever, and we look at the scientific tools of ghost hunting.

Plus, to round it off, presenter Marnie looks at a sport with more possible moves than there are atoms in the Universe. Can you guess what it is?

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton with Tristan Ahtone and Candice Bailey.

Producer: Florian Bohr with Alice Lipscombe-Southwell and Imaan Moin.

Sound engineer: Rhys Morris

As Russia fines Google an unpayable sum of money, we look at some extremely large numbers

As Russia fines Google more money than there is in the entire world, we take a look at extremely large numbers.

[LISTEN NOW]

We've got the best from our team of panellists across the globe, including what's going on in your brain when you speak more than one language, the horrific mating ritual of the bedbug and the science behind our panellist Camilla's terrible haircut decision.

We look back at some of the brilliant scientists we've spoken to, with subjects as diverse as whale song, how the entire universe was once the size of a marble, why an archaeologist hasn't run off with all the gold he's found and how the jewel wasp turn a cockroach into a zombie.

We have ‘Under the Radar' stories about power outages in South Africa, human ancestors from China, bringing Rhinos back to life in Kenya and how to keep everyone safe from Polar Bears in a place where there's no phone signal.

We reflect on our attempts to find the Coolest Science in the World, and whether it's possible to pit a hurricane machine against an alternative to antibiotics.

And it wouldn't be a ‘best of' show without a digest of all the fruit chat from throughout the year.

All that plus eating glue for science, our best (or worst?) puns and some singing cows.

Presented by Marnie Chesterton & Caroline Steel

Produced by Ben Motley, with Tom Bonnett

Marnie Chesterton and Caroline Steel look back at some of the best bits of the show.

Usually Unexpected Elements looks at the science behind the news, but this week we're looking back at some of the best bits since we launched earlier in 2023.

We're then joined by marine biologist Roger Hanlon who explains how octopuses are great at changing tones, even though they can't appreciate the colours that they make. Plus, what's orange, cream, 5,000 years old and worryingly resistant to most of our common antibiotics? And why does reading on dark mode leave one listener seeing things? All on this week's Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Andrada Fiscutean and Chhavi Sachdev

Producers: Imy Harper, with Ella Hubber and Lucy Davies

When did the world really burst into colour?

The Hindu festival of Holi has the Unexpected Elements team wondering: when did the world really burst into colour?

[LISTEN NOW]

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 Claire Lee, a particle physicist who works with the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. She explains how she and her colleagues accelerate particles to phenomenal speeds, how they detect these particles when they collide, and what this can tell us about the origins of the universe.

That, plus many more Unexpected Elements.

Presenters: Marnie Chesterton, with Tristan Ahtone and Leonie Joubert.

Producers: William Hornbrook, with Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, Harrison Lewis, Debbie Kilbride and Noa Dowling.

The Unexpected Elements team takes a whistlestop tour of all things fast!

It's the month of Ramadan, which got us thinking about the science of fast. From diets and black holes to deserts and particle accelerators.

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First, we investigate the health benefits of donating blood, and find out about the predator sharing a feast of food in the Arctic.

We're then joined in the studio by physicist Dr Krishma Singal from Rice University, who unravels the soft-matter physics and brilliant engineering potential of knitting.

Next, we discuss the reputation of piranhas, enquire about the uniqueness of our sneezes, and break down how salting roads makes them safer in the winter.

All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Alex Lathbridge, with Camilla Mota and Meral Jamal

Producer: Imaan Moin

This Boxing Day and holiday season, our present to you is the science of gifts, such as donating blood, sharing food, and the physics of making hand-knitted gifts.

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This got us thinking about the only one. The panel discuss what it must be like to be an ‘Endling' – the last remaining animal of an otherwise extinct species, and wonder if there might be ways to bring them back.

We delve into the intriguing psychology behind the urge to collect things, why collectors are so entranced by rare items, and how the psychological pull of ‘exclusivity' and ‘limited editions' can make us vulnerable to marketing scams.

And what about a baby, born of only one parent? A ‘virgin birth' – a miracle perhaps? Not so, as we discover that females giving birth without any help from males is surprisingly common. It is called Parthenogenesis, and although humans cannot do it, a dizzying array of animals can. Alexis Sperling from the University of Cambridge explains the science.

News montage sources: Channel 5 Belize, BBC News

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton with Chhavi Sachdev and Andrada Fiscutean

Producer: Emily Knight with Florian Bohr, Julia Ravey

Sound engineer: Emily Preston

Olympians representing their countries alone got us thinking about being the only one

Solo Olympians representing their countries alone, like runner Shaun Gill, flying the flag for Belize, got us thinking about being the only one.

Inspired by this headline, the Unexpected Elements team delve into the story of how microbiology may have influenced Klimt's work.

Speaking of microbiology, we find out that bacteria could help restore frescoes to their former glory.

We also get on the line with Dr Siyakha Mguni, an archaeologist and senior lecturer at the University of Cape Town, who tells us about ancient artworks far older than anything Klimt ever painted.

Plus, the world's biggest spider's web, and why mosquitoes are impressive 3D printers.

All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Andrada Fiscutean and Edd Gent

Producers: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, with Margaret Sessa Hawkins, Alice McKee, Lucy Davies and Robbie Wojciechowski

A record-breaking painting leads us to microbes, spiders, gold and cave art.

A painting by Gustav Klimt has become the second-most expensive piece ever sold at auction, which got the Unexpected Elements team seeking the science hidden behind his artwork.

[LISTEN NOW]

First, we ask if a 60-year-old brain is as sharp as a 20-year-old one. Then, we find out about parts of the world that boast impressively long life expectancies. Have these places found the secret to longevity, or are they not what they seem?

Next up, we talk to Professor Thomas Boothby from the University of Wyoming about tiny, eight-legged animals called tardigrades, and what they could teach us about living longer.

We also dig into the story behind a recently uncovered ancient Peruvian city, before finding out the science behind so-called ‘old wives' tales'.

All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Camilla Mota and Phillys Mwatee

Producers: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, with Margaret Sessa-Hawkins, Lucy Davies and Robbie Wojciechowski

The world's oldest president presents us with the chance to explore some ageing science.

As the world's oldest president decides to run for an eighth term, we've elected to explore some ageing science.

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Plus, prepare for stories of reindeers high... despite their apparent immunity to their favourite hallucinogenic mushroom treats. And we burrow into Santa's iconic beard to find any microbial magic that lives there.

And yet more reindeer magic, this time the mysteries of their amazing body clocks, which they seem to be able to switch on and off at will... AND we reveal Rudolf the red nose reindeer's big secret. You'll never hear that song in the same way again

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Phillys Mwatee and Camilla Mota

Producers: Emily Knight, Alice Lipscombe-Southwell and William Hornbrook

Sound engineer: Searle Whittney

The Unexpected Elements team are unwrapping the science of Santa!

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First, we find out about new research that could keep our muscles strong as we age. Next up, we discover why graphene is so strong and how it could help improve data storage.

We're then joined down the line by Dr Matt Caplan, an astrophysicist from Illinois State University, who tells us about his search for a weird substance called ‘nuclear pasta'. And no, you won't find it in your local Italian restaurant.

Plus, find out how robo-exoskeletons can help you climb hills and why Ernest Shackleton's Endurance was weaker than expected.

All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Kai Kupferschmidt and Andrada Fiscutean

Producers: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, with Robbie Wojciechowski and Lucy Davies

The Unexpected Elements team are flexing their muscles and tackling all things strong.

This week, inspired by an Egyptian strongman pulling two ships with his teeth, we tackle the science of strength and strong things.

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We examine how a pendulum swung by French physicist Foucault demonstrated that the earth is spinning, and hear about how the gibbon became the king of swingers – and what current-day elite climbers can learn from them.

We also hear from educator Francis Mavhunga at the University of Eswatini who has regularly used swings in his physics classes, and now shows a new generation of teachers how to integrate children's lived experiences into the classroom.

Plus, how science has revealed new secrets about the ancient silk road, and what your brain can see when your eyes can't. And, just to swing back to the beginning, presenter Marnie Chesterton digs into the archives to find out if science and tech can provide a foolproof voting system, and how astronauts vote.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton with Chhavi Sachdev and Godfred Boafo

Producer: Harrison Lewis with Florian Bohr, Julia Ravey, Dan Welsh and Imaan Moin

Sound Engineer: Gareth Tyrrell

So-called swing states inspire us to look into swing science.

In an election-heavy couple of weeks, so-called swing states inspire us to look into swing science, from Foucault to gibbons and beyond.

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Inspired by this headline, the Unexpected Elements team delve into the story of how microbiology may have influenced Klimt's work.

Speaking of microbiology, we find out that bacteria could help restore frescoes to their former glory.

We also get on the line with Dr Siyakha Mguni, an archaeologist and senior lecturer at the University of Cape Town, who tells us about ancient artworks far older than anything Klimt ever painted.

Plus, the world's biggest spider's web, and why mosquitoes are impressive 3D printers.

All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Andrada Fiscutean and Edd Gent

Producers: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, with Margaret Sessa Hawkins, Alice McKee, Lucy Davies and Robbie Wojciechowski

A record-breaking painting leads us to microbes, spiders, gold and cave art.

A painting by Gustav Klimt has become the second-most expensive piece ever sold at auction, which got the Unexpected Elements team seeking the science hidden behind his artwork.

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Inspired by this pursuit, the Unexpected Elements team unearth some of science's hidden gems. From the potential resurrection of ancient healing tree balm to the world's rarest stone, and even how cats could help solve crimes. The team are also joined by astrobiologist Nathalie Cabrol to speak about the potential treasures hiding on another moon in our solar system. Along the way, our panel have their own clues to crack as they take on a mini hunt of their own to find the location of a scientific golden nugget.

Plus, we solve the mystery of a moth which ended up 4000 miles from home, hear what our brains see when we can't and talk about returning treasures to where they came from.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton

Panel: Chhavi Sachdev + Tristan Ahtone

Producer: Julia Ravey

Production team: Harrison Lewis, Jonathan Blackwell + Tom Taylor

Studio Engineer: Gavin Wong

We dig for scientific gold in the form of seeds, aliens and cats

Following the discovery of the golden owl, we look for scientific treasures on Earth and beyond

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The wild boars who's unanticipated vacay to Rome has gone on for so long and caused so much carnage that researchers are putting them on birth control.

The microbes potentially hitching a ride to the moon via space probes and astronauts' poo

The multi-destination parasite who wreaks havoc as it interrails through snails (castrating them on the way), frogs (making them spout multiple limbs) and birds.

But there are some instances when tourists can be a good thing - and this is especially the case in the human body when we want to grow a baby. How is in that we are able to protect what should be an 'unwelcome visitor' from a hyperalert, hostile immune system? Our expert Edward Chuong explains.

Plus, we uncover the DNA origins of the world's most popular coffee bean, hear the freeloading activities of the male angular fish, and read out a selection of your wonderful emails.

Presenter: Caroline Steel

Panellists: Phillys Mwatee & Christine Yohannes

Producer: Julia Ravey

Production team: Emily Knight, Noa Dowling

Studio manager: Emma Harth

Following anti-tourism protests in Spain, we're looking at the world's peskiest visitors

From roaming boars to extra-limb growing parasites, the Unexpected Elements team battle it out for the title of world's worst tourist

Take American 'Armless Archer' Matt Stutzman, who shoots arrows through the windows of his own house and car to recreate the high pressure of the Olympic stadium. He's chasing a thrill, and so are we!

We hear about the research on one extraordinary woman who had a medical condition which caused her to have no fear.

And we follow the fate of an extraordinary marine creature, who detaches his own arm in his quest for a mate.

We hear about why humans love to be scared - as long as it's all in good fun.

And we hear about the space debris falling to earth, and the thrilling quest of a plane full of scientists who want to watch it fall.

That and loads more unexpected elements in this week's show.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Tristan Ahtone and Affelia Wibisono

Producer: Emily Knight, with Harrison Lewis, Dan Welsh and Noa Dowling

Sound engineer: Gwynfor Jones

The high stakes of the Paralympics has us chasing a thrill!

From a woman with no ability to feel fear, to the team on a spacewalk just for fun, the unexpected Elements team are chasing a thrill!

On the anniversary of the invention of the word “robot ?, we discuss EU AI legislation and its parallels with science fiction of a century ago, regal handedness, Arctic golf courses and the time-capsule of all humanity, stuck to the side of the Voyager Probes.

Presented by Marnie Chesterton with Meral Jamal, Andrada Fiscutean, plus Prof Anje Schutze of Texas A&M University

Produced by Tom Bonnett, with Alex Mansfield and Dan Welsh

Can you visualize time? We don't all see it the same way

Marnie and pals look at time-related oddities, from the abolition of the leap second, to how some people feel they can actually see time stretching before them.

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 will make you question who you take on your next roller coaster ride.

Crack open the World Service archives to delve into the curious world of cryonics, exploring the science behind preserving bodies in suspended animation.

And, have you wondered what your favourite music genre says about you? We uncover the surprising psychology behind your musical tastes.

Presenters: Caroline Steele, with Andrada Fiscutean and Phillys Mwatee.

Producers: Harrison Lewis, with William Hornbrook, Debbie Kilbride and Noa Dowling

An upturned caravan has everyone baffled in Western France, time for a scientific shakeup

An upturned vehicle like no other has the authorities baffled. How did it end up like that?

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In response to this most bananas of auctions, the Unexpected Elements team are going bananas for bananas!

We investigate the science of slipping on a banana-skin. Is it just ‘cartoon physics' or are they actually a slip-hazard?

And did you know your breakfast banana might be - radioactive?

Also, can Romanian ethical hackers succeed where the police have failed? We look at the computer sleuths tackling real life missing persons cases.

We find the answer to why toads have evolved such dangerous skins, and yet more bananas, as we look at the pros and cons of the Ethiopian False Banana. Why hasn't this hardy plant conquered the world?

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Andrada Fiscutean and Christine Yohannes

Producers: Emily Knight, Alice Lipscombe-Southwell and William Hornbrook

Sound engineer: Searle Whittney

The Unexpected Elements team have gone bananas\u2026 for bananas!

The Unexpected Elements team have gone bananas - for bananas! From the science of slipping on banana skins, to the (allegedly) radioactive fruit, to the Ethiopian ‘false banana'.

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Christine Yohannes from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and Tristan Ahtone in Helsinki, Finland, join Marnie Chesterton to discuss all this, plus many more Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Christine Yohannes and Tristan Ahtone

Producers: Margaret Sessa-Hawkins, with Alice Lipscombe-Southwell and Lucy Davies

A Shanghai robo-traffic-cop has the team contemplating the science of traffic.

A Shanghai robo-traffic-cop has the team contemplating the various angles of traffic science.

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We examine how Star Trek inspired mobile phones – and the outfit of one of our panelists. Plus, we find out more about the impact Dana Scully from The X Files had on a generation of girls. And what does psychology say about fandom?

But how can science influence the films? We speak to Dr Adam Rutherford, a geneticist, broadcaster, and, importantly, scientific advisor for movies. What does that last role involve? Which films get the science right? And is scientific accuracy important for a Hollywood blockbuster?

Also in the programme, we hear about the mysterious recent earthquakes in Ethiopia, and Unexpected Elements listeners with visual impairments get in touch to share the secrets of what they can see inside their heads. And finally, we take a look at the surprising connection between cricket and statistics.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton with Andrada Fiscutean and Christine Yohannes

Producer: Florian Bohr with Alice Lipscombe-Southwell and Anna Charalambou

Sound engineer: Cath McGhee

Macron's comments on Emily in Paris has us unpicking the power of television.

French President Emmanuel Macron has said “we will fight hard ? to keep Emily in Paris in France. How have film and TV shaped – and been shaped by – science?

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We explore Mumbai's lunch delivery system – train based, of course, which has the sort of error rate that delivery firms arounds the world can only dream of. We ask what it takes to run a railway on time, and look at how the bullet train changed Japan, with history professor Jessamyn Abel.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton

Producers: Margaret Sessa-Hawkins with Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, Robbie Wojciechowski, Lucy Davies

The anniversary of the first passenger steam train has us examining the science of trains

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Presenter: Marnie Chesterton

Panellists: Christine Yohannes and Candice Bailey

Guests: Bryan Nichols, Pennsylvania State University and Matt Kaberline, founder of the Dog Aging Project.

Producer: Tom Bonnett with Dan Welsh, Emily Knight, Julia Ravey and Noa Dowling

It's party time and we look to science for advice on clothes, cake and singing

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

What do stickleback fish have to do with millions of people's voting intentions?

In a year when billions of people have been go to the ballot box, what do stickleback fish have to do with it?

Which bit of science will win Best Picture? Who will take home the Best Supporting Actor? And will Prof Elaine Chew play us out with her Best Original Music?

The nominations include a particularly noisy tiny fish, a sweating mannequin, and a composition based on a misbehaving heartbeat. All this plus your correspondence and a discussion of how far science infuses the real Academy Awards.

Presented by Marnie Chesterton with Godfred Boafo and Camilla Moto.

Featuring pianist Elaine Chew, Professor of Engineering at Kings College London.

Produced by Alex Mansfield, with Tom Bonnet, Harrison Lewis, Dan Welsh and Katie Tomsett.

As award season reaches its climax, Unexpected Elements holds its own glitzy ceremony.

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 might give you away!

We then turn our attention to the cinema to find out more about the chemicals you release during a scary film.

We're also joined by chemist Professor Matija Strlic, who reveals how he can detect aromas in ancient Egyptian mummies and – crucially – tells us why he wants to do this.

That, plus many more Unexpected Elements.

Presenters: Marnie Chesterton, with Kai Kupferschmidt and Affelia Wibisono

Producers: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, with William Hornbrook, Debbie Kilbride, Imaan Moin and Noa Dowling

We sniff out stories about death, lies, cinema and COVID...

Five years after the COVID-19 lockdowns, many are still suffering from a changed sense of smell - and that got the team thinking about all things stinky.

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First up, we find out about the forces that build and shape the seaside.

Next, we discover that the waves from the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai eruption reached the atmosphere.

Speaking of waves, we're joined by Dr Edward Hurme from the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behaviour, who tells us about his research into surfing bats.

And why are beaches disappearing?

All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Tristan Ahtone and Phillys Mwatee

Producers: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, with Imaan Moin, Robbie Wojciechowski and Lucy Davies

With people visiting the seaside, we investigate bucketloads of beach-based science

We investigate bucketloads of beach-based science. We dig into how beaches form, we find out about the waves that hit the atmosphere, and we learn why sand is disappearing.

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Plus the dark science going on in a gold mine, whether we can move at the speed of light, and the debate around golden rice. All that, plus more unexpected elements.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton

Producers: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, with Margaret Sessa-Hawkins, Robbie Wojciechowski and Lucy Davies.

Record-high gold prices have us searching for science nuggets

As gold prices hit record highs, we ponder the science of inflation, and why gold is leaking from volcanoes

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Also on the show, visual ecologist Daniel Hanley has created a camera to help us visualize the world animals see, and why are there green birds, green insects, but no green mammals?

All that plus more Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton

Producers: Margaret Sessa-Hawkins, Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, and Ella Hubber

The end of Australian soap opera Neighbours has us looking at the science of being sad

The end of Australian soap opera Neighbours has us contemplating the science of television, vision, and neighbours.

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This week, the global demand for Labubu inspired us to play around with trend-based science. First up, we hear how the special sauce behind TikTok's algorithm helps drive viral trends.

Next, we find out that humans are not the only ones that love a fad – chimpanzees are susceptible to them too!

We then discover what connects the hugely popular Beanie Baby toys of the 1990s with modern CubeSat exploration, thanks to aerospace engineer Professor James Cutler, from the University of Michigan.

Plus, we discuss a weird object thousands of light-years away that could lead to new physics.

And why do we find songs annoying after multiple listens?

All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Godfred Boafo and Edd Gent

Producers: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, with Imaan Moin, Lucy Davies and Margaret Sessa Hawkins

The fad for ugly-cute Labubu dolls has us playing around with the science of trends.

Ugly-cute Labubu dolls are the current must-have toy (just ask TikTok), which has us playing around with the science of trends.

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In 2020, 3.6 billion people – nearly half the global population – lacked access to safely managed sanitation. Diseases such as cholera, typhoid, dysentery, and diarrhoea can spread amongst populations who still practice open defecation.

And lack of access to a functioning toilet disproportionately affects women.

But even if you do have access to a flushing toilet, do you always close the lid? Researchers have measured the invisible aerosol plumes that rise up from the pan of an uncovered toilet flush, potentially spreading other communicable diseases including respiratory infections including even SARS-CoV2.

But flushing toilets are resource heavy. A normal flush can use 5l of water. Could they be re-conceived?

Prof Shannon Yee of Georgia Tech swings my to give us the latest on the “Reinventing the Toilet ? project. Next March they hope to unveil the production model of the second generation reinvented toilet (“G2RT ?). Much like other household appliances, it could run from a domestic power source, yet turn a family's faecal matter and urine into clean water and a small amount of ash, with out the need for the grand and expensive sewage infrastructure required by more normal flushing cisterns.

In the black sea meanwhile, AI is being deployed to track the dwindling populations of the beluga sturgeon, from whom the luxury food caviar is harvested.

We discuss sightings of cryptids (mythical or scarcely believable animals) you have sent us, and after the announcement of the rediscovery of a rare echidna species in Indonesia, we look at how conservation and natural history expeditions have changed over the course of the broadcasting career of Sir David Attenborough.

Presenter: Alex Lathbridge, with Andrada Fiscutean and Tristan Ahtone

Producer: Alex Mansfield, with Margaret Sessa Hawkins, Dan Welsh and Ben Motley

Nov 19 is UN World Toilet Day. Can the world sanitation crisis be tackled?

Nov 19 is UN World Toilet Day. Can breaking down the toilet taboo help tackle the world sanitation crisis? Alex Lathbridge, Andrada Fiscutean and Tristan Ahtone lift the lid.

You might assume that Olympic gold medallists have more successful lives than their silver-placed competitors. A study shows that on average winners die a year younger than the runners up, and earn less money.

In the invasive jelly-fish wars of the Black Sea of recent years, it seems the second-comers prevailed over the voracious first-timers.

And what about siblings? Does the first-born in a family really have any discernible advantage in life?

Also, the potential perils of cutting-edge wearable medi-tech, the value of second opinions, and the chemical benefits of silver itself.

Presented by Marnie Chesterton, with Godfred Boafo and Andrada Fiscutean

Produced by Alex Mansfield, with Dan Welsh, Julia Ravey and Noa Dowling

Sound by Gwynfor Jones

Does the winner really always take it all?

In an interview, the billionaire NR Narayana Murthy said that young people should be ready to work 70 hours a week to help the country's development, suggesting that unless productivity improved, India would not be able to compete with other countries.

But if you work twice as long, do you get twice as much done? The Unexpected Elements team on three continents look at research that sheds light on whether a 70 hour working week is actually as productive as Mr Murthy suggests.

And if you're working all the time there's less time for sleep – we hear about the marine mammals that manage on 2 hours a day, and the Inuit hunters in northern Canada who follow a similar pattern.

We're also joined by Environmental Economist Matthew Agarwala, wondering whether traditional notions of productivity ignore the issues of the climate and well-being.

Our ‘Under the Radar' story this week is from Kenya, where Trachoma - a bacterial infection – is still causing people to become blind. It's one of a group of a diseases known as ‘neglected tropical diseases', but why are they neglected, and what can we do about it?

In ‘Ask the Unexpected' a listener wonders why eating makes some pregnant women sick and not others. We ask an expert for the answer, and we discover that the menopause is not as unique to humans as we used to think.

All that plus your emails and messages, including a listener who left a cult as a result of learning another language, and the mystery of the Eastern Australian Panther.

Presented by Marnie Chesterton, with Phillys Mwatee and Meral Jamal.

Produced by Ben Motley, with Alex Mansfield and Tom Bonnett.

If you work twice as long, do you get twice as much done? The team look at the science behind a debate in India about whether people should work a 70 hour week.