We take a look at some exciting science of the near future. First, the latest developments in animal-to-human organ transplants and the ambitious goals of eliminating cervical cancer around the wor...
We revisit our listeners’ favourite topics and dig deeper in this special programme.First, we hear from some of our insomniac listeners and explore how we fall asleep with neuroscientist Dr Ada Eba...
This Boxing Day and holiday season, our present to you is the science of gifts.First, we investigate the health benefits of donating blood, and find out about the predator sharing a feast of food i...
The end of Australian soap opera Neighbours has us wondering why a television series ending makes us sad. Also, what does science say about how to engage with screens while still protecting your vi...
Over the Christmas season, it is estimated that some 3.6 million families in Japan will tuck into KFC over Christmas (other fried chicken is available), which inspired the Unexpected Elements team ...
A teddy bear launched into the upper atmosphere as part of a school science project has gone missing! Inspired by this story, the Unexpected Elements team look into how bears could help improve ast...
The Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer by Gustav Klimt has recently sold for $236m, making it the second-most expensive artwork ever sold at auction. Inspired by this headline, the Unexpected Elements t...
The Miss Universe pageant final has us considering the science of beauty. How much of our perception of beauty is genetic, and how much is down to personal experiences? We also look at the science ...
A 150-year-old bottle of Arctic Ale is being uncapped, which got the team talking about all things related to yeast, beer, and opening things. First, we hear about a rare condition where the body b...
As rescue and relief efforts in the Caribbean are ongoing after Hurricane Melissa, Unexpected Elements looks at the science of storms. We explore how AI might help us better predict the weather pat...
The daylight robbery of precious crown jewels from the Louvre museum in Paris has us stealing your attention to inspect heists and crime scenes in science.We explore how stealthy spiders use tricks...
Europe has a new entry/exit system based on biometric data. But what exactly is the science behind biometric data, how can we ensure it’s used responsibly, and can it be cracked?We also look at how...
Record high gold prices have us looking at the science of inflation, why gold is leaking from volcanoes, and entomologist Katy Prudic explains why shiny gold can be a good color for camouflage.Plus...
Egyptian strongman Ashraf Mahrous recently pulled two ships totalling 1,150 tonnes with his teeth, setting his sights on the Guinness World Record. Inspired by this story, this week we’re tackling ...
The launch of Taylor Swift’s much-anticipated 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, has inspired this week’s episode of Unexpected Elements.First up, we hear how a Brazilian songbird courts it...
This week marks 200 years since the first steam train pulled passengers over 26 miles of north-east England’s countryside, and started a revolution. Jump on board for show filled with train tales.W...
For International Talk Like a Pirate Day on 19th September, we dig up a treasure chest full of pirate-inspired science.First up, we peer down our microscopes at a bacterium that takes its inspirati...
The inauguration of Africa’s largest hydroelectric dam has us looking at how we decide when, where, and even whether to build dams.But humans aren’t the only ones building dams – Loren Taylor of th...
A dinosaur with metre-long spikes has been discovered. The species, Spicomellus afer, is from the Jurassic Period and is the oldest example of a group of animals called ankylosaurs. The scientists ...
It’s August, and in the northern hemisphere, many people are hitting the beach to escape the summer heat. And that inspired us to investigate bucketloads of beach-based science. First up, we find o...
