BBC Radio Podcasts from Unexpected Elements
Computer memories and quantum futures
From silicon chips behind the Iron Curtain to quantum computing in the cloud.
Beyoncé, banjos and dancing chemistry
Beyonce's reappraisal of who can do country music spurs an Unexpected Elements hoedown
Unexpected elections
What do stickleback fish have to do with millions of people’s voting intentions?
G.O.A.T
The greatest baseball player of all time and the greatest science to boot!
Ancient water, modern solutions
With water shortages and melting ice caps making the news we look at unexpected solutions
Fandom: The next generation
K-Pop fans send us on a journey into fandom through Star Trek, football and physics
Unexpected Oscars
As award season reaches its climax, Unexpected Elements holds its own glitzy ceremony.
Leaping in Sync
As the leap year helps keep us in sync, we explore nature’s ways of staying in rhythm
Going the distance
A tribute to marathon runner Kelvin Kiptum and the science behind his record performances
Not so random acts of kindness
Are African spiders behind the ultimate act of kindness in nature?
Deep in thought
News of a microchip implanted in a human brain sends our imagination running wild
How plankton made mountains
The world’s largest cruise ship has set sail – but what stowaways are hiding onboard?
Populations of people, frogs and microbes
With China’s population declining, would decreasing populations be better for the planet?
Rulers and the rules of ageing
Under the stress and strains of leadership, how might power affect youthfulness?
Super corals and science diplomacy
Could tensions around the Red Sea affect research into heat-resistant super corals?
Timing is everything
Can you visualize time? We don’t all see it the same way
The Best of Unexpected Elements
Marnie Chesterton and Caroline Steel look back at some of the best bits of the show.
A very dark day
The solstice takes us on a journey through darkness and light.
An exploration of empathy
On the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration Of Human Rights, we look at empathy
Boring science
How might our future lie underground?
Meetings with intelligent worms
From worm blobs to mangoes - there’s more to meetings than you thought.
All about cricket(s)
The science of spitting on cricket balls, particle accelerators and insect sounds
Why we need to talk toilets
Nov 19 is UN World Toilet Day. Can the world sanitation crisis be tackled?
Working 70 hours a week
If you work twice as long, do you get twice as much done?
Scary science
Is fear good for you? In the week where many celebrated Halloween, we look at the science
Fashion to dye for
As Lagos Fashion Week begins, we follow the trends into science
Putting Madonna to the test
Do Madonna's lyrics stand up to scientific scrutiny?
How bedbugs took over the world
Why is bedbugs' unconventional mode of reproduction so successful?
Complete shutdown
How would it feel wake up several years later?
How inflation affects the entire cosmos
The science behind news about inflation leads us to the first moments of the universe.
Can technology read our mind?
The UN General Assembly has us examining how our brains process language
Forgetful fish, telescopic worms and bad air days
As oceans take the heat for global warming, fish find it harder to learn their way.
Zombies, cows and coups
The wasp that turns cockroaches into zombies and the science hiding behind coups
Protecting the Moon
India's lunar landing has us looking at unexpected science around the moon
The man who couldn’t lie
Why do we believe in conspiracy theories, and what’s going on in our brains when we lie?
Corrupted thinking and cancerous co-option
Can scientific thinking detect political and corporate corruption?
Some of our universe is missing
Could science help trace Yevgeny Prigozhin, and the missing gas in the cosmos?
The World Cup and hallucinogenic bananas
The unexpected science of the World Cup and are banana skins hallucinogenic?
Password1234#Invisibility&Moonshot
Why do teenagers share passwords so often?
Barbie in Space
How Barbie is helping humans return to the moon, and is the colour pink actually real?
Nato and the left-handed universe
Nato’s summit has us considering decision-making and the balance of the universe
Unexpected elements on the sea bed
The team discover mysterious potato shaped nodules and hydroelectric power in your garden
Predictions from the sky and murderous fish
Celebrations of Eid send us on a science-filled odyssey to the stars.
Hayfever, paleobotany and snot palaces
Why does pollen make us sick, what it tells us about the past; and a look at snot palaces
Wildfires and wild animals
Smog in North America leads us to conservationists using air pollution to track animals.
Collapsing pensions and civilisations
French pension protests lead us to the lifespans of people, naked mole rats and societies
Migrate ideas
The science behind migration, a wall of wind and the real life human labour supporting AI
Signals, seaweed and space
The anniversary of the telegraph sparks an unexpected conversation about bioelectricity.
Co-operation and cohesion
Social cohesion, cellular cohesion and glue. Science stories inspired by election news
Coronation exploration
Why are rituals so important to humans - and why do they often involve precious objects?
Return of Cyclone Freddy
Record-breaking Cyclone Freddy devastates Mozambique for the second time in one month.
Human genome editing: Promise and Peril
What are the benefits and limitations of gene editing?
Drought worsens in East Africa
Why the long rains in East Africa are forecast to fail again.
Animals at the Wuhan Market
What does animal DNA from the Wuhan Market reveal about the start of the pandemic?
Cyclone Freddy batters Madagascar
Cyclone Freddy batters Madagascar and threatens Mozambique and South Africa.
CRISPR & bioethics
He Jiankui refuses to talk about his controversial genome editing of twin babies in 2018.
Turkey-Syria earthquake
Turkey’s most powerful earthquake on record
Science on ice
The different forms of frozen water from ice made in labs to Jupiter’s icy moons
Bird flu (H5N1) outbreak in mink
A review of the first mammal to mammal transmission of avian flu, observed in Spain
Climate science activism
What happens when climate scientists take to the streets?
Atmospheric rivers
The phenomenon driving California’s extreme weather
One year on from the Tonga eruption
We take a look at everything we’ve learnt since the Tonga volcano erupted a year ago.
The James Webb Space Telescope - the first 6 months
NASA's James Webb Telescope: science in the images
Mosquito pesticide failing
Mosquito pesticide failing
Fusion milestone
Fusion milestone - the science behind the headlines
Ancient warmth in Greenland
Climate change in the Arctic
COVID spreads in China
COVID spreads in China
A distant planet’s atmosphere
A distant planet's atmosphere
Online harassment of Covid scientists
Virologists studying Covid-19 have been subject to online threats.
Neurons that restore walking in paralysed patients
Neurons that restore walking in patients with spinal cord injuries have been identified.
What peat can tell us about our future
Peat can offer us early alarm bells to climate change tipping points.
Seismic events on Mars
New data from Nasa reveals information on Mars’ origin and evolution.
The most powerful explosion ever recorded
A celestial explosion has produced the brightest beam of light ever observed
Inserting human neurons into the brains of rats
Fusing the brain of a human with a rat could offer insight into neurological disorders
Nobel Prize 2022: The science behind the winners
We meet the winners behind this week’s Nobel Prize announcements
The final moments of DART
Reflections on NASA’s latest mission as it hits an asteroid 11 million km from earth
Should we mine the deep sea?
A new license for deep sea mining could change the way we harvest rare earth minerals.
Science and the causes behind Pakistan’s floods
A new report demonstrates the impact of global warming on flooding in Pakistan.
The genetics of human intelligence
A single gene mutation may have propelled a major leap in human brain development
The China Heatwave and the New Normal
The record-breaking heatwave in China and its connection to extreme weather elsewhere
Surprises from a Martian Lake Bed
The latest analysis of Nasa’s perseverance discoveries confounds scientists’ expectations
Deadly drought
The gloomy predictions for East Africa’s long running drought
Icelandic volcano erupts again
Science in the heat of Iceland's new volcanic eruption
Synthetic mouse embryos with brains and hearts
Researchers make synthetic mouse embryos with brains and beating hearts from stem cells
The first galaxies at the universe's dawn
James Webb Space Telescope expands our view of the universe ever deeper back in time
Heat waves in the Northern Hemisphere
Heat waves in the Northern Hemisphere - how and why more frequent and more extreme?
First images from the James Webb Space Telescope
A sensational new view of the universe from the James Webb Space Telescope.
Long Covid ‘brain fog’
New insights into the cause of Long Covid ‘brain fog’
Extreme heat death risk in Latin America
New study reveals risk of death as temperatures rise in Latin American cities
Monster microbe
Gigantic bacterium discovered in the Caribbean. It’s the size and shape of an eyelash.
Thirty years after the Earth Summit
Thirty years on, we ask what has the Earth Summit in Rio achieved?
Body scan reveals HIV's hideouts
Science news and highlights of the week
Should we worry about the latest Omicron subvariants?
Two recent subtypes of the Omicron virus are much better at evading our immune defences.
Heat death by volcano and other stories
New insights into Tonga’s cataclysmic volcanic eruption revealed
Death in the rainforest
Climate change may have doubled the death rate of rainforest trees over the last 50 years
Portrait of the monster black hole at our galaxy’s heart
Astronomers image the supermassive black hole at the centre of the Milky Way galaxy
Mekong Delta will sink beneath the sea by 2100
Vietnam’s vast Mekong Delta is set to sink beneath the sea by the end of the century
The Indian subcontinent’s record-breaking heatwave
The Indian subcontinent is roasting in a prolonged heatwave. Is climate change to blame?
Climate techno-fix would worsen global malaria burden
Climate techno-fix would worsen global malaria burden
How ‘magic mushroom’ chemical treats depression
Brain scanning study reveals how psilocybin can help people with severe depression
Tsunami detective in Tonga
What really happened in the cataclysmic eruption of the volcano Hunga Tonga in January?
Radioactive Red Forest
Are Russian troops in forests around Chernobyl receiving a dangerous dose of radiation?
Covid in the sewers
Could novel forms of the virus be lurking in wastewater?
Why are Covid19 cases rising in Hong Kong?
The territory is experiencing a rapid increase in infections and deaths
Covid -19 origins
New analysis shows where inside the Wuhan market the virus first showed itself.
Reforming the 'China Initiative'
US scheme accused of persecuting scientists is to be refocused
Bone repair from Covid-19 vaccine technology
Messenger RNA used in vaccines against Covid-19 has been used to encourage bone healing
Inside Wuhan's coronavirus lab
The inside story of Wuhan’s coronavirus lab,
Identifying a more infectious HIV variant
A new form of HIV has been uncovered in the Netherlands.
The roots of Long Covid
Detecting the early signals for long Covid
Tonga eruption – how it happened
Why a small volcanic eruption had a global impact
Have we got it wrong on Omicron?
It seems to be no more viable than the earlier delta variant
CORBEVAX – A vaccine for the world?
Could a cheap and conventional vaccine for Coivd19 end the pandemic?
Omicron – mild or monster?
Cases of the latest coronavirus variant are mild, so far – but that’s not the whole story
Omicron’s rapid replication rate
Omicron replicates seventy times faster than earlier variants.
Can the weather trigger a volcano?
The eruption of Semeru in Java was linked to heavy rain
Omicron, racism and trust
How the global political response to the new variant is hampering science in Africa
Deliberately doomed dart
The sacrificial space mission designed to protect the Earth from asteroid impact.
The end for coal power?
The fossil fuel is on target to be replaced with renewables in both India and China.
Bambi got Covid
Why the discovery of Covid 19 in white-tail deer has implications for climate policy
Jet fuel from thin air
A solar powered solution to emissions creates aviation fuel by extracting gases from air
Can we still avoid climate catastrophe?
The UNEP Emissions Gap Report reveals we need to do more to reach our climate goals.
Red blood cells’ surprising immune function
New research reveals red blood cells form part of the body’s immune defence.
Wetlands under attack
The invasive cordgrass taking over China’s coastal wetlands.
Youngest rock samples from the moon
Youngest samples from lava flows on the moon returned by Chang’e-5 mission
Drug resistant malaria found in East Africa
The spread of resistance to one of the most important anti-malarials
New evidence for SARS-CoV-2’s origin in bats
Study of bats in Laos has identified viruses with a similar spike protein to SARS-CoV-2
Ebola can remain dormant for five years
Ebola infections can re-emerge after five years, and cause new outbreaks
Keep most fossil fuel in ground to meet 1.5 degree goal
90% of coal and 60% of oil and gas must remain untouched for world to meet climate target
Methane - a climate solution?
Can reductions in this potent greenhouse gas help keep global temperature rises down?
Record-shattering weather
Why we should expect more sudden extreme temperatures
Insects in incredible detail
Insects; climate change & the law; missions to Venus; masks with Covid detecting sensors
Nyiragongo Eruption
Understanding ‘ The world’s most dangerous volcano’
Robot revolution
The robot arm that comes with feelings
Covid and clean air
How improving indoor air quality can prevent illness from many viruses
Africa’s oldest burial
A fossilised child reveals an ancient caring society
Uncovering history with Little Foot's skull
Scanning Little Foot’s skull at the Diamond Light Source.
Waste not, want not
Novel recycling to make new products
Weird weather
Why is there snow in Texas?
Perseverance approaches Mars
How Perseverance will land on Mars
Mixing Covid vaccines
Can Covid vaccines be mixed?
Saving the Northern White Rhino
Bringing back the Northern White Rhino from extinction
Gravitational waves and black holes
Gravitational waves from colliding supermassive black holes
New variants of SARS-Cov2
SARS-Cov2: UK and South African new variants
Coping with Covid
Making sense of a year of confusion
2021 the year of variants
The year began with Alpha and ends with Omicron, what have we learnt?
A year with Covid -19
Looking back on how the virus emerged and the scientific response
Covid -19 – Mutations are normal
Viral mutations happen all the time but we still need to be wary of their impact.
The unchecked spread of Covid-19 in Manaus
Around three-quarters of the city’s population are thought to have been infected
Freak weather getting even freakier
This year has seen record-breaking Atlantic hurricanes, and now an Australian heatwave
Vaccines – the Covid confusion
The problems with incomplete or contradictory trial data published by press release.
Covid- 19 – Good news on immunity
Immunity to the virus may last longer than previously thought
Covid-19 defeats US Marines
The virus spread amongst recruits despite a range of thorough precautions
Coronavirus spreads from mink to humans
What does transmission of coronavirus from mink to humans mean for the future vaccine?
Osiris Rex stows asteroid material
Science news and highlights of the week
Nasa probe Osiris Rex lands on asteroid
Science news and highlights of the week
Covid -19 mortality
Why is there such a range in the number of deaths from Covid -19 between countries?
Do Covid–19 mutations matter?
Results from the most detailed investigation to date into mutations in the Covid-19 virus
Are children the biggest Covid-19 spreaders?
Are children are spreading the virus more than any other group
Why Covid -19 vaccines may not stop transmission
They're only designed to prevent disease developing, none have been tested against spread
Malaria resistance breakthrough
Discovered in East Africa, the finding holds promise for completely new treatments.
Covid -19 science versus politics
Are the politicians finally coming round to the scientist’s views on the way forward?
Nyiragongo - is Goma under threat?
More than 2 million people live around this volcano, which has become more active
Covid-19 Therapy Controversy
Is convalescent plasma really a ‘tremendous’ treatment for Covid-19?
Trouble in Greenland
Greenland Ice Sheet; stalagmites & climate change;
Putin’s Covid-19 vaccine
Despite widespread alarm, Russia is not about to roll out an untested vaccine.
Counting the heat health threat from climate change
Future heat death toll; infections we catch from wildlife;
NASA rover heads for Mars ancient lake
NASA 2020 rover launched on fresh search for life on Mars
Making a Covid-19 vaccine for two billion people
The challenge of making two billion Covid-19 vaccine doses within the year.
How long do Covid-19 antibodies last?
New research on how long our defences against the coronavirus last.
Rwanda’s game changing coronavirus test
African scientists have developed a reliable, quicker and cheaper mass testing method
Covid-19 and children
Why a minority become gravely ill is still a mystery
Record high temperatures – in the Arctic
Siberia has seen 38 degrees Celsius, 100 degrees Fahrenheit
Covid -19 hope for severe cases
A readily available drug prevents some deaths, and others may also be useful
Food security, locusts and Covid -19
Efforts to irradiate locust swarms and save harvests continue despite the pandemic
The medical complexity of Covid -19
Understanding viral damage to the brain and heart
Brazil’s Covid chaos
Numbers of cases and deaths may be much higher than official figures show
Loosening lockdown
Understanding which situations pose the highest risk for virus transmission is key.
Covid -19 new hope from blood tests
Research from New York shows how our own immune response is responding to Covid 19
Ebola drug offers hope for Covid-19
Early trials suggest Remdesivir can aid recovery
Presidents and pandemics
Why they don’t mix
Italy, getting Covid 19 under control
Tentative steps to relax the lockdown
The impossibility of social distancing and even handwashing in crowded refugee camps
The impossibility of social distancing and even handwashing in crowded refugee camps
Covid 19 – The fightback in Africa begins
As cases spread in Nigeria, can lessons from Ebola counter covid 19 ?
The science of social distancing
Research shows most important measure in limiting spread of Covid 19 is social distancing
Covid -19, are you carrying the virus?
Research from Italy and China, shows many people have the coronavirus but no symptoms
Covid -19 how infectious is it really?
As numbers continue to rise we look at pattern of transmission & prospects for treatments
Australia’s fires - fuelled by climate change
A study shows fires were at least 30% worse due to mankind’s influence on the climate.
Tracking coronavirus spread
More new cases of Covid-19 are now outside China than inside - how can we map the virus?
Monitoring Covid-19, harvests and space junk
Monitoring spread of Covid-19, harvests in Africa from space, and space junk
CoVid-19: Mapping the outbreak
A new public tool allows anyone to see where the virus is spreading.
Coronavirus, prospects for treatment?
Could untried drugs developed for Ebola stop the virus?
Understanding the Wuhan coronavirus
Analysis of the impact of the new virus.
Wuhan Coronavirus
What science can tell us about the emergence of a new virus in China
Mount Taal volcano
Why Mount Taal volcano near Manila produces so much ash and lightning
Australia’s extreme fire season
2019 was Australia’s hottest year on record, a major factor behind continued bushfires
Adapting California
Living with the threat of fires and earthquakes
Gaming climate change
Can a role playing game improve climate negotiation outcomes?
Understanding the Anak Krakatau eruption
How a relative small volcanic eruption caused a tsunami
White Island volcano eruption
Why a small eruption on White Island was so dangerous
CRISPR babies scandal – more details
Science news and highlights of the week
New Malaria target
Molecular research opens the way to prevent antimalarial resistance
Politics and Amazonia’s fires
Scientists refute government claims that this year’s Amazon fires have been normal
Australia burning
To what extent is ‘Bush fire weather’ influenced by climate change?
Climate in crisis
Inaction on climate change while the impact of air pollution is likened to smoking
Wildfires and winds in California
How dry land and high winds are fuelling fires in California
Is quantum supremacy ‘garbage’?
Has a new era of computing finally arrived or not, or is it both at the same time?
Malaria, origins and a potential new treatment
How malaria jumped species and why Antarctica may hold a new treatment
From batteries to distant worlds
Nobel Prize wins for a range of well-known discoveries
Global climate inaction
The latest climate report look like earlier ones, where is the call to action?
South East Asia choking - again
Why even staying indoors offers no escape from fires across the region
Embryoids from stem cells
Embryoids from stem cells; water vapour in atmosphere of rocky exoplanet
New evidence of nuclear reactor explosion
An isotopic fingerprint is reported of a nuclear explosion in Russia last month.
Nanotube computer says hello
A 16bit computer processor made of carbon nanotubes is unveiled to the world
Amazonian fires likely to worsen
Is it going to be a particularly bad burning season for Brazil’s rainforest?
Cracking the case of the Krakatoa volcano collapse
Scientists investigate the precise events around last year’s lethal eruption
The birth of a new volcano
A new undersea volcano has appeared off the coast of East Africa