In Our Time - Silicon
Misha Glenny and guests discuss the physics, biology and chemistry of the element silicon which is at the heart of some of the most useful and beautiful objects on the planet. While it is still being created throughout the universe, the silicon we have here was made billions of years ago in dying stars. In its compounds we have long used silicon for glass and, more recently, purified silicon has become the foundation of modern electronics. Perhaps less appreciated is the role silicon compounds play in the biology of life on Earth, on the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and the cycling of elements between land, oceans and atmosphere that sustains us.
With
Kate Hendry
Oceanographer at the British Antarctic Survey and Bye-Fellow of Queen’s College, University of Cambridge
Andrea Sella
Professor of Chemistry at University College London
And
Monica Grady
Professor Emerita in Planetary and Space Sciences at the Open University
Produced by Martha Owen
Reading list:
Christina De La Rocha and Daniel J. Conley, Silica Stories (Springer, 2017)
Bernard Quéguiner, The Biogeochemical Cycle of Silicon in the Ocean (John Wiley & Sons, 2016)
In Our Time is a BBC Studios Production
Spanning history, religion, culture, science and philosophy, In Our Time from BBC Radio 4 is essential listening for the intellectually curious. In each episode, host Misha Glenny and expert guests explore the characters, events and discoveries that have shaped our world.
Published on Thursday, 23rd April 2026.
Available Podcasts from In Our Time
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