Unexpected Elements - The beautiful game

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

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

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

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

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

Published on Friday, 12th June 2026.

Available Podcasts from Unexpected Elements

Subscribe to Unexpected Elements

We are not the BBC, we only list available podcasts. To find out more about the programme including episodes available on BBC iPlayer, go to the Unexpected Elements webpage.