Australia
Brazil
Canada
Germany
India
Ireland
Japan
Mexico
New Zealand
Philippines
South Africa
United Kingdom
Discovery
From BBC World Service
Science
Unexpected Elements
by BBC World Service
Today: #150 in Science on our combined chart.
Today: #71 in Science, United Kingdom on our combined chart.
Today: #100 in Science, Canada on our combined chart.
Today: #76 in Science, Australia on our combined chart.
Today: #148 in Science, Brazil on our combined chart.
Today: #174 in Science, Mexico on our combined chart.
Today: #66 in Science, New Zealand on our combined chart.
Today: #63 in Science, Ireland on our combined chart.
Today: #177 in Science, India on our combined chart.
Today: #139 in Science, Philippines on our combined chart.
Today: #82 in Science, South Africa on our combined chart.
Chart positions today · United States
Not on the Germany charts we track today.
Not on the Japan charts we track today.
If you like Unexpected Elements, try…
CrowdScience
From BBC World Service
Today I Learned Science
Also in Science
Show Me the Science with Luke O'Neill
Also in Science
Starting Point
Also in Science
BBC Inside Science
Also in Science
Ranking history · United States
Latest daily rankings: Oct 27. New rankings will appear after the next update.
Position on the Science combined chart over the last 14 days. Toggle platforms to compare their positions. Lower rank numbers are better.
Episode releases
View as table
| Date | Combined Rank | Apple Podcasts | Castbox |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 27 | #150 | #134 | — |
| Oct 26 | #112 | #98 | #80 |
| Oct 25 | #112 | #94 | #95 |
| Oct 24 | #151 | #137 | — |
| Oct 23 | — | #191 | — |
| Oct 21 | — | #194 | — |
| Oct 20 | #163 | #147 | — |
| Oct 19 | #117 | #98 | #92 |
| Oct 18 | #134 | #114 | — |
| Oct 17 | #147 | #128 | — |
| Oct 15 | — | #198 | — |
| Oct 14 | #195 | #179 | — |
Latest episodes
-
Building bridges
October 23, 2026 · 50 minA new bridge has just been opened between China and North Korea after a 12-year delay. And that got the Unexpected Elements team thinking about some bridge-related science. We start things off by finding out about the microscopic bridges…
-
Taking a shortcut
October 16, 2026 · 50 minAfter a Chinese fitness influencer was caught hitching a lift on a bicycle during the Berlin Marathon, the Unexpected Elements team find themselves contemplating a range of scientific shortcuts. First up, we hear about how Earthlings may…
-
Walk the line
October 9, 2026 · 50 minEstonian athlete Jaan Roose recently completed a jaw-dropping slackline display, performing daredevil tricks 120 metres above the streets of central Seoul, South Korea. This exciting event by a world champion slackliner got the Unexpected…
-
Rogue Agents
October 2, 2026 · 50 minThis week’s news of an AI agent managing to hack into an Australian government website has the Unexpected Elements team exploring the sneaky science of infiltration. Marnie Chesterton is joined by science journalists Paul Adepoju and…
-
An identity crisis
September 25, 2026 · 50 minWhen a NATO fighter jet was sent to investigate what appeared to be a suspicious drone near Vilnius airport, the culprit turned out to be something rather less threatening: a flock of birds. Inspired by this case of mistaken identity, the…
Show 7 more episodesShow fewer episodes
-
A distorted view
September 18, 2026 · 50 minWith the United Nations encouraging wider use of the Equal Earth map, a projection designed to better represent the true size of Earth's landmasses, the Unexpected Elements team have been thinking about distortion and the surprising new…
-
The phizz-whizzing science of Roald Dahl
September 11, 2026 · 50 minRoald Dahl Day is celebrated each year on 13 September. Dahl gave us much-loved children’s books like Matilda, The BFG and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which have captivated kids for generations. Dahl is also a controversial figure…
-
The show must go on
September 4, 2026 · 50 minThe 80th birthday celebrations of the late, great Queen frontman Freddie Mercury have us marvelling at mercury at an elemental level: as a killer, a cure and more. First, we hear about how to make a telescope mirror out of a spinning bowl…
-
A very dry episode
August 28, 2026 · 50 minVast swathes of Europe and Asia are experiencing drought conditions, thanks to relentless heatwaves and lack of rain. This week, we find out why drought conditions could unexpectedly lead to an increase in water-borne disease. Next up…
-
Fashionably late
August 21, 2026 · 50 minNews of an Australian library book finally finding its way home 150 years after it was borrowed has the Unexpected Elements team thinking about things that get forgotten, filed away or simply turn up much later than expected. We start with…
-
Light entertainment
August 14, 2026 · 50 minAs Europe experiences its first total solar eclipse in almost 30 years this week, Unexpected Elements investigates the surprising science that emerges when sunlight is blocked out. We travel to the forests of Italy, where we investigate…
-
Someone's always watching
August 7, 2026 · 50 minThe UK's Royal Society for the Protection of Birds has found that birdwatching is the second-fastest growing hobby amongst Gen Z with 750,000 of them regularly venturing into the outdoors to spot some of our feathered friends. Inspired by…
About the show
The news you know, the science you don’t. Unexpected Elements looks beyond everyday narratives to discover a goldmine of scientific stories and connections from around the globe. From Afronauts, to why we argue, to a deep dive on animal lifespans: see the world in a new way.