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Science

Unexpected Elements

by BBC World Service

Today: #178 in Science on our combined chart.

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#178 New on this chart
#161 Pulse 3

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DateApple Podcasts
Oct 3#161

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.

Latest episodes

  • Rogue Agents

    October 2, 2026 · 50 min

    This 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 min

    When 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…

  • A distorted view

    September 18, 2026 · 50 min

    With 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 min

    Roald 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 min

    The 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 min

    Vast 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 min

    News 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 min

    As 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…