Unexpected Elements Podcast
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.
Episodes to download
-
An eggciting episode
Yesterday
The Christian celebration of Easter got us thinking about egg-related science.
-
Navigating northward
Last Friday
The Northern lights have us wondering how to go north (and other unexpected directions).
-
-
Don’t be a fool!
Fri 28 Mar 2025
Your one stop shop for scientific pranking this April Fools’ Day!
-
-
The fast and the curious
Fri 14 Mar 2025
The Unexpected Elements team takes a whistlestop tour of all things fast!
-
Silent science
Fri 7 Mar 2025
An album produced by musical legends contains just silence, is there any science to it?
-
Topsy turvy
Fri 28 Feb 2025
An upturned caravan has everyone baffled in Western France, time for a scientific shakeup
-
Standing on the shoulders of giants
Fri 21 Feb 2025
The Unexpected Elements team are going supersized.
-
Let’s talk about love
Fri 14 Feb 2025
Dig into the science of love from monogamous rodents to AI chatbots and compatibility
-
-
-
Keep it clean
Fri 24 Jan 2025
A whole bathtub of science, from brains cleaning themselves to how space keeps sparkling
-
Circles, circumferences and Covid
Fri 17 Jan 2025
From ancient Earth measurements to viral cycles and the science of friendly limits
-
Scientist spotlight
Fri 10 Jan 2025
Humans outrunning horses, mountains made from plankton and much, much more.
-
(Re)New Year
Fri 3 Jan 2025
New year is giving Team Unexpected renewed chances to learn about regenerative science
-
-
The science of Santa
Fri 20 Dec 2024
The Unexpected Elements team are unwrapping the science of Santa!
-
-
Going home
Fri 6 Dec 2024
A potential homecoming for Chagossians got us investigating the science of home.
-
Doing a deal
Fri 29 Nov 2024
It's Black Friday! And Unexpected Elements are on a hunt for the best deals
-
Super Science
Fri 22 Nov 2024
Geopolitical superpowers have Team Unexpected on the hunt for scientific superheroes.
-
Are you not entertained?
Fri 15 Nov 2024
Gladiator II is hitting the cinemas, so the Unexpected Elements team enters the arena.
-
Supermassive numbers
Fri 8 Nov 2024
As Russia fines Google an unpayable sum of money, we look at some extremely large numbers
-
-
Mystery blobs
Fri 25 Oct 2024
Blobs are appearing on beaches, so the team look at the science of gooey things.
-
TV made me do it
Fri 18 Oct 2024
Macron’s comments on Emily in Paris has us unpicking the power of television.
-
The world's longest treasure hunt
Fri 11 Oct 2024
We dig for scientific gold in the form of seeds, aliens and cats
-
Science to make you smile
Fri 4 Oct 2024
What better way to celebrate World Smile Day other than with scientific excellence
-
All things Oregon!
Fri 27 Sep 2024
Join Marnie Chesterton and science journalists Chhavi Sachdev and Jes Burns, on their Ore