Unexpected Elements podcast

Unexpected Elements

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.

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.

 

#266

Don’t be a fool!

The Unexpected Team decided it was about time they put their feet up, so instead of the us... more

22 hrs Ago

49 MINS

49:29

22 hrs Ago


#265

What’s that smell?

Five years ago, people around the world were enduring COVID lockdowns as we attempted to p... more

21 Mar 2025

49 MINS

49:30

21 Mar 2025


#264

The fast and the curious

It’s the month of Ramadan, when Muslims across the world fast between dawn and sunset in t... more

14 Mar 2025

49 MINS

49:29

14 Mar 2025


#263

Silent science

Sparked by a silent album released by 1,000 musicians in protest of the UK government’s pl... more

07 Mar 2025

49 MINS

49:26

07 Mar 2025


#262

Topsy turvy

Unexpected Elements has a shake up looking into the topsy turvy world of science, all than... more

28 Feb 2025

49 MINS

49:30

28 Feb 2025


#261

Standing on the shoulders of giants

Monty the giant schnauzer won best in show at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. And ra... more

21 Feb 2025

49 MINS

49:29

21 Feb 2025


#260

Let’s talk about love

Valentine’s Day is here - the one day of the year where you can be unashamedly romantic an... more

14 Feb 2025

49 MINS

49:29

14 Feb 2025


#259

All by myself

French president Emmanuel Macron recently announced that Leonardo da Vinci’s famous Mona L... more

07 Feb 2025

49 MINS

49:29

07 Feb 2025


#258

Snake science

Celebrations for the Lunar New Year kicked off on 29th January, and this year is the Year ... more

31 Jan 2025

49 MINS

49:29

31 Jan 2025


#257

Keep it clean

The Hindu festival of Kumbh Mela is currently underway in India. As part of the event, mil... more

24 Jan 2025

49 MINS

49:29

24 Jan 2025


#256

Circles, circumferences and Covid

After the comic malfunctions of a self-driving car, which drove its passenger/prisoner in ... more

17 Jan 2025

49 MINS

49:29

17 Jan 2025


#255

Scientist spotlight

Team Unexpected have been digging into their mind palaces to pull on the scientific resear... more

10 Jan 2025

49 MINS

49:29

10 Jan 2025


#254

(Re)New Year

Happy New Year! This week, the Unexpected Elements team is reflecting on 2024 and looking ... more

03 Jan 2025

49 MINS

49:29

03 Jan 2025


#253

Festive trash talk

December is a time of celebration, family feuds, and now scientific rivalries. It's also o... more

27 Dec 2024

49 MINS

49:29

27 Dec 2024


#252

The science of Santa

As news breaks that archaeologists have found the tomb of St Nick in Turkey, we check in o... more

20 Dec 2024

49 MINS

49:30

20 Dec 2024


#251

Totally bananas

This week, a banana sold at auction for $6.2 million dollars. Well, not quite… it’s actual... more

13 Dec 2024

49 MINS

49:30

13 Dec 2024


#250

Going home

This week we’re looking at a political agreement that will hand back sovereignty of the Ch... more

06 Dec 2024

49 MINS

49:31

06 Dec 2024


#249

Doing a deal

It’s Black Friday! Everyone is camping in the street, staying up all night for the very be... more

29 Nov 2024

49 MINS

49:34

29 Nov 2024


#248

Super Science

Headlines that Canadian uranium deposits could make it a nuclear superpower has the Unexpe... more

22 Nov 2024

49 MINS

49:28

22 Nov 2024


#247

Are you not entertained?

It’s been 24 years since the release of Ridley Scott’s Gladiator, which left audiences cap... more

15 Nov 2024

49 MINS

49:29

15 Nov 2024


#246

Supermassive numbers

Russia has fined Google more than two undecillion rubles, which is more than 20 decillion ... more

08 Nov 2024

49 MINS

49:29

08 Nov 2024


#245

The Swing of Things

On this weekend ahead of the US election, we clock the importance of so-called swing state... more

01 Nov 2024

49 MINS

49:29

01 Nov 2024


#244

Mystery blobs

White blobs have been appearing on the beaches in Newfoundland, Canada. They’re kind of do... more

25 Oct 2024

49 MINS

49:29

25 Oct 2024


#243

TV made me do it

Spoiler alert! At the end of the fourth season of Emily in Paris, the protagonist sets off... more

18 Oct 2024

49 MINS

49:29

18 Oct 2024


#242

The world's longest treasure hunt

After 31 years, a mammoth treasure hunt consisting of solving eleven cryptic clues has fin... more

11 Oct 2024

49 MINS

49:29

11 Oct 2024


#241

Science to make you smile

Did you know the iconic yellow smiley face was first designed in 1963? However, its creato... more

04 Oct 2024

49 MINS

49:29

04 Oct 2024