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.

 

#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

Yesterday

49 MINS

49:29

Yesterday


#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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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