Unexpected Elements
BBC World Service
Categories: Science & Medicine
Listen to the last episode:
Beyonce's new album tops the charts with a reappraisal of who can do country music and the Unexpected Elements team has a hoedown. Panellist Christine Yohannes unearths new research that changes our understanding of the origins of cowboys. Chhavi Sachdev has a thing or two to teach Beyonce as she reveals why the banjo has it's characteristic twang and we meet a man with powerful chemistry - TikTok dance sensation Dr Andre Isaacs from the College of the Holy Cross in Massachusetts tells presenter Marnie Chesterton how dancing in his lab helps explain click chemistry.
We also hear how new species could be given names that refer to the locations they're found in, we discuss whether mining is causing the Earth to shrink and, of course, eclipses make an appearance. We shed some light on how an eclipse over 100 years ago helped prove Einstein's theory of relativity.
Previous episodes
-
437 - Beyoncé, banjos and dancing chemistry Fri, 12 Apr 2024
-
436 - Unexpected elections Fri, 05 Apr 2024
-
435 - G.O.A.T Thu, 28 Mar 2024
-
434 - Ancient water, modern solutions Thu, 21 Mar 2024
-
433 - Fandom: The next generation Thu, 14 Mar 2024
-
432 - Unexpected Oscars Thu, 07 Mar 2024
-
431 - Leaping in Sync Thu, 29 Feb 2024
-
430 - Going the distance Thu, 22 Feb 2024
-
429 - Not so random acts of kindness Thu, 15 Feb 2024
-
428 - Deep in thought Thu, 08 Feb 2024
-
427 - How plankton made mountains Thu, 01 Feb 2024
-
426 - Populations of people, frogs and microbes Thu, 25 Jan 2024
-
425 - Rulers and the rules of ageing Thu, 18 Jan 2024
-
424 - Super corals and science diplomacy Thu, 11 Jan 2024
-
423 - Timing is everything Thu, 04 Jan 2024
-
422 - The Best of Unexpected Elements Thu, 28 Dec 2023
-
421 - A very dark day Thu, 21 Dec 2023
-
420 - An exploration of empathy Thu, 14 Dec 2023
-
419 - Boring science Thu, 07 Dec 2023
-
418 - Meetings with intelligent worms Thu, 30 Nov 2023
-
417 - All about cricket(s) Thu, 23 Nov 2023
-
416 - Why we need to talk toilets Thu, 16 Nov 2023
-
415 - Working 70 hours a week Thu, 09 Nov 2023
-
414 - Scary science Thu, 02 Nov 2023
-
413 - Fashion to dye for Thu, 26 Oct 2023
-
412 - Putting Madonna to the test Thu, 19 Oct 2023
-
411 - How bedbugs took over the world Thu, 12 Oct 2023
-
410 - Complete shutdown Thu, 05 Oct 2023
-
409 - How inflation affects the entire cosmos Thu, 28 Sep 2023
-
408 - Can technology read our mind? Thu, 21 Sep 2023
-
407 - Forgetful fish, telescopic worms and bad air days Thu, 14 Sep 2023
-
406 - Zombies, cows and coups Thu, 07 Sep 2023
-
405 - Protecting the Moon Thu, 31 Aug 2023
-
404 - The man who couldn’t lie Thu, 24 Aug 2023
-
403 - Corrupted thinking and cancerous co-option Thu, 17 Aug 2023
-
402 - Some of our universe is missing Thu, 10 Aug 2023
-
401 - The World Cup and hallucinogenic bananas Thu, 03 Aug 2023
-
400 - Password1234#Invisibility&Moonshot Thu, 27 Jul 2023
-
399 - Barbie in Space Thu, 20 Jul 2023
-
398 - Nato and the left-handed universe Thu, 13 Jul 2023
-
397 - Unexpected elements on the sea bed Thu, 06 Jul 2023
-
396 - Predictions from the sky and murderous fish Thu, 29 Jun 2023
-
395 - Hayfever, paleobotany and snot palaces Thu, 22 Jun 2023
-
394 - Wildfires and wild animals Thu, 15 Jun 2023
-
393 - Collapsing pensions and civilisations Thu, 08 Jun 2023
-
392 - Migrate ideas Thu, 01 Jun 2023
-
391 - Signals, seaweed and space Thu, 25 May 2023
-
390 - Co-operation and cohesion Thu, 18 May 2023
-
389 - Coronation exploration Thu, 11 May 2023
-
388 - Animals at the Wuhan Market Sun, 26 Feb 2023