Unexpected Elements Podcast
The news you know, the science you don鈥檛. 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
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Gaming-inspired science
Friday
The Nintendo Switch 2 has sent us on a supersonic spin into gaming-related science
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Mission unexpectedly possible
Fri 30 May 2025
Turning lead into gold, talking to animals and time travel seem impossible but are they?
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Enduring it all
Fri 16 May 2025
We're looking at the science that helps you put one foot in front of the other.
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Ant antics
Fri 9 May 2025
A Kenyan court sentenced four men for ant smuggling, so we鈥檙e getting into ant antics!
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In memoriam
Fri 2 May 2025
The death of the Pope inspired Unexpected Elements to look at the science of loss
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An eggciting episode
Fri 18 Apr 2025
The Christian celebration of Easter got us thinking about egg-related science.
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Navigating northward
Fri 11 Apr 2025
The Northern lights have us wondering how to go north (and other unexpected directions).
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The fast and the curious
Fri 14 Mar 2025
The Unexpected Elements team takes a whistlestop tour of all things fast!
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Silent science
Fri 7 Mar 2025
An album produced by musical legends contains just silence, is there any science to it?
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Topsy turvy
Fri 28 Feb 2025
An upturned caravan has everyone baffled in Western France, time for a scientific shakeup
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Standing on the shoulders of giants
Fri 21 Feb 2025
The Unexpected Elements team are going supersized.
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Let鈥檚 talk about love
Fri 14 Feb 2025
Dig into the science of love from monogamous rodents to AI chatbots and compatibility
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Keep it clean
Fri 24 Jan 2025
A whole bathtub of science, from brains cleaning themselves to how space keeps sparkling
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Circles, circumferences and Covid
Fri 17 Jan 2025
From ancient Earth measurements to viral cycles and the science of friendly limits
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Scientist spotlight
Fri 10 Jan 2025
Humans outrunning horses, mountains made from plankton and much, much more.
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(Re)New Year
Fri 3 Jan 2025
New year is giving Team Unexpected renewed chances to learn about regenerative science
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The science of Santa
Fri 20 Dec 2024
The Unexpected Elements team are unwrapping the science of Santa!
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Going home
Fri 6 Dec 2024
A potential homecoming for Chagossians got us investigating the science of home.
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Doing a deal
Fri 29 Nov 2024
It's Black Friday! And Unexpected Elements are on a hunt for the best deals
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Super Science
Fri 22 Nov 2024
Geopolitical superpowers have Team Unexpected on the hunt for scientific superheroes.
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Are you not entertained?
Fri 15 Nov 2024
Gladiator II is hitting the cinemas, so the Unexpected Elements team enters the arena.
