Episode notes
This week’s news of an AI agent managing to hack into an Australian government website has the Unexpected Elements team exploring the sneaky science of infiltration. Marnie Chesterton is joined by science journalists Paul Adepoju and Andrada Fiscutean to discover how South African drongo birds have developed an ingenious technique to protect their nest from cuckoo eggs, and to hear about the unusual approach being developed to help get eyedrops past the body’s immune system so they can reach the retina. We’re also joined by Dr Bart Geert, Professor of Atmospheric Science at the University of…
Unexpected Elements
by BBC World Service · English · Tech & Science
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.
More from Unexpected Elements
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25 Sep 2026 · 50 min
An identity crisis
When a NATO fighter jet was sent to investigate what appeared to be a suspicious drone near Vilnius airport, the culprit turned out to be something rather less threatening: a flock of birds. Inspired by this case of mistaken identity, the Unexpected Elements team explores the science of getting things wrong. We discover why our brains are so eager to spot faces in everyday objects, from clouds to power sockets, and hear how this tendency may have evolved as a shortcut for detecting friends and foes. We also investigate the widespread issue of mislabelled cell lines that have found their way…
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18 Sep 2026 · 50 min
A distorted view
With the United Nations encouraging wider use of the Equal Earth map, a projection designed to better represent the true size of Earth's landmasses, the Unexpected Elements team have been thinking about distortion and the surprising new ways we can see the world and beyond. We discover that every city's subway system has its own unique microbial fingerprint, so distinctive that researchers can identify a location from a simple swab. Then we meet the black-capped chickadee, a tiny bird whose remarkable memory-map helps it keep track of thousands of hidden food stores. Astrophysicist Miguel…
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11 Sep 2026 · 50 min
The phizz-whizzing science of Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl Day is celebrated each year on 13 September. Dahl gave us much-loved children’s books like Matilda, The BFG and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which have captivated kids for generations. Dahl is also a controversial figure, and made anti-semitic remarks that his family have since apologised for. We explore the separation of art and artist, and go looking for the science hidden in Dahl’s fantastical stories. We find out about the scientists brewing up chocolate – not in a factory, but in a laboratory. And remember how the BFG sent ‘golden dreams’ into kids’ bedrooms? We hear…
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4 Sep 2026 · 50 min
The show must go on
The 80th birthday celebrations of the late, great Queen frontman Freddie Mercury have us marvelling at mercury at an elemental level: as a killer, a cure and more. First, we hear about how to make a telescope mirror out of a spinning bowl of liquid mercury. Then we hear about killer queens; it’s a gruesome tale of pheromone-induced ant warfare. Next, Freddie’s rare condition that caused him to have four extra incisors in his upper jaw leads us to discuss the secrets hidden within our teeth. We’re joined by archaeologist Carolyn Freiwald from the University of Mississippi, whose work on the…
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28 Aug 2026 · 50 min
A very dry episode
Vast swathes of Europe and Asia are experiencing drought conditions, thanks to relentless heatwaves and lack of rain. This week, we find out why drought conditions could unexpectedly lead to an increase in water-borne disease. Next up, we take a trip to Lake Malawi to discover why a tiny fly could help us rewrite the science of insects. Also on the show, we’re joined by Professor Dan Parsons from Loughborough University in the UK, who tells us about the rivers that lurk beneath the sea. Elsewhere, we hear about the tech that could help reduce textile waste, we find out why rehydrating…
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21 Aug 2026 · 50 min
Fashionably late
News of an Australian library book finally finding its way home 150 years after it was borrowed has the Unexpected Elements team thinking about things that get forgotten, filed away or simply turn up much later than expected. We start with the story of a meteorite from Mars that spent millions of years travelling through space before ending up in a university drawer. Then, we investigate why scientists believe California may be centuries overdue for a massive earthquake known as "The Big One". Next, Martin Woodward from GitHub joins us to explain how millions of lines of computer code are…
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14 Aug 2026 · 50 min
Light entertainment
As Europe experiences its first total solar eclipse in almost 30 years this week, Unexpected Elements investigates the surprising science that emerges when sunlight is blocked out. We travel to the forests of Italy, where we investigate whether trees can communicate their eclipse plans to each other. We learn about an ambitious scientific plan to launch a wall of bubbles the size of Brazil into outer space. And we contemplate whether astronauts will ever need to take rice cookers the moon. Also on the show, Anneliese Hodge, a doctoral researcher from the University of Plymouth in the UK…
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7 Aug 2026 · 50 min
Someone's always watching
The UK's Royal Society for the Protection of Birds has found that birdwatching is the second-fastest growing hobby amongst Gen Z with 750,000 of them regularly venturing into the outdoors to spot some of our feathered friends. Inspired by this new appreciation for an old pastime, the Unexpected Elements team are on the lookout for some birdwatching science. First, we watch birds, but did you know they watch us back? We hear how crows don't just hold grudges; they also pass on those grudges to their peers. Then, from birds watching us to birds watching for us. We learn all about the patterns…
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31 Jul 2026 · 50 min
Down The Rabbit Hole
75 years ago, Walt Disney's Alice in Wonderland hit our screens, welcoming us into a technicolour, topsy-turvy world of eccentric characters – including the Mad Hatter, the Cheshire Cat, the Queen of Hearts, the White Rabbit and many more. On Unexpected Elements, we're tumbling down the rabbit hole to uncover the strange and surprising science hidden within the classic story. We’ll find out how bizzarro land of Lewis Carroll's original novel was inspired by the real scientific discoveries of his time? Dr. Franziska Kohlt tells us how Wonderland made sense of science for children – and we…
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24 Jul 2026 · 50 min
Bald caps, sparrow raps and lightning claps
If you were lucky enough to be at rapper Pitbull's recent concert in Hyde Park in London, you would have been greeted by a sea of bald caps. A Guiness World record-breaking sea of 22,141 bald caps. And, in honour of this incredible feat, the Unexpected Elements team are exploring some science. First, is hair the secret to healing? We find out why trading fur for sweat may have had unexpected consequences. Then, we learn all about ball lightning – real life fireballs that, despite first being sighted over 800 years ago, remain a mystery. Next, is your garden full of rap stars? We're joined by…
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