Unexpected Elements

In the name of science

20 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

After the end of a near 17-year legal battle between popstar Katy Perry and fashion designer Katie Perry, the Unexpected Elements team has been inspir...

Out for blood

13 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

With this year’s Oscars on the horizon, and vampire film Sinners nominated for a record-breaking 16 awards, the Unexpected Elements team sinks their...

The colour of science

06 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The Hindu festival of Holi has the Unexpected Elements team delving into the science of colour. First up, forget chicken and egg, we bring you a whole...

A sweet treat

27 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

A dip in global cocoa prices got the Unexpected Elements team wondering about chocolate science. First, we look at how the microbial communities in co...

Seeing double

20 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Identical twins on trial for murder in France have left forensic experts unable to answer the question of which one pulled the gun’s trigger. With b...

Are you lucky?

13 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

K-pop fans in Taiwan have been turning to the God of love in the hope it will boost their luck in getting concert tickets. It got the Unexpected Eleme...

Let the games begin

06 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The Winter Olympics has the Unexpected Elements team looking into some of the incredible science behind the sports. First up, the tale of India’s lo...

Are you still with us?

30 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Are You Dead?That’s the name of an app that’s gone massively viral in China. Every two days, you click a green button to confirm you’re alive an...

Banging the science drum

23 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

After the leaders of Japan and South Korea ended their summit with the two participating in a drumming duet, we’re marching to the beat of our own d...

Science down under

16 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

This week the Unexpected Elements team has travelled Down Under to sunny Sydney where we discover some wonderfully Australian science with the help of...

Science of the future

09 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

We take a look at some exciting science of the near future. First, the latest developments in animal-to-human organ transplants and the ambitious goal...

An episode inspired by our listeners

02 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

We revisit our listeners’ favourite topics and dig deeper in this special programme.First, we hear from some of our insomniac listeners and explore ...

The gift of science

26 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This Boxing Day and holiday season, our present to you is the science of gifts.First, we investigate the health benefits of donating blood, and find o...

Why are we sad when television series end?

19 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The end of Australian soap opera Neighbours has us wondering why a television series ending makes us sad. Also, what does science say about how to eng...

Chicken, with a side order of science

12 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Over the Christmas season, it is estimated that some 3.6 million families in Japan will tuck into KFC over Christmas (other fried chicken is available...

Some bear-y interesting space science

05 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A teddy bear launched into the upper atmosphere as part of a school science project has gone missing! Inspired by this story, the Unexpected Elements ...

The unexpected science behind Klimt's artwork

28 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer by Gustav Klimt has recently sold for $236m, making it the second-most expensive artwork ever sold at auction. Inspi...

Some Beautiful Science

21 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Miss Universe pageant final has us considering the science of beauty. How much of our perception of beauty is genetic, and how much is down to per...

A keg of beer-based science

14 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A 150-year-old bottle of Arctic Ale is being uncapped, which got the team talking about all things related to yeast, beer, and opening things. First, ...

A storm of science

07 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As rescue and relief efforts in the Caribbean are ongoing after Hurricane Melissa, Unexpected Elements looks at the science of storms. We explore how ...

A science heist

31 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The daylight robbery of precious crown jewels from the Louvre museum in Paris has us stealing your attention to inspect heists and crime scenes in sci...

How does biometric data work?

24 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Europe has a new entry/exit system based on biometric data. But what exactly is the science behind biometric data, how can we ensure it’s used respo...

Why are gold prices so high?

17 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Record high gold prices have us looking at the science of inflation, why gold is leaking from volcanoes, and entomologist Katy Prudic explains why shi...

The strongest stuff in the Universe

10 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Egyptian strongman Ashraf Mahrous recently pulled two ships totalling 1,150 tonnes with his teeth, setting his sights on the Guinness World Record. In...

Science inspired by Taylor Swift

03 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The launch of Taylor Swift’s much-anticipated 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, has inspired this week’s episode of Unexpected Elements.F...

Two-hundred years of trains

26 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week marks 200 years since the first steam train pulled passengers over 26 miles of north-east England’s countryside, and started a revolution....

Pirate science ahoy!

19 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

For International Talk Like a Pirate Day on 19th September, we dig up a treasure chest full of pirate-inspired science.First up, we peer down our micr...

Some dam awesome science

12 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The inauguration of Africa’s largest hydroelectric dam has us looking at how we decide when, where, and even whether to build dams.But humans aren’...

Punk rock science

05 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A dinosaur with metre-long spikes has been discovered. The species, Spicomellus afer, is from the Jurassic Period and is the oldest example of a group...

Where do beaches come from?

29 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It’s August, and in the northern hemisphere, many people are hitting the beach to escape the summer heat. And that inspired us to investigate bucket...

Mountains of overtourism

22 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As Nepal makes 97 peaks free to climb, we look at the science of overtourism – especially on mountains. How do so many visitors affect these environ...

Why do we follow trends?

18 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What's got rabbit-like ears, huge eyes, nine teeth and a demonic grin? It’s Labubu! These ugly-cute toys have gone viral online, largely thanks to s...

Floods, mangroves and rampaging tractors

08 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week, floods have hit the global headlines. First up, we delve into the various reasons why floods form. After learning about the causes of flood...

Traffic science

01 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week, a viral video of a robo-traffic-cop in Shanghai has the team contemplating the science of traffic. How do traffic jams with no discernible ...

Trailer: 13 Minutes Presents: The Space Shuttle

28 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The epic space story of a sci-fi dream that changed spaceflight forever. Told by the Nasa astronauts and team who made it happen. Our multi-award-win...

The science of ageing

25 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Cameroon’s Paul Biya announced his plan to run for an 8th term as president at the grand old age of 92. So, we have elected to investigat...

How dust affects the world

18 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week, a new report into the dangers that sand and dust storms pose to the world's health and economy has inspired us to delve in the science of d...

Sharks, albatrosses, the Jaws theme and fishing

11 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Shark Awareness Day on 14th July sends us on a deep dive into marine biology.First, we learn how shark-inspired materials could help make aeroplane fl...

Cargo ships, chemical spills and caribou

04 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The X-Press Pearl shipping disaster takes us on a voyage through shipping-related science. First, we learn about how pollution from the X-Press Pearl ...

A roarsome episode

27 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Enigmacursor mollyborthwickae has been unveiled at London's Natural History Museum. This newly described herbivorous dinosaur has inspired ...

Some really cool science

20 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week, the Florida Panthers beat the Edmonton Oilers at ice hockey’s Stanley Cup championship, which sent us skating into ice-related science.Fi...

Defuse and diffuse

13 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

World War II bombs were defused in Cologne, Germany, which has inspired us to explore the science of diffusion and defusing!First, we hear how new, ar...

Gaming-inspired science

06 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week, get ready for a whole loot box of gaming-related stories!First up, we find out about a video game that could give people the power to battl...

Mission unexpectedly possible

30 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

With the new Mission Impossible film playing in cinemas, the Unexpected Elements team is channelling Tom Cruise’s energy to see if scientists can pu...

Story time

23 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Much ado was made about a cancelled auction of an ultra-rare set of Shakespeare’s folios, which could have fetched millions of dollars. This headlin...

Enduring it all

16 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This month will see thousands of people take to streets around the world to test their feats of endurance. It’s marathon season. And this week, we’...

Ant antics

09 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week, a court in Kenya sentenced four men to either a year in prison or a fine of £5,800 for trying to smuggle 5,000 ants out of the country. Th...

In memoriam

02 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On 21st April 2025, Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church, died. His funeral took place on 26th April, with thousands of mourners crowding in...

Kenya believe it?

25 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week the Unexpected Elements team left our windowless BBC studio and paid a visit to the CGIAR conference in Nairobi, Kenya. In this episode, we ...

An eggciting episode

18 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week is the Christian celebration of Easter, which sent the Unexpected Elements team scrambling for egg-related stories. First up, we find out ab...

Navigating northward

11 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Aurora Borealis – also known as the Northern Lights – won’t be at their peak activity much longer, and the Unexpected Elements team dreams o...

Oh, Rats!

04 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On World Rat Day, we’re getting ratty! We look at the biology behind the eternal struggle between rats and rat poison, and we hear about rat-on-rat ...

Don’t be a fool!

28 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

April 1st is notorious across the globe. Renowned for being a day of practical jokes. And it’s no different here on the BBC World Service. Mischievo...

What’s that smell?

21 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Five years ago, people around the world were enduring COVID lockdowns as we attempted to prevent the spread of the virus. Today, many of those who cau...

The fast and the curious

14 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It’s the month of Ramadan, when Muslims across the world fast between dawn and sunset in the belief that it will bring them closer to Allah. And thi...

Silent science

07 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Sparked by a silent album released by 1,000 musicians in protest of the UK government’s planned changes to copyright law, Unexpected Elements hits t...

Topsy turvy

28 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Unexpected Elements has a shake up looking into the topsy turvy world of science, all thanks to an upturned campervan in Western France.Explore why sc...

Standing on the shoulders of giants

21 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Monty the giant schnauzer won best in show at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. And rather than thinking of all things canine, this week the Unexp...

Let’s talk about love

14 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Valentine’s Day is here - the one day of the year where you can be unashamedly romantic and splash out on posh dinners, flowers and chocolates for y...

All by myself

07 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

French president Emmanuel Macron recently announced that Leonardo da Vinci’s famous Mona Lisa painting will be moved to her very own room at the Lou...

Snake science

31 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Celebrations for the Lunar New Year kicked off on 29th January, and this year is the Year of the Snake. We start things off by discussing the purpose ...

Keep it clean

24 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Hindu festival of Kumbh Mela is currently underway in India. As part of the event, millions of pilgrims will take a cleansing dip in the confluenc...

Circles, circumferences and Covid

17 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

After the comic malfunctions of a self-driving car, which drove its passenger/prisoner in endless circles, Unexpected Elements rounds its attention on...

Scientist spotlight

10 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Team Unexpected have been digging into their mind palaces to pull on the scientific research that has stuck with them most over the past year. We he...

(Re)New Year

03 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Happy New Year! This week, the Unexpected Elements team is reflecting on 2024 and looking forward to 2025 for renewed chances to spot the northern lig...

Festive trash talk

27 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

December is a time of celebration, family feuds, and now scientific rivalries. It's also one of the most wasteful months of the year, with festivities...

The science of Santa

20 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As news breaks that archaeologists have found the tomb of St Nick in Turkey, we check in on the North Pole Father Christmas, and fact-check his presen...

Totally bananas

13 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week, a banana sold at auction for $6.2 million dollars. Well, not quite… it’s actually a piece of conceptual art and it’s WAY more than ju...

Going home

06 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week we’re looking at a political agreement that will hand back sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. In the 1970s, the UK removed th...

Doing a deal

29 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It’s Black Friday! Everyone is camping in the street, staying up all night for the very best deals around. And Unexpected Elements are joining in.We...

Super Science

22 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Headlines that Canadian uranium deposits could make it a nuclear superpower has the Unexpected Elements team musing on all manner of superpowers. Tard...

Are you not entertained?

15 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It’s been 24 years since the release of Ridley Scott’s Gladiator, which left audiences captivated by the story of Maximus the gladiator, played by...

Supermassive numbers

08 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Russia has fined Google more than two undecillion rubles, which is more than 20 decillion dollars. How much you ask? 20 decillions is a 20 with 33 zer...

The Swing of Things

01 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this weekend ahead of the US election, we clock the importance of so-called swing states – and swing into action looking into not politics, but t...

Mystery blobs

25 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

White blobs have been appearing on the beaches in Newfoundland, Canada. They’re kind of doughy-looking, and smell of vegetable oil. As yet, official...

TV made me do it

18 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Spoiler alert! At the end of the fourth season of Emily in Paris, the protagonist sets off to go to Rome. In response, the French President Emmanuel M...

The world's longest treasure hunt

11 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

After 31 years, a mammoth treasure hunt consisting of solving eleven cryptic clues has finally concluded. A replica of the final prize – a golden ow...

Science to make you smile

04 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Did you know the iconic yellow smiley face was first designed in 1963? However, its creator, Harvey Ball, soon worried that the symbol had become over...

All things Oregon!

27 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Join Marnie Chesterton and her panel of science journalists Chhavi Sachdev and Jes Burns, on their Oregon science mission. We investigate building mat...

Shiny: Why we are dazzled by new sparkly things

20 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Apple releases the new iPhone 16. It's new, it's shiny, and tech-nerds will be queueing round the block for a chance to snap it up. But why...

Ngā Wai Hono i te Pō: The new Māori Kuini

13 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Ngā Wai Hono i te Pō ascends the Māori throne as the new Kuini (Queen), much to the joy of her people, heralding a new age of prominence for the Ki...

Thrillseekers

06 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Here on Unexpected Elements, we've been glued to the drama of the Paralympic games in Paris. But it's not just the thrill of the competition that's go...

The world's worst tourist

30 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Following anti-tourism protests across popular Spanish cities and towns, we are looking for the world's most unwelcome visitor. Our panellists (and pr...

A sticky situation

23 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The US astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are currently stranded on the ISS. They arrived on the Boeing Starliner, which was meant to bring th...

The only one

16 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Olympics is all about flying the flag for your home country, shoulder to shoulder with your team-mates. But what if you have no team-mates? At thi...

Let them eat crab

09 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week we’re inspired by the price of a lobster dinner fit for a king. The recently revealed price tag for President Macron’s banquet back at t...

Can I eat it?

02 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Champagne has been discovered in a 100+ year old shipwreck. It's an amazing find. But can you drink it? Speaking of bubbly, we learn more about the ph...

Breaking, climbing, and surfing

26 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week the panel take a look at their favourites of the newer Olympic sports as Paris 2024 gets underway. Surfing will happen in Tahiti this year, ...

Marriage madness

19 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Radhika Merchant has married her partner Anant Ambani, the youngest son of Asia’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani. When your Dad is the 11th richest pers...

Political Jet Lag

12 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In the lead up to the US election President Joe Biden admitted to ‘screwing up’ in a debate against Donald Trump. His excuse? Several trips around...

Mushroom magic

05 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In Australia, more than six people were hospitalised suffering from hallucinations and persistent vomiting. The thing they all had in common? They ate...

Lights out

28 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A nationwide power outage in Ecuador left 18 million people in the dark, shutting down traffic lights and the capital’s subway system.But Ecuador is...

Seismic swift

21 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

At a recent Taylor Swift concert in Scotland, seismographs measured a “Swift Quake” caused by foot-stomping fans. But this wasn’t the only star ...

An unexpected burger

14 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Could a scientific burger compete against the fast food giants? We fear not!You will need: • Meat - A tick capable of inducing alpha gal syndrome, a...

Balloon manoeuvres

07 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

After North Korean balloons delivered trash to South Korea, we explore balloons of all kinds, why they can be useful, and when they’re not.Scientist...

Eternal flames

31 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As the Olympic torch makes its way through France, we investigate the fires that continually smoulder and those which are stomped out. You might expec...

A world going on underground

24 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How would you feel if you spent more and more of your life underground? Could that be how more and more of us live in the future? Presenter Marnie Che...

Winning Losers

17 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In a competitive world, is it always best to finish first? A tribute to second place, second thoughts, and second opinions.You might assume that Olymp...

Unexpected birthday party

10 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It’s time for an unexpected celebration and we look to science for advice on clothes, cake and how presenter Marnie and panellists Christine and Can...

Horsey driverless cars and competitive cloning

03 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The sight of horses running wild in a city leads panellist Tristan Ahtone in Helsinki to rethink how we rate horses' welfare, Chhavi Sachdev in Mumbai...