Unexpected Elements

<p>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. </p><p>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 fri

<p>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. </p><p>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

<p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>We find out about the scientists brewing up chocolate – not

<p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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

<p>Vast swathes of Europe and Asia are experiencing drought conditions, thanks to relentless heatwaves and lack of rain. </p><p>This week, we find out why drought conditions could unexpectedly lead to an increase in water-borne disease. </p><p>Next up, we take a trip to Lake Malawi to discover why a tiny fly could help us rewrite the science of insects. </p><p>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 b

<p>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.</p><p>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 Bi

<p>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. </p><p>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 m

<p>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. </p><p>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 gru