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Unexpected Elements

Factual: Science & Nature

Factual: Science & Nature: Science & Technology

The news you know, the science you don’t.

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.

The Science Hour

Unexpected Elements: Mers coronavirus outbreak, Irritating currency, When the applause dies down

Coronavirus

22/06/2013

Mers coronavirus outbreak, Irritating currency, When the applause dies down

BBC World Service - Unexpected Elements, Mers coronavirus outbreak, Irritating currency, When the applause dies down

What’s driving the Mers coronavirus outbreaks?

Genetic analyses provide clues to the origins of Mers-coronavirus; Why people could be allergic to some coins; And social pressures and their influence on crowd behaviour.

Forensic entomology
We all know that dead bodies attract flies, but did you know that this can be pivotal in piecing together the time of death? Amoret Whitaker discusses some of the challenges faced by forensic entomologists.

Mers-coronavirus
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus virus or MERS has claimed four more victims, making the global total of deaths to over thirty, most of them in Saudi Arabia.  This new virus, spreads from person to person, and seems to be more deadly than SARS.  Research published this week looking at its genetics sheds light on where it might have come from, the thinking is it is sporadically transmitting from animals to humans.

Views from Cassini
BBC Science correspondent explains what the spacecraft Cassini will be doing on its mission to photograph Saturn. Apparently the large composite picture of Saturn’s famous rings will include a very distant blue dot – planet Earth.

Photo Credit: AFP/Getty Images

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Unexpected Elements

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