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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: Ebola Outbreak; Fijian Fisherwomen; Fertility on a Shoestring.

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28/06/2014

Ebola Outbreak; Fijian Fisherwomen; Fertility on a Shoestring.

BBC World Service - Unexpected Elements, Ebola Outbreak; Fijian Fisherwomen; Fertility on a Shoestring.

Scientists testing experimental Ebola vaccine for chimpanzees.

Ebola vaccines for chimpanzees, local knowledge saving ecosystems and Claudia Hammond looks at infertility treatment.

Ebola Outbreak
In recent weeks we’ve heard about a devastating outbreak of the incurable ebola virus in West Africa. Now scientists are testing an experimental vaccine against the virus. But it's not for humans - it's for chimpanzees. Victoria Gill reports.

Fijian Fisherwomen
More and more conservationists are turning to local knowledge to work out the best way to save ecosystems. A great illustration of this grass-roots approach is underway in Fiji where villages close an area of fishing grounds for a few months for fish stocks to recover. Conservationists are now learning about this system, to see if it can be used on a longer-term basis.


Fertility on a Shoestring
Claudia Hammond exposes a hidden problem which occurs before life has even begun. While programmes tackle the causes of infertility, such as preventing and treating sexually transmitted infections, calls to provide affordable fertility services have been overlooked by agencies which tend to focus on the problem of over population. 

Carnivorous Neanderthals
Analysis of the oldest reported trace of human faeces has added weight to the view that Neanderthals ate vegetables. The ancient excrement was found in Spain and showed chemical traces of both meat and plant digestion. 


Ageing and the Brain
Geoff Watts investigates the latest thinking about our brain power in old age. He meets researchers who argue that society has overly negative views of the mental abilities of the elderly.


The Amazing Titan
Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, is one of the most fascinating places in the Solar System – second only to Earth. The Cassini probe is giving us glimpses of Titan as it flies by Saturn, often providing just as many questions as answers. 
DIY Digital Spies
Should we be worried about the DIY spies? Jonathan Kent visited the Hack in the Box hackers conference in Amsterdam and found that there are a whole range of gizmos and security loopholes the tech-savvy can exploit.

Photo Credits: AFP

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Unexpected Elements

Ebola Outbreak; Fijian Fisherwomen; Fertility on a Shoestring.

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