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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: Microplastics in our Oceans

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20/12/2014

Microplastics in our Oceans

BBC World Service - Unexpected Elements, Microplastics in our Oceans

Scientists find microplastics in deep sea sediments are higher than sea-surface waters

Scientists find microplastics in deep sea sediments are four times higher than contaminated sea-surface waters.

Microplastics
Scientists have studied the abundance of microplastics in deep sea sediments and have found that tiny fibres of plastic are everywhere and that levels found in the ocean sediments are four times higher than in contaminated sea-surface waters. Marine debris, mostly consisting of plastic, is a global problem, negatively impacting wildlife, tourism and shipping. However, despite the durability of plastic, and the exponential increase in its production, there was a considerable proportion of the manufactured plastic that was unaccounted for. But now scientists have found that deep-sea sediments are a likely sink for microplastics.

Perinatal OCD
Perinatal Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is a very distressing condition which often remains hidden and can have serious consequences for new mothers and their families. It is where pregnant women or new mothers fear contaminating their babies or find themselves plagued with thoughts that they might harm them, even though they will not ever do that. Clinical psychologist Fiona Challacombe, from the Institute of Psychiatry in London, tells us more about the condition, along with Diana Wilson who experienced perinatal OCD with all four of her children.

Uber
The cab-ordering app Uber has been accused of exploiting the crisis during the Sydney siege when fares in the central business district rose up to four times their usual amount. Uber’s ‘surge pricing’ is enacted through an algorithm.  Simon Sharwood, the Asia Pacific correspondent for tech website The Register has followed the story which saw Uber change its policy and offer passengers free rides during the siege.

Lung cancer
Lung cancer is the most common form of cancer in the world and the outlook has not improved much over time. Only 10% of patients live for another five years after a diagnosis, mainly due to it being spotted at a late stage. Tobacco causes 70% of lung cancer deaths, but you can get lung cancer without ever having smoked a single cigarette. Usually it is diagnosed by having an x-ray followed by a CT scan, but doctors at University College Hospital in London had the idea of trying to diagnose it by shining pure light on cells scraped from the inside of the cheek of people with lung cancer. Professor Samuel Janes recently presented the research at the meeting of the British Thoracic Society Winter meeting in London.

New space to fly 
As our skies become more crowded Jack Stewart examines the long awaited modernisation of air traffic control. With traffic predicted to reach 17 million by 2030 more flights will mean more delays. For many a new approach to controlling flights is long overdue since aircraft still follow old and often indirect routes around the globe, communication between the ground and air is still by VHF radio, and any flexibility is heavily constrained by a fragmented airspace operated by many national authorities.

Overeating
Why do some people overeat? In order to find out, brave scientists tucked into 9000 calorie meals.

Picture credit: Microplastics © Trustees of Natural History Museum, London

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