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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.

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Unexpected Elements: 17/10/2015 09:06 GMT: Back to the Future

Discussion & Talk

DeLorean.jpg

17/10/2015 09:06 GMT

17/10/2015 09:06 GMT: Back to the Future

Back to the Future

BBC World Service - Unexpected Elements, Back to the Future

Film fans across the world are building up to Back to the Future Day

Does 21 October 2015 mean anything to you? Well, film fans across the world are building up to Back to the Future Day.

Adam Rutherford is joined by The Film Programme's Francine Stock to explore the theme of time-travel - in science, in film and as film. With studio guest, science writer Marcus Chown, they discuss time-machines - as imagined by scientists and film-makers; the grandfather of all paradoxes; the notion of the multiverse and how the pioneers of cinema created their own 'time-machines' through the art of editing. And to mark Back the Future Day, otherwise known as 21 October 2015, they talk to director Robert  Zemeckis about how and why he imagined a future with hover-boards but, oddly, no smart phones.

Why Norwegian Doctors Hang onto Floppy Disks 
In Norway a large number of doctors are still using floppy disks, and they are clinging to older MS DOS-based electronic journals. The resulting system that employs floppy disks works very well, is cheap and efficient. But the Norwegian government plans to shut down the floppy disk option next year. We hear from Finn Espen Gundersen why some of the old guard are unhappy.

MSF President on Lessons from the Ebola Epidemic
Claudia Hammond discusses the lessons for the world of the West African Ebola epidemic with Joanne Liu, International president of Medecins Sans Frontieres. Dr Liu says that the international community responded far too slowly and countries in the regions are still vulnerable to further epidemics.

New DNA Structure
The famous Watson-Crick double helix depicts a zoomed-in structure of DNA. For the first time scientists have obtained images of the structure of tiny circles of DNA that contain about 300 base pairs – and they have found it is much more diverse and complex than they imagined.

The Musical Potential of Mogees 
Mogees transforms almost any surface into a musical instrument, giving you an entire world of new creative possibilities. When stuck to an object, the Mogees sensor captures every vibration you create as you play the object. Through its recognition technology, you specify how you want to play your instrument by recording your own gestures, such as hitting, scratching or striking it in different ways. We are joined by its co-creator, Bruno Zamborlin, for a demonstration of its musical notes.

The Science Hour was presented by Jack Stewart with comments from BBC Science Correspondent Jonathan Webb

Producer: Marnie Chesterton

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Unexpected Elements

17/10/2015 09:06 GMT: Back to the Future

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