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Unexpected Elements

Factual: Science & Nature

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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: Fighting Poverty with Data

Discussion & Talk

Satellite image of earth at night

20/08/2016 GMT

Fighting Poverty with Data

BBC World Service - Unexpected Elements, Fighting Poverty with Data

Machine learning algorithms measure and target poverty

Tracking poverty; Chinese massive radio telescope; “Smart” Surgical Stitches; Wristbands for pollution; Autonomous cars; Footballers fear of the penalty

A tin roof and a paved road can be a sign of an area coming out of poverty in parts of Africa. Identifying poor regions in Africa using satellite data could save massive survey efforts and help identify regions where help is needed most.

Chinese Massive Radio Telescope 
China, fast becoming a dominant player in science and technology, is about to open a monster radio telescope, a deep dish 500 m across nestled in a mountaintop in the country’s remote South West.  Rebecca Morelle struggled up the mountain side for an early view. 

 “Smart” Surgical Stitches
Surgical thread used in operations which can send a text message to medical staff that an infection is brewing could revolutionise healthcare. Researchers at Tufts University in Boston have coated threads with nano-scale sensors to detect temperature, pH changes and whether stitches are under strain inside a wound. They say that the technology could also be used for surgical implants, “smart” bandages and even hip replacements. So far the threads have been tested in animals, but the researchers are now looking for volunteers to trial the stitching at skin level.

Wristbands That Monitor Pesticide Exposure 
By providing silicon wristbands to famers in West Africa, scientists at the University of Oregon State have been able to monitor their exposure to toxic pesticide.  In the future these bands could also be used to detect exposure to other organic chemicals.

Autonomous Cars
Ford has just announced that by 2021 it's going to have a driverless car on the road with no steering wheel. It sounds ambitious, since it is the intermediate stop on the road to full autonomy that's raising some of the big research questions at the moment. How can drivers enjoy the reduced workload of automation whilst still being alert enough to take control if something goes wrong?  For a drive of the future, Gareth Mitchell went to Southampton University's simulator facility for automated vehicles to meet Professor of Human Factors in Transport, Neville Stanton.

Footballers Fear of the Penalty
Why is it that for athletes at the peak of their performance, sometimes it can all go wrong – very wrong. Just think of the England football team which has on many occasions missed penalties at a crucial time.  To find out what happens in the mind at these all-important moments Claudia Hammond has been to talk to Professor Geir Jourdet at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences.  He explains how he helps footballers deal with performance stress. 


(Photo caption: Satellite image of earth at night © NASA)


The Science Hour was presented by Roland Pease with comments from BBC Science reporter Jonathan Webb


Editor: Deborah Cohen

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