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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: Earth-sized Planet Found

Discussion & Talk

Artists impression showing a view of the surface of the planet Proxima b orbiting the red dwarf star Proxima Centauri

27/08/2016 GMT

Earth-sized Planet Found

BBC World Service - Unexpected Elements, Earth-sized Planet Found

Neighbouring star Proxima Centauri has Earth-sized planet

Earth-sized planet found; The Hunt for Vulcan; Ecological consequences of Trump’s proposed wall; Hidden in a Name; Hair; Retirement in sport; Purps the Penguin’s 3D printed boot

Life on other planets might feel like the stuff of science fiction.  But could the hunt for extra-terrestrial life be one step closer thanks to the discovery an earth-sized planet 
orbiting our nearest star, Proxima Centauri? 

The Hunt for Vulcan
The planet hunters of today search for worlds beyond our Solar System. The planet hunters of a century or so ago were still trying to find a planet orbiting our own sun.  In The Hunt for Vulcan – which is shortlisted for this year's Royal Society Book Prize -  Professor Thomas Levenson examines the craze known as Vulcan-mania. This search for a phantom planet persisted as it might have explained the odd orbit of the planet Mercury, as Professor Levenson explained to Gareth Mitchell.  

Trump’s Wall and Wildlife
US presidential candidate, Donald Trump’s proposed plan to build a wall across the entire US-Mexican border would be bad news for the fragile ecosystem of this important wildlife area. The border area is home to a diverse population of mammals, birds and plants—including a number of rare species. Freedom of movement across the border is crucial for habitat connectivity and genetic diversity. According to experts a number of species, including Desert bighorn sheep, black bears and the iconic roadrunner, would be at risk from the proposed construction.

Hidden in a Name
The names we give things in the natural world often contain clues about what they look like, how they behave or where they come from.  But with thousands of human languages approaching extinction, important plant knowledge may die with them.  Cathy Edwards reports.

Hair
Adam Rutherford attempts to have a serious discussion about the evolutionary purpose of pubic hair with anatomist and broadcaster Professor Alice Roberts – and with Dr Hannah Fry about how leg hair knows to grow back when it’s been shaved.

Retirement in Sport
Claudia Hammond looks at what happens when elite sportspeople retire from competition.  Life becomes very different when they stop striving for those medals, and they no longer have an identity as an athlete.  After years of being told how to become a champion - when to train, what to eat and when to sleep – they have to return to making decisions for themselves.  For some it can put people at risk of depression, alcohol abuse or even suicide.  Claudia Hammond talks to former swimmer Sharron Davies about how she has redefined her life, post-retirement.  Footballer Clarke Carlisle now works with a mental health charity, but admits that he was not prepared for his own loss of identity after retirement.  Paul Wylleman, Professor of Sports Psychology at the Free University of Brussels, and performance manager to the Dutch Olympics team, tells her how some countries’ Olympic organisations prepare their stars for the future outside sport.

Penguin’s Rebooted by 3D Printer
3D printing has helped to create bespoke footwear for an injured penguin in the United States.  Purps the Penguin lives in the Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut.  She damaged a tendon in her ankle, fighting with another bird. The plastic boot which helped her to walk up until now was heavy and bulky.  So some children from a local school who had recently acquired a 3D printer to help with their studies, designed and printed a new, better fitting, more comfortable boot for Purps.  Nicholas Gondek, who is the Director of Additive Manufacturing at ACT group, a firm specialising in 3D printing services, was impressed by the skills of the pupils at Mystic Middle School. 


(Photo caption: Artists impression showing a view of the surface of the planet Proxima b orbiting the red dwarf star Proxima Centauri © ESO/M. Kornmesser/PA Wire)


The Science Hour was presented by Claudia Hammond with comments from BBC Science reporter Jonathan Webb


Producer: Paula McGrath

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