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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: Exoplanet Discovery

Discussion & Talk

cropped_exoplanet1.jpg

25/02/2017 GMT

Exoplanet Discovery

BBC World Service - Unexpected Elements, Exoplanet Discovery

Astronomers have detected a record seven Earth-sized planets orbiting a single star

Exoplanet discovery; Ancient microbes in crystal cave; Nodding Syndrome; Neanderthal Genes; Woolly mammoth revival; ECG ID; The melodic mystery

This week, we are searching for life, from the ancient microbes found in a Mexican cave to the farms on Hong Kong’s skyscrapers.  Plus, we hear from the astronomers who have detected seven Earth-sized planets orbiting a single star.

A Belgian researcher has solved a medical mystery, linking nodding syndrome – a type of epilepsy – to river blindness.  The condition can now be treated to avoid the disabling symptoms.

Almost all Europeans and Asians carry Neanderthal genes. Until recently these were thought to have little impact on us, but research shows they may be involved with both our physical and mental health.

How might your heart rate be used as a password?  Gareth Mitchell talks to the researchers about securing medical data using your heart beat.

News of a scientist’s plan to resurrect mammoths in two years has spread around the world. However, the story is largely untrue.  John Hawks reveals why.


Image caption: An artist's impression of what it would be like to stand on the surface of the exoplanet TRAPPIST-1f, located in the TRAPPIST-1 system © NASA/JPL-Caltech/T. Pyle (IPAC)


The Science Hour was presented by Gareth Mitchell with comments from David Robson of BBC Future


Producer: Graihagh Jackson

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