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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: Recycling Radio Telescopes

Discussion & Talk

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20/05/2017 GMT

Recycling Radio Telescopes

BBC World Service - Unexpected Elements, Recycling Radio Telescopes

Africa refits redundant satellite dishes for radio astronomy

Recycling radio telescopes; Childhood cancers; 57th Venice Biennale; Quantum supremacy; The secret life of plants; Smells; The leopard that went to the dentist

Africa has a new telescope.  Built in Ghana, it has been constructed from decommissioned dishes and they hope to build more, improving the telescopes’ ability to depict things like pulsars.

In London, Adam Rutherford sees 100-year old tumour samples.  Great Ormond Street Hospital is now using them to improve the treatment of rare cancers in children. 

Meanwhile, on a gondola in Venice, Gareth Mitchell celebrates the Biennale Art Festival where technology is playing an increasing role in art.

Quantum scientists from Google, IBM and Microsoft are all working on new systems that will outpace any conventional one.  Roland knocks at the door of one of these supercomputers to see it in action.  The relative inaction of plants may make it a tedious kingdom to study.  Not so, says plant biologist Ottoline Leyser.  Plants are intelligent and possess a unique ability to adapt in ways we can only dream of. One such dream might be to have the sniffing powers of a hound but a new review argues that our sense of smell could be just as good when it comes to certain scents. 

Finally, how one conservationist took a leopard to the dentist.  We hear about Amy Dickman’s extraordinary efforts to save big cats.


(Photo credit: Ghana radio dish © SKA SA)


The Science Hour was presented by Roland Pease with comments from David Robson of BBC Future


Producer: Graihagh Jackson

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