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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: Predictions from the sky and murderous fish

Discussion & Talk

29/06/2023 GMT

Predictions from the sky and murderous fish

BBC World Service - Unexpected Elements, Predictions from the sky and murderous fish

Celebrations of Eid send us on a science-filled odyssey to the stars.

The news you know, the science you don't.

Muslims around the world are celebrating Eid, but how to pick a date for your festivities? 

The Islamic calendar says look to the moon, but haven’t we always chosen to order life on earth by using the planets, moons and stars? 

We hear about the Mayans who tracked Venus and the astronomer who proved that comets weren’t bad omens.

Having looked at the outsourcing of decisions to the sky, we wonder why we can’t just trust our brains and wonder what neuroscience has to say about it.

And now that AI is able to make decisions for us, we hear about the computer-predicted proteins doing work that would otherwise take millions of years of evolution.

Our ‘Under the Radar’ story this week comes from Brazil, where we meet the Lionfish – hear how these kings of the coral reef are upsetting the ecosystem by eating most of it. 

In our ongoing quest to find The Coolest Science in the World, we hear from a scientist doing amazing things with immersive audio.

And Marnie learns about the engineer trying to build roads through fresh volcanic lava, and reflects on how we predict eruptions.

All this plus your emails and WhatsApps, and a lot of mango chat.

Presented by Marnie Chesterton
Produced by Ben Motley, with Alex Mansfield and Sophie Ormiston
Production Coordinator: Jonathan Harris

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Unexpected Elements

Predictions from the sky and murderous fish

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