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Boring science
How might our future lie underground?
An exploration of empathy
On the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration Of Human Rights, we look at empathy
A very dark day
The solstice takes us on a journey through darkness and light.
The Best of Unexpected Elements
Marnie Chesterton and Caroline Steel look back at some of the best bits of the show.
Timing is everything
Can you visualize time? We don’t all see it the same way
Super corals and science diplomacy
Could tensions around the Red Sea affect research into heat-resistant super corals?
Rulers and the rules of ageing
Under the stress and strains of leadership, how might power affect youthfulness?
Populations of people, frogs and microbes
With China’s population declining, would decreasing populations be better for the planet?
How plankton made mountains
The world’s largest cruise ship has set sail – but what stowaways are hiding onboard?
Deep in thought
News of a microchip implanted in a human brain sends our imagination running wild
Not so random acts of kindness
Are African spiders behind the ultimate act of kindness in nature?
Going the distance
A tribute to marathon runner Kelvin Kiptum and the science behind his record performances
Leaping in Sync
As the leap year helps keep us in sync, we explore nature’s ways of staying in rhythm
Unexpected Oscars
As award season reaches its climax, Unexpected Elements holds its own glitzy ceremony.
Fandom: The next generation
K-Pop fans send us on a journey into fandom through Star Trek, football and physics
Ancient water, modern solutions
With water shortages and melting ice caps making the news we look at unexpected solutions
G.O.A.T
The greatest baseball player of all time and the greatest science to boot!
Unexpected elections
What do stickleback fish have to do with millions of people’s voting intentions?
Beyoncé, banjos and dancing chemistry
Beyonce's reappraisal of who can do country music spurs an Unexpected Elements hoedown
Computer memories and quantum futures
From silicon chips behind the Iron Curtain to quantum computing in the cloud.
A scientific séance
Conjuring, not spirits, but critical thinking to expose fradulent psychics
Horsey driverless cars and competitive cloning
Rampaging horses lead us to horse cloning and what horseriding can teach driverless cars
Unexpected birthday party
It's party time and we look to science for advice on clothes, cake and singing
Winning Losers
Does the winner really always take it all?
A world going on underground
In bunkers, basements and boreholes, we explore life going on underground
Eternal flames
From Olympic torches to zombie fires, we stoke the flames which do not go out
Balloon manoeuvres
Balloons in South Korea have us floating ideas about airships and helium.
An unexpected burger
After McDonalds’ recent court case loss the team cook up a scientific culinary delight
Seismic swift
A Taylor Swift gig in Scotland made us look at human earthquakes and animal seismographs
Lights out
A power outage in Ecuador has us pondering the darkness of blackouts
Mushroom magic
Hallucinatory, deadly or lifesaving? Your one-stop guide to everything fungi
