We’ll learn about the psychological preparation that goes into undertaking mammoth challenges, like marathons and expeditions, and meet a scientist from the UK Space Agency who’s endured the Antarctic winter, and is now training to be an astronaut.

We’ll find out just how genetic our ability to cope with endurance exercise is. How air pollution could be affecting your running times. And find out how evolution has gifted our animal friends with some unique ways of getting ahead.

As well as all that, there’s the science of what makes something ugly. And an exciting innovation that could see us using cow dung to fuel our cars.

All that and more in this week’s Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Alex Lathbridge, Chhavi Sachdev and Candice Bailey

Producers: Robbie Wojciechowski with Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, Imaan Moin, and Minnie Harrop