Seriously...

Searching for Cosmic Dust


Listen Later

Norwegian jazz musician Jon Larsen was having breakfast one clear spring morning when he noticed a tiny black speck land on his clean, white table. With no wind, birds or planes in sight, he wondered if it fell from space.

Dust from space isn’t as fanciful as it sounds. Billions of microscopic meteorites, dating back to the birth of our solar system, fall onto Earth every year. But they are so tiny, hidden among the copious dust of everyday life, that scientists believe they are impossible to find outside ultra clean environments like Antarctica. But this doesn’t deter Jon, who, against the advice of all experts, decides he is going to be the first person to find an urban micrometeorite.

He takes presenter Caroline Steel and planetary scientist Dr Matthew Genge up onto some roofs, in search of the elusive particles. Can we find stardust on the top of the BBC?

Featuring Jon Larsen, Dr Matthew Genge (Imperial College London) and Svein Aarbostad.

Presenter: Caroline Steel
Producer: Cathy Edwards and Caroline Steel

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Seriously...By BBC Radio 4

  • 4.3
  • 4.3
  • 4.3
  • 4.3
  • 4.3

4.3

257 ratings


More shows like Seriously...

View all
Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,702 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,065 Listeners

In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,547 Listeners

The Documentary Podcast by BBC World Service

The Documentary Podcast

1,793 Listeners

In Our Time: History by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: History

1,880 Listeners

6 Minute English by BBC Radio

6 Minute English

1,765 Listeners

Learning English Conversations by BBC Radio

Learning English Conversations

1,036 Listeners

Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4 by BBC Radio 4

Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4

2,097 Listeners

The Infinite Monkey Cage by BBC Radio 4

The Infinite Monkey Cage

1,923 Listeners

Comedy of the Week by BBC Radio 4

Comedy of the Week

481 Listeners

Desert Island Discs by BBC Radio 4

Desert Island Discs

2,027 Listeners

Great Lives by BBC Radio 4

Great Lives

499 Listeners

Lives Less Ordinary by BBC World Service

Lives Less Ordinary

579 Listeners

Profile by BBC Radio 4

Profile

109 Listeners

Last Word by BBC Radio 4

Last Word

49 Listeners

Thinking Allowed by BBC Radio 4

Thinking Allowed

308 Listeners

The Audio Long Read by The Guardian

The Audio Long Read

843 Listeners

All in the Mind by BBC Radio 4

All in the Mind

82 Listeners

Private Passions by BBC Radio 3

Private Passions

52 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

3,170 Listeners

The Bomb by BBC World Service

The Bomb

1,003 Listeners

Life Changing by BBC Radio 4

Life Changing

116 Listeners

This Cultural Life by BBC Radio 4

This Cultural Life

118 Listeners

When It Hits the Fan by BBC Radio 4

When It Hits the Fan

41 Listeners

Young Again by BBC Radio 4

Young Again

48 Listeners