Unexpected Elements

Shiny: Why we are dazzled by new sparkly things


Listen Later

This week, Apple releases the new iPhone 16. It's new, it's shiny, and tech-nerds will be queueing round the block for a chance to snap it up. But why? We look at the science behind why we get so dazzled with new and shiny things.

We hear about the psychology behind our magpie tendencies, and find out it might all be connected to one of our deepest evolutionary drives: for clean, fresh, sparkling water.

And we find out what the shiniest thing in the natural world is. An extraordinary blue berry with some mesmerising visual qualities.

We find out about diamonds made from your dead pets. And, we dissect the science behind the first flush of love. Why do we get so obsessed with a new partner? And why doesn't the feeling last?

Presenter: Caroline Steel, with Kai Kupferschmidt and Phyllis Mwatee

Producer: Harrison Lewis, with Emily Knight, Noa Dowling and Elizabeth Barsotti
Sound engineer: Searle Whittney

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

Unexpected ElementsBy BBC World Service

  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5

4.5

331 ratings


More shows like Unexpected Elements

View all
In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,441 Listeners

The Documentary Podcast by BBC World Service

The Documentary Podcast

1,802 Listeners

The Naked Scientists Podcast by The Naked Scientists

The Naked Scientists Podcast

595 Listeners

Nature Podcast by Springer Nature Limited

Nature Podcast

759 Listeners

Science Magazine Podcast by Science Magazine

Science Magazine Podcast

813 Listeners

Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,615 Listeners

Science Weekly by The Guardian

Science Weekly

419 Listeners

5 Live Science Podcast by BBC Radio 5 Live

5 Live Science Podcast

111 Listeners

Health Check by BBC World Service

Health Check

89 Listeners

6 Minute English by BBC Radio

6 Minute English

1,751 Listeners

Learning English Conversations by BBC Radio

Learning English Conversations

1,079 Listeners

Science In Action by BBC World Service

Science In Action

342 Listeners

More or Less: Behind the Stats by BBC Radio 4

More or Less: Behind the Stats

892 Listeners

Discovery by BBC World Service

Discovery

967 Listeners

Ask the Naked Scientists by Dr Chris Smith

Ask the Naked Scientists

73 Listeners

The Infinite Monkey Cage by BBC Radio 4

The Infinite Monkey Cage

2,090 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,039 Listeners

The Life Scientific by BBC Radio 4

The Life Scientific

234 Listeners

BBC Inside Science by BBC Radio 4

BBC Inside Science

405 Listeners

CrowdScience by BBC World Service

CrowdScience

474 Listeners

13 Minutes Presents: The Space Shuttle by BBC World Service

13 Minutes Presents: The Space Shuttle

4,197 Listeners

Americast by BBC News

Americast

699 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

2,981 Listeners

The world, the universe and us by New Scientist

The world, the universe and us

107 Listeners