Unexpected Elements

The fast and the curious


Listen Later

It’s the month of Ramadan, when Muslims across the world fast between dawn and sunset in the belief that it will bring them closer to Allah. And this has inspired the Unexpected Elements team to turn their attention to all things fast.

First, we explore the latest research around intermittent fasting.

Next, we contemplate a new way to relax by harnessing the time-distorting power of black holes.

We then find out why deserts in South Africa are spreading at an alarming rate.

Plus, we’re joined by Dr Claire Lee, a particle physicist who works with the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. She explains how she and her colleagues accelerate particles to phenomenal speeds, how they detect these particles when they collide, and what this can tell us about the origins of the universe.

That, plus many more Unexpected Elements.

Presenters: Marnie Chesterton, with Tristan Ahtone and Leonie Joubert.

Producers: William Hornbrook, with Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, Harrison Lewis, Debbie Kilbride and Noa Dowling.

...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

326 ratings


More shows like Unexpected Elements

View all
In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,395 Listeners

The Documentary Podcast by BBC World Service

The Documentary Podcast

1,837 Listeners

The Naked Scientists Podcast by The Naked Scientists

The Naked Scientists Podcast

604 Listeners

Nature Podcast by Springer Nature Limited

Nature Podcast

764 Listeners

Science Magazine Podcast by Science Magazine

Science Magazine Podcast

812 Listeners

F1: Chequered Flag by BBC Radio 5 Live

F1: Chequered Flag

732 Listeners

Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,894 Listeners

Science Weekly by The Guardian

Science Weekly

427 Listeners

5 Live Science Podcast by BBC Radio 5 Live

5 Live Science Podcast

112 Listeners

Health Check by BBC World Service

Health Check

89 Listeners

6 Minute English by BBC Radio

6 Minute English

1,814 Listeners

Learning English Conversations by BBC Radio

Learning English Conversations

1,119 Listeners

Science In Action by BBC World Service

Science In Action

347 Listeners

Discovery by BBC World Service

Discovery

962 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

2,065 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,051 Listeners

The Life Scientific by BBC Radio 4

The Life Scientific

213 Listeners

BBC Inside Science by BBC Radio 4

BBC Inside Science

398 Listeners

CrowdScience by BBC World Service

CrowdScience

478 Listeners

People Fixing the World by BBC World Service

People Fixing the World

245 Listeners

Americast by BBC News

Americast

723 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

2,961 Listeners

New Scientist Podcasts by New Scientist

New Scientist Podcasts

105 Listeners