Scary science

After the leaders of Japan and South Korea ended their summit with the two participating in a drumming duet, we’re marching to the beat of our own drum and exploring some rhythmic science.First, we look at nature’s drummer, the woodpecker, and why their pecking doesn’t give them ...  Show more

This week the Unexpected Elements team has travelled Down Under to sunny Sydney where we discover some wonderfully Australian science with the help of some wonderfully Australian panellists. First, we discuss the surprising American origins of Australia’s iconic marsupials and Ma ...  Show more

Why do so many of us love a good scare? Whether it’s horror movies, haunted houses or creepy podcasts, there’s something thrilling about feeling spooked—especially around Halloween. In this episode, host Rachel Feltman dives into our fascination with fear and morbid curiosity wit ...  Show more

It makes sense that we run away from scary things. That’s a good way to stay alive. But why do some people also love scary things? Why do people gravitate toward horror? Guests: Mathias Clasen and Marc Andersen, co-directors of the Recreational Fear Lab at Aarhus University For s ...  Show more

It’s our Halloween special from a rain-soaked Jodrell Bank in Cheshire. We find out what you can see in a dark, dark Halloween night sky with space-watcher and Professor of astrophysics Tim O’Brien. Also this week, we meet some blood-sucking leeches, the horrors of pumpkin waste ...  Show more

Sweet, caffeinated energy drinks are in the headlines again as the UK Government says it wants to ban under 16s from buying them. Some can contain the equivalent caffeine as 2 to 4 espressos. James Betts, Professor of Metabolic Physiology at the University of Bath, explains the s ...  Show more