Unexpected Elements
Hosted by Marnie Chesterton and Robbie Wojciechowski and Ella Hubber and Lucy Davies and Alice Lipscombe-Southwell and Andrada Fiscutean and Kai Kupferschmidt and Tristan Ahtone and Alice McKee and Camilla Mota and Caroline Steel and Chhavi Sachdev and Dan Welsh and Margaret Sessa-Hawkins and Paul Adepoju and Phillys Mwatee · BBC World Service
4.6from 565 ratings
- 352
- Episodes
- 136
- Transcribed
- 565
- Ratings
- Weekly
- Cadence
- 2019
- First episode
About Unexpected Elements
The news you know, the science you don’t. Unexpected Elements looks beyond everyday narratives to discover a goldmine of scientific stories and connections from around the globe. From Afronauts, to why we argue, to a deep dive on animal lifespans: see the world in a new way.
- Publisher
- BBC World Service
- Category
- science
- Language
- en
- Explicit
- No
- First episode
- 26 May 2019
- Latest episode
- 6 Nov 2026
Latest episodes
136 of 352 episodes have a transcript.
6 Nov 2026TRANSCRIPT
Maxxed out
30 Oct 2026TRANSCRIPT
Defrauded, defamed, delivered
23 Oct 2026TRANSCRIPT
Building bridges
Inside a recent episode
Maxxed out
Published 6 Nov 2026 · Transcript excerpt
[…] This is basically a laser beam that's used to trap and move individual atoms or molecules or even small particles like DNA and cells and stuff like that. And the way they work is that basically when a laser is focused down to a tiny spot, Its electric field is strongest at the centre. […]
Read the full transcript with a Pod Engine plan.
See plansWho has been a guest on Unexpected Elements
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
- Nicholas Eastaugh
- Kit Yates
- Chad Orzel
- Lucia Jacobs
- Bart Geert
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
- Apple Podcasts (US)
- 4.5 / 5
- 354 ratings
- Spotify
- 4.7 / 5
- 211 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 67 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
- Quality
- 95
- Social presence
- 0
- YouTube
- 0
- Engagement
- 99
Contact Unexpected Elements
- Guest appearances
- Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Shows with a similar audience
Questions about Unexpected Elements
Who hosts Unexpected Elements?
Marnie Chesterton and Robbie Wojciechowski and Ella Hubber and Lucy Davies and Alice Lipscombe-Southwell and Andrada Fiscutean and Kai Kupferschmidt and Tristan Ahtone and Alice McKee and Camilla Mota and Caroline Steel and Chhavi Sachdev and Dan Welsh and Margaret Sessa-Hawkins and Paul Adepoju and Phillys Mwatee host the show. Published by BBC World Service.
How often do new episodes come out?
The show publishes weekly, based on its RSS feed.
Does Unexpected Elements take guests?
Yes. Guests have been identified in episode analyses.
Where can I read transcripts?
136 of 352 episodes have a transcript on Pod Engine. Full transcripts are available with a Pod Engine plan.
Host of Unexpected Elements?
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