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Unexpected Elements

A keg of beer-based science

Unexpected Elements

BBC

Science

4.4565 Ratings

🗓️ 14 November 2025

⏱️ 50 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

A 150-year-old bottle of Arctic Ale is being uncapped, which got the team talking about all things related to yeast, beer, and opening things.

First, we hear about a rare condition where the body brews its own alcohol. Next up, we find out that small amounts of alcohol make male fruit flies more attractive.

We’re then joined in the studio by food historian Pen Vogler, who helps us travel back in time to explore beer’s origins.

Next, we discover how air pollution is affecting our brains, and delve into some surprising ways that yeast could help the climate.

All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Chhavi Sachdev and Candice Bailey Producers: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, with Lucy Davies and Robbie Wojciechowski

Transcript

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0:00.0

BBC Sounds, Music, Radio Podcasts.

0:05.6

Oh, hello. You have chosen a BBC podcast, but before you listen to it, we thought you might like our podcast too.

0:12.1

You might. You might. It is called Sightraught with me Nick Grimshaw.

0:15.2

And me, Annie Mack. And we talk about the week in music.

0:18.2

All the news, all the cultural happenings in the UK and beyond.

0:22.2

And great guests.

0:23.3

And it's on BBC Sounds.

0:24.7

Yes, where you can also enjoy lots of playlists, music mixes and live radio.

0:29.9

Everything from my six music breakfast show to Radio 3 Unwind.

0:34.5

But obviously start with our podcast, sidetrack.

0:36.3

Obviously.

0:36.7

Obviously.

0:38.2

So if you like music, listen on BBC Sounds.

0:43.3

Back in my student days, I lived in the Scottish capital, Edinburgh.

0:48.3

And that's a city I liked to navigate by smell.

0:52.2

There's a certain street that leads you up to the castle and a portion of

0:55.9

it always smelled like hot buttered toast. I never question why, even though over the years it

1:02.6

seemed increasingly unlikely that someone was permanently making toast. Embarrassingly, it was

1:08.3

years before I cracked the mystery.

1:14.6

That warm, malty smell came from a nearby brewery.

1:22.1

I guess I was smelling cooking grains, but it was roasted barley for beer rather than a mountain of delicious toast.

1:27.4

And sadly, the brewery has since put up a control tower to stop that smell,

...

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