Boring science
Unexpected Elements
BBC
4.4 • 567 Ratings
🗓️ 7 December 2023
⏱️ 51 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
After 41 Indian miners were happily rescued last week, Unexpected Elements takes a look at how our futures might lie below the surface.
As climate change suggests more of our infrastructures need to be buried safely, and even living spaces could be cooler down there, we discuss future technologies for digging tunnels more safely and cleanly.
But tunnelling and boring could go back a long way - more evidence suggests species of dinosaurs used to to live semi-subterranean lives.
Tunnelling also happens at the very smallest scales and lowest temperatures, as observed this year by physicists at Innsbruck University. Dr Robert Wild of Innsbruck University in Austria describes quantum tunnelling - a crucial process that belies most chemistry and even the fusion of hydrogen in the sun, and which is increasingly becoming part of our electronic devices.
Also, a new technique for monitoring the rapid evolution of the malaria parasite, your correspondence including obscure sports and asteroid fantasies, and a discussion of the difficulties of hiring a panda.
Presenter: Caroline Steel, with Philistiah Mwatee and Alex Lathbridge
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | In 2019, we began investigating the disappearance of Dr. Ruzha Ignatva. |
| 0:08.0 | I believe we are a very special network. |
| 0:10.0 | A scammer who stole billions from investors around the world. |
| 0:15.0 | She's on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted list. |
| 0:18.0 | And now, we have some unmissable updates. She has money and when you have |
| 0:23.0 | money you have power. Join me, Jamie Bartlett, as the hunt for the missing crypto queen continues. |
| 0:29.5 | Listen first on BBC Sounds. |
| 0:33.6 | The Global Story is the podcast helping you make sense of the news. |
| 0:38.7 | Join me, Katya Adler, every weekday as I take a closer look at the stories making the headlines, |
| 0:44.1 | with insights from the BBC's global network of experts. |
| 0:48.0 | Search for The Global Story, wherever you get your BBC podcasts. |
| 0:57.7 | On the world, wherever you get your BBC podcasts. I get the train into work. It's the perfect journey. Lots of seats, a beautiful view, |
| 1:03.3 | and phone signal and Wi-Fi so I can get on with work. But there's a massive tunnel which |
| 1:08.7 | runs under a river estuary that separates England and Wales. |
| 1:12.0 | So for five minutes, the train becomes completely surrounded by darkness and all connection to the outside world is lost. |
| 1:19.0 | On my journey yesterday morning, a call flashed up on my screen from producer Alex, who said, |
| 1:24.8 | Caroline, I'm sorry to do this to you, but then silence and darkness. We had entered the |
| 1:31.5 | tunnel. My mind raced. What could it be? Maybe I'm fired and should get off at the next stop. |
| 1:37.8 | After five long minutes, my phone signal returned. Turns out, Alex was just asking me to step in and present |
| 1:43.5 | this show at the last minute |
| 1:44.6 | because a lot of our team, Margaret, Dan, and Marnie have been struck by a nasty winter bug. |
| 1:50.4 | I'm Caroline Steele from the BBC World Service. This is Unexpected Elements. Here to help me out from London, we've got biochemist-turned journalist, Dr Alex Lafbridge. |
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