Going home
Unexpected Elements
BBC
4.4 • 566 Ratings
🗓️ 6 December 2024
⏱️ 50 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
This week we’re looking at a political agreement that will hand back sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. In the 1970s, the UK removed the entire Chagossian population to make way for a US military base. The islanders have been fighting for their right to return ever since. If deal can be agreed, the islanders are hoping they will have the chance to go home.
And this got us thinking about all things home-related.
First up, we discover the intriguing reasons why you can’t smell your own home, then we take a closer look at our homes and all the creatures that live there, before finding out about the ‘home scars’ created by limpets.
Next we hear from Dr Nadescha Zwerschke, a scientist who spent time on Rothera research station in Antarctica. She reveals how she made this isolated outpost feel like home.
Also, we reveal that global talks to agree a reduction in plastics have collapsed, which could have an impact on all our homes from a pollution perspective.
And finally – a type of pasta that would be no good for your homecooked recipes.
Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Tristan Ahtone and Godfred Boafo Producer: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, with Harrison Lewis and William Hornbrook Sound engineer: Gavin Wong
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. |
| 0:36.3 | So last weekend, I met a man who'd had a whale breach onto him. |
| 0:41.5 | So this enormous creature rose out of the sea and almost landed on Tom's kayak. |
| 0:48.0 | He missed death by a matter of centimetres. |
| 0:50.5 | But the force of the shockwave submerged him and his fellow paddler, and the whole event was |
| 0:55.5 | caught by a whale watcher and went viral. For Tom, this was the start of an obsession with what |
| 1:01.9 | the whale had been thinking. Scientists still don't know why they leap out of the water. Years on, |
| 1:08.5 | he's written a book called How to Speak Whale, all about the research, |
| 1:13.1 | and the amazing new research tools for studying whales. Pattern recognition and AI mean that Tom |
| 1:20.4 | not only knows which whale almost killed him, but he can also track its movements on his phone. |
| 1:27.4 | If an animal twice the size of a bus had almost squashed you, you'd be able to be able to him, but he can also track its movements on his phone. |
| 1:30.9 | If an animal twice the size of a bus had almost squashed you, |
| 1:33.9 | you'd want the chance to keep tabs on it, wouldn't you? |
| 1:37.2 | I'm Marnie Chasterton from the BBC World Service. |
| 1:39.4 | This is Unexpected Elements. Music And joining me to scour through the news, we have an international panel of science journalists. |
| 1:59.4 | This week, with me from Helsinki Finland, Tristan Atoine. Hello. |
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