How plankton made mountains

Unexpected Elements

BBC

Science

4.4 • 567 Ratings

🗓️ 1 February 2024

⏱️ 51 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

This week, the world’s largest cruise ship set sail from Miami. Whilst a cruise holiday may be appealing to some, there is also a long history of disease spreading around the world via ships. Marnie and the panel take a look at the reasons why and the resulting impact on public health policies. It’s not just humans and microbes that are hitching a ride aboard sea vessels. Animals such as mussels can cling on to ship hulls, exposing previously pristine environments to potentially invasive species. We hear how scientists are tackling this problem with novel polymer lubricants. And we’re not done yet with marine creatures creating big issues. Professor John Parnell tells us the huge impact microscopic phytoplankton has had on Earth’s geology, and how the stuff in your pencils could actually be the bodies of long dead plankton... Plus, we explore the latest developments in rhino IVF, say ‘saluton’ to our Esperanto listeners and answer a question about going grey. And as Alabama uses nitrogen to execute a prisoner, we look at the science behind death penalty drugs. Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Yangyang Cheng and Philistiah Mwatee Producer: Sophie Ormiston, with Margaret Sessa Hawkins, Alex Mansfield, Dan Welsh, Harrison Lewis, Katie Tomsett and Jack Lee Production Co-ordinator: Jonathan Harris

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. Hi, I'm Una Chaplin and I'm the host of a new podcast called Hollywood
0:36.5	Exiles. It tells the story of a new podcast called Hollywood Exiles.
0:46.7	It tells the story of how my grandfather Charlie Chaplin and many others were caught up in a campaign to root out communism in Hollywood.
0:54.2	Hollywood Exiles from CBC Podcasts and the BBC World Service. Find it wherever you get your podcasts.
1:04.6	So this week, a piece of reality TV which has gripped the UK came to a conclusion.
1:12.4	The Traders is a high-stakes version of a party game I've played called Mafia or Werewolves. A couple of your group are nominated as the baddies. Every night they eliminate someone from the game. The
1:18.4	following day, the survivors, including the secret bad guys, discuss, elect and banish someone
1:24.5	they think is the traitor. Most of us think we're pretty good at telling if someone is lying.
1:31.3	Having played this game and watched it being played in some nail-biting and stressful television viewing,
1:37.2	I'd say that we can't.
1:39.1	Even more worrying, we just seem to pick off anyone who looks a bit different.
1:44.6	It might be easier just to pick names out of a hat.
1:48.2	I'm Marnie Chesterton from the BBC World Service.
1:51.1	This is Unexpected Elements. And I'm joined as usual by an international panel in New Haven, Connecticut research scholar at Yale Law School and particle physicist Yang Yang Cheng. Hello.
2:16.8	Hi, New Year. And early happy lunar new year. Oh, early happy new year to you too. And from BBC
2:23.7	in Nairobi, Kenya journalist Phyllis Mwate. Welcome, Phyllis. Hello, Manny, Hojambo.
	...

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