Keep it clean
Unexpected Elements
BBC
4.4 • 566 Ratings
🗓️ 24 January 2025
⏱️ 50 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
The Hindu festival of Kumbh Mela is currently underway in India. As part of the event, millions of pilgrims will take a cleansing dip in the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati. Inspired by this headline, we splash into a whole bathtub of stories about the science of cleaning. We find out why it’s so important to prevent contamination of other planets and moons, and how space scientists keep things clean.
Next up, we discover how our brains clear out harmful toxins while we snooze.
And is there any truth in the saying, ‘tidy house, tidy mind’?
Finally, Marnie ponders whether it’s possible to be too clean, or if being a bit grubby is okay. Presenters: Marnie Chesterton, with Affelia Wibisono and Andrada Fiscutean Producers: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, with Dan Welsh, William Hornbrook and Imaan Moin
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Oh, hello. You have chosen a BBC podcast, but before you listen to it, we thought you might |
| 0:04.7 | like our podcast too. You might. You might. It is called Sightracked with me, Nick Grimshaw. |
| 0:09.2 | And me, Annie Mack. And we talk about the week in music. All the news, all the cultural |
| 0:14.0 | happenings in the UK and beyond. And great guests. And it's on BBC Sounds. Yes, where you can |
| 0:19.7 | also enjoy lots of playlists, music mixes and |
| 0:22.6 | live radio, everything from my six music breakfast show to Radio 3 Unwind. But obviously start |
| 0:29.2 | with our podcast, sidetrack. Obviously. Obviously. So if you like music, listen on BBC |
| 0:33.7 | Sounds. I start with sad news this week. on BBC Sands. |
| 0:41.6 | I start with sad news this week. |
| 0:43.4 | My family dog died. |
| 0:45.6 | I went back to my parents' house and it hit me that the usual welcome committee, |
| 0:48.5 | a good-natured Labrador, |
| 0:50.3 | always eager to show you his favourite toy, |
| 0:52.8 | was missing. |
| 0:54.0 | The house was eerily quiet. |
| 0:56.1 | His basket was empty and his bedding washed and put away. |
| 1:00.0 | But, as I joked with Mum, he'll be with us for a long time yet. |
| 1:04.7 | Not just in fond memories and old photos. |
| 1:08.1 | No, I mean literally. |
| 1:10.0 | I'm talking about the carpets, sofas, clothes and storage boxes |
| 1:14.7 | where, despite hiring a special steam cleaner, we're still going to find Dougal's pesky black |
| 1:21.1 | dog hairs probably for years to come. I'm Marnie Chesterton from the BBC World Service. This is Unexpected Elements. |
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