Let the games begin
Unexpected Elements
BBC
4.4 • 565 Ratings
🗓️ 6 February 2026
⏱️ 52 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
The Winter Olympics has the Unexpected Elements team looking into some of the incredible science behind the sports. First up, the tale of India’s lone luge pilot: how did using old train tracks as sled runners give him a competitive edge? Then, we look at the physics behind a cheating scandal that has rocked the ski jumping world. Scientific studies tell us exactly how much difference changing a single stitch in a costume can make.
Did you know there are different types of ice? Professor Christoph Salzmann has discovered three of them, and tells us what makes them unique. Plus dinosaurs, disease, and whether we laugh with an accent. All on this week’s Unexpected Elements.
Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Chhavi Sachdev and Tristan Ahtone Producers: Margaret Sessa-Hawkins, with Lucy Davies, Imy Harper and Tim Dodd
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, Podcasts. |
| 0:07.0 | In 2019, we began investigating the disappearance of Dr. Ruzha Ignatva. |
| 0:14.0 | I believe we are a very special network. |
| 0:16.0 | A scammer who stole billions from investors around the world. |
| 0:21.4 | She's on the FBI's 10 most wanted list. |
| 0:24.5 | And now we have some unmissable updates. |
| 0:27.8 | She has money and when you have money, you have power. |
| 0:30.6 | Join me, Jamie Bartlett, as the hunt for the missing crypto queen continues. |
| 0:35.5 | Listen first on BBC Sounds. |
| 0:40.8 | When I was little, marathons were an epic feat that marked you out as a rare and curious creature. |
| 0:48.7 | Now, a good fraction of my department have run at least a half. It's never been my chosen form of exercise, |
| 0:55.5 | and so it was with hope of affirmation |
| 0:58.1 | that I read an article this weekend entitled, |
| 1:01.3 | Are Marathons Bad for You? |
| 1:03.5 | Spoiler, no. |
| 1:05.3 | Yes, pounding pavements can be tedious |
| 1:07.4 | and wear and tear on your joints, |
| 1:09.7 | but it's hard to argue with the study from |
| 1:11.8 | 2020 that followed 138 first-time London marathon runners, which found that training reduced |
| 1:19.3 | blood pressure and aortic stiffness enough to take four years off the age of your arteries. |
| 1:26.5 | The biggest effect was in older runners, |
| 1:29.7 | so maybe I should wait to start until next decade, |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from BBC, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of BBC and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.