Mission unexpectedly possible
Unexpected Elements
BBC
4.4 • 565 Ratings
🗓️ 30 May 2025
⏱️ 52 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
With the new Mission Impossible film playing in cinemas, the Unexpected Elements team is channelling Tom Cruise’s energy to see if scientists can push the boundaries of what is considered ‘impossible.’
First up, we fuse medieval alchemy with particle physics and explore a method to turn lead into gold. We then look at the latest research that uses artificial intelligence to help us humans communicate with animals.
We put the spotlight on a favourite trope of science-fiction films – time travel! String theorist Brian Greene of Columbia University explains how going to the past, or back to the future, may or may not be hypothetically possible.
We also ponder ancient auroras, whether ants can plan a Hollywood-style heist, and what it takes to understand our consciousness. Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Affelia Wibisono and Andrada Fiscutean Producer: Imaan Moin, with Alice Lipscombe-Southwell Studio engineer: Mike Mallen
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. |
| 0:34.7 | If British mathematician and engineer Lord Kelvin were alive today, he'd be 200 years old. |
| 0:42.6 | And he'd be the first person to tell you that reaching such an age is impossible. |
| 0:48.2 | Because Kelvin, who's significant enough to have the official temperature scale named after him, |
| 0:53.4 | was fond of pronouncing |
| 0:55.4 | things impossible. The history of invention is littered with delicious episodes of hubris. |
| 1:02.1 | Kelvin declared that aeroplanes wouldn't get off the ground, x-rays were fake and my personal favourite. |
| 1:09.0 | This novel thing called radio? |
| 1:16.4 | There's no way anything useful or meaningful is coming out of that emerging technology. |
| 1:20.1 | I'm Marnie Chesterton from the BBC World Service. |
| 1:22.3 | This is Unexpected Elements. Music Do you know what might be impossible? Making a chat-based science show without some people to chat with. |
| 1:42.5 | Fortunately for me, I'm joined by a couple of |
| 1:45.0 | cracking science journalists. So let's introduce them over in Dublin, Ireland, space scientist and |
| 1:51.1 | communicator, Aphelia Wibisono. Welcome. |
| 1:53.9 | Dear Gwich, how are you, Marni? I'm doing good, thank you. And over in Bucharest, Romania, |
| 1:59.6 | welcome back tech journalist Andrade Fiskitan. |
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