Pirate science ahoy!
Unexpected Elements
BBC
4.4 • 565 Ratings
🗓️ 19 September 2025
⏱️ 50 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
For International Talk Like a Pirate Day on 19th September, we dig up a treasure chest full of pirate-inspired science.
First up, we peer down our microscopes at a bacterium that takes its inspiration from a pirate warship. Next, we turn our attention to scurvy, the disease that plagued mariners and is now making a comeback in the modern age.
We then get on the line with marine archaeologist Dr Sean Kingsley, who is about to set sail on a mission to survey the unexplored wrecks of Nassau.
Plus, we delve into the tricky topic of modern-day piracy and copyright, before testing our pirate knowledge in a swashbuckling quiz.
All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements.
Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Kai Kupferschmidt and Sandy Ong Producers: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell and Margaret Sessa Hawkins, with Robbie Wojciechowski and Imaan Moin
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | BBC Sounds, Music, Radio Podcasts. |
| 0:05.6 | Oh, hello. You have chosen a BBC podcast, but before you listen to it, we thought you might like our podcast too. |
| 0:12.1 | You might. You might. It is called Sightraught with me Nick Grimshaw. |
| 0:15.2 | And me, Annie Mack. And we talk about the week in music. |
| 0:18.2 | All the news, all the cultural happenings in the UK and beyond. |
| 0:22.2 | And great guests. |
| 0:23.3 | And it's on BBC Sounds. |
| 0:24.7 | Yes, where you can also enjoy lots of playlists, music mixes and live radio. |
| 0:29.9 | Everything from my six music breakfast show to Radio 3 Unwind. |
| 0:34.5 | But obviously start with our podcast, sidetrack. |
| 0:36.3 | Obviously. |
| 0:36.7 | Obviously. |
| 0:37.9 | So if you like music, listen on BBC Sounds. |
| 0:42.6 | Have you ever thought about throwing all of your life up in the air and doing something completely |
| 0:48.0 | different? |
| 0:49.0 | I mean, even if you are lucky enough to love your job like I do, it's always good to have a |
| 0:53.7 | backup career. |
| 0:55.5 | This week, I've been reminded of the ultimate midlife crisis. Back in the 1700s, |
| 1:02.3 | Steed Bonnet had it all. The inherited wealth, the good connections, the nice estate on Barbados, |
| 1:08.7 | the society marriage. |
| 1:15.8 | What he didn't have was much sailing or captaincy experience, |
| 1:18.3 | but that didn't stop him from buying a ship, |
... |
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