Science inspired by Taylor Swift
Unexpected Elements
BBC
4.4 • 565 Ratings
🗓️ 3 October 2025
⏱️ 50 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
The launch of Taylor Swift’s much-anticipated 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, has inspired this week’s episode of Unexpected Elements.
First up, we hear how a Brazilian songbird courts its mate as part of a boyband. We then find out about the microbes that dance to survive in their extreme habitat.
Next up, Professor Troy Magney, a forest ecophysiologist at the University of Montana, tells us about his TSWIFT machine and how it can assess the health of the planet’s forests.
Also in the programme, we find out why migratory birds trick weather data, how fish sing, and how hackers used SWIFT bank payments to nearly pull off a billion-dollar heist.
All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements.
Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Camilla Mota and Godfred Boafo Producers: Imaan Moin and Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, with Robbie Wojciechowski and Lucy Davies
Transcript
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| 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. |
| 0:39.5 | So this week, bumped into an old friend at an audio festival. That's not a music festival with cool bands. This is an audio festival full of nerds who like playing with microphones and storytelling techniques. We spent the time scratching our chins whilst listening to sound art installations |
| 0:58.5 | and immersive location pieces. |
| 1:01.5 | Then I came here to make a radio show and he disappeared off to France to record deer mating. |
| 1:08.2 | Different people make different audio choices. Some listen to classical, many like pop, |
| 1:14.0 | and a few enjoy binaural soundscapes of rutting red deer. I'm Marnie Chesterton from the BBC |
| 1:21.0 | World Service. This is Unexpected Elements. elements. |
| 1:39.4 | And I'm no solo artist. |
| 1:43.7 | Joining me this week are an international panel of science journalists. In Sao Paulo, Brazil, we have |
| 1:45.6 | Kimmlo Mota. Oh, Imani. Hello. And in Akraegana, welcome back, Godfrey, Boafo. Hello, |
| 1:51.9 | hello, hello. It's good to be back. I've been practicing my singing. I can join you. |
| 1:56.5 | We are chart-topping group already, Godfrey. So listen, I should say to listeners that this is |
| 2:02.8 | a science program, but |
| 2:04.7 | it's one that's inspired by the |
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