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Unexpected Elements

Thrillseekers

Unexpected Elements

BBC

Science

4.4566 Ratings

🗓️ 6 September 2024

⏱️ 50 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Here on Unexpected Elements, we've been glued to the drama of the Paralympic games in Paris. But it's not just the thrill of the competition that's got us hooked, we've also become obsessed with some of the high-octane training regimes undertaken by the athletes.

Take American 'Armless Archer' Matt Stutzman, who shoots arrows through the windows of his own house and car to recreate the high pressure of the Olympic stadium. He's chasing a thrill, and so are we!

We hear about the research on one extraordinary woman who had a medical condition which caused her to have no fear.

And we follow the fate of an extraordinary marine creature, who detaches his own arm in his quest for a mate.

We hear about why humans love to be scared - as long as it's all in good fun.

And we hear about the space debris falling to earth, and the thrilling quest of a plane full of scientists who want to watch it fall.

That and loads more unexpected elements in this week's show.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Tristan Ahtone and Affelia Wibisono Producer: Emily Knight, with Harrison Lewis, Dan Welsh and Noa Dowling Sound engineer: Gwynfor Jones

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 Sands.

0:36.1

So this week, I ate the best tomato in the world.

0:41.2

A friend's daughter picked it for me,

0:43.1

and the complex sweetness, as I popped it into my mouth,

0:47.1

made me feel like the richest woman on the planet.

0:51.2

Whenever I've tried to grow my own,

0:52.9

the cost of the special grow bags, the

0:55.3

fertiliser, and the plants themselves add a certain bitterness to the poultry crop. Add in the

1:02.0

woman hours spent watering these plants and each tiny cherry tomato comes out to more than a dollar.

1:08.7

And yet they have this amazing aroma that my supermarket tomatoes lack.

1:12.7

The way to get the best of both worlds,

1:14.9

as I discovered last weekend,

1:16.7

is to be friends with a gardener.

1:19.0

I'm Marnie Chasterton from the BBC World Service.

1:21.5

This is unexpected elements.

1:23.2

Music And talking of cheap thrills, because they're worth their weight in gold, which the BBC won't stretch to, I'm joined by some excellent journalists.

...

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