Why are gold prices so high?

Unexpected Elements

BBC

Science

4.4 • 565 Ratings

🗓️ 17 October 2025

⏱️ 50 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Record high gold prices have us looking at the science of inflation, why gold is leaking from volcanoes, and entomologist Katy Prudic explains why shiny gold can be a good color for camouflage.

Plus the dark science going on in a gold mine, whether we can move at the speed of light, and the debate around golden rice. All that, plus more unexpected elements.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton Producers: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, with Margaret Sessa-Hawkins, Robbie Wojciechowski and Lucy Davies.

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.
0:38.2	So if you like music, listen on BBC Sounds.
0:45.1	My brothers and I realized during a conversation 20 years ago that one of us was definitely the golden child.
0:53.5	He's good-natured, smart and practical, the sibling
0:56.6	who always texts the rest of us with upcoming birthday reminders. We started calling him
1:02.5	golden boy. None of the rest of us resent his golden status. He's too lovely to actually
1:08.4	dislike and frankly it takes the pressure off the rest of us.
1:12.4	Our parents joined in on the joke, and for years now all of his presents have come wrapped in gold paper.
1:18.8	Golden Boy is now married and the father of two kids, the oldest of whom has an Irish name that translates as golden princess.
1:28.1	I wonder if that counts as inherited wealth.
1:32.3	I'm Marnie Chasterton from the BBC World Service.
	...

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