logo
episode-header-image
Aug 2024
49m 29s

Let them eat crab

Bbc World Service
About this episode

This week we’re inspired by the price of a lobster dinner fit for a king. The recently revealed price tag for President Macron’s banquet back at the end of 2023, about half a million dollars, kickstarts an Unexpected Elements challenge – can the team create something similar and manage to save not only cash, but an Italian ecosystem from an American invader?

And waste not want not as we discover how the bits of a crustacean dinner you’d usually throw in the bin may be the key to a new generation of rechargeable batteries.

We’ll also be exploring the science of spices with Dr Stuart Farrimond and singing the praises of a blue-blooded crab that’s really a giant spider, which has been helping out the medical industry for decades.

That plus many other Unexpected Elements.

Bon appétit!

Up next
Jul 4
Cargo ships, chemical spills and caribou
The X-Press Pearl shipping disaster takes us on a voyage through shipping-related science. First, we learn about how pollution from the X-Press Pearl explosion impacted the foundation of the marine food web – plankton. We also hear about an innovative system that can help slash t ... Show More
49m 29s
Jun 27
A roarsome episode
This week, Enigmacursor mollyborthwickae has been unveiled at London's Natural History Museum. This newly described herbivorous dinosaur has inspired us to take a stomp through the science of ancient animals, mass extinctions and fossils.First up, we hear about a shepherd who rec ... Show More
49m 29s
Jun 20
Some really cool science
This week, the Florida Panthers beat the Edmonton Oilers at ice hockey’s Stanley Cup championship, which sent us skating into ice-related science.First up, we hear about an ancient ice skate that’s been unearthed in Prerov, Czech Republic, which sends us pondering about the physi ... Show More
49m 29s
Recommended Episodes
Jul 2024
Fed: The invention of chicken
Dr Chris van Tulleken is on a mission to find out what we’re eating, why, and who or what might be influencing our decisions. And he’s starting his quest to uncover food truths with the most eaten meat in the world, and one of the most numerous animals on our planet: chicken.He’s ... Show More
26m 28s
Mar 2024
Laboratory-Grown Meat
Professor Ben Garrod guest presents. As a new 'meaty rice' is created and Fortnum & Mason launch a scotch egg made with cultivated meat that they hope to have on sale as early as next year, we investigate the world of laboratory-grown meat. Mark Post made the first ever synthetic ... Show More
28m 10s
Feb 2025
TED Explores: Food for the Future | TED Countdown
Food is culture, food is life — it’s part of who we are and the magic that binds us together. But here’s the twist: the way we eat is pushing the climate to the brink, with a third of global greenhouse gas emissions coming from the way we grow, process and waste food. Through TED ... Show More
23m 56s
Feb 2023
Spy Balloons, Cost of Cancer Care, Seaweed, Chocolate Mouthfeel. Feb 17, 2023, Part 2
Eyes In The Sky: The Science Behind Modern Balloons This month, the news cycle has been dominated by updates about suspicious objects being detected in the stratosphere. This bonanza started with a balloon from China, and escalated as four more objects—not all confirmed as balloo ... Show More
47m 17s
Jun 2023
Exploring Under the Sea
In order to protect the planet, we have to care about it. And pop culture can sometimes help make nature more relatable and accessible. With that in mind, Sara and our amazing new guest co-host, Kristen, have some fun discussing the real-world counterparts to the sidekicks in the ... Show More
52m 25s
Jul 2023
Where's the Beef? Lab-Grown Meat is Finally on the Menu
Can we really have our burger, eat it—and never need to kill a cow? Growing meat outside of animals—in a lab or, these days, in shiny steel bioreactors—promises to deliver a future in which we can enjoy sausages and sushi without guilt, and maybe even without sending our planet u ... Show More
54m 51s
Mar 2024
David E. Sutton, "Bigger Fish to Fry: A Theory of Cooking as Risk, with Greek Examples" (Berghahn, 2021)
What defines cooking as cooking, and why does cooking matter to the understanding of society, cultural change and everyday life? Bigger Fish to Fry: A Theory of Cooking as Risk, with Greek Examples (Berghahn, 2021) by Dr. David E. Sutton explores these questions by proposing a ne ... Show More
58m 54s
Sep 2024
Comment créer du beurre avec du CO2 ?
Avec huit kilos par an et par habitant, les Français sont les premiers consommateurs de beurre au monde. Et, au niveau mondial, sa consommation devrait augmenter de près de 20 % d'ici 2026. Dans le contexte actuel de lutte contre le réchauffement climatique, une telle évolution a ... Show More
1m 53s
Aug 2023
Hawai’i Wildfires, Blue-Fin Tuna Science, Maine’s New Lithium Deposit. August 11, 2023, Part 1
We have a new podcast! It’s called Universe Of Art, and it’s all about artists who use science to bring their creations to the next level. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.   Devastating Fires Might Become More Common In Hawaii As of Friday mor ... Show More
45m 11s