Obscure Elements
In the final programme in our Elements series, Justin Rowlatt looks at the rarest and oddest members of the periodic table. Selenium, bismut...
Radio and PodcastLive Radio & PodcastsBusiness
Elements
A close look at chemical elements, the basic building blocks of the universe. Where do we get them, what do we use them for and how do they fit into our economy?
Elements Podcast Guide
Listen to Elements, a Business podcast by BBC. Stream 65 episodes in English, follow new audio stories, and play episodes online on Radio and Podcast.
Show Topic
Browse this show under Business podcasts.
Episodes
20 episodes are loaded now from a catalog of 65. More episodes can be opened from this page.
Discover More
Explore Business podcasts, United States podcasts and English podcasts.
Episodes
20 of 65 episodesGold (Au)
Why do we value this practically useless metal so highly? And does it bring out the worst in human nature? In a second look at this most cov...
Thorium (Th)
This radioactive metal holds the promise of thousands of years of energy for the world. But is it really any cleaner or safer than tradition...
Platinum group (Pt, Pd, Ru, Rh, Os, Ir)
Six extremely rare metals that clean your car exhaust and turbocharge industrial chemistry, but which are also the focus of a violent power...
Arsenic (As)
The macabre poison we know from crime novels and history books has some surprising modern uses. Justin Rowlatt travels the Subcontinent - fi...
Silver (Ag)
The shiniest and showiest of metals is still mainly used in silverware. But it also has some surprisingly modern applications. Justin Rowlat...
Iodine (I)
Why does iodine deficiency still blight children in developing countries like India? Justin Rowlatt travels to Dehradun in the Himalayas wit...
Hydrogen (H) - fusion
Could we finally be about to crack this source of potentially unlimited clean energy - thanks in part to a plethora of private sector tech s...
Cadmium (Cd)
This toxic metal is slowly being phased out of our lives. But as presenter Justin Rowlatt discovers, while nickel-cadmium batteries may have...
Potassium (K)
Potash plumps up fruit, vegetables and grains, and the potassium it contains is an essential nutrient. Yet India is completely dependent on...
Hydrogen (H) - energy
Is the dream of a hydrogen-fuelled zero-carbon economy achievable? Presenters Justin Rowlatt and Laurence Knight ask where the hydrogen will...
Zinc (Zn)
The metal that brings shelter and good health to India's poorest. Presenter Laurence Knight travels to a bustling Delhi where Rahul Sharma o...
Hydrogen (H) - water (part 2)
As climate change threatens to play havoc with the rain, could we instead draw our water directly from the ocean? In his second gulp of H2O,...
Hydrogen (H) - water (part 1)
Northwest India is fast running out of groundwater. As much of the world faces growing water scarcity, will mass migration and water conflic...
Noble Gases (Ar, Ne, Kr, Xe)
Neon, argon, krypton and xenon: Laurence Knight investigates their uses, from the blinding light of the arc welder's torch to the dying trad...
Germanium (Ge)
Nanotech, virtual reality, Moore's Law - we look at germanium, the substance that could oust the silicon from Silicon Valley, and one day he...
Radioactives (Po, Ra, Rn)
Radium, polonium and radon may be names to make your hair stand on end, but are they actually useful for anything? And is our fear of them o...
Tantalum & Niobium (Ta, Nb)
Is coltan - the notorious conflict mineral from which these two metals are derived - still being smuggled from DR Congo into Rwanda, to evad...
Beryllium (Be)
Rare and toxic, beryllium can do serious damage to your lungs. Presenter Laurence Knight explores whether and how we can make use of this me...
Magnesium (Mg)
This metal played a part in the worst car crash in history, the 1955 Le Mans disaster, helping to make the resulting inferno explosively dan...
Questions About Elements
Where can I listen to Elements episodes?
You can listen to Elements episodes online on Radio and Podcast. Open an episode and the site player will stream the available audio.
What is Elements about?
Elements is listed as a Business show. The show language is listed as English.
How many Elements episodes are listed?
This page lists 65 episodes for Elements. More episodes are available from the View more button when the list continues.
Quick Answers About Elements
Where can I listen to Elements?
You can listen to Elements episodes on this page by opening an episode and using the site player.
What type of podcast is Elements?
Elements is listed as a Business show by BBC.
How many episodes are available?
This page lists 65 episodes for Elements where feed data is available.