Listen "Lights out"
Episode Synopsis
A nationwide power outage in Ecuador left 18 million people in the dark, shutting down traffic lights and the capital’s subway system.But Ecuador isn’t the only place dealing with blackouts. In Nunavut, Canada, where panelist Meral Jamal lives, power outages happen frequently, including as she was preparing for this programme. How do you deal with a power outage in a remote place? And how did the Inuit manage the cold winter months without electricity at all?What is the darkest colour in the world? You may think it is black, but, in fact, there is something even darker – ultra-black. Deep-sea fish, butterflies, and, surprisingly, even humans have used ultra-black for a variety of purposes, like being sneaky, fashion statements, and contemporary art.But what about nature’s blackouts? Ocean scientists Allie Clement tells us about long sunless winters in Antarctica, merry midwinter celebrations, and how ecosystems in Antarctica responds to months of darkness.Also, the singular origin of a new apex predator hybrid, why alligators have such disgusting table manners, and the maths of scamming which adds up to some astonishingly big bucks.Presenter: Marnie Chesterton with Meral Jamal and Phillys Mwatee
Producer: Florian Bohr with Julia Ravey, Noa Dowling and Katie Tomsett
Sound engineer: Tim Heffer
Producer: Florian Bohr with Julia Ravey, Noa Dowling and Katie Tomsett
Sound engineer: Tim Heffer
More episodes of the podcast Unexpected Elements
Science down under
16/01/2026
Science of the future
09/01/2026
An episode inspired by our listeners
02/01/2026
The gift of science
26/12/2025
Why are we sad when television series end?
19/12/2025
Chicken, with a side order of science
12/12/2025
Some bear-y interesting space science
05/12/2025
Some Beautiful Science
21/11/2025
A keg of beer-based science
14/11/2025
ZARZA We are Zarza, the prestigious firm behind major projects in information technology.