EPISODE · Jun 6, 2025 · 49 MIN
Gaming-inspired science
from Unexpected Elements · host BBC World Service
This week, get ready for a whole loot box of gaming-related stories!First up, we find out about a video game that could give people the power to battle misinformation. We also hear how scientists are putting harbour seals in front of a computer monitor to decipher how they navigate under the water. And Dr Brett Kagan from Cortical Labs joins us down the line to tell us why he taught a clump of brain cells to play the 1970s arcade game Pong. Along the way, we discover what happens when artificial intelligence tries to explain idioms, we learn about a tiny frog named after Bilbo Baggins and try to establish whether or not video games benefit your brain. All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements. Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Kai Kupferschmidt and Leonie Joubert Producer: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, with Margaret Sessa Hawkins, Imaan Moin and Minnie Harrop
What this episode covers
This week, get ready for a whole loot box of gaming-related stories!First up, we find out about a video game that could give people the power to battle misinformation. We also hear how scientists are putting harbour seals in front of a computer monitor to decipher how they navigate under the water. And Dr Brett Kagan from Cortical Labs joins us down the line to tell us why he taught a clump of brain cells to play the 1970s arcade game Pong. Along the way, we discover what happens when artificial intelligence tries to explain idioms, we learn about a tiny frog named after Bilbo Baggins and try to establish whether or not video games benefit your brain. All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements. Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Kai Kupferschmidt and Leonie Joubert Producer: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, with Margaret Sessa Hawkins, Imaan Moin and Minnie Harrop
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Gaming-inspired science
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