Episode description

The WEEE forum estimates that of the 16 billion mobile phones in the world about 5.3bn will no longer be in use this year. Despite being packed with precious metals like gold, silver and palladium and other recyclable parts most will not be disposed of properly. This mountain of e-waste (that if piled on top of each other would reach 120 times higher than the International Space Station) is only part of e-waste problem with other small consumer electronics e.g. remotes, headphones, clocks, irons etc., being hoarded in even greater numbers than mobiles. Magdalena Charytanowicz from the WEEE forum is on the show and explains the magnitude of the problem and how it needs to be tackled.

100 years of the BBC As the BBC starts its 100th anniversary celebrations, we have a report from BBC Northampton’s Martin Heath, who is spending the day at the site of the Daventry transmitting station at Borough Hill. Martin tells us about the history of the station (it was initially was used for long wave, and short wave broadcasting and closed in 1992) and we also speak to one of the engineers who worked there about the technology used.

The biggest radio telescope in the Northern Hemisphere The NOEMA radio telescope is now the most powerful radio telescope in the northern hemisphere. Twelve antennas in the French Alps will simultaneously detect and measure a large number of signatures of molecules and atoms. More than 5000 scientists from across the world will now be able to observe stars being born, comets, black holes and light from cosmic objects that has been travelling to Earth for more than 13 billion years. We find out about the tech that is making this possible.

The programme is presented by Gareth Mitchell with expert commentary from Angelica Mari.

Studio Manager: Gayl Gordon Producer: Ania Lichtarowicz

(Image credit: Getty Images)