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Down The Rabbit Hole

As Disney's Alice in Wonderland turns 75, we reveal the surprising science behind shrinking animals, subatomic mysteries, and Lewis Carroll's Victorian inspirations.

75 years ago, Walt Disney's Alice in Wonderland hit our screens, welcoming us into a technicolour, topsy-turvy world of eccentric characters – including the Mad Hatter, the Cheshire Cat, the Queen of Hearts, the White Rabbit and many more.

On Unexpected Elements, we're tumbling down the rabbit hole to uncover the strange and surprising science hidden within the classic story.

We’ll find out how bizzarro land of Lewis Carroll's original novel was inspired by the real scientific discoveries of his time? Dr. Franziska Kohlt tells us how Wonderland made sense of science for children – and we learn about a few scientific theories that have taken inspiration from Alice herself.

We also meet shrinking shrews, get wide-eyed over some adorable animals, and go underground to solve a subatomic puzzle.

All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton
Producers: Robbie Wojciechowski, Alice McKee, Imy Harper, and Nada Soufi

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50 minutes

Last on

Sunday 19:06GMT

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