PFAS Forever-Chemicals, Black Hole Stars, and Winter Olympics Science in Inside Science

Inside Science runs a rapid tour through current science from PFAS chemistry to black hole stars seen by JWST, and from ski wax tribology to emergency-vehicle tech. Stephanie Metzger explains PFAS chemistry, the carbon-fluorine bonds, and why substituting hazardous substances can backfire as new compounds behave similarly. Roland Pease reports on a Bern workshop debating little red dots as potential black hole stars, a possible new frontier in cosmology. Joostien Venueue breaks down ski wax ingredients and the friction-lubrication physics that can decide a race, while Gareth Mitchell surveys climate-aware snow and a world of tiny robotic devices and traffic tech that helps emergency responders. This episode blends fundamental science with practical, real-world applications.

Overview

Inside Science presents a cross-section of current science topics featured in this episode, from chemistry and cosmology to sports science and engineering.

PFAS and Forever Chemicals: Understanding the Chemistry and the Policy Response

Gareth Mitchell and policy advisor Stephanie Metzger describe PFAS, a large group of substances united by a strong carbon-fluorine bond that confers heat resistance, slipperiness, and water repellency while making them highly persistent in the environment. The discussion covers how PFAS enter ecosystems—from industrial processes and wastewater to landfills—and what the UK is doing to tighten testing and seek safer substitutes. A key point is the idea of regrettable substitution, where replacing a hazardous chemical with a newer compound can simply shift the problem rather than solve it.

"regrettable substitution, which is where you get rid of one hazardous chemical or material, and you instead use a new one that ends up having issues" - Stephanie Metzger.

Little Red Dots and Black Hole Stars: A New Cosmological Puzzle

Roland Pease reports on a workshop in Bern where astronomers debate a newly understood class of extremely red, featureless sources seen by JWST in the universe’s first billion years. Some researchers interpret these as black hole stars—accreting black holes surrounded by dense gas that glows like a star, a configuration that could enable rapid black hole growth and shed light on early cosmic evolution. The discussion weighs alternative explanations and emphasizes that this could herald a new field in astrophysics. "this is the start of essentially a new field" - Roland Pease.

Winter Sports Chemistry and Tribology

The episode moves to the science of ski wax and friction, explaining how wax composition, temperature, snow conditions, and even climate-driven variability affect glide. The term tribology is introduced as the study of friction and lubrication, and the conversation highlights how teams craft specialized waxes and sometimes even custom blends to optimize performance on diverse surfaces. "the ski itself can be as decisive as 75 to 80% of the glide" - Joostien Venueue.

Technology Glimpses: Smallest Computers and Smart Traffic

Gareth Mitchell shines a light on tiny programmable autonomous robots powered by miniature circuits, with potential medical and diagnostic uses, and on Finland’s traffic management system that coordinates signals to create a green wave for emergency vehicles using transponders to share vehicle positions with traffic lights ahead of time. The segment underscores how new engineering ideas can improve safety and efficiency in real-world scenarios.

Putting It All Together

The episode blends fundamental science with practical, real-world applications across chemistry, cosmology, materials science, and engineering, illustrating how research translates into policy, technology, and everyday life.