Ask the Naked Scientists
698 episodes - English - Latest episode: 2 days ago - ★★★★★ - 60 ratingsHow many organs could you donate and remain alive? How many planet Earths could fit inside the Sun? How high is a giraffe's blood pressure? Why is the sea blue? To find out, Ask The Naked Scientists!
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Episodes
Are we overprotective of our children?
July 12, 2024 09:21 - 18 minutes - 17.3 MBDr Chris answers listener submitted questions including: would it be possible to slingshot continuously around the Earth and Mars? When does our consciousness 'switch on?' How worried should we be if we're outside during a thunderstorm? Is 0 positive or negative? What maintains our body temperature? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Why can we only recycle some types of plastic?
July 05, 2024 11:03 - 19 minutes - 17.8 MBDo women suffer from flatulence, and what affects your level of flatulence? Does hitting someone on the head actually knock them out? Is being a psychopath down to nature or nurture? Why does the weather stay warm when the seasons shift? Why can we only recycle some types of plastic? Can a swollen heart be reduced in size? Can nuclear rods power spaceships? Can mattresses and pillows reduce snoring? Dr Chris Smith and Clarence Ford have all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by ...
What happens to the body in extreme cold?
June 28, 2024 11:46 - 19 minutes - 18.1 MBDoes laying on your left side clean your organs? Are faces the only difference that different populations have, and why do we notice facial differences? What happens to the body when your body drops drastically? How does the body react to extreme trauma? Why do we get blemishes on our skin? Could you transplant muscles around the body? How do you seek help after a suspected rabies bite? Dr Chris Smith and Krystal Orderson have all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting...
Would an organ donor's DNA be in your body?
June 21, 2024 00:38 - 20 minutes - 18.9 MBWhat causes monkeypox? Would an organ donor's DNA be in your body? Why does alcohol abate the symptoms of a hangover? Can you get bird flu from bird poo? Why do birds bob their head when they walk? Where does the word 'humour' come from? Is there a scientific basis on the laws of attraction? Dr Chris Smith and Clarence Ford have all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Why is the longest day not the hottest day?
June 14, 2024 10:21 - 21 minutes - 19.6 MBDr Chris Smith answers listener science questions; what factors impact the onset of glycosuria? Might we have contaminated Mars with organisms from Earth? Why did the universe form the way that it did? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Why don't our lungs fill up with dust?
June 07, 2024 09:40 - 20 minutes - 18.8 MBAre skin tags an indication of diabetes? Why don't cattle flee from fire? Do apples stimulate your appetite? Why are some cats great at hunting, and others not? Why doesn't dust fill up our lungs? What is the sediment at the bottom of frozen wine? When did our tail become a coccyx? What causes ringworm? What drives the magnetic field? Dr Chris Smith and Krystal Orderson have all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Are some people more prone to addiction?
May 31, 2024 08:56 - 15 minutes - 13.8 MBDr Chris Smith chats with Relebogile Mabotja and her listeners about their science questions. Today: do older people yawn less frequently? And should you avoid zero sugar fizzy drinks whilst pregnant? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
How were the pyramids built?
May 24, 2024 10:03 - 15 minutes - 14 MBThis time on Ask!, Dr Chris explains how tree rings helped scientists confirm last summer was the hottest for 2000 years. Also, how were the pyramids built? And where are we with understanding and treating Alzheimer's disease? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Is there a cure for OCD?
May 17, 2024 09:26 - 23 minutes - 21.7 MBChris Smith covers another cast of interesting queries submitted by listeners. They include: Why do we have accents? Is there such a thing as the "devil's hour?" What is acid reflux? Is there such a thing as race? If you had unfettered access to the James Webb Space Telescope, what would you point it at? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Do fish drink water?
May 10, 2024 10:06 - 20 minutes - 19.2 MBDr Chris takes on listener questions: how long can someone survive without food and water? Why are some of us more prone to hangovers? Do gorillas drink water? Does spicy food cause vivid dreams? What causes insomnia? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Is the '10,000 hours rule' accurate?
May 03, 2024 09:02 - 17 minutes - 15.7 MBIn this week's selection of science questions, Dr Chris explains the impact of sweetners on the body, what happens when we suffer a stroke, and where the other half of the moon disappears to... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
How does cloud seeding work?
April 26, 2024 00:31 - 14 minutes - 13.2 MBWhy are viruses so contagious? Are there any treatments for macular degeneration? How are we treating depression with psychedelics? Why do people lose their sense of smell? Is cloud seeding a real thing? Dr Chris Smith and Relebogile Mabotja have all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Why do we dream the things we dream?
April 19, 2024 00:13 - 20 minutes - 18.3 MBIs our perfect total eclipse just a total coincidence? Where do our dreams come from? Can you launch a missile without it being picked up by satellites? Which animals have the best memory? Do humans have any instincts? Can gravity be 1g on a planet with a greater mass than Earth? Where could we go when Earth becomes uninhabitable? What was there before the beginning of the Universe? Dr Chris Smith and Clarence Ford have all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Na...
Are lactose intolerant mothers allergic to their own milk?
April 12, 2024 02:39 - 20 minutes - 18.8 MBWhy did the eclipse move west to east across the Earth? Why are we so interested in nuclear fusion? Could we ever breathe underwater? What is the opposite force to gravity? Would alcohol sterilise a drowning fly? What the difference between cancer and cancerous growths? Are lactose introlerant mothers allergic to their own milk? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Do ants count their steps?
April 05, 2024 02:40 - 22 minutes - 20.3 MBDo animals ever get lost? Do ants count their steps? Could we recreate the greenhouse effect on Mars? Why can you hear some aircraft, but not others? Could we mine the Moon? Is it ever too late to stop somking? Do people with autism have a different brain structure? Dr Chris Smith and Clarence Ford have all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Do farmers produce double yolk eggs on purpose?
March 22, 2024 02:16 - 18 minutes - 16.6 MBDr Chris answers more listener submitted questions including, Why is South Africa on the bottom of the world map? Why are countries interested in landing on the moon again? How do undersea cables work? What is the Square Kilometre Array? Why are my car keys better at unlocking my car than my TV remote is at controlling my TV? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Why do we want to scratch our wounds?
March 15, 2024 04:17 - 20 minutes - 18.6 MBChris Smith answers science questions from the public. Does the rate of nail growth differ between men and women? What are the advantages of a nose swab over a mouth swab? What could improve the connectivity of my remote? Accounting for the rotation of Earth, does a plane flying from London to Cape Town fly in a straight line? How does a colour printer work? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Could popping a pimple on your face kill you?
March 08, 2024 12:35 - 21 minutes - 19.3 MBDo statins affect your Vitamin D production? Why do we have leap years? Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Could we live on the moon of Titan? Did COVID come from a lab? What aspects of science can we still now answer? Could popping a pimple on your face kill you? How does wireless charging work? Dr Chris Smith and Clarence Ford have all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
How much does the internet weigh?
March 01, 2024 11:09 - 22 minutes - 20.2 MBChris Smith answers another sample of enquiries from across the scientific spectrum: What might have caused my beetle infestation? Why do so many cultures describe an afterlife? What's the medical explanation for 'cracking the seal?' How do lions identify cubs that aren't theirs? If the Earth stopped rotating, would we feel it? Will hydrogen combustion engines be efficient? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Can you die of fright?
February 23, 2024 12:29 - 14 minutes - 13.6 MBWhat causes the noise in a lightning strike? How do astronauts' bodies change after a long time in space? Can you die of fright? Are we living in the past? Why don't insects get hurt when they fall? Dr Chris Smith and Relebogile Mabotja have all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Does your life flash before your eyes when you die?
February 16, 2024 02:57 - 17 minutes - 16.3 MBWhy do birds stand on one leg? Which animals can we eat, and which can we not? Does your life flash before your eyes when you die? Does a plug's wiring orientation matter? Why does hearing water make you need the toilet? Does anything travel alongside the ISS? Dr Chris Smith and Relebogile Mabotja have all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
How much rainfall becomes groundwater?
February 09, 2024 02:18 - 16 minutes - 14.7 MBDr Chris Smith answers listener questions including, how can we communicate science better? How much distance do we travel through space each second? Why might I feel stomach pain when I'm hungry and I take a cold drink? What causes people to feel sleepy when they're near a pregnant woman? Why do we enter planes on the left rather than the right? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
How does the Sun transfer heat to the Earth?
February 02, 2024 10:12 - 15 minutes - 14 MBChris Smith takes on listener questions, including: How far out to sea do seagulls fly? How is the malaria vaccine rollout going? Why does hot weather make your muscles more tired? What is the hottest temperature humans can survive? How do vultures track their lunch? How do some people retain more information? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
What is ultra processed food?
January 26, 2024 11:01 - 17 minutes - 16.4 MBChris Smith takes on listener submitted questions including, why do people disagree so much on what temperature to set the heating? Where do swallows and swifts go in the winter? Is it true that parrots don't have taste buds? And, what is dry ice? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Do mosquitoes prefer certain people?
January 19, 2024 01:11 - 19 minutes - 17.8 MBWhy might chilli cause an upset stomach? How does a boomerang work? What's the difference between 50Hz and 60Hz of energy? Why does Saturn have a hexagon? Are stars moving away from us? How do we know how large underground oil deposits are? Why aren't cameras as good as out eyes? Do mosquitoes prefer certain people? Dr Chris Smith and Clarence Ford have all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Why doesn't the Earth make wind as it moves through space?
January 12, 2024 02:31 - 20 minutes - 18.8 MBWhy kind of gas is in a gas giant planet? Can you do anything about sleepwalking? What causes stutters and speech impediments? Does blowing out birthday candles spread germs onto the cake? Why don't we feel the wind from moving through space? What are shooting stars? Why don't we have strangers with identical DNA? Dr Chris Smith and Clarence Ford have all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Where did Earth get its water from?
January 05, 2024 10:20 - 19 minutes - 17.9 MBIn the first Ask! of 2024, Dr Chris Smith tackles questions on UV rays, Fahrenheit vs Celsius, whether the Three Gorges Dam could be slowing down the Earth's rotation, what drives dictators to do bad things, whether neutrinos pose a threat to humans, and what happens to our bodies after we die? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Are some wildfires beneficial?
December 22, 2023 11:36 - 22 minutes - 20.3 MBAre some wildfires beneficial? What is the worst case scenario for climate change? What causes lactose intolerance? Does sunscreen cause a vitamin D defiency? Why do blind people still move their eyes around when thinking? Why do we scratch itches? Dr Chris Smith and Clarence Ford have all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Does Mercury have a moon?
December 18, 2023 03:19 - 18 minutes - 16.6 MBThis week, a Christmas surprise in Dr Chris's tree that he'd rather not have brought home; should I drink water from aircon machines or even vehicle exhausts, will coffee make me live longer, is the flag planted during the Moon landing still there, what's the scientific basis of itching, which planets don't have a moon, and what makes mosquitoes prefer me to other people? Dr Chris and Talk Radio 702's Relebogile Mabotja take on your science questions... Like this podcast? Please help us by su...
What is the science behind a midlife crisis?
December 08, 2023 03:54 - 14 minutes - 13.5 MBWhat is the science of a midlife crisis? Can you store stainless steel in the fridge? Where do flies go in the winter? Could you make food directly from soil? Do the sun and the moon change positions in the winter? Why does the mouth generate saliva? How do worms get into your body? Dr Chris Smith and Relebogile Mabotja have all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Are scientific discoveries becoming less groundbreaking?
December 01, 2023 12:00 - 24 minutes - 22 MBDr Chris and Clarence Ford take on listener questions. This time they include, is intelligence more nature or nurture? Is time travel possible? Could time travellers be walking among us? Are Tibetan monks really capable of levitating? Why do I feel down during the holidays? What are the differences between lab grown and mined diamonds? What are weeds and why do they always grow where they shouldn't? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Will we be able to put the AI genie back in the bottle?
November 24, 2023 12:08 - 18 minutes - 17.2 MBShould we ban AI from the military sphere? Does eating too much meat cause gout? What determines the shape of clouds? Are recycled tyres a safe material for roads? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Should you sleep on your side or your back?
November 17, 2023 01:30 - 21 minutes - 19.6 MBDoes COVID damage your brain? Why do moths have 'dust' on their wings? Where did the oldest plants come from? Is it better to sleep on your side or your back? Who is the top dog in a pack when humans aren't around? What is your pineal gland for? Why would stomach ulcers cause headaches? Dr Chris Smith and Clarence Ford have all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Does alcohol burn off in cooking, and is curiosity genetic?
November 14, 2023 10:10 - 16 minutes - 14.9 MBDoes alcohol burn off during cooking, why people put their principles in front of their own life and freedom, what causes ageing and can gene editing be used to reverse it, and is curiosity genetic across species? And does Dr Chris believe in God? Relebogile Mabotja and Dr Chris Smith have the answers to the questions you're asking! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Why does music make me emotional?
November 10, 2023 12:42 - 22 minutes - 20.5 MBDr Chris takes more listener questions. This week, they include: Why do the sun and the moon appear the same size during a lunar eclipse? How long does it take bowel movements to return to normal after a colostomy? Can you prick a balloon without popping it? Is an enlarged heart dangerous? Do wild horses suffer without having their hooves maintained? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
How long do dreams actually last?
November 03, 2023 01:30 - 21 minutes - 19.9 MBHow does a boomerang work? Are windturbines harmful to birds? Which are smarter, dogs or cats? Can you breathe liquid air? How do racecar spoilers work? How long are dreams in real time? What affects systolic blood pressure? Dr Chris Smith and Clarence Ford have all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
What causes amnesia?
October 27, 2023 11:33 - 17 minutes - 15.6 MBIn this edition of Ask!, Dr Chris answers these questions and more: Do pineapples really eat you as you eat them? Do they have any health benefits? And why am I gaining weight as I go through the menopause? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Why is cancer so hard to treat?
October 20, 2023 00:19 - 12 minutes - 11.6 MBCan fasting help with gut health? Why is cancer so hard to treat? Does a change in the weather lead to joint pain? How do you deal with chronic constipation in children? Dr Chris Smith and Relebogile Mabotja have all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Why are there 7 years in a dog year?
October 13, 2023 03:27 - 23 minutes - 21.8 MBWhat is our water carbon footprint? Does microwaving food destroy the nutritional value? Why do golf balls have dimples? Should we be desalinating water? Why are breastfed babies less likely to become obese? How did we calculate a dog year? Why do we always look at something that we're told not to? What is intermittent fasting? Dr Chris Smith and Clarence Ford have all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Does eating grapefruit affect taking medication?
October 06, 2023 01:13 - 17 minutes - 16.2 MBDoes prior infection or vaccine protect better against COVID? How do you know when something is wrong with your bowels? What is the difference between old and new vaccines? What effect does grapefruit have on taking mediaction? What are the chemical markers that someone is pregnant? Chris Smith and Relebogile Mabotja have all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Will ChatGPT replace The Naked Scientists?
September 29, 2023 00:34 - 20 minutes - 18.5 MBWhy do animals dream? Why do weird dreams feel so normal? Do ovulating people have more vivid dreams? Why might someone stop dreaming? Will ChatGPT replace The Naked Scientists? What is deja vu? Why is so much money being invested into AI? Can sunflowers absorb radioactive waste? Is the Mexican alien real? Dr Chris Smith and Clarence Ford have all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Is one apple a day enough?
September 22, 2023 11:13 - 25 minutes - 23.6 MBDo skin care products live up to the hype? Is it cheaper to heat homes with electricity or gas? How does IVF work? How long will the sun continue to burn for? What is arthritis? What is the sensation of deja vu? Is there a cure for baldness? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
How do we know what other planets are made of?
September 15, 2023 01:03 - 24 minutes - 22.5 MBHow does colour blindness work? How do we know what other planets are made of? Why might a red dye suddenly disappear? Why don't you feel the velocity of a plane for the whole flight? Do mobile phones in crowded spaces expose us to anything dangerous? What causes testicular torsion? How do you avoid getting rats in your car? Where did humans come from? Dr Chris Smith and Clarence Ford have all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
What's the best way to stop signs of aging?
September 08, 2023 01:11 - 14 minutes - 12.8 MBDo collagen skin treatments work? What exactly are teeth? Are DNA tests ever 100% accurate? Why do dead bodies float? Why doesn't the pole star move? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Why do wires always end up in knots?
September 01, 2023 09:27 - 22 minutes - 20.9 MBWhy am I right footed, but left handed? Why are dogs' sense of smell so superior? Do people with bigger eyes have better peripheral vision? Why do guns recoil? What's the function of the black patterns on the peripheries of car windscreens? Why are yawns contagious? Why are nuclear bombs so deadly? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Are there chemical elements yet to be discovered?
August 25, 2023 11:48 - 19 minutes - 17.9 MBWhy do I have to pee when I wash my hands? Are daddy long-legs poisonous? Are taste buds generic across the population? Why are babies so amused by their reflection? How effective are statins? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
When does earth's atmosphere become space?
August 18, 2023 01:34 - 19 minutes - 18.2 MBDr Chris Smith tackles the impressive array of questions from listeners. What gives non Newtonian liquids their special properties? Could wearing socks in bed increase the risk of having a stroke? Do Inuits not experience dental decay? Why can't we remember when we fall asleep? And what makes certain foods traditional breakfast items? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
What holds atoms together?
August 11, 2023 00:31 - 16 minutes - 14.7 MBWhy do we explore space? Why does a flame produce less of a shadow? Do zeolites pollute water? Why do some people float better in water than others? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Why do fridges get lights but freezers don't?
August 04, 2023 11:11 - 21 minutes - 19.3 MBShould you drink re-boiled water? How do bees know who to attack? Should we just leave the deep sea alone? Why do some countries drive on the left? What causes fire? Why do we need the toilet as soon as we get home? Why is there a fridge light and not a freezer light? Why does the moon move in the sky? Dr Chris Smith and Clarence Ford have all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
What causes cluster headaches?
July 28, 2023 06:20 - 20 minutes - 19 MBHow do we fuel cars more sustainably? What causes morning sickness during pregnancy? Why does California have a sunny Christmas? Why are some smells able to summon powerful memories? Why can I hear fluid flowing when I move my neck? Is premature ejaculation nature's way of hastening reproduction? And what's the physics behind why stars twinkle? Dr Chris Smith and Clarence Ford have the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists