Ask the Naked Scientists
684 episodes - English - Latest episode: 15 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
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
What is on the dark side of the Moon?
July 21, 2023 11:48 - 20 minutes - 18.3 MBHow high a temperature can human's survive? Why does cleaning your ear make your eyes roll? How do astronauts make it back from the moon? What is on the dark side of the Moon? Should we put parachutes on aeroplanes? How long can DNA samples last? Dr Chris Smith and Clarence Ford have all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Do artificial sweeteners cause cancer?
July 14, 2023 03:15 - 20 minutes - 19 MBWhy do we itch ourselves? How do kidney stones form? I've started sleeping on a more comfortable mattress - why am I getting back pain? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
What is causing climate change?
July 08, 2023 08:34 - 21 minutes - 19.3 MBWhat is causing climate change? Does pumping out oil leave a hole behind in the Earth? What does an Adam's apple do? What causes temperature differences from day to day? How does throat singing work? What would happen to Twitter's data if it collapsed? What is the spring tide, and why is it dangerous? Dr Chris Smith and Clarence Ford have all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
What causes ocean swell?
June 30, 2023 09:54 - 22 minutes - 20.2 MBIf there was nothing before the big bang, who created nothing? When egg shell falls into the pan, why is the rest of the egg shell the most effective way to fish it out again? And what's going on with the James Webb space telescope? Dr Chris Smith and 567 CapeTalk's Clarence Ford take a look... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
How much pressure was on the Titan sub?
June 23, 2023 09:08 - 18 minutes - 17.3 MBWhat are the benefits of cold water swimming? How much pressure was on the Titan submersible? How big are protons and electrons? Why do all babies have straight hair? Why are orcas sinking sailboats? Why does a glass hob's heat not move laterally? Dr Chris Smith and Clarence Ford have all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Why is a cold called a cold?
June 09, 2023 09:39 - 20 minutes - 18.9 MBWhy do my eyes burn when raindrops run into them? Why can eye and hair colour change? Why do I cry when I go to the loo? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Why disinfectants kill only 99.9% of germs
June 02, 2023 07:22 - 19 minutes - 17.7 MBHow do flysprays work, and are they harmful for humans? What's "muscle memory" and where are these memories stored? Why do disinfectants "only" kill 99.9% of germs? How do I cleanse domestic rainwater tanks to kill microbes? How does freefall - as described by orbiting astronauts - work? If I let my pet cobra go, will it survive in the wild? What's the basis of sweating, and why do some people sweat more than others? Dr Chris Smith and CapeTalk's Clarence Ford have the answers... Like this po...
Why do my flowers only smell nice at night?
May 27, 2023 09:46 - 19 minutes - 4.83 MBThis week,?What makes an appendix burst? Why do we blush??Do carrots really improve our eyesight? What other foods can we eat to regenerate our organs? Can lions survive on seafood? Can studying the arts impact on my health? And why do some flowers only release their scents at night, a how? Dr Chris Smith and Clarence Ford have the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Why do bright lights make spots in my vision?
May 15, 2023 10:07 - 22 minutes - 20.7 MBWhat are hiccups and what's the medical term for the phenomenon? How far to the horizon and why does it always appear to be at eye-level? What are lectins and are they harmful? What is pulmonary fibrosis, why does it happen and can it be cured? Why do bright lights make spots on my vision, and why does the colour change when I close my eyes? And as a 65 year old in good health and with 4 Covid-19 vaccines and one mild SARS-CoV-2 infection, do I need another Covid-19 booster?? Like this podcas...
Which came first, the chicken or the egg?
May 14, 2023 01:51 - 24 minutes - 22.7 MBWhy do we always find cockroaches on their back? How does medicine know where it hurts? Why do we dream? Why is the Earth still so hot? What came first, the chicken or the egg? Why did Chernobyl explode? How much energy does a seed need to grow? Can we work out how much energy there is in the world? Why do most of us look different? Chris Smith and Clarence Ford answer questions from the students of the International School of Cape Town... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the N...
Is JWST disproving the big bang theory?
April 28, 2023 10:19 - 22 minutes - 20.6 MBWhy do I feel phantom pain? What is the sleep in my eyes constituted of? Why are things we drop into our eyes poisonous to ingest? What is fibromyalgia? What is aquamation? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Do we have two sets of DNA?
April 21, 2023 10:08 - 24 minutes - 22.4 MBWhat makes the brain age? Why don't ice skaters get dizzy? Do we have two sets of DNA? Where does all of the burned fuel go? Do dogs get headaches? Why are dogs so good at pattern recognition? Does someone carrying a donor egg provide any of the child's DNA? Would watering your lawn increase the chance of rain? Dr Chris Smith and Amy MacIver have all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Can we control AI?
March 31, 2023 11:14 - 19 minutes - 18 MBThe dangers of mains electricity. Are computers helping or hindering our lives? What if I shine a torch while travelling at the speed of light? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Why do we cry when we laugh?
March 24, 2023 11:06 - 20 minutes - 18.6 MBWhy is TB so drug resistant? How do nature drugs fit the lock and key in our brains? Why are some family members less fussy eaters than others? Why do we cry when we laugh? Is a love of public speaking from nature or nurture? What's the point of going to Mars? Dr Chris smith and have all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists