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
Could Lightning Power a Town?
June 15, 2012 13:22 - 20 minutes - 9.36 MBWhat gives a flame its colour, and what is the hottest part? What limits the height of a skyscraper? How does post-exposure prophylaxis for HIV work? How do they put the lines on a clay tennis court? Why do some songs cause goose-pimples? Why are some people better at withstanding temperature extremes? And can lightning be collected as a power-source? Join us for the answers and some lively chat from Talk Radio 702, South Africa. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scien...
Are Muscle Transplants Possible
June 12, 2012 21:18 - 22 minutes - 10.3 MBWho was Phillip Tobias, how do self-focusing binoculars work, are muscle transplants possible, what is the bone structure of a snake, what happens when several sounds interact, will we still be evolving in the future, why is air transparent and what comes up when you clear your throat? Dr Chris has the answers to this week's crop of questions from Talk Radio 702 South Africa. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Can viruses catch colds?
May 31, 2012 23:00 - 24 minutes - 11.3 MBDo birds have a sense of smell? Are penicillin allergies permanent? How do vultures identify dinner? Does light travel forever? Is alcohol added to cooked food safe for an alcoholic? Do viruses have viruses that prey on them? How do bees track down my beer? Are some people genetically programmed to commit crime? Can two twins have different fathers? How did the power of speech first evolve? Dr Chris Smith has the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Will my wife look like my mother-in-law?
May 25, 2012 15:24 - 22 minutes - 10.3 MBWhat makes dog poo turn white? Is water really wet, or does it just wet things? What was the nuclear impact of Fukushima? Where did my big ants go? Do microwaves alter water? Is the world changing shape? Where do corrugations in dirt roads come from? How did the Universe come by its water? Will my wife really end up looking like my mother-in-law? Join Dr Chris for another crop of top questions from 702, South Africa. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Can Aeroplanes run on Diesel?
May 18, 2012 15:46 - 23 minutes - 10.7 MBAre premium-priced fuels really worth the extra cost? Why are males born with nipples? Is a male contraceptive pill in the offing? Do all animals get the same number of heartbeats? Does any one organ failing cause death? Can aeroplanes run on diesel? Why does silver tarnish? What causes lightning? Is mental illness curable? Join Dr Chris for the answers to this week's crop of queries from South Africa. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Why do I want to eat chalk?
May 04, 2012 12:15 - 23 minutes - 10.9 MBWhy do I bruise more easily now I'm older? Why do some wind turbines spin in reverse? Are UV sunbeds worse for young skin? Ozone therapy, or quackery? Why do I want to eat chalk? Is blood the same in all animals? And alongside the answers to the best science questions 702 listeners have to offer, Dr Chris also reveals new radio-controlled cells... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
How does snake venom work?
March 29, 2012 23:00 - 22 minutes - 10.3 MBWhat substances are in snake venom? Where is sea-level measured? Are any of my cells the original ones I was born with? Are we seeing the effects of global warming? How does planetary precession work? How do bullets do damage? How can you tell when a melon is ripe? Why are men so stubborn? Plus, how fossilised raindrops are shedding light on what Earth's atmosphere was like 3 billion years ago... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
How long can a human heart remain stopped?
March 23, 2012 19:51 - 21 minutes - 9.85 MBWhat causes jaundice in newborn babies? What is vitiligo? How do liquids behave in space? What causes cardiac arrests? What would happen if Earth span in reverse? What is Bell's Palsy? What are quarks? And how do hiccups occur? Join Dr Chris for this week's crop of questions from South Africa's Talk Radio 702 Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Why do Whales have Horizontal Tails?
March 09, 2012 13:31 - 22 minutes - 10.5 MBDoes alcohol affect men and women the same way? Do other animals menstruate? Does intensive training affect a woman's fertility? Is it bad for birds to drink from my swimming pool? Should I shower during a thunderstorm? What causes a febrile convulsion? What is photocatalysis? Who gets gallstones and what are they? Why do whales have horizontal tails? Join Dr Chris on Talk Radio 702 for this week's select crop of top science questions... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Nak...
Why do Bubbles go Down in Guinness?
March 02, 2012 14:49 - 20 minutes - 9.51 MBWhat does the genetic fingerprint of Ozti, the 5300-year-old Alpine iceman, reveal? Why do the bubbles in a glass of Guinness appear to be defying the laws of physics? Could we replace food with pills? Why did a dead bee still sting me? Is there any evidence that Voodoo does do anything? Why do balloons go bang? How do ducklings recognise their mothers? And why are planets round? Join Dr Chris for this week's crop of top science questions from South Africa... Like this podcast? Please help us...
In-Vitro Meat?
February 24, 2012 02:40 - 21 minutes - 9.75 MBCan we grow a hamburger in a dish? What's the one meat that vegetarians can ethically eat? Do ants regard rival colonies as friends, or foes? What causes a cerebrospinal fluid leak and can it be repaired? Are flies the same everywhere? Why does beer freeze when you get it out of the fridge? And what could cause an itchy neck? Join Dr Chris for the answers to Talk Radio 702's top science questions... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Are insecticides painful for insects?
February 17, 2012 11:40 - 20 minutes - 9.34 MBWhy is amputation necessary in cases of gangrene? What is aspartame and can it cause Alzheimer's? What's the basis of the Atkins Diet? How is melanin made and is neuromelanin the same stuff? Why do objects in the rear view mirror appear closer than they are? Are insecticidal deaths painful for insect victims? Why does booze cause a ruddy complexion? And at what age do babies begin to think? Join Dr Chris for another round up of top quality questions from South Africa... Like this podcast? Ple...
What causes Deja vu?
February 10, 2012 14:03 - 20 minutes - 20.7 MBWhat is freezing rain, do cats control their owners, how do accents arise, why does hair go grey, what is the origin of deja vu, why did my glass table spontaneously explode and is the world population becoming more or less genetically diverse? Dr Chris tackles this week's round up of the best science questions from South Africa.... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
What is a hydatidiform mole?
January 27, 2012 15:05 - 23 minutes - 10.6 MBThis week we debate whether wounds should be left open or covered up, why toenails - but not thumbnails - ingrow, what is hydatid disease, whether we can tag people to track them for life, what causes ringworm, the difference between a TIA and a stroke and what happens to the solid fuel boosters jettisoned by the space shuttle during ascent. Plus, a look at jumping spiders' eyes! Join Dr Chris on Talk Radio 702 for all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked S...
Why do veins look blue?
January 20, 2012 17:45 - 22 minutes - 10.2 MBHow much water should you drink in a day? Can miscarriages be prevented? What's more efficient - leaving the hot water on constantly, or heating it only when needed? Why are some eggs double yolkers? What's the point of flies? And why do some people have more than five fingers? Join Dr Chris for another crop of South Africa's top science questions on Talk Radio 702... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
How do they get the stripes in the toothpaste?
January 13, 2012 14:31 - 23 minutes - 10.7 MBAre cellphones safe? Why should cornflour make irradiated skin more comfortable? Why do dogs turn in circles before they lie down or defaecate? Are there any materials transparent to the eye but opaque to a camera? Is the Sun orbiting anything? How do they get the stripes in the toothpaste? Is blood donation an alternative to dieting? What do cows actually eat - grass, or bacteria? And why are birds so clever yet we rule the world? Join Dr Chris and the 702 crew for the first episode of Ask t...
Do My Koi Know My Voice?
November 25, 2011 17:30 - 21 minutes - 9.74 MBWhat is the best way to manage autism? Do we swap molecules when we touch each other? Can my koi recognise my voice? Can methane be used for firing my pots? Are out of body experiences real? Are vitamin supplements a pill worth paying for? Join Dr Chris as he tackles this week's crop of questions from Talk Radio 702, South Africa, and also brings us news of the finding of the world's first fishing tackle... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Why would Humans Explode?
November 18, 2011 12:42 - 21 minutes - 10 MBIs there any evidence for acupuncture? Compared with coffee left to stand, why does freshly-brewed make a different sound when stirred? Does disprin deal with cold sores? Why would blood pressure and cholesterol drop after a trip up Kilimanjaro? What conditions might make a man explode? How does the oral contraceptive pill work? Can it fool a pregnancy test? Why do planes ditch fuel before an emergency landing? What's ozone therapy and do parallel universes exist? Join Dr Chris for the answer...
Weight loss injection
November 11, 2011 09:21 - 22 minutes - 20.2 MBOn Ask! The Naked Scientists this week, an injection to combat obesity, and we debate whether pigeons can tell one another apart... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Why Are Planets Round?
November 04, 2011 13:07 - 22 minutes - 10.2 MBWhy do more eggs means less water in an egg boiler? Does a hip replacement shorten a leg? Where do beetles go in winter? And why are planets round? Plus, how killing off aged cells improves vitality, why pollution is intensifying cyclones and how skin cells can see UV... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Are We All Equally Sweaty?
October 28, 2011 14:53 - 26 minutes - 12.2 MBWhy do electric clocks lose time, what's smaller than an atom, what is sickle cell disease, does ice stop a nose-bleed, can cartilage be replaced and where does sweat come from and are we all equally sweaty? Ask! this week comes from the British Society for Gene Therapy conference in Brighton which kicked off with a DNA fingerprinting race... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Why can't you tickle yourself?
October 21, 2011 14:09 - 23 minutes - 10.5 MBThis week, why does a bout of flu leave you with blocked ears? Can grapefruits be engineered to taste like meat? Why is genetic diversity highest in Africa? Why can't we tickle ourselves? And why does seeing someone else suffer make us experience pain ourselves? Plus, news of a treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome, why antivirals might abate Alzheimer's and how seaweeds make corals seasick... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
What is an itch?
October 14, 2011 15:37 - 22 minutes - 10.2 MBWhere do allergies come from? What "actually" is an itch? What is meant by matching a donated organ? Why do veins distend on a hot day? What causes floaters in the eye? Join Dr Chris for the answers to this week's fast and furious barrage of questions, as well as news of the origins of the plague... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Can you sneeze in your sleep?
October 07, 2011 15:40 - 24 minutes - 11.4 MBWhy do some things dissolve but others don't, what are the stains on the towels at the gym and how do astronauts keep their balance in the absence of gravity? Also, what causes meteor showers, can you sneeze in your sleep, what's the best way to dislodge a foreign body in the eye, what is pancreatic cancer and what causes sweaty hands and feet? The answers to this lot, plus news of how Earth came by its water and a chemical to keep unblocked arteries clear... Like this podcast? Please help us...
Can frozen onions make you cry?
September 30, 2011 16:44 - 23 minutes - 10.7 MBWhy do onions make you cry and will a frozen onion have the same tear-jerking effect? What medicinal qualities does aloe vera possess? Is ice-crunching harmful? What's the best way to prop up metabolism as we age? What can I do about stress incontinence? Plus, news of what Tweets posted online can tell us about the population's collective mood, and a new way to tell who needs extra investigations after a heart attack... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
What causes Humans to Combust?
September 16, 2011 15:29 - 21 minutes - 9.73 MBDoes cooking with gas taste better, why are yawns infectious, how does carbon dating work, what is spontaneous human combustion, why won't a nine year old blow his nose and how can contraceptives help ovarian diseases? Dr Chris takes on this week's slew of science from South Africa and also asks what fatherhod does for a man's testosterone levels. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
How do electrons orbit in atoms?
September 02, 2011 11:00 - 21 minutes - 10 MBWhere does the energy come from that keeps electrons in orbit within an atom? Can cars and truck weigh themselves like lifts to prevent overloading? How long do some atoms or molecules last in the body? What causes croup? Why would electrolysed water go green? Can viruses trigger asthma, and what is reflex sympathetic dystrophy? Join Dr Chris for the answers to this week's round up of questions as well as news that probiotic bacteria can alter brain chemistry - certainly food for thought! Lik...
How much mucus is made in a day?
August 19, 2011 14:01 - 21 minutes - 9.93 MBWhere and in what volume is mucus made in the body? Why do bums look darker that skin elsewhere on the body? How does laughter or low mood affect health and immunity and what causes urticaria? Join Dr Chris for the answers as well as news of a new gene screen technique to find new treatments using old drugs and why climate change is driving animals uphill... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Is a Dragster Faster Going East?
August 12, 2011 17:57 - 23 minutes - 10.8 MBWhat makes the eye's pupils change size? Does scratching a coin make a machine more likely to accept it? Why does a copper bangle change colour periodically? Does the spinning of the Earth affect the top speed of a dragster? Does ice weigh less than water? Are glyconutrients beneficial for arthritis? And what makes a nose sweat more in winter than summer? join Dr Chris for the answers to these questions as well as news of how fungi and plants create their own free-market economies, and how sc...
Do microwaves cook from the inside out?
August 05, 2011 16:54 - 23 minutes - 10.6 MBNASA announce signs of running water on Mars and scientists turn skin cells into brain cells. Plus the answers to why certain drugs work well for some people but not others, why my muffin burns in the middle in the microwave, why things defrost badly in microwave ovens, the origin of handedness, what causes someone to snore in the daytime, why do some smells linger longer and why do my eyes water when I bend forward? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Should I Let the Dog Lick My Wounds?
July 15, 2011 19:13 - 23 minutes - 10.9 MBThis week - Will wounds heal quicker if licked by a dog? Why does flying cause earaches? How do gas masks work? Why don't continuous rails buckle in the heat? Why do egg shells come in different colours? Dr Chris joins Redi to discuss all of these and more... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Plummeting Lifts and Replacement Windpipes
July 08, 2011 13:00 - 24 minutes - 11.2 MBDoes jumping inside a plummeting lift prior to impact prevent a fatal fall? What causes echoes on phones? Are trees actually net oxygen consumers? Why do my ice cubes grow stalagmites? Why do farts deployed underwater have a worse whiff? Why can't we split carbon dioxide and use the oxygen? What's the story about the first artificial windpipe grown from a patient's own cells? Join Dr Chris for this week's round up of science questions and trivia on Talk Radio 702. Like this podcast? Please he...
Why is the Sky Blue?
July 01, 2011 13:00 - 43 minutes - 19.9 MBThis Week, Chris Smith and Ben Valsler join Redi in the studio for an extended Ask the Naked Scientists! We find out why the sky appears blue and if electric blankets are bad for your health. Plus, how hot is empty space, how do dogs see the world and many more science questions. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Is the ice in the freezer edible?
June 10, 2011 13:20 - 21 minutes - 9.75 MBHow do doctors name phobias? Is the ice on the freezer sides safe to eat? What is the low-frequency hum I can hear? Is pipe tobacco tar good for cuts and sores? Why do birthmarks persist? What keeps the head so hot? Why are animals alarmed by loud noises? A bumper crop of science questions awaits Dr Chris in this week's Ask the Naked Scientists... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
How do painkillers know where it hurts?
June 03, 2011 13:08 - 23 minutes - 10.7 MBCan haemorrhoid cream treat under-eye bags, how much radiation was released from Fukushima, why is the moon larger on the horizon, what constitutes stamina, are mobile masts making me ill, why does logic vary between individuals and how does a drug know where to go in the body? Join Dr Chris for the answers and news of the E. coli outbreak in Europe and a new molecule to render mosquitoes anosmic! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Why Stones Chip Windows on the Inside
May 27, 2011 09:42 - 23 minutes - 10.6 MBCan a tropical storm be steered? Why should a stone hitting the outside of a window produce a chip on the inside surface? Why do aircraft sound louder going away than when they approach? Dr Chris gets to grips with another crop of top questions as well as news of a new magnetic material activated by electrons, a dye to image the insides of arteries and how scientists have sized up the shape of the electron... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
What causes sensitive teeth?
May 20, 2011 02:10 - 21 minutes - 9.72 MBWhy can't a person see clearly underwater, what causes sensitive teeth, why do I wake up paralysed and can snail shells treat scars? Join Dr Chris for the answers to this week's crop of science questions as well as news of a breakthrough in immune suppression, a sugar-fuelled filter to remove chemicals from drinking water and why gossip affects the way you look at people... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Can Males Donate Organs to Females?
May 06, 2011 02:14 - 21 minutes - 9.76 MBWhy is sea level rising, are organ transplants between males and females feasible, what keeps a moving bike upright and what causes epilepsy? Join Dr Chris for the answers to this week's crop of top questions as well as how climate change is denting wheat and maize yields and how the box jellyfish can see where it's going... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Why do bats dangle upside down?
April 15, 2011 22:37 - 22 minutes - 10.3 MBThis week, modelling schizophrenia in a dish, why bats roost inverted, what remains in the ground after oil has been removed, why planets form on a horizontal plane, why we get goosepimples, near-death experiences, the cause of cold urticaria and why an ice-cube is white in the middle. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
What is Yuppie Flu?
April 07, 2011 23:59 - 22 minutes - 10.3 MBAre there any impacts of ground fracturing to recover oil and gas, how do colour-changing creatures coordinate with their surroundings, why do ants invade peoples' houses, what is "yuppie flu" and are all snowflakes really different? Plus, news of how scientists are growing a replacement retina in a dish and why keeping the world tidy makes the population less prejudiced... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Where do soundwaves go?
March 25, 2011 00:00 - 28 minutes - 13.3 MBThe fate of soundwaves, can salamanders use silicon, why did the moon come closer to Earth, do you need to inhale to smell something, how do drugs know where it hurts and what preceded the Big Bang. Join Dr Chris for the answers to this week's crop of questions and news of how fish are helping scientists solve the problem of melanoma... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Why not put reactors underwater?
March 18, 2011 17:35 - 25 minutes - 11.5 MBShould you keep your banana in the fridge? Why are ice-cubes easier to eject from top-shelf freezer trays? Why not site nuclear reactors underwater in the ocean to help keep them cool? Why was the tsunami water that hit Japan so dirty? Why did the Fukushima reactors release hydrogen? Where did my some get his altered earlobes? Join Dr Chris for this week's crop of questions from 702, including a look at the nuclear threat from Japan as well as gene therapy for Parkinson's Disease and how sper...
Why Don't Mosquitoes Burst?
March 15, 2011 00:00 - 24 minutes - 11.3 MBWhat causes the rainbow of colours around an aircraft's shadow, why are moths and mosquitoes attracted to lights, plasma vs LCD TV - what's the difference, how does a mosquito know when it's full of blood, are you ever too old to learn, and how do scientists calculate the calories in foods? Join Dr Chris for this week's bumper crop of questions from TalkRadio 702... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Where do Melons Get their Water?
February 25, 2011 17:05 - 22 minutes - 10.2 MBHow do melons concentrate water in their flesh? Why do some hairs grow longer than others? What's the advantage of African curly hair? Does the DNA of a donated organ displace that of the recipient? What are sunspots? Join Dr Chris for another mind-stretching mental work out solving your scientific problems as well as news of how mamalian hearts can regenerate themselves, and a new lasrer technique to spot melanoma... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Asthma, Pool Cleaners and MRSA
February 11, 2011 13:58 - 23 minutes - 10.5 MBThis week, the causes of asthma, a new way to "K.O." MRSA, what is lupus and can it be controlled, how do metal-salt pool cleaners work and are henna tattoos safe? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Can corks cure cramps?
February 04, 2011 17:21 - 23 minutes - 10.5 MBThis week, how stimulating the brain can help you to think outside the box, why corks in the bed can cure cramps, the inside information on itching, the brain basis of meditation and what happens when we do it, the science of sleep, and where did domestic animals come from? Join Dr Chris as he pits his wits against this week's round up of top science questions on 702... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Two Suns in the Sky?
January 28, 2011 00:00 - 19 minutes - 9.14 MBStraight from the horse's mouth, or cow's stomach, this week how scientists have found the genetic clue to better biofuels; also, the brain basis of addiction, the cause of false-positive HIV tests, what causes the colours in a peacock's feathers, is Betelgeuse about to blow up, and what's neurofibromatosis? Join Dr Chris on this week's whistlestop tour of the scientific cosmos as he looks for the answers to life, the Universe and everything... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting ...
What causes kidney stones?
January 21, 2011 15:30 - 21 minutes - 10 MBWhere do renal calculi come from, can weight loss halt diabetes, how might neuro-feedback help ADHD and autism, what causes panic attacks and are artificial sweeteners safe? Join Dr Chris for the all answers on this week's Ask the Naked Scientists, from Talk Radio 702. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
To Pee, or not to Pee?
January 14, 2011 14:50 - 26 minutes - 12 MBCould personal nuclear reactors power towns, why can't eyes be transplanted like livers, is it dangerous not to pee and poo when you need to, do drugs damage sperms and eggs, and how do rain and distilled water differ? Join Dr Chris as he pits his wits against these and other scientific mysteries... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
How do cats navigate?
January 07, 2011 15:41 - 23 minutes - 10.5 MBHow cats find their way back to their former homes, the science of self-winding watches, why sunlight triggers sneezes, the basis of lightning and does an open window deter a strike, how fast gravity propagates, is it better to turn off the hot water in the daytime and why do thunderstorms cause powercuts? Join Dr Chris for the answers in this week's brain-expanding episode of Ask! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists