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
Can animals predict the weather?
February 06, 2015 12:51 - 18 minutes - 16.9 MBCan we manufacture water? Should women eat uncastrated meat? Can animals predict the weather? Is there a loss of vitamin content in tinned food? If you're in an aeroplane traveling at the speed of light, could you walk to the front of the plane? What causes chronic flatulence? Plus, counting chickens! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Why do we get brain freeze?
January 30, 2015 12:38 - 21 minutes - 19.4 MBWhy do we get brain freeze? What happens to your arm when it goes to sleep? Why do clouds form? Do we really only use 10% of our brain? If we evolved from apes how come there are still monkeys? Plus, how to "unboil" an egg. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
How do phantom limbs work?
January 23, 2015 13:11 - 23 minutes - 21.8 MBHow do phantom limbs work? Can power stations affect local weather? Plus, how to avoid jet lag and the snails that have weaponised insulin. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Is there such a thing as a 'baby brain'?
January 16, 2015 13:59 - 22 minutes - 20.9 MBShould I let my child run up and down stairs? Is crocodile bile deadly? Why don't animals in the wild bleed to death during child birth? Will there come a time where we stop breaking any new sport records? Is there such a thing as a "baby brain"? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Is there a cure for vertigo?
January 09, 2015 12:57 - 22 minutes - 20.8 MBCan we make longer lasting phone batteries? Is there a cure for vertigo? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Why do pigeons bob their heads?
January 02, 2015 12:26 - 20 minutes - 19.1 MBHow do chameleons change colour? Why do pigeons bob their heads when they walk? How do railguns work? Can you freeze dry a body? What causes localised hair-loss? What's the best way to cool down beer? Plus, an update on Ebola... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
How do you get an old pen to work?
December 19, 2014 13:31 - 25 minutes - 23 MBWhy does scribbling on paper get a pen to work? Why can't mules reproduce? How soon will they be able to lessen the effects of Multiple Sclerosis? When you burn wood, where does the weight go? How do touch screens work? Plus, why feeling your age might be bad for you... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
How do birds make eggs?
December 12, 2014 16:08 - 23 minutes - 21.1 MBHow do birds make eggs? Why do we cry for both happiness and sadness? Can neutrinos go faster than the speed of light? Why is it so hard to lose stomach fat? Why do some babies smile in their sleep? Can you get oxygen from the water you drink? Plus, how life began, and the science of opera singing... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Why do banana peels go brown?
November 28, 2014 13:47 - 21 minutes - 19.3 MBCan you feel two pains at the same time? How can bottled water freeze instantly? Can a migrant dog understand his new neighbours? What is the pith inside an orange? Does eating the in-flight meal alter an aeroplane's weight? Why do skins of bananas blacken faster after you peel them? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Can comets reveal the future?
November 21, 2014 15:28 - 21 minutes - 19.7 MBWhat is the latest on Ebola? Which human sense was the strongest in more primitive times? Can comets tell us about the future? How did our ancestors discover that the Earth is round? Why are electric kettles so loud? How can grey hair go black again? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Why aren't there any flying spiders?
November 14, 2014 14:31 - 13 minutes - 12 MBIs it possible to regrow brain cells? Why can't spiders fly? Can you survive with three kidneys? What causes a migraine? Plus, why lightning is striking twice... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
What causes cataracts?
November 07, 2014 14:12 - 21 minutes - 20 MBWhy do my fingernails grow quicker than my toenails? Why are yawns contagious? Do people with longer legs use less energy to run? What causes cataracts? How important is your sense of smell? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Are Ebola survivors immune for life?
October 31, 2014 14:25 - 19 minutes - 17.7 MBCan a new stomach be grown in a dish? Are Ebola survivors immune from future infection? Why do injuries seem to hurt more later? Are there homosexual dolphins? How do muscles make energy? How do ants home in on food? Can dogs judge human character? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Why do people talk to themselves?
October 24, 2014 14:34 - 19 minutes - 18.2 MBWhy do people talk to themselves? Can cats cut your risk of a heart attack? Does salt help water boil quicker? Do women have an Adam's Apple? Plus, an update on Ebola and a rapid paper-based test for the virus... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Can the radio control my dreams?
October 10, 2014 13:05 - 21 minutes - 19.6 MBWhy do I sneeze in bright light? Can the radio control my dreams? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Do flies have blood?
October 03, 2014 12:45 - 20 minutes - 19 MBWhy did dinosaurs grow so large? Do flies have blood? Can chemotherapy get into the brain? Why do scorpions glow in UV light? Did we interbreed with Neanderthals? Plus, news of how your sense of smell can indicate how long you have left to live... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Why do some people sleepwalk?
September 26, 2014 15:40 - 20 minutes - 18.9 MBHow is sea-level defined? What makes some people sleepwalk? How are barometers calibrated? What is an acquired taste? How much of the body is water? Do we really use only 10% of our brain? Why does red wine stain your lips? Why to I talk in my sleep? What happens if you drink petrol? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Can you be born circumcised?
September 19, 2014 20:49 - 20 minutes - 19 MBHow do people catch ebola? Why do brothers and sisters look different if they have the same parents? Can we mine the moon for fuel? Why should you not re-freeze meat? What causes birth marks? What is a curve of pursuit? Can you be born circumcised? Dr Chris answers more of your questions, on Talk Radio 702... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Why does spaghetti break into 3 pieces?
September 05, 2014 13:37 - 21 minutes - 19.5 MBCan we rear people in a germ-free environment? Can you be born with only one kidney? Why does spaghetti always break into 3 pieces? What exactly is temperature? When you add more water to the bath and then pull the plug - what water goes down the drain first, the new or the old? Why do birds live longer than their size would suggest? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Why does running water make you need the loo?
August 29, 2014 13:05 - 15 minutes - 14.3 MBWhy does running water make you need the loo? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Can you get sunburn through a glass window?
August 15, 2014 13:31 - 19 minutes - 17.6 MBCan you get sunburnt through a glass window? What are white holes? If everything is made from atoms, and atoms are largely empty space why can't we phase through walls? Can chlorophyll help body odour? What causes ringing in your ears? Can you train a child to be ambidextrous? Plus, an update on Ebola. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
How accurate are dinosaur reconstructions?
August 08, 2014 14:31 - 21 minutes - 19.4 MBIf you fall asleep with the radio playing what effect would this have on the brain? How do marine mammals stay hydrated? If you fall off a certain height do you die before you hit the ground? How come children spit all the time? How accurate are dinosaur reconstructions? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Are maps always right?
August 01, 2014 12:18 - 23 minutes - 21.4 MBWhat's causing the ebola outbreak in northwest Africa? Is our sun unique? Why did we make clocks tick the way they do? Does altitude affect my blood pressure? Would the passengers remain conscious aboard an aircraft hit by a missile? Where does the iron on Earth come from? Are maps accurate? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Why do some wines give you a worse hangover?
July 25, 2014 14:36 - 20 minutes - 18.6 MBShould my air-conditioning be fresh or recycled air? Is the International Space Station in geostationary orbit? What causes plane vapour trails? Is it alright to drink water on an empty stomach? Why do we have blood groups? Why do we boil our food? Why do some wines give you a worse headache? Plus, why beef is off the menu for a sustainable world... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Why do we get nightmares?
July 18, 2014 16:49 - 19 minutes - 18.1 MBAre there extra types of water? Do plants give off carbon dioxide at night? Why does huddling together keep you warm? What is the origin of belly-button fluff? What causes nightmares? And how does the magnetic field around Earth affect us? Plus, news of how dental plaque can show us what our ancestors ate... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Is the sea getting saltier?
July 11, 2014 17:38 - 22 minutes - 20.8 MBHow does a gastric bypass work? How do spaceships land safely back on earth? What makes humans so successful? Are new species still appearing? Is the sea getting saltier? Plus, news of biomarkers for Alzheimer's Disease... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Can blind chameleons change colour?
July 04, 2014 13:38 - 22 minutes - 20.9 MBHow do e-cigarettes work? Could a blind chameleon still change colour? Do sightless people pick up on things most of us miss? Can the hydrogen be extracted from water? How are hurricanes named? How do birds navigate? How do vaccinations against bacteria and viruses work? Join Dr Chris for the answers to South Africa's top science questions, as well as news of a solar power breakthrough based on a tofu ingredient... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
What is Spontaneous Human Combustion
June 27, 2014 11:23 - 17 minutes - 15.9 MBCan people with autism catch yawns? Why isn't the Sun cooling down? What is the theory of spontaneous human combustion? Why did Luis Suarez bite someone? Should I close the fridge door while adding milk to my tea? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
A cure for procrastination?
June 20, 2014 12:22 - 21 minutes - 19.9 MBDoes learning a musical instrument boost brain power? Are there limits to what the human body can repair? How does my brain know how to whistle in tune? Can newborns recognise their grandmothers' voices? Is there life elsewhere in the Universe? Is there any connection between autism and vaccinations? How do rocks erode? And the cure for procrastination? That's in next week's show... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Why do we yawn?
June 13, 2014 15:47 - 22 minutes - 20.2 MBAre mouth bugs nastier than bowel bugs? How would wiping out mosquitoes affect the food-web? What is an itch? Are anaesthetics a risk factor for blood clots? What are trans-fats and invert sugars? Can parasites manipulate our behaviour? Are there any benefits of yawning? Plus, news of the genetically-modified mosquito that might help to eradicate malaria... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Why do people open their mouths when they apply mascara?
June 06, 2014 13:30 - 22 minutes - 21.1 MBAre mothballs poisonous? How do chameleons change colour? Where do seedless varieties of fruit come from? What is ash? How can we use DNA to trace ancestry? Why do people open their mouths when they apply mascara? What causes a stammer? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
What does coffee do to my heart rate?
May 30, 2014 14:38 - 20 minutes - 18.8 MBWhat does coffee do to my heart rate? Has the earth changed size since its formation? Why are hailstones round? How do you avoid getting seasick? Are energy drinks bad for you? How do antidepressants work? Plus, how smells give away gender. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
What gives water its colour?
May 23, 2014 13:43 - 23 minutes - 21.5 MBWhat sort of star is the Sun? Can damage done by Multiple Sclerosis be repaired? Why does an acetylene torch need oxygen? How are calories in food calculated? What gives water its colour? Is drinking distilled water bad for you? What is sleep paralysis? Can liquids be compressed? Plus, how smells give away gender. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Are flies getting harder to swat?
May 16, 2014 18:53 - 18 minutes - 16.7 MBAre flies getting harder to swat these days? Why does more food in the microwave take longer to cook? Should penicillin-allergic people avoid blue cheese? Why are clouds white? What causes baldness? Why aren't marine fish more salty? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Will whales get the bends?
May 02, 2014 13:15 - 22 minutes - 20.4 MBThe building blocks of life, what is a virus? Why don't whales get the bends? How does a 3D printer work? How do 93 and 95 octane fuels differ? Why is ricin deadly by castor oil is safe? Would HIV respond to an induced coma? Why do you cry when you yawn? Join Dr Chris for the answers to more burning science questions... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Is petrol better value when it's cold?
April 25, 2014 14:01 - 21 minutes - 19.6 MBHow can cochlear implants deliver gene therapy? Are you better off circumcised? What is the biggest discovery of the last 20 years? Can planets exist without a parent star to orbit? Does lighting a match mask a bad smell? Are there devices to help achieve perfect pitch? And do i get more petrol for my money when it is cold? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Naked at 702
April 17, 2014 10:32 - 51 minutes - 47 MBThe Naked Scientists appear in the flesh at Primedia Place, home of 702, to answer questions from the live audience... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
The first in-vitro vagina?
April 11, 2014 13:55 - 22 minutes - 20.6 MBHow have doctors grown new vaginas in vitro? Are fires feasible in space? Why does the moon always show to same face to us? Why don't we see disabled animals? Why would a watch spontaneously restart after being stopped for 10 years? How do they make the flavour stick to popcorn? What is total internal reflection? How do you stop birds nesting on a rooftop? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
How Sunny is it on Saturn?
April 04, 2014 09:22 - 23 minutes - 21.7 MBWhat's inside Enceladus? How do we make water safe for drinking? How Sunny is it on Saturn's moons? What causes motion sickness? Could we collect sunlight in space and beam the power down to Earth? Can lunar gravity cause earthquakes? How did primordial gravity waves arise? Are buried bodies still infectious years later? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Where does Earth get its oxygen?
March 28, 2014 14:14 - 20 minutes - 19.1 MBHow did scientists make a synthetic chromosome? How does heat radiate? What wakes us up in the morning? Where does oxygen come from? Are black boxes bouyant? Where did the Big Bang come from? Are airbags wired to seatbelts? Do couples end up looking like each other? And why does anxiety produce butterflies in the stomach? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
What are gravity waves?
March 21, 2014 18:54 - 18 minutes - 17.1 MBIs gravity waves from the Big Bang a big deal? Is evolution still occurring? Why does water boil at lower temperature at altitude? Can the brain be hitched up to control a computer? Are power lines bad for your health? Will sleeping with the light on harm health? How accurate is a medical syringe? And why does spinning around make me dizzy? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Why do Guinness bubbles go downwards?
March 14, 2014 21:09 - 21 minutes - 19.6 MBHow do the processing power of a brain compare with a computer? How can we shield astronauts en-route to Mars? Do ants prefer protein? What causes left handedness? Why do bubbles go downwards in a glass of Guinness? And do older makes of television emit X-rays? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Does wet coal produce less power?
March 08, 2014 22:54 - 20 minutes - 19 MBCan weather be manipulated? Will wet coal produce less electricity in a power station? Why does curry make my nose run? Is aluminium linked to Alzheimer's? Is it better to drink warm water? Who lives near the Chernobyl site? This week Dr Chris answers more questions from 702ers, and, in the light of the Oscar Pistorius case, considers the reliability of memory... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Can a phone affect my fertility?
February 28, 2014 18:31 - 21 minutes - 19.3 MBCan a mobile phone between the legs affect fertility? Why does wet cornflour stiffen when squeezed? Does light at night affect reproductive success of local animals? Can animals smell fear? And what actually is IQ? Plus, Dr Chris explores how animals are evolving in response to the influence of humans... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
What causes a blood red moon?
February 21, 2014 17:39 - 21 minutes - 20.1 MBThe cause of a blood red moon, is there an upper limits for temperature, where does the Sun's hydrogen come from, what does a blind person see in their mind's eye, and are e-cigarettes safer? Join Dr Chris Smith as he tackles the top questions sent in to Talk Radio 702... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Where does dust come from?
February 07, 2014 16:45 - 20 minutes - 18.3 MBHow does acid produce stem cells? Why do carpets creep across the floor? Where does dust come from? Why can't flying insects escape from the surfaces of swimming pools? Do women multitask better than men? What is andogenic alopecia? Do we sneeze when we are asleep? What's special about graphene? And is nutritional data on food labels reliable? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
What accelerates light?
January 31, 2014 22:15 - 24 minutes - 22.1 MBHow does light accelerate in a less-dense medium? How do climbing plants twist around a stake? Did people share technology 5000 years ago? Why would stainless steel rust? And why does mango chutney make my underarms smell after I've eaten it? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Would a swimmer hit by lightning be fried?
January 24, 2014 20:51 - 21 minutes - 19.7 MBWhat's the difference between GM technology and cloning? If lightning hits a swimming pool, would a swimmer be fried? What happens when we get used to smells? Why does beetroot make urine red? Why do I stick out my tongue to concentrate? Where does the water in comets come from? What are the products of fuel combustion? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
How do you size-up a CME?
January 10, 2014 15:31 - 15 minutes - 14.2 MBHow is the scale of a coronal mass ejection (CME) measured? How does evolution work? Why is sole and palm skin a lighter colour? What causes magnetic field flips? What are blood groups and do animals have their own blood groups? Join Dr Chris for this week's crop of questions from Talk Radio 702, South Africa... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Ask the Naked Scientists is BACK!
January 06, 2014 15:48 - 27 minutes - 24.8 MBHow trees tell the time, the germ potential of hot air driers in toilets, where fruit flies come from, does menstruation synchronise, why do mad people tend to run along roads, why is smoking addictive and why should a 7-year old have underarm odour? Join Dr Chris for the first Ask! outing of 2014... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists