Ask the Naked Scientists - podcast cover

Ask the Naked Scientists

How 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!

Episodes

Do microwaves cook from the inside out?

NASA 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...

Aug 05, 201123 minEp. 169

Should I Let the Dog Lick My Wounds?

This 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

Jul 15, 201124 minEp. 168

Plummeting Lifts and Replacement Windpipes

Does 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 help ...

Jul 08, 201124 minEp. 167

Why is the Sky Blue?

This 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

Jul 01, 201143 minEp. 166

Is the ice in the freezer edible?

How 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...

Jun 10, 201121 minEp. 165

How do painkillers know where it hurts?

Can 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...

Jun 03, 201123 minEp. 164

Why Stones Chip Windows on the Inside

Can 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...

May 27, 201123 minEp. 163

What causes sensitive teeth?

Why 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...

May 20, 201121 minEp. 162

Can Males Donate Organs to Females?

Why 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

May 06, 201121 minEp. 161

Why do bats dangle upside down?

This 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

Apr 15, 201123 minEp. 160

What is Yuppie Flu?

Are 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...

Apr 07, 201122 minEp. 159

Where do soundwaves go?

The 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

Mar 25, 201129 minEp. 158

Why not put reactors underwater?

Should 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 sperm g...

Mar 18, 201125 minEp. 157

Why Don't Mosquitoes Burst?

What 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

Mar 15, 201125 minEp. 156

Where do Melons Get their Water?

How 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...

Feb 25, 201122 minEp. 155

Asthma, Pool Cleaners and MRSA

This 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

Feb 11, 201123 minEp. 154

Can corks cure cramps?

This 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

Feb 04, 201123 minEp. 153

Two Suns in the Sky?

Straight 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 the...

Jan 28, 201120 minEp. 152

What causes kidney stones?

Where 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

Jan 21, 201122 minEp. 151

To Pee, or not to Pee?

Could 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

Jan 14, 201126 minEp. 150

How do cats navigate?

How 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...

Jan 07, 201123 minEp. 149

Can a Mobile Phone Unlock a Car?

What's a light-year, why is the earliest dawn not on the solstice, is the Sun hotter in South Africa, what causes neuropathy, can batteries short out in my pocket, is there a non-surgical solution to a squeaky voice, can my cell phone unlock my car and why does tapping a cup of cocoa make the pitch go up? Join Dr Chris for this week's festive selection of scientific conundra, on Talk Radio 702... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists...

Dec 24, 201044 minEp. 148

Do Oxygen Levels Go Down in Winter?

How did a lightning storm spark a glowing ball above a roof, do atmospheric oxygen levels dip in winter, does anyone naturally not have fingerprints, are humans still evolving, and what's the story behind Lorenzo's Oil? Join Dr Chris for an intellectual work out with this week's round up of brain-stretching science... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Dec 17, 201023 minEp. 147

Is the moon upside down?

What can hydrogen reveal about the structure of the early Universe and what causes Alzheimer's Disease; is the moon upside down when seen from south of the equator, what causes Autism and can it be treated and why do I only need 4 hours sleep? Join Dr Chris in this discusion on this week's Ask the Naked Scientists... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Dec 10, 201022 minEp. 146

Why do some songs get stuck in your head?

Kangaroo mothercare, why we all look different, what's the capacity of the human brain and why do some songs get stuck in your head are all up for analysis this week, and Dr Chris also has news of how worms can treat inflammatory bowel diseases, a memory-erasing treatment for chronic pain, and bacteria that thrive on arsenic... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Dec 03, 201027 minEp. 145

Why Do We Sleepwalk?

What's more accurate, vehicle speed according to a GPS unit, or the speedometer? Also, what causes the Earth's magnetic field to flip, why do people sleepwalk and can the shrunken state of an accidentally boil-washed jersey be reversed? Join Dr Chris as he pits his wits against this week's science question selection and also discusses news of the discovery of sugar transporters in plants and a way to age a person using just a drop of blood... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the N...

Nov 26, 201025 minEp. 144

How does an astronaut swallow in space?

How do space travellers navigate, can you swallow in microgravity, does apple cider vinegar help with weight loss, is there a "gay" gene, why did a game of football come to a frosty conclusion and why do some plant pigments change colour in water? Join Dr Chris for another fact-soaked foray into the world of science... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Nov 19, 201024 minEp. 143

Does Diesel Pollute More Than Petrol?

This week, how Tetris could hold the key to blocking the bad memories and flashbacks behind post traumatic stress disorder and how an old drug could provide a new answer to neuroprotection from Parkinson's Disease. Also, why dark skin is more prone to scarring, is diesel a worse polluter than petrol, and does soap just detach bacteria from the skin, or kill them? Join Dr Chris on Talk Radio 702 to find out... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists...

Nov 12, 201021 minEp. 142

Can humans get stuck together during sex?

Where do accents come from, can glass be magnetised, what's the point of males and females and can people get locked together during sex? Join Dr Chris to find out and to hear about a new way to combat cancer, a novel way to block brain damage done by a stroke and how scientistsw are boosting mathematical ability, with a dose of electricity... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Nov 05, 201022 minEp. 141

How Does Deodorant Work?

The Naked Scientist, Chris Smith strips science down to its bare essentials.How does grass break concrete?is one of the questions answered in this fascinating show. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Oct 29, 201021 minEp. 140
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