What stops water moving through a tiny hole, are ground up tablets safe to swallow, what are freckles, how fast can a human heart beat, what happens when a cataract is removed, where do fat flies come from and how does the moon influence the Earth? Join Dr Chris as he pits his wits against this week's round up of science questions from South Africa... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
This week Dr Chris discusses how volcanoes can cut global warming, the evidence for genes linked to race, whether ambidexterity is real, the cause of crop circles, news of a new vaccine for tuberculosis (TB) and the tale of a comet that turned into an asteroid... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Are fat cells all made equal, why women glow while men perspire, the science of electromagnetic induction, what is emphysema, how are drug doses determined, is the Earth gaining weight and where does belly button fluff come from all go under the microscope in this week's Ask! the Naked Scientist from Talk Radio 702... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Where does the waste from an aeroplane toilet go? And could you ever really get stuck to one when pressing the flush? Do we have bigger brains than 500 years ago? And why are planets spherical? We tackle all of these questions this week, as well as finding out that researchers have created an artificial nose even more sensitive than a dog's. Plus we'll discover why onions make your eyes water... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists...
How do dolphins and other marine animals hydrate themselves? Can we use nanotechnology to fight disease? How does a radio-controlled clock work? We take on this variety of questions as well as find out why tea stains our cups, whether volcanic activity hollows out the earths core and why ice sticks to your tongue. Plus, we investigate if any large land animals can survive without oxygen! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists...
How does a mobile phone mast work? What affect does living in space have on the human body? Could tractor beams become a reality? We take on these space age questions in this week's show as well as reveal the land area of Earth, why people in the Southern Hemisphere don't walk on their heads, why hair looks darker when wet and why alcohol makes you feel happy. Plus, we investigate what would happen if we drilled to the centre of the Earth! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Nake...
Are we at risk when we use public toilets? What can we catch from kissing strangers? Why is it safer to eat cooked rather than rare meat? We take on these risk averse questions as well as find out how the sun burns, why children shouldn't drink coffee, the direction our blood flows around our body and how much ruminent animals and permafrost contribute to our greenhouse gases. Plus, we investigate whether it's more efficient to run our cars on a half or full tank of gas! Like this podcast? Pleas...
Why do Pigeons nod their heads? How does food become body fat? What can you do with a ramjet? We take on these questions as well as discover how megapixels are formed, whether bees go into their hives at night and why we use CO2 in fizzy drinks. Plus, we sniff out why cows produce methane! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
On Ask the Naked Scientists this week, we find out how cacti can survive with very little water, and why they are so well endowed with spines! We answer your questions on asteroids, the size of the universe and the correct angle to leave the Earth. Plus, we test Dave's knowledge of anti-ageing cosmetics! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
How did we measure geographic distances before GPS? And how do GPS satellites do it now? Would floating bridges help in Pakistan? We'll tackle all of these questions this week, as well as finding out if ice would melt in space and ifall the alcohol evaporates if you use it in cooking. Plus, whether explosions in space just keep going... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
How small is a proton? What is a photon? And how do colour-changing toys work? We'll find out the answers to all these questions this week, plus find out how new stars are born, how painkillers work and the effects of salt on our bodies! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
How do lasers work? Could lasers be used to treat cataracts and blindness as well as our eyesight? Why is a hydrogen atom bigger than a helium one? Why is there no oxygen on other planets? We take on these questions in this week's show as well as find out whether South American Indians can really shrink heads, whether microwaves could be altered to cool food down, if women will survuve longer than men on earth and investigate if it's possible to make artificial gravity out in space! Like this po...
Why does time seem to go by faster as we get older? What do IQ tests really measure? How do probiotic yoghurts work? We get the answers to all these on this week's show, as well as finding out why hair goes lighter in the sun and how 3D televisions work. Plus, is there such a thing as a 'good' virus? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Why does sugar look so different when you heat it up? How much CO2 is there in all the world's bottles of Cola? And which way is it to the Centre of the Universe? We'll tackle all these questions this week, as well as discovering what causes thunderstorms, and whether aeroplanes would work in space. Plus, does wrapping your fish and chips in newspaper make it poisonous? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Do we really need 8 glasses of water a day? How does a jet engine work? Where does earwax come from? Why are some apes vegetarian when we're not? We find out the answers to all these questions, as well as discover what thunderflies are, investigate if we're any closer to a malaria vaccine and discuss why bird feathers are so colourful. Plus, we find out about a newly discovered chemical that promotes cell survival in our brains! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientist...
Why are moths attracted to light? How do red-leaved plants photosynthesise? Why don't hayfever sufferers become tolerant to pollen? We take on these questions in this week's show as well as discover if our planet changes its weight, how our brains store information and whether the Sun has any gravity. Plus, we discuss if man will ever land on Mars! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
How does vinegar 'cook' an egg? How does Google work? Are the colours we see really real? We'll get the answers to all of these, plus explore how giant tortoises made it to the Galapogos, and how wiping out the human population would alter the atmosphere! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
How are crisp flavours created? What makes flies so resilient? Why do some women get facial hair with age? We take on this variety of questions in this week's show as well as find out how our universe began, if Aspergers syndrome is hereditary and how methane clathrates can help store gases. Plus we discover how scientists are creating lungs in the lab! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Is microwaved water safe? Why does a mirage form? What causes that shimmer on a hot road? We tackle all of these questions this week, as well as look at how anti-dandruff shampoo works, how ships stay upright and whether humans are the only species that cry. We also find out if your laptop would survive a dunking in de-ionised water! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
How did HIV originate? Why does anaemia occur more often in Africa? Do growing pains exist? We take on these infectious questions as well as find out how limescale remover works, how rainbows form and whether all objects expand in heat. Plus, we investigate if humans can get stronger under stress and reveal how much water we should drink for a healthy body. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
How do Tornadoes form? What's a daisy cutter bomb? Why do we get electric shocks when leaving our cars? We take on these questions as well as find out why Jelly freezes in the fridge, why humans can't pickup radiowaves and how far away the moon is. We also investigate when a scientific theory becomes a fact! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Does our sense of taste change with age? How are horrid and pleasant smells decided by our brains? Is it harder to urinate when you're older? We tackle these time-sensitive questions in this week's show as well as find out how de-caffeinated coffee is made, whether caffeine is bad for us and how we acquire the bacteria that live naturally inside us. Plus, we investigate whether love can rule our brains! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists...
Why can't we tickle ourselves? Is deafness down to our genes? Can diabetes cause Eczema? How does deodorant prevent body odour? We take on these questions in this week's show as well as reveal if botox can be used as a medicine, why some people don't feel pain and whether it's possible to wake up with a new accent. Plus we investigate if bacteria could be used to clean the oil spill in the gulf of Mexico! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists...
Ask the Naked Scientists, South Africa! This week we're adding a new member to the Ask! family with a new show on South Africa's flagship station TalkRadio 702. We look at man-boobs, hair cells, relativity at work in rugby, the right way round for your headphones, the getting-cold-causes-colds myth, excito-toxicity, how the immune system works, why asparagus makes urine smell and the lifespan of a fly. Don't know the answer? Then why not Ask the Naked Scientists... Like this podcast? Please help...
What effects can underground nuclear explosions have on our land? How do antibacterial cleaners work? Could bacteria be used to clean up our environment from pollutants? We take on these question in this week's show as well as find out why the colour blue is so hard to see at night, why grass can survive when covered with snow, whether tanks could be made with armoured glass and how data can be saved on non-magnetic disks. Plus, we find out how scientists are developing flexible touch screens! L...
Do earthquakes shift the earths axis? If the population of China jumped at once would it cause an earthquake? How much lava is inside the earth? Would more eruptions lead to an ice age? We tackle these questions as well as find out what makes stainless steel stainless, why it is colder further out in space, and why wet towels whip harder than dry ones. Plus we investigate how ice found on asteroids could give more evidence for life in outer space. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting ...
Could a comet shield the earth from the sun? How do planets form around stars? Why are planets spherical? What's the temperature in space? We tackle these astronomical questions in this weeks show as well as reveal why there isn't a cure for the common cold, why 3D glasses make some of us feel dizzy and if volcanic ash can disrupt space travel. Plus, we investigate what the Hubble Telescope sees in space! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists...
Why are some Volcanic Eruptions stronger than others? Why can't aeroplanes fly around the ash in the sky? Is our ozone layer still a concern? Why will sea levels rise if the ice caps melt? We take on these explosive questions in this week's show as well as find out if dogs can communicate, how boats sail into the wind, how outdoor infra-red heaters work and why clingfilm expands over food in the microwave. We also investigate is silverfish are related to dinosaurs and where water goes when it ev...
Why does it feel hotter when the sun is out? Why can we see clouds at night? Is the sky always grey when it rains? We tackle these question on this week's show as well as find out if a magnet could replace the wires in a pendulum, why some plugs only have 2 prongs, how it is possible to go blind only temporarily and we reveal how our blood clots. Plus, we investigate the science behind near-death experiences! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists...
Do cats have a sixth sense? How do dogs moult? Why are some hairs longer than others? Why do women get hot flushes? We tackle these questions on this weeks show as well as find out why we form tears, how animals navigate and why our voice changes when we hold our nose? Plus, we investigate if toads can detect earthquakes! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
