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

Could we Plug In an Electric Eel?

Is the moon brighter overhead? Why do babies have higher heart rates? Do men snore more than women? What is peripheral neuropathy? Why are our organs wet inside? How do electric eels work? Why do wires tangle? What is the basis of a skin graft? This week Dr Chris takes on more tough questions on TalkRadio 702, South Africa... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Jun 22, 201222 minEp. 199

Could Lightning Power a Town?

What 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 Scientis...

Jun 15, 201220 minEp. 198

Are Muscle Transplants Possible

Who 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...

Jun 12, 201222 minEp. 197

Can viruses catch colds?

Do 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...

May 31, 201225 minEp. 196

Will my wife look like my mother-in-law?

What 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...

May 25, 201222 minEp. 195

Can Aeroplanes run on Diesel?

Are 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...

May 18, 201223 minEp. 194

Why do I want to eat chalk?

Why 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

May 04, 201224 minEp. 193

How does snake venom work?

What 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...

Mar 29, 201223 minEp. 192

How long can a human heart remain stopped?

What 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

Mar 23, 201222 minEp. 191

Why do Whales have Horizontal Tails?

Does 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 Naked ...

Mar 09, 201223 minEp. 190

Why do Bubbles go Down in Guinness?

What 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 by...

Mar 02, 201221 minEp. 189

In-Vitro Meat?

Can 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...

Feb 24, 201221 minEp. 188

Are insecticides painful for insects?

Why 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? Please...

Feb 17, 201220 minEp. 187

What causes Deja vu?

What 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

Feb 10, 201220 minEp. 186

What is a hydatidiform mole?

This 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 Scie...

Jan 27, 201223 minEp. 185

Why do veins look blue?

How 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

Jan 20, 201222 minEp. 184

How do they get the stripes in the toothpaste?

Are 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 the ...

Jan 13, 201223 minEp. 183

Do My Koi Know My Voice?

What 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...

Nov 25, 201121 minEp. 182

Why would Humans Explode?

Is 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 answers t...

Nov 18, 201122 minEp. 181

Weight loss injection

On 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

Nov 11, 201122 minEp. 180

Why Are Planets Round?

Why 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

Nov 04, 201122 minEp. 179

Are We All Equally Sweaty?

Why 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

Oct 28, 201127 minEp. 178

Why can't you tickle yourself?

This 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...

Oct 21, 201123 minEp. 177

What is an itch?

Where 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

Oct 14, 201122 minEp. 176

Can you sneeze in your sleep?

Why 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 by...

Oct 07, 201125 minEp. 175

Can frozen onions make you cry?

Why 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...

Sep 30, 201123 minEp. 174

What causes Humans to Combust?

Does 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

Sep 16, 201121 minEp. 173

How do electrons orbit in atoms?

Where 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! Like t...

Sep 02, 201122 minEp. 172

How much mucus is made in a day?

Where 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

Aug 19, 201122 minEp. 171

Is a Dragster Faster Going East?

What 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 scien...

Aug 12, 201124 minEp. 170
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