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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!
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Episodes

Can genes re-write their own code?

Carp with compasses, why we have earwax, what causes CIDP, can genes re-write their own code, do bananas in brown bags stay fresher longer, does hot water sound different, why veins look blue and what is coarctation of the aorta? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Dec 07, 201221 minEp. 217

Do tyres on the roof repel lightning?

Why do we age? Why do frogs end up in the swimming pool when it rains? Are mosquitoes attracted to some people more than others? What is epigenetics? What causes Bell's Palsy? How do frogs find water? Do tyres on the roof repel lightning? Answers to more great science questions from South Africa with Dr Chris... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Nov 30, 201221 minEp. 216

Do Blood Donors Live Longer?

Do blood donors live longer, is water safe in plastic bottles, is Earth gaining weight and are space probes sterile? Plus, how fireflies have helped engineers make even brighter LEDs. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Nov 09, 201223 minEp. 215

What causes hurricanes?

What causes hurricanes? How does plastination work? Why do we go grey? Does grunting make muscles work harder? Do parallel universes exist? What causes hot flushes? Are there any IQ tests for babies? Do plants benefit from being talked to? Join Dr Chris for this week's round up of top science questions from South Africa. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Nov 02, 201222 minEp. 214

Why don't eyebrows go grey?

Why aren't bubbles coloured like the soap they came from? Does holding a remote control to you head make it work better? Why has exercise reduced my alcohol tolerance? Is it by design that the names of all continents start and finish with the same letter? Why don't eyebrows go grey at the same time as head-hair? Do things taste different on opposite sides of the mouth? Why remove metal objects before a medical scan? And why does running water make me want to wee? Join Dr Chris for the answers to...

Oct 26, 201223 minEp. 213

Why do some people have only boy babies?

How do atoms change inside stars? How did Felix Baumgartner accelerate to over 800 miles per hour? What is inside a black hole? What decides the sex of a baby? What causes jetlag? Could we use the movement of seawater inside the Earth's magnetic field to make electricity? Why is the sea salty? Plus, are women born to flirt? Dr Chris has the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Oct 19, 201222 minEp. 212

Why are aeroplane doors always on the left?

Why is skin the mouths of animals pink? Why doesn't water immediately fall out of clouds? How do we use light to send information into space? Why did a stomach explode after a liquid nitrogen cocktail? What are chimaeras? How will Felix Baumgartner get to the edge of space for his free-fall jump? Why is your breath both hot and cold against your hand? Why are the entry doors to an aeroplane always on the left side? And why do toenails seem to grow more slowly than fingernails? Join Chris for ano...

Oct 12, 201223 minEp. 211

Why does boiled water taste different?

Is the Earth about to gain a new tectonic plate? What is pompholyx and what are the treatment options? Why does sunburned skin blister? Why does boiled water taste different? Is there anyone who can still make a pencil from scratch? Why won't sugar solutions freeze? Why does my dog yawn when it gets up? Does famine affect genes in future generations? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Sep 28, 201221 minEp. 210

How do hair transplants work?

How is the effectiveness of environmental interventions measured? What's the scientific definition of nothing? Why do farts smell worse in the shower? What happens when an aircraft breaks the sound barrier? What should I drink with lunch? What's happening with ITER? How are flu vaccines made? How do hair transplants work? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Sep 21, 201224 minEp. 209

Can we turn an asteroid into a space-station?

Why does a local anaesthetic make my face feel fat? How do worms get into food? Would a taxi driver find a map of a new city easier to learn? From where did the asteroid belt form? Why is the lower lip more prone to chaps? What makes birds decide to sing at 5am? Can we make a spacestation inside an asteroid? Do you believe in UFOs? Another crop of top questions from 702 listeners gets answered... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists...

Sep 14, 201222 minEp. 208

Where does amniotic fluid come from?

How did NASA get their cameras to work in the cold on the moon? How does a cordless electric toothbrush charge itself? What is adult respiratory distress syndrome? Where does the amniotic fluid around a baby come from? Why are Olympic races run anticlockwise? Why is sunscreen advised even on cloudy days? What is more accurate, my speedometer, or the speed recorded by my GPS? And why do my sunglasses make LCD displays look strange? This week Dr Chris takes on more of your science questions... Lik...

Sep 06, 201220 minEp. 207

Why don't aeroplane tyres explode?

Is a heater more efficient than a lightbulb? Why does your tongue stick to ice? Do planes alter the weather around airports? What's a headache? Do dreams alter your metabolism? Is medicine making the population less fit? Is teething linked to diarrhoea? Why don't aircraft tyres explode? Join Dr Chris for this week's round up of intriguing science questions and answers from Talk Radio 702... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists...

Aug 31, 201220 minEp. 206

What is a Black Hole?

Why does my GPS think my car has moved in the garage at night? Can humans survive a space-ride to Mars? Why are epsom salts worth their salt? What is a black hole and what is inside it? How do the equations for special relativity and kinetic energy relate? Why is Pluto where it is in the solar system? Why have right and left headphones? Join Dr Chris for this week's brain-stretching science phone-in on 702. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists...

Aug 24, 20121 minEp. 205

Why are there 360 degrees in a circle?

How do nerves conduct electrical impulses? How long does it take a bee colony to make a beehive? Why are there 360 degrees in a circle? How does special relativity work? What happens to a live insect if you swallow it? Is there a north, south, east and west in space? What happens to a diesel engine when the fuel shuts off? Dr Chris needs your help this week, because he's not an apiculturist or a mathematical historian... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists...

Aug 10, 201220 minEp. 204

Why should salt have a sell-by date?

What's the point of making medicines fizzy? Why should salt have a sell-by date? Is boiled water as good as distilled for my iron? Do we actually only see half a movie? Where do foreign bodies dislodged from the eye go? Is lactose intolerance becoming more common? What causes morning sickness, and is it a risk for mother and baby? Join Dr Chris for this week's round-up of top questions from Talk Radio 702, South Africa... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists...

Jul 27, 201222 minEp. 203

What causes anencephaly?

This week, what causes anencephaly and exencephaly? Can electric cars recharge themselves from their wheels? How do astronomers determine the composition of exoplanets? Why do things move when I switch eyes while looking at them? Why do animals of the same species all look identical? Can we get dinosaur DNA out of amber? Do hands and feet get fat when a person puts on weight? Join Dr Chris for the latest round up of top questions from Talk Radio 702, South Africa. Like this podcast? Please help ...

Jul 20, 201222 minEp. 202

Why doesn't the sea sink into the seafloor?

This week, the cause of vitiligo, whether pork is linked to a sore throat, what happens to a flame in microgravity, what causes albinism, what is dark matter and why can't we see it, why doesn't the sea sink into the seabed, why is window-cleaner fatal for flies, what determines diastolic blood pressure and why are some babies born prematurely? Dr Chris takes on more top questions from the listeners of Talk Radio 702... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists...

Jul 13, 201223 minEp. 201

Why do wounds itch?

What does the discovery of the Higgs particle mean? How do flies land upside down on the ceiling? What happens when we divide by zero? Why do healing wounds itch? Does my washing dry by osmosis? How do fibre optics work? What causes a headache? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Jul 06, 201224 minEp. 200

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
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