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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

Why is ice sticky?

When we doze off what causes that jolt? Do antidepressants cause swelling? Why is ice sticky? Can you carbon date a person? Can humans upload their consciousness to computers? What causes static shocks? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Oct 05, 201719 minEp. 397

What is sleep paralysis?

Is Earth about to be wiped out by Planet X? Do animals indulge in same-sex relationships? Are B vitamins linked to cancer? Is rainfall from a hurricane fresh or salty water? Why do smokers light up over a coffee? Why do people with hypothermia sometimes undress? What's sleep paralysis? Join Dr Chris and Eusebius for all the answers as well as news of a new therapy for multiple sclerosis... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists...

Sep 24, 201719 minEp. 396

How do airplanes land safely?

Why do people scream when falling from buildings? How do bombs affect the environment? How do airplanes land safely? Why do people commit suicide, and can we prevent it? Plus, how frogs avoid poisoning themselves. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Sep 07, 201721 minEp. 395

Can we 3D print rhino horn?

Can we 3D print rhino horn? What is a static shock? How do cats eat and purr at the same time? Where is the Universe expanding into? How do you recover from polio? Plus, a new treatment for leukemia. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Aug 31, 201717 minEp. 394

Why don't Animals Crossbreed?

Can we eliminate flies and mosquitoes from our ecosystem and live in peace? When will the universe end? Do eggs with double yolks mean that two twins would have been born? Why don't animals such as lions and zebras cross-breed? Why is it best for women to have babies when they are younger? Does the direction that the water goes down a plug-hole change if you are in the Northern or Southern hemisphere? Is it possible to overcome a fear? Plus, news of a new discovery that bugs in your gut may be a...

Aug 24, 201720 minEp. 393

Can people spontaneously combust?

Can people spontaneously combust? How do flowers know when it's day time? What causes static electricity? Should your blood type affect diet? Is there such thing as digital addiction? Can we get to Mars? Plus - how goldfish make their own alcohol. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Aug 10, 201722 minEp. 392

Why did both males and females evolve?

Why are there different sexes? Why did males and females evolve? When you have been driving for a long time and then park your vehicle, why does it feel as though you are still moving? How did we evolve morality and ethics? What is the maximum current a petrol engine can produce? Can this be fatal? Plus, how night time light pollution is impacting pollination rates and fruit yields. Chris Smith answers your questions with Eusebius McKaiser on South Africa's Talk Radio 702... Like this podcast? P...

Aug 07, 201719 minEp. 391

Is all sweat the same?

Why do people wake up at 3am after drinking? Why is hot water cloudy? What drives a gust of wind? How does a coil of wire produce electricity? Is sweat from your face different to sweat from elsewhere on your body? What is diverticulitis? Does putting a remote next to your head increase the distance over which it will work? Plus, a new surgical glue inspired by slug mucus. Chris Smith answers your questions with Eusebius McKaiser on South Africa's Talk Radio 702... Like this podcast? Please help...

Jul 27, 201717 minEp. 390

Do plants hibernate?

Can the moon affect people's behaviour? Do you weigh less after you take a bath? Do gas heaters have any side-effects on our health? Are microwaves dangerous? Plus, new electronic batteries based on the pulley mechanism that will last much longer. Chris Smith answers your questions with Eusebius McKaiser on South Africa's Talk Radio 702... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Jul 20, 201720 minEp. 389

Why isn't Roger Federer's right arm twice the size of his left?

Kicking off with a look at why coffee might make you live longer, Dr Chris and Eusebius explain why Roger Federer's right arm isn't twice the size of his left? How aeroplane wings form vapour trails around the wing tips, why babies kick in the womb but seem to do little after they are born, and how a crocheted blanket, or a string vest, keep you warm despite being full of holes. Plus, what was the giant iceberg that broke off recently from the Antarctic ice sheet, if the Universe is expanding, w...

Jul 13, 201720 minEp. 388

Why are some people ticklish?

What can a person do about restless leg syndrome? Why does data expire? Why do our tummies rumble? Why are some people ticklish? Why do people grind their teeth? How do pills know where to go? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Jul 06, 201722 minEp. 387

Could Your Weight Affect Your Flu Vaccine?

Could your weight affect how well your flu vaccine works? Is too much sparkling water bad for you? Why does head hair lose colour as you age, but other body hair doesn't? Why do spaceships have to travel so fast in the Earth's atmosphere? Is there a link between some vaccinations and autism? Why has there been a rise in fake news? And itching - what causes it and why does it sometimes seem to wander round your body? Plus, implanting magnets in the eye to help with nystagmus - so-called dancing e...

Jun 29, 201720 minEp. 386

Why do people have different accents?

How do horses have such strong muscles if they never eat any proteins? When dogs wag their tails is this voluntary or involuntary? Does it save electricity to heat your water all day, or turn it off and on again? Why do we speak in different accents? Why did viruses arise? Why do our noses run? Plus, new insights into TB. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Jun 15, 201719 minEp. 385

Can White Parents Have a Black Baby?

What causes IBS and what can we do about it? Are there some foods you shouldn't eat if your gallbladder's been removed? Could a white couple give birth to a black child? In what simple ways can we save water? What's gluten intolerance? Plus, the condition CIDP - chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy - what is it and how can it be treated? Chris Smith speaks to Eusebius McKaiser. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists...

Jun 01, 201722 minEp. 384

Can sperm survive in space?

How would you have sex in zero-gravity? Are eggs viable in space? What is nuclear fall-out? What is cold fusion? How long can astronauts be in space without side-effects? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

May 25, 201718 minEp. 383

How do you power a spacecraft to Saturn?

How do you power a spacecraft to Saturn? Can gravity affect the telomeres inside our cells? What can be done to help people with macular degeneration? How did simple, unicellular life get more complex? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

May 18, 201719 minEp. 382

Do our voices change as we age?

Is there a cure for flu? Can your genetic engineering make you smart? How far are we from designer genes? Can we cure HIV? Do our voices change as we get older? Plus, bioengineered bones! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

May 11, 201720 minEp. 381

What can cure a hangover?

How do birds wake up at the same time each day? How does quantum computing work? Why do we feel hot even when the room is cooler than body temperature? Who will be the first on Mars? What's the best cure for a hangover? Plus, an anti-aging tablet. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Mar 24, 201722 minEp. 380

What causes deja vu?

Why do we mishear lyrics? What causes deja vu? Where have all the bees gone? Do mermaids exist? Does God exist? What causes deja vu? Plus, synthetic genomes! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Mar 10, 201723 minEp. 379

Why do I get a stitch when I run?

Why do I get a stitch when I run? Is there such thing as baby brain? Is exercise good for you? Do the lines on your hand mean anything? How does altitude affect athletes? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Mar 03, 201720 minEp. 378

What caused the Big Bang?

Why are tooth aches more likely at night? Can chemo affect iron levels in your body? Why is there oil beneath the earth? What caused the big bang? Can we create rain artificially? Plus, seven new exoplanets. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Feb 24, 201719 minEp. 377

Are cell towers bad for you?

Why do chilies burn my fingers? How dangerous are cell towers to your health? Who names cyclones? Do white and black people have different body temperatures? Why do hairs reach different lengths over the body? Why is gold precious? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Feb 17, 201722 minEp. 376

Why do wheels sometimes seem to spin backwards?

Why is it that wheels look like they're going backwards? Why does my car give me static shocks? If you move an ant will it find its way home? Can you cool something below absolute zero? Do pigeons get itchy? Why do humans get sick when they eat raw meat? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Feb 03, 201725 minEp. 375

Can cannabis cure MS?

Is the earth round or flat? Can you have two snowflakes that are alike? Would medicinal marijuana help with MS and Alzheimer's? Why does your mouth heal faster than your finger? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Jan 27, 201721 minEp. 374

What should I eat before an exam?

What are the best foods to eat before and during exams? How do you get heavy metal poisoning? Why do you develop allergies? Why would soap help clean greasy pans? Plus, a robotic heart. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Jan 20, 201719 minEp. 373

Can people predict their own deaths?

Why are dreams so realistic? When should you move your babies onto solids? Can people predict their own deaths? Am I allergic to exercise? Plus, the world's smallest knot. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Jan 13, 201724 minEp. 372

How does pepper spray work?

Why can't I eat fruit? How well do polar bears smell, and how do we know? How does marijuana affect your brain? How does pepper spray work? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Dec 02, 201624 minEp. 371

How did speech evolve?

How did speech evolve, why do you need bacteria and fish food for aquaponic systems, do growth factors in anti-ageing creams really work, what treatments are there for allergies and how do UV lights vaporise fat in commercial kitchens? Plus, delving into the secrets of sleeping sickness. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Nov 25, 201622 minEp. 370

What are the consequences of nuclear war?

Could the universe be more than a coincidence, what's causing a burning skin sensation, does milk cause breast cancer, are statins effective for high cholesterol, what impact would a nuclear war have and what risk does Donald Trump pose to climate change? Plus, the science behind the supermoon. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Nov 18, 201624 minEp. 369

Do microwaves remove nutrients from food?

Is the Earth flat, do microwaves kill nutrients, why do eggs have whites and yolks, what advancements are there in the treatment of tinnitus and what happens if you fire a gun on the Moon's surface? And also a new vaccine which controls HIV in monkeys. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Nov 11, 201621 minEp. 368
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