The Naked Scientists Podcast - podcast cover

The Naked Scientists Podcast

The Naked Scientistswww.thenakedscientists.com
The Naked Scientists flagship science show brings you a lighthearted look at the latest scientific breakthroughs, interviews with the world's top scientists, answers to your science questions and science experiments to try at home.
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Episodes

Can nuclear innovation help meet our energy needs?

In this edition of The Naked Scientists, how much of a part do innovations in nuclear energy production, like SMRs and microreactors, have to play in our nuclear future? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Nov 26, 202430 minEp. 1104

Amazing animals: bats on treadmills, and showering elephants

In this animal-themed edition of the news: What prompted scientists to put vampire bats on a treadmill? Also ahead: why medicinal leeches are returning to the UK's waterways. Plus, the spiders that know what kind of food will satisfy their dietary needs. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Nov 22, 202433 minEp. 1103

Are we on track to end new infections of HIV?

On today's programme, we are going to examine attempts to end HIV/AIDS as a public health threat by the end of the decade.The AIDS pandemic is unarguably the worst health threat to confront the population in the modern era. We believe close to 100 million people have died of the disease so far since it first emerged in the early 1900s.It's proved a very tough nut to crack; when I first went to medical school in 1993, a patient with advanced AIDS and just weeks away from dying came to speak to us...

Nov 19, 202435 minEp. 1102

The stakes at COP29, and the rogue Skynet satellite

This episode of The Naked Scientists: what's at stake at this year's UN climate summit in Azerbaijan? Also, the 80 million-year-old fossil revealing how birds came by their big brains; and why the UK's oldest satellite has wandered off over the Americas... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Nov 15, 202431 minEp. 1101

Can weight loss jabs tackle the obesity pandemic?

In this edition of The Naked Scientists, could weight loss jabs help shrink the size of the global obesity crisis... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Nov 12, 202432 minEp. 1100

Pompeii DNA, and a black hole feeding faster than it should

New NICE guidance urges HRT as a first-line treatment for menopause symptoms, the enormous black hole that doesn't obey our existing laws of physics, and what DNA analysis is revealing about the people who inhabited Pompeii... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Nov 08, 202431 minEp. 1099

How do we reduce harms to children from smartphones?

Initially, the upside to children having access to a supercomputer in their pockets seemed obvious: immediate access to the reams of educational information on the internet, seamless communications with their friends, a source of constant entertainment. But as mental ill health amongst our youngsters continues to rise, many are pointing to smartphones, and particularly the social media platforms on them, as mainly to blame.Today, we'll hear what the screen age is doing to our stone age brains, h...

Nov 05, 202431 minEp. 1098

Monkeypox in the UK, and the lost Mayan city

In this edition of The Naked Scientists: The UK detects its first case of the new Mpox variant, but some are saying what took us so long; also the discovery of a lost city beneath the jungle canopy in Mexico; and the robots helping Cambridge scientists understand the evolution of fish... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Nov 01, 202437 minEp. 1097

Could technology swing the race for the White House?

The US election between Democratic nominee Kamala Harris and Republican nominee Donald Trump is going down to the wire. Indeed, this has been described by many as the closest presidential election ever seen. Inevitably, with tensions so high on either side, the cry of electoral interference is a common one. But just how is today's technology being used to sway voter opinion, and by how much? That's what we seek to uncover on this week's programme... Like this podcast? Please help us by supportin...

Oct 29, 202432 minEp. 1096

Chris Hoy's cancer diagnosis, and AI finds us common ground

In this edition of The Naked Scientists: Sir Chris Hoy goes public with his terminal prostate cancer diagnosis; the World Health Organization has declared Egypt malaria-free; also, it's time to change the clocks in some countries. But what impact does it have on our perception of time? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Oct 25, 202433 minEp. 1095

Searching for signs of life on Europa

In this edition of The Naked Scientists, as NASA's Europa Clipper mission successfully blasts off towards Jupiter's moon, we look at how it leads the search for life in our solar system... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Oct 22, 202432 minEp. 1094

Modifying insulin, and the melting Sphinx

In this edition of The Naked Scientists: The new form of insulin that switches itself off before blood sugar falls too low; also, scientists suss out the origins of most of the meteors that fall to Earth; and why the longest lived patch of snow in the Scottish Highlands finally looks set to melt away... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Oct 18, 202429 minEp. 1093

Is a vegan diet a healthy one?

In this edition of The Naked Scientists, what science has to say about whether a vegan diet is a healthy diet... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Oct 15, 202433 minEp. 1092

Electrical stitches show potential, and Nobel prizes

In the news pod, how electrically conductive stitches can speed up wound healing. Scientists find the DNA of human victims embedded in the teeth of two African lions shot in the 1800's. And the Nobel Prizes explained: who's won what, and what for? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Oct 11, 202432 minEp. 1091

Rules of engagement: Nullifying neurotrauma

Today, we're going in depth on traumatic brain injuries. James Tytko speaks with Dawn Astle, daughter of former England striker Jeff Astle, about the finding that his death was linked to head trauma sustained during his playing career. Also, Prof Peter Hutchinson gives an overview of head injuries, and Adel Helmy talks about changing the rules of some sports to reduce risk. Then, Alexis Joannides describes one of many new technological innovations to support medical staff dealing with TBIs, befo...

Oct 08, 202433 minEp. 1090

Diabetes cured with stem cells, and US bans Chinese tech

In this edition of The Naked Scientists: Diabetes fixed with stem cells: scientists reprogramme a patient's fat cells to produce insulin; also why some security specialists are worried Chinese-made electric cars could pose a threat; and our interview with world-famous stargazer and physicist Brian Cox... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Oct 04, 202430 minEp. 1089

Lockdown legacies: how Covid continues to shape the world

Four and a half years ago many countries told their inhabitants they had to stay at home for weeks at a time to control the coronavirus pandemic. Many countries had never resorted to any such measure - which deprived citizens of their civil liberties to such an extent - in recorded history. And while it was successful at slowing the spread of the disease, at least initially, as the world has emerged from the pandemic, it's become obvious that there's a less than positive legacy of these lockdown...

Oct 01, 202437 minEp. 1088

Fruity vapes paralyse lungs, and world's oldest cheese

In this edition of The Naked Scientists: Signs that fruity vapes paralyse the immune system in your lungs; the world's oldest cheese: but why was the nearly 4000 year old dairy product smeared all over an ancient Chinese mummy? And, why it might be a giant leap to suggest that we're getting an extra moon, at least for a while! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Sep 27, 202431 minEp. 1087

Cancer vaccines: Empowering the immune system

Recently, doctors announced some extremely encouraging news about a jab for people with advanced forms of several types of malignancy, including melanoma, lung cancer and other solid organ tumours. The vaccine is called mRNA-4359 and has been developed by the pharmaceutical company Moderna, of Covid vaccine fame. The trials have been conducted here in the UK, and we'll hear from the man running the study. Also, the success of the HPV vaccine in preventing cervical cancer, and how a Lynch syndrom...

Sep 24, 202433 minEp. 1086

Pager attacks in Lebanon, and resurrecting ancient seeds

In this edition of The Naked Scientists: what do we know about the pagers and walkie-talkies used to attack Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon? Also the landmark study on the impact of pregnancy on the human brain. And how scientists in Israel have grown a one thousand-year-old seed that might fill in a missing link in the Bible... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Sep 20, 202434 minEp. 1085

Engineers vs climate change

In this edition of The Naked Scientists, how engineers are using novel concepts and ideas to attempt to tackle the climate crisis... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Sep 17, 202438 minEp. 1084

Lockdown aged young brains, and dealing with nuclear waste

In this edition of The Naked Scientists: How COVID-19 lockdowns affected the brain development of teenagers; how best to dispose of dangerous nuclear waste; and why the UK's puffin population is thriving despite a rise in avian flu. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Sep 13, 202433 minEp. 1083

What's the point of the appendix?

In this edition of The Naked Scientists, we take a fresh look at the appendix. Despite its historical reputation of being a useless part of the body, have new studies shone a light on the pivotal functions that the appendix may have? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Sep 10, 202429 minEp. 1082

Reinforced skin for amputees, and could E.T. be an AI?

In this edition of The Naked Scientists: Scientists uncover a way to help amputees toughen up their skin to make prostheses more comfortable; Covid mRNA jab pharmaceutical company Moderna turn their attention to vaccines for mpox; and the Astronomer Royal, Martin Rees, on whether ET is really out there... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Sep 06, 202434 minEp. 1081

You can teach an old mine new tricks

In this edition of The Naked Scientists, teaching an old mine new tricks: how old mines are being repurposed in the name of science... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Sep 03, 202432 minEp. 1080

The UK's smoking and vaping plans, and stranded astronauts

In this edition of The Naked Scientists: How the UK looks set to take the world's toughest line on smoking; the new study showing that last year's Canadian wildfires pumped more CO2 into the atmosphere than most countries worldwide; and why are those astronauts still stranded on the International Space Station? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Aug 30, 202431 minEp. 1079

What is Monkeypox?

In this episode of The Naked Scientists, we are looking at the outbreak of monkeypox - mPox - in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and fears that it could spread internationally... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Aug 27, 202430 minEp. 1078

Alzheimer's treatment shelved, and UK's new spy satellite

In this edition of The Naked Scientists: the regulator says the Alzheimer's drug lecanemab is safe, but NICE say we can't afford it; also, the UK MOD launches its first Earth-imaging satellite. We talk to the makers; and the BBC's Frank Gardner on why the UK's butterflies need our help... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Aug 23, 202430 minEp. 1077

Cosmetics linked to cancer

Human pursuit of body perfection and ideal aesthetics means that we're increasingly resorting to cosmetic interventions to achieve the look we're after. But evidence is mounting that some of these cosmetic and hygiene enhancements might come with a hidden health cost: many have never been subject to rigorous appraisals of the chemicals they contain, meaning that as more people embrace them, some concerning trends are beginning to emerge... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Nake...

Aug 20, 202434 minEp. 1076

Mpox crisis deepens, and liquid water on Mars

In the news, we speak to the WHO about the rise in cases of the new variant of Mpox. Also, the final piece of Stonehenge is traced back to its origin, and Nasa's InSight lander finds evidence of liquid water on Mars. Plus, how horses almost deceived scientists into believing they were less sharp than goldfish... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Aug 16, 202432 minEp. 1075
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