The Naked Scientists Podcast

Coming up, Wegovy weight loss pills are now available in pharmacies and online in the UK. Will they help tackle obesity? Plus, how scientists are trying to restore sensation in the feet; the legacy of Dolly the sheep 30 years on; and space rovers and the solar eclipse with the astronomer Megan Argo. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Titans of Science returns with Tara Spires-Jones, a world-leading neurobiology researcher and Director of the Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences at the University of Edinburgh. She studies the mechanisms and reversibility of neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease and other degenerative brain diseases. We explore Tara's path to neuroscience, the history and biology of Alzheimer's, and treatments...

Coming up: England's mental health services are reportedly in "crisis", with over 1 million children referred. What is driving the uptick? Plus, new research suggests that antibodies protect against norovirus, strategies to improve plastic recycling rates, and insights into the bilingual brain. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Coming up, Rachael Ralph explores the role of science in music. At Trinity College, Cambridge, engineer Hugh Hunt demonstrates how sounds are made; Ian Cross discusses turning experimentation into music and instruments; Trinh Nguyen examines music and development in babies; and Jacopo de Berardinis explains AI's role in the 21st-century music revolution. Like this podcast? Please help us by suppor...

Coming up, most of Europe smashes June temperature records. But what is the 'heat dome' that's driving this extreme weather? Plus, why HPV vaccine rates are declining despite a huge reduction in cervical cancer deaths; Sonia Shah on her book The Fever: How Malaria Has Ruled Humankind for 500,000 Years; and former Astronomer Royal, Lord Martin Rees, on aliens. Like this podcast? Please help us by s...

Coming up, we explore the life and times of our ancient ancestors, and what they can teach us. In this episode, Lee Berger tells us about the Homo Naledi species that ritualistically buried their dead; George Nash on remarkable cave paintings in South Wales; Andrea Manica explains how our ancient ancestors evolved sickle cell to sidestep malaria; and Rod Flower on our forebears making medicine and...

Coming up, the UK follows Australia's lead in introducing age-related restrictions on social media. But do they work? Plus, how biologists are fighting infection from inside cells; researchers trace the origins of cotton to Mexico; and Elon Musk becomes the world's first trillionaire. How might he spend his fortune? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Coming up, we explore the summer solstice and its enduring connection with Stonehenge. Larissa Palethorpe at the University of Bristol explains the astronomical significance of the summer solstice; Jennifer Wexler at English Heritage on the origins of Stonehenge; Richard Bevins at the University of Aberystwyth on the geology of the famous stones; and Vincent Gaffney at the University of Bradford o...

Coming up, Danish footballer Christian Eriksen is reportedly "doing well" after collapsing for a second time during an international match. Did a tiny device called an implantable cardioverter defibrillator save his life? Plus, whether magnetic immune cells in the liver can drive a pigeon's homing instincts; how astronauts repaired air leaks on the International Space Station; and we ask whether m...

The FIFA World Cup is taking place across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. It's often called the beautiful game, but is it really more science than art? This episode features Rachael Ralph, Hugh Hunt, and Alex Grantham on the physics of football; Tom Brownlee on elite player performance; Gill Cook on the psychology of fans; and Jan Wendt on whether AI can assemble a top squad. Like this podc...

In this episode, we hear about a breakthrough drug called mirvetuximab, which has been dubbed a "biological missile" in the treatment of ovarian cancer. Plus, astronomers suggest some black holes may have formed before the stars in their host galaxies; a 'killer fungus' that could help habitats damaged by invasive moss; and Blue Origin officials assess the damage caused by the New Glenn rocket's d...

In this episode, we explore the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighbouring Uganda - including the origins of Ebola and how it is transmitted; how an outbreak is modelled; how we treat and manage Ebola with drugs and vaccines; and what happens if international medical teams become infected. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In today's episode, the rising rates of melanoma skin cancer in the UK - why is this happening? Also, evidence that pregnancy induces epigenetic changes to brain gene expression, researchers produce the world's first artificial bird egg to bring back the Dodo, and an electrical technique to discover the composition of the best coffee... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Sci...

Today, we unpack artificial intelligence. What does it do well? And how is it advancing science? This episode features the BBC's Zoe Kleinman, Oxford University's Mike Wooldridge, Raj Jena, the UK's first clinical professor of AI in radiation oncology, and Google's Annalisa Pawlosky... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Coming up, we explore an outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighbouring Uganda. How is it being managed? Plus, NASA announces preparations for Artemis III, whether nuclear power plants are susceptible to attacks from rogue actors and natural disasters, and whether ice vests and cold showers could help people lose weight... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the...

Today, the basis of depression and how science is helping in its management. Neuroscientist Trevor Robbins defines this condition; GP Munro Stewart tells us how it might be diagnosed and managed through medication; Jackie Rogers at the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy examines the role of talking therapy; and Imperial College London's David Nutt looks at how ECT, deep brain st...

Coming up, a virological voyage through what is known about the hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius. Plus, scientists create the first detailed map of the smell receptors in the nose; how footballers can cope with extreme temperatures at the FIFA World Cup; and the Trump administration releases a tranche of UFO files... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, we explore an outbreak of hantavirus aboard the MV Hondius. Cambridge virologist Colin Crump explains how the outbreak of this viral disease may have occurred; Emory University's Boghuma Titanji explores the clinical impact of hantavirus infection; Amesh Adalja at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security explains how the disease passes into humans; and the World Health Or...

This week, we discuss the hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius. What are we beginning to learn? Plus, how potatoes were the driving force for advantageous gene selection in the Indigenous Andean population, the salmon being exposed to cocaine in polluted rivers, and what newly discovered molecules are teaching us about ancient life on Mars... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Na...

Today, we put meningitis under the microscope. Robin May at the UK Health Security Agency explains this group of conditions and how his team might respond to an incident; Kat Sharrocks at Addenbrooke's Hospital details a range of symptoms associated with meningitis; and the Oxford Vaccine Group's Andrew Pollard on the protection that inoculation offers... Like this podcast? Please help us by suppo...

Forty years on from the Chernobyl disaster, we discuss radioactive fallout and our relationship with nuclear risk. In sport, researchers suggest repeated head impacts may disrupt the blood-brain barrier, potentially increasing dementia risk in retired athletes. And a new approach offers hope for speeding up recovery from ash dieback in affected woodlands... Like this podcast? Please help us by sup...

Today, we are taking a journey through the evolution of space telescopes and observatories. They are continuing to drive our understanding of the Universe, and the latest iterations - the Vera Rubin Observatory and the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope - are hoping to go even further. But what are these ambitious eyes on the sky revealing? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked...

This week scientists confirm the link between changes to the microbiome and later development of Parkinson's Disease, a super speedy microfluidic way to diagnose infection and probe antibiotic susceptibility, how many infections does daycare cause in your toddler, and the breakthrough capable of boosting laser power by orders of magnitude... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Nake...

We dive into the science and impact of flooding and coastal change. In partnership with UK Research and Innovation, this podcast explores what flooding is, how we measure tides, the dangers flooding presents to people and places, and how computing and AI are helping us predict, manage, and reduce its impact... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, we look at UK Alzheimer's drugs and the latest debate over whether new treatments are a genuine breakthrough or overhyped, alongside a striking HIV case from Oslo that has raised fresh questions in medical research. We also explore new findings on gut health and its link to hormones and modern disease in industrialised societies, before turning to the skies for the Lyrid meteor shower 2...