Ask the Naked Scientists

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 th...

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

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

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 hemisph...

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

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 an...

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...

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...

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...

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

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 wand...

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

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 t...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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