Ask the Naked Scientists

How can I remove salt from my water? Why does bread go soft inside plastic bags? Will my ginger beer explode? Why does hose spray come out slower under water? Why do I jolt awake sometimes when I sleep? Plus...cutting whiskers off mice. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

What causes night cramps? Why is there a delay in audio and not video? How does a tortoise control its temperature? Does your heart stop when you sneeze? How deep is the ocean? Why do we go thirsty? Why do we find puppies cute? Plus, China successfully clones monkeys. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

My wife and I eat the same food but our farts smell differently - why? Can people who are born blind dream? Why are bricks the shape of bricks? How do I explain infinity? Why do astronauts grow in space? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Is it true that elephants don't get cancer? Can science tell us how to be safe from tornadoes? Where does the rubber from tires end up? Why are tardigrades so amazing? How are sausage dogs so long? Does body size affect the perception of time? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why does the sound a kettle makes change as it boils? Does a hot drink cool you down more than a cold drink? How does rice remove water from a mobile phone? What would happen to someone born on Mars? Why can't you hear accents in singers? Plus, how pollution affects birth weight. See more at www.nakedscientists.com Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Is the brain at birth empty? Why is farting funny? Does raw garlic cause stomach cancer? Why is lightning jagged? Can you fold the Universe? Is space dark? What is the difference between dementia and Alzheimer's? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How does aspirin help with a headache? Does microwaving your food affect its nutritional content? What happens to eye drop bottles during a flight? How can we stop waste medicines leaking into the environment? Is it safe to stand near a microwave when it is in operation? Can we tell when someone is looking at us? Plus, in the news, cancer cells' bacterial passengers that could be a new target for...

Why do some athletes seem to be more injury prone than others? Will bottled water grow algae? If you toast bread will it keep its nutritional value? Are palm trees good at cleaning the air? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why don't I have fingerprints? Why do the helium balloons in my car move the opposite way to people? Do other moons face their planet at the same time? How do energy drinks affect your body? What makes a person left handed? Why do I sneeze when I look at the sun? Could a fly travel at lightspeed? Do you have to gender match a heart transplant? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Na...

If the body repairs itself, why do we die? Why does water come out of your eyes? Can galaxies exceed the speed of light? What is the speed of dark? What's the link between substance abuse and insomnia? How do I drive without paying attention? Do we understand stuttering? Plus, how gut bugs affect your cancer treatment. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

What is the association of shingles and chicken pox? Is the earth flat? Why are berries red? Does drinking through a straw affect how drunk you are? Does hot water sound different from cold water? How do cats jump so well? How skin prevents damage. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why are rainbows curved? Why do you get double rainbows? Why are accents in Australia, England and America so different? Is a warp drive possible? Plus, the difference between good and bad cholesterol. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How does my cat open doors? Why can't I pause the radio? What is lean muscle mass? Can lightning be manipulated? Can silver iodide control the weather? Plus three blind mice, now able to see! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

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

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...