Ask the Naked Scientists

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

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

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

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

Why do other people's fart smell worse than your own, why do storms turn swimming pools green, how do we stop HIV spreading, what's the difference between antibiotics and probiotics, why does it feel like you're moving slowly when you're inside an aeroplane and why does the smell of shower gel wear off? Plus, the people turning plants into chemical sensors. Like this podcast? Please help us by sup...

How can I find out about my biological age, how can you stop a panic attack, how can you treat Polymyalgia Rheumatica, are detoxing products just a marketing gag, can learned behaviours be passed on genetically, what would cause my brain to forget which way around to put on my shoes, how long after boiling is water still save to drink? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scie...

Are there increases in miscarriage rates, why are rats used in experiments, could we use developments in cartilage growth to treat scaphoid wrist fractures, is it safe to do strenuous exercise as you get older, where do children get their intelligence and what causes your stomach to flip when you go on a rollercoaster? Plus, scientists using nose cells grow new knee cartilage. Like this podcast? P...

Why does the BCG vaccine cause swelling, where does moisturiser go when you put it on your face, what are the side effects of sickle-cell anaemia medication and is it true that we only use a small proportion of our brain? Plus, a gene editing technique that could provide a treatment to sickle-cell anaemia. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Is autophagy linked to autoimmune diseases, what could cause unilateral spinal dysfunction, what is adrenal fatigue and how do we see distant stars? Plus, the low down on the Nobel prizes in medicine, physics and chemistry. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How do we get bright images of planets, why do distant lights appear to blink, how does radiation escape black holes, what could cause a loss of smell and why does our stomach grumble when it's hungry? Plus, news of the Rosetta Mission's final hours. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Could planet Earth be a living creature, how do they name medicines, what's the difference between a heart attack and a cardiomyopathy, how do HIV protective drugs work and how were the Egyptian pyramids built? Plus, news of a new gene that could screen for heart disease. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why are men hairier than women, how can a cockroach survive a microwave, why is our poo brown when we eat colourful food, why is the reflection on a spoon upside down, why do we close our eyes when we sneeze, do we produce saliva at night, can you make yourself taller and is there a treatment for CIAP. Plus, the monkeys that have been writing Shakespeare to treat paralysis. Like this podcast? Plea...

How do birds sit on electric wires without getting hurt, why does hot weather cause nose bleeds, how do probiotics treat vaginal thrush, is there a cure for retinitis pigmentosa, are the any solutions to the problems caused by human activity and what can you do to lessen your asthma? Plus, Australian scientists have discovered evidence of the first life on earth. Like this podcast? Please help us...

If the ice caps are made of freshwater, how did they form from a salt water ocean? How do baby lobsters eat jellyfish without getting stung? Why doesn't vodka freeze? Does putting a spoon into the neck of a champagne bottle stop it from going flat? What causes your eye to twitch? How do we know that the Earth isn't flat? What is the role of the placenta in pregnancy? Like this podcast? Please help...

Why do we catch colds on holiday? If a fly takes off inside a car, why doesn't it get flung to the back? What are the latest treatments for macular degeneration? Is kidney infection linked to depression? Why am I choking on my saliva? Why do wheels sometimes appear to turn backwards? ... and what is it really like on Mars? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why did the Olympic swimming pool turn green? Is it normal to get hiccoughs after eating spicy food? How accurate is carbon dating, and are there different types? Why do flying ants appear after the rain?...And what is the sun, really? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why do I feel an electric current if I touch the wall when I'm lying on my electric blanket, is it possible to absorb vitamin D through glass, what happens to microbeads from cosmetics, how does a tornado form, with the advancement of artificial intelligence how do we know that radio presenters aren't just robots, can you use electricity to generate more electricity and what medication could be us...

Why do dogs have wet noses, when a fly hits a train does the train slow down, why do our ears keep growing as we age, why don't animals die when they eat other animals which are poisonous, can Metformin be used to slow ageing and can stem cells be used to reverse type one diabetes. Plus, a data storage solution that works at the scale of single atoms. Like this podcast? Please help us by supportin...

How does wireless charging work, why do people have different coloured eyes, is drinking water from plastic bottles bad for your health, is there any truth in palm reading, what's the reason for different hair types and is the artificial sweetner Aspartame really bad for you? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How old is the universe? What is the big bang? How did the universe begin? What happens when you power nap? What is the science behind black holes? What is the difference between a black hole and a wormhole? Plus, news on the Juno mission to Jupiter... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Can the vaccines that protect mice against the Zika raise the hope of a human vaccine? What are the symptoms for a disease known as lichen planus? What are genetically modified (GM) crops? Are GM crops bad for us? How can you make a genetically engineered plant? How can we improve the efficiency of the solar panels? Is aging an illness? Can we cure aging? Like this podcast? Please help us by suppo...

Can we come up with a new way of managing mosquito infections? Can a cure for Zika virus lie in an inflammatory cream? How does the bonding process between the parents and a newborn form? Does a baby recognize a mum's voice? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why is water's molecular composition one oxygen and two hydrogens, could strong magnets on cars stop crashes, what is the VY Canis Majoris, can salt be used to cool drinks, what is sciatica and why does standing up make some people see stars? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How does light move without force, is there a connection between migraines and an electrical storm, what causes Parkinson's Disease, how do you treat Job syndrome, why would falling asleep cause leg contractions, what's the best way to boost your immune system, how does momentum affect impact in a crash, how bad is Uveitis and would it be hypothetically possible to observe the big bang? Plus, bone...

Do the chemicals in our food cause cancer, how do we vomit, how does the moon affect the tides, do tonsils extend vocal range, is cancer more common in certain races, how fast does electricity travel in water and could cancer be a catalyst for evolution? Plus, could we get a universal cancer vaccine? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists