Ask the Naked Scientists

Why is sea level rising, are organ transplants between males and females feasible, what keeps a moving bike upright and what causes epilepsy? Join Dr Chris for the answers to this week's crop of top questions as well as how climate change is denting wheat and maize yields and how the box jellyfish can see where it's going... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, modelling schizophrenia in a dish, why bats roost inverted, what remains in the ground after oil has been removed, why planets form on a horizontal plane, why we get goosepimples, near-death experiences, the cause of cold urticaria and why an ice-cube is white in the middle. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Are there any impacts of ground fracturing to recover oil and gas, how do colour-changing creatures coordinate with their surroundings, why do ants invade peoples' houses, what is "yuppie flu" and are all snowflakes really different? Plus, news of how scientists are growing a replacement retina in a dish and why keeping the world tidy makes the population less prejudiced... Like this podcast? Plea...

The fate of soundwaves, can salamanders use silicon, why did the moon come closer to Earth, do you need to inhale to smell something, how do drugs know where it hurts and what preceded the Big Bang. Join Dr Chris for the answers to this week's crop of questions and news of how fish are helping scientists solve the problem of melanoma... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Sci...

Should you keep your banana in the fridge? Why are ice-cubes easier to eject from top-shelf freezer trays? Why not site nuclear reactors underwater in the ocean to help keep them cool? Why was the tsunami water that hit Japan so dirty? Why did the Fukushima reactors release hydrogen? Where did my some get his altered earlobes? Join Dr Chris for this week's crop of questions from 702, including a l...

What causes the rainbow of colours around an aircraft's shadow, why are moths and mosquitoes attracted to lights, plasma vs LCD TV - what's the difference, how does a mosquito know when it's full of blood, are you ever too old to learn, and how do scientists calculate the calories in foods? Join Dr Chris for this week's bumper crop of questions from TalkRadio 702... Like this podcast? Please help...

How do melons concentrate water in their flesh? Why do some hairs grow longer than others? What's the advantage of African curly hair? Does the DNA of a donated organ displace that of the recipient? What are sunspots? Join Dr Chris for another mind-stretching mental work out solving your scientific problems as well as news of how mamalian hearts can regenerate themselves, and a new lasrer techniqu...

This week, the causes of asthma, a new way to "K.O." MRSA, what is lupus and can it be controlled, how do metal-salt pool cleaners work and are henna tattoos safe? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, how stimulating the brain can help you to think outside the box, why corks in the bed can cure cramps, the inside information on itching, the brain basis of meditation and what happens when we do it, the science of sleep, and where did domestic animals come from? Join Dr Chris as he pits his wits against this week's round up of top science questions on 702... Like this podcast? Please h...

Straight from the horse's mouth, or cow's stomach, this week how scientists have found the genetic clue to better biofuels; also, the brain basis of addiction, the cause of false-positive HIV tests, what causes the colours in a peacock's feathers, is Betelgeuse about to blow up, and what's neurofibromatosis? Join Dr Chris on this week's whistlestop tour of the scientific cosmos as he looks for the...

Where do renal calculi come from, can weight loss halt diabetes, how might neuro-feedback help ADHD and autism, what causes panic attacks and are artificial sweeteners safe? Join Dr Chris for the all answers on this week's Ask the Naked Scientists, from Talk Radio 702. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Could personal nuclear reactors power towns, why can't eyes be transplanted like livers, is it dangerous not to pee and poo when you need to, do drugs damage sperms and eggs, and how do rain and distilled water differ? Join Dr Chris as he pits his wits against these and other scientific mysteries... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How cats find their way back to their former homes, the science of self-winding watches, why sunlight triggers sneezes, the basis of lightning and does an open window deter a strike, how fast gravity propagates, is it better to turn off the hot water in the daytime and why do thunderstorms cause powercuts? Join Dr Chris for the answers in this week's brain-expanding episode of Ask! Like this podca...

What's a light-year, why is the earliest dawn not on the solstice, is the Sun hotter in South Africa, what causes neuropathy, can batteries short out in my pocket, is there a non-surgical solution to a squeaky voice, can my cell phone unlock my car and why does tapping a cup of cocoa make the pitch go up? Join Dr Chris for this week's festive selection of scientific conundra, on Talk Radio 702......

How did a lightning storm spark a glowing ball above a roof, do atmospheric oxygen levels dip in winter, does anyone naturally not have fingerprints, are humans still evolving, and what's the story behind Lorenzo's Oil? Join Dr Chris for an intellectual work out with this week's round up of brain-stretching science... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

What can hydrogen reveal about the structure of the early Universe and what causes Alzheimer's Disease; is the moon upside down when seen from south of the equator, what causes Autism and can it be treated and why do I only need 4 hours sleep? Join Dr Chris in this discusion on this week's Ask the Naked Scientists... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Kangaroo mothercare, why we all look different, what's the capacity of the human brain and why do some songs get stuck in your head are all up for analysis this week, and Dr Chris also has news of how worms can treat inflammatory bowel diseases, a memory-erasing treatment for chronic pain, and bacteria that thrive on arsenic... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

What's more accurate, vehicle speed according to a GPS unit, or the speedometer? Also, what causes the Earth's magnetic field to flip, why do people sleepwalk and can the shrunken state of an accidentally boil-washed jersey be reversed? Join Dr Chris as he pits his wits against this week's science question selection and also discusses news of the discovery of sugar transporters in plants and a way...

How do space travellers navigate, can you swallow in microgravity, does apple cider vinegar help with weight loss, is there a "gay" gene, why did a game of football come to a frosty conclusion and why do some plant pigments change colour in water? Join Dr Chris for another fact-soaked foray into the world of science... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, how Tetris could hold the key to blocking the bad memories and flashbacks behind post traumatic stress disorder and how an old drug could provide a new answer to neuroprotection from Parkinson's Disease. Also, why dark skin is more prone to scarring, is diesel a worse polluter than petrol, and does soap just detach bacteria from the skin, or kill them? Join Dr Chris on Talk Radio 702 to...

Where do accents come from, can glass be magnetised, what's the point of males and females and can people get locked together during sex? Join Dr Chris to find out and to hear about a new way to combat cancer, a novel way to block brain damage done by a stroke and how scientistsw are boosting mathematical ability, with a dose of electricity... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Na...

The Naked Scientist, Chris Smith strips science down to its bare essentials. How does grass break concrete?is one of the questions answered in this fascinating show. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

What stops water moving through a tiny hole, are ground up tablets safe to swallow, what are freckles, how fast can a human heart beat, what happens when a cataract is removed, where do fat flies come from and how does the moon influence the Earth? Join Dr Chris as he pits his wits against this week's round up of science questions from South Africa... Like this podcast? Please help us by supportin...

This week Dr Chris discusses how volcanoes can cut global warming, the evidence for genes linked to race, whether ambidexterity is real, the cause of crop circles, news of a new vaccine for tuberculosis (TB) and the tale of a comet that turned into an asteroid... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Are fat cells all made equal, why women glow while men perspire, the science of electromagnetic induction, what is emphysema, how are drug doses determined, is the Earth gaining weight and where does belly button fluff come from all go under the microscope in this week's Ask! the Naked Scientist from Talk Radio 702... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists