Ask the Naked Scientists

Why are stars and planets round? Could a helium balloon ever continue into space? Is the moon bombarded with asteroids? Is it possible to create a flying saucer? We answer these questions on this week's Ask the Naked Scientists. We'll also investigate the future of our evolution, reveal why spiders don't stick to their webs, andfind out why soap stings our eyes so much! Like this podcast? Please h...

How are gemstones formed? Why do we get brain freeze when eating Ice Cream? What is Renault's disease? We find out in this week's Ask the Naked Scientists, as well as discover how helicopters hover in one place, how some people avoided death during the plague, if fireworksare damaging to our environment and why we get body odour. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Is it possible to make a car go 1000mph? Should we believe our cars or our Sat-Navs when calculating our speed? Why can we sometimes see both the Sun and the Moon in the sky? We solve these mysteries on this week's Ask the Naked Scientists, as well as find out if wejump higher when the Moon is above us, reveal the world's oldest known vegetables, investigate the flu vaccine and discover how to cre...

Why are some clouds dark? Why don't bees stick to their own honey? Why is UV light good for skin conditions, when we know it damages the skin? All these questions and more can be found in this week's Ask the Naked Scientists! Plus, why archaeologists think TB arose as a result of people coming together to live in early villages, and how meteorites lock away the secrets of the solar system. Like th...

Why are Geckos feet so sticky? Can it snow on mars? Is it possible for someone to spontaneously combust? We answer these questions this week on Ask the Naked Scientists. We also find out why lemons float more than limes, reveal the correct terminology for the himalayas and how thisregion can control weather conditions on the rest of the planet,uncover what will happen when the sun stops burning an...

What is fusion? Can we achieve cold fusion? How useful is nuclear power and is it safe? We look into these questions on this week's Ask the Naked Scientists. We'll also be finding out how sailing ships avoid the wind andwhy venomous snakes don't poison themselves, plus dig into how carbon dating works and reveal why ducks don't sink in water. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Nak...

What colour will the end of the universe be? How can the moon look orange? Why can't we fly individually with jetpacks? We answer these questions on this weeks Ask the Naked Scientists. We also find out if bigger brains means dumber people, if the use of polystyrene in our soils can poison our food and reveal how to move a tin can without touching it! Like this podcast? Please help us by supportin...

Red tongues, intestinal bacteria, appliances on standby and gut-busting stress levels all go under the microscope for Dr Chris's examination in this weeks Ask the Naked Scientists, when we'll also find out why an alternator connected to an electric car is a non-starter and what on Earth is nuclear fusion? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

What is the Large Hadron Collider? How can a particle accelerator simulate the big bang? What are our options for energy in the future? Dr Dave tackles these questions on this weeks Ask the Naked Scientists. We also find out why the moon doesn't rise and set like the sun, how ships can carry heavy cargo without sinking and why melting icebergs won't actually change our sea levels. Like this podcas...

Could you stop yourself ageing by travelling at the speed of light? Why aren't we full of someone else's DNA after a blood transfusion? How do trees drink? All these questions and more will be answered this week on Ask the Naked Scientists! We'll also be finding out why the expanding universe is like a balloon and how you can lose weight (but not mass) in space. Like this podcast? Please help us b...

What is a flame? How do fireworks control their explosions? Why is it impossible to swat flies? Dr Chris tackles these question in this week's Ask the Naked Scientists as well as discovering how much heavier a tree is made by its leaves, predicting the outcome of a flu epidemic in todays society and revealing why a tea bag doesn't float in hot water. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting...

How do planes make shadows on the clouds? Can mosquitoes transmit HIV? Which sense do we lose last under anaesthetic? Drs Chris and Dave have the answers in this week's Ask the Naked Scientists when they also delve into cellulitis and how not to catch it, how athletes can constantly break world records, why men and women get fat in different places and why perpetual motion is a pipedream Like this...

How do we weigh the Earth, what's the basis of diabetes, does dandruff really trigger rain and clone alone - who would you make a copy of given the chance? Dr Chris pits his wits against these and other questions in this weeks edition of Ask the Naked Scientists. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

When is wood not safe to burn? What makes poisonous plants dangerous? Could you get a satellite to orbit the moon? This week on Ask The Naked Scientists, we'll give you the answers to all these questions. We'll also find out the difference between cold and flu viruses, compare sheet and fork lightning and find whether a bluetooth headset could be used to track you down... Like this podcast? Please...

Is it dangerous to feed nuts to babies? Can dogs get hayfever? Where does the static on your radio come from? All these and more are answered this week on Ask the Naked Scientists! We'll also be finding out whether blue-eyed people are more sensitive to the sun and why some people get more drunk than others after a couple of pints down the pub! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the N...

Why does our head hurt when we eat too much ice cream? How is it possible to communicate with people on the other side of the world without any wires? What is cellular architecture? Why do only some of us get allergies? We tackle these questions and more on this week's Ask the Naked Scientists! We also find out what causes gaut, reveal if bottled water is safer to drink than tap water, and discove...

Do the cells controlling our memory renew themselves? Where does the rubber go when tyres wear down? What would happen if we grew plants in space? Why do we have earwax? We answer these questions this week on Ask the Naked Scientists. We also find out how coffees can heat themselves, discover how online streaming works, investigate what would happen to water at absolute zero and create sparks by r...

Could piezo electricity be used to supply power to the world's population? In space, can anyone hear you scream, or actually hear anything? How do dolphins direct themselves underwater? We tackle these questions and more this week on Ask the Naked Scientists! We also look into how far sound can travel, find out how the Large Hadron Collider will work and reveal how the sun manages to rise so quick...

How was the Sun created? How are dead bodies decomposed? Does hot water freeze faster than cold water? We answer these questions and more on this week's Ask the Naked Scientists! We also find out why it's colder at high altitude even though you are closer to the Sun, reveal the sources and abundance of aluminium worldwide and discover the power of painkillers. Like this podcast? Please help us by...

How can bombs bounce without going off? Could a volcanic eruption be deadly worldwide? What is St Elmo's Fire? Are computers worse for the environment than planes? We tackle these question this week on Ask the Naked Scientists. We also find out if different parts of our body could have different DNA, investigate how to create a car that cannot be seen on radar, reveal the difference in oil found i...

How do planes fly upside down? How can tongues get fungal infections? Was there another civilisation before humans? Will we be able to predict the future? We tackle these questions on this week's Ask the Naked Scientists. We also find out why we have solstices, if it's possible for our hearts to communcate with machines, investigate how sire temperature is measured and look into why there are worl...

Can we cut through atoms with scissors? Is it possible to light a fire on the moon? How do gyroscopes work? We answer these questions this week on Ask the Naked Scientists. We also lfind out how commercial text messaging works, look into how blood transfusions affect out body and how much fuel a train uses to travel. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why can blood vessels burst when pumping iron? Is it possible to grow plants on the moon? Can our joints predict bad weather? And do batteries work in outer space? We tackle these questions and more on this week's Ask the Naked Scientists. We also find out why skin can lose pigment for individuals with Vitiligo, investigate the safety and cleanliness of quick-drying towels and analyse why it is ha...

Can we make our own fuel? Or provide our own power? Could there be smarter life than us in outer space? Could other planets have their own Northern Lights? We find out the answer to these questions this week on Ask the Naked Scientists. We also find out if water really does go the other way down the plughole when down under, how water can be used to make both cars and aircrafts faster and if it's...

Can we engineer monkeys to talk? Why do parrots have the ability to say words? What happens underground to form a fossil? We tackle these questions this week on Ask the Naked Scientists. We also find out if one gene can determine your sexuality, investigate if drinking hard water can stiffen your heart, and work out what separates a piece of string from a length of rope. Like this podcast? Please...