Ask the Naked Scientists

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...

Why do clouds float in the sky? If Stars are so bright why is our sky dark at night? Does a ducks quack echo? We tackle these questions this week on Ask the Naked Scientists, as well as find out why the sky is blue, discover if there really could be UFO's out there, investigate why we produce tears in our eyes and explore why we can't start the morning without a yawn! Like this podcast? Please hel...

Can we make a quick escape from quicksand? Is it really good for us to lick our wounds? Why do we have different accents? We tackle these questions on this Week's Ask the Naked Scientists, as well as find out why having the flu gives us the shivers, whether its possible to eat you way to having a baby boy, and if fizzy drinks make for a fun flight! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting t...

Can we drink rain water? Why do dogs prefer drinking out of the toilet? Why haven't all apes become humans? We tackle these questions this week on Ask the Naked Scientists, as well find out how big the earth would look from the moon, why it gets so cold just before dawn, why some plants have red leaves and why our body fails to heal scars. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked...

What is cancer and how is it cured? Will humans ever be able to teleport? How are clouds made? We answer these questions this week on Ask the Naked Scientists. We also find out how it is possible for the universe to be both finite and expanding, how urea could be used to run our cars and buses and how laser eye surgery makes your vision better. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the N...

Can a digital camera see as well as the human eye? Why do some chemicals stain more than others? Does our taste fade with age? We tackle these questions this week on Ask the Naked Scientists, as well as finding out if cars can run on water, if motion-sensitive lights could light our way out of darkness and discovering if our old shower heads could be spraying more than just water. Like this podcas...

Can custard cause catastrophic explosions? How will the human race evolve? Can we use water as a fuel? We tackle all these on this week's Ask the Naked Scientists, as well as discovering why the hair on our bodies grows differently to the hair on our heads, asking if the earth will ever run out of oxygen and finding out if a 'fat strip' could solve our weight problems... Like this podcast? Please...

This week on Ask the Naked Scientists we look into the mystery of dark energy, reveal the cause of digital delay in radios and find out how to overcome our fear of change! We also discuss the alignment of our planets, find out if body parts can set airport alarms off and meet a super duck! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists Like this podcast? Please help us by sup...

This week on Ask the Naked Scientists we find out the method for a perfect bubble bath, analyse across all species to find the ultimate fighting champion and find out if humans can sniff out danger. We also look into dietary treatments to aid macular degeneration, look into evolutionary reasons for sensing the presence of ghosts, and investigate treatments to cure the awful pain associated with a...

This week on Ask the Naked Scientists we find out the effects of high speed collisions, find out if our bodies are older than the universe itself and reveal if hearts can be swapped between sexes. We also find out the cause of acid reflux, investigate what happens when you drop cats out of windows and see if it's possible to live on baked beans. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the...

On this weeks Ask the Naked Scientists we investigate the science of sat-navs - how do they work? And how do they know where our speed cameras are? We find out why it's so hard to get a signal on our mobile phones when we're underground and whether the light from stars changes as it reaches our eyes. We also find out why insects aren't stung by stinging nettles, reveal if water really does flush t...