Naked Scientists, In Short Special Editions Podcast

This week we take a closer look at corneal blindness. With corneal transplants in short supply, the recent development of synthetic corneas offers hope in the fight against this leading cause of vision-loss worldwide. Smitha Mundasad speaks to Dr May Griffith about her team's work - creating corneas in a lab. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This month we bring you the highlights of Diamonds events at the Royal Society Summer Exhibition including hydrogen cars, stressed-out bacteria and science in extreme conditions. We also explore how understanding our gut bacteria could lead to personalised diets in the future as well as hear what the rest of the exhibition is all about! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Sci...

Synthetic biology goes under the microscope in this month's Cafe Scientifique, as Gos Micklem describes how to build "sick" viruses to act as vaccines, and discusses recent advances in artificial life. We'll explore concerns about releasing modified organisms into the wild, and if synthetic biology is likely to be used for evil. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Henrietta Lacks died in 1951, but her cells have gone on to become one of the most important tools in medicine. Rebecca Skloot explains how the story of these cells inspired her to write her bestselling book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this month's Cafe Scientifique, Dr Luke Clarke from the University of Cambridge explores the effect gambling has on our brain. He reveals why gambling is so addictive, how 'near-misses' make us gamble more and how gambling stimulates the same pleasure centres in our brains as chocolate and sex! We also answer audience questions including why gambling on the lottery seems less risky, whether the...

This month we enter the clinic to discover how clinicians at hospitals across the UK are using Diamond to investigate a variety of medical concerns. We discover why some women may be prone to pre-term labour, and why metal-on-metal hip replacements cause inflammation in some patients and not others. Plus, we've got the the latest news and events from Diamond! Like this podcast? Please help us by s...

In this months Cafe Scientifique Dr Giles Yo from the Institute of Metabolic Research at the University of Cambridge askes the question: Are my genes to blame when my Jeans don't fit?. He explores the behind our metabolism and fat storage and asks if these play a more crucial role than our environment in determining our weight. We also answer audience questions that reveal how our weight may also...

This month we investigate the conservation of apes and the threats they face in the tropical peatland forests of Kalimantan in Indonesia. We look into the issues facing the Indonesian peatlands and how conservation efforts can address these problems. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this podcast from the March Cafe Scientifique in Cambridge, we investigate how our brain takes shortcuts to understand the world around us and how it jumps to delusions! We meet event speaker Dr Paul Fletcher to find out how our brains process the masses of information coming in from the world around us by using shortcuts and how changes in these shortcuts can lead to delusions . We also answer...

In this podcast from the February Cafe Scientifique in Cambridge, we look out deep into our universe to investigate our place in the cosmos. We meet event speaker Dr Carolin Crawford to find out how astronomers look out into our universe and what they understand about our stars and galaxies so far. We also answer your questions such as how we much of our universe we can see, what dark matter and d...

Can brain scanners enable us to open a new channel of communication with patients apparently in persistent vegetative states? Brain researcher Adrian Owen, from the Cambridge MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, explains how an experiment with fMRI revealed that a head injured, vegetative state patient could communicate: by changing his thoughts... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting...

In this podcast from the January Cafe Scientifique in Cambridge, we look into the threat of emerging infections to find out where they come from, how they spread and how they become a pandemic. We bring you the main presentation by virologist Dr. Chris Smith as well as your questions on the threat of pandemics such as SARS returning, concerns about HIV and Tuberculosis, and whether swine flu is so...

This month, we step away form the research and bring you the science behind the synchrotron! We investigate how a machine like Diamond is designed to create X-ray beams that are stable down at the micron level, as well as reveal how the high speed electrons are controlled and manipulated to produce intense beams of light. Plus we bring you the latest news and events, including how scientists are u...

In this 2009 Royal College of Pathologists National Pathology Week podcast we explore the process of getting a new heart. We find out why you may need a transplant, who is involved and why this relatively simple operation needs a team of pathologists, coordinators and surgeons. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this 2009 Royal College of Pathologists National Pathology Week podcast, we get a behind-the-scenes view of a heart attack. Through a virtual autopsy, and dissection of a pig's heart, we learn more about this incredible organ and how it can go wrong. With the help of pathologists and cardiologists we get to the heart of the genetics, biochemistry and anatomy of cardiac disease. Like this podcas...

In this 2009 Royal College of Pathologists National Pathology Week podcast we find out why thinking "heart" could save a baby's life. We'll examine three heart conditions - duct-dependent lesions, viral myocarditis and arrhythmias - and find out why these go unidentified in many babies, often with tragic consequences. Parents, nurses and pediatricans join the Royal College of Pathologists to raise...

In this 2009 Royal College of Pathologists National Pathology Week podcast, we look at the art and ethics of modern healthcare. We hear how the structure of the heart has inspired works of art and we take a dip in the murky waters of medical ethics: who has the right to decide if a teenage boy should be given a new heart? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This is the archive of the Cambridge Cafe Scientifique Nanofood event. Join us to hear the entire presentation about how nanotechnology gets into your food, as well as your questions on the benefits of Nanofoods, whether Nanofoods have a role in a heathy balanced diet and the problems with classification and testing. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this special podcast we join the Triple Helix Society for a Cafe Scientifique. We explore how nanotechnology gets into your food, the benefits of Nanofoods and the problems with classification and testing. The Triple Helix Cambridge Cafe Scientifique is sponsored by the Medical Research Council, and this podcast was produced with support from the Learning Revolution. Like this podcast? Please h...

This month, we peer into the world of engineering to see how scientists are exploring and improving materials for industry, including how the structure of metals can be modified for greater resilience and how an understanding of corrosion could be crucial for the storage of nuclear waste. Plus, we investigate how to prevent crack formation in aeronautical materials as well as bring you the latest...

This month, we dig deep into the world of archaeology to learn how scientists at Diamond are investigating our cultural heritage. We find out how scanning samples of the Dead Sea Scrolls can help decipher them, how probing timber from the Mary Rose can improve its conservation and how studying pigments in paintings could protect major pieces of art! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting...

This week historian Sandra Herbert tells how she retraced Darwin's footsteps to the Galapagos in search of rock samples to prove his volcanic theories were right... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

What challenges do science journalists face in the developing world? In this special documentary covering the Development strand of the World Conference of Science Journalists, we discuss the challenges of getting the right coverage for your region, and how to find credible sources without neglecting the trailblazers. Plus, the big issue of Climate Change and how to link researchers with journalis...

This week we're in conversation with Sir Terry Pratchett, author of the multi-million selling Discworld series. We find out what inspired 'The Science of Discworld 3: Darwin's Watch', get Richard Dawkins into holy orders and explore a world without Darwin... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

What is the Internet, new technology and increasing citizen journalism doing to the world of science publishing and reporting? In this special documentary from the 2009 World Conference of Science Journalists, London, Chris Smith talks to the reporters at the leading edge of the new media wave, as well as freelancers who are worried they might get washed away by the tide of content... Like this po...