Question of the Week, from the Naked Scientists

This week, we discover the reasons for those aches and pains known as cramps. What causes them and how can they be prevented? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

If you're hanging onto the back of a car, how fast would it have to go before you were lifted off the ground? Plus, we ask about muscle cramp and how to avoid it! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Is it possible to walk in a straight line if one is blind or blindfolded? Are blind people better at it? Find the answer in this Question of the Week. Plus, we ask how fast a car would have to travel in order to lift an outdoor passenger from the ground. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Which is better for the environment: an e-card or a traditional paper card? We have the answer for you in this (not terribly romantic) Question of the Week! Plus, we ask if people still walk in straight lines when they can't see where they're going... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Some hand washes claim to kill 99.99% of all germs. What do these advertising slogans really mean? Would two hand washes kill 100 per cent of all germs? Plus, we ask if sending an e-card is really more environmentally friendly than a paper one. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Light is supposed to be massless so how is it that gravity makes a beam bend? Plus, we ask what the hand wash adverts mean when they claim to kill 99.9% of known germs. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this touchy-feely Question of the Week we find out which bits of the brain interpret text and Braille. Are they the same? Plus, we ask how it is that light bends under gravity, even though it's supposed to be massless! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

When you think about it, drinking the milk of a cow is a little odd. Are we the only animal in the world that drinks the milk of another species? Why do we drink it anyway? Plus, we ask how Braille is processed in the brain. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we find out why the camera loves some of us and seems to seek revenge on others as we investigate what makes someone photogenic... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

If blood is full of iron does that mean magnetic jewellery is good for you? We find out. Plus, we ask if there is any science to being photogenic. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Bowels are quite good at absorbing water so why not have a drink through one? Perhaps it's not such a good idea! Find out in this QotW. Plus, we ask if magnetic bracelets actually work. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Will the universe expand faster than the speed of light in the future? Is this even possible? Will there be a big crunch at the end? The answer's in this Question of the Week. Plus, we ask if it's possible to drink through your bottom! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

What happens insides the shell of a chrysalis? Does the caterpillar turn into a protein-y mush or does it simply grow wings? Plus, we ask what happens once the universe has finished expanding. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this buzzing Question of the Week we find out how many bees are required to cook a human bee-ing. How much honey would they need to feast on in order to achieve this feat? Plus, we ask if a caterpillar turns to mush during pupation. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

If you're standing on top of Mt Everest, will your day be brighter for longer? Will there be more sunlight and why? Plus, we ask how many bees it takes to boil an entire person! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Which would have produced more carbon: the Icelandic volcano or the planes which would have flown if it hadn't erupted? Find out in this QotW. Plus, we ask if altitude can affect the hours of daylight one experiences. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why might a person, who apparently isn't colour-blind, not be able to see red or green on a whiteboard? What is colour-blindness anyway? We try to find the answer in this Question of the Week. Plus, we ask which is worse for the environment - a few weeks of volcanic eruption or a few weeks of aviation. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why is it that some people get a bit queasy when facing backwards on a train? Find out in this QotW! Plus, we ask how it's possible that someone is unable to see coloured lines on a whiteboard. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

The moon and its fickle phases are analysed in this week's question. Does someone in Australia see the same full moon at the same time as someone in the UK? Does being on the other side of the world change the view? Plus, we ask why travelling backwards makes some people ill. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

The quest is on to find out how something can appear to roll up a hill, rather than down. Plus, we ask if the moon appears the same to viewers on either side of the planet. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We find out about the true nature of apple cores. They're not as innocent as they look. Plus, we ask how a ball can appear to move uphill. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We find out why we're often told that olive oil is better for you. Is there any truth to the advertising? Plus, we ask about the dangers of apple cores! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We explore the smells created by that wet weather phenomenon, rain. What brings about the damp, earthy smell? Plus, we ask if olive oil really is good for you. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How much and how fast would you have to let loose your intestinal gases in order to lift yourself from the ground? We work through the physics of farting! Plus, we ask why certain smells are released after it rains. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

What is the point of kissing? Does it have any benefit for us or our progeny? Plus, we ask how much you'd have to fart in order to lift yourself off the ground! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists