The Naked Scientists Podcast

2022 has been heralded as the golden era of robotics. In this episode of The Naked Scientists you'll see how futuristic machines are already employed throughout industry to make our lives better. This isn't a tech review of Alexa, but instead a glimpse at pinpoint-accurate surgical arms completing tricky operations on human patients and tiny robots that allow food to swallow itself into your stoma...

We are looking into the science behind the headlines in the first week of 2022 - including a medical update on omicron and how this variant impacts disease severity, a review of some of the top games and gadgets to look out for in the year ahead, a celebration marking 100 years since the first use of insulin to manage diabetes, and a behind the scenes preview of the new Sir David Attenborough docu...

We're looking back on the year that's just been, and what a year 2021 was. Once again, Covid-19 dominated the headlines, alongside the climate crisis and extreme weather events. But fear not! Sally Le Page shares only the good news stories that we've covered here on the Naked Scientists, such as solving perennial train delays caused by leaves on the line, and even how we cracked the ultimate myste...

Ever wondered what it's like behind the scenes at The Naked Scientists? Well, here's your chance! Grab yourself a nice warm mug of cocoa nestle down by the decorated tree and prepare for some festive, but of course, infromative fun. We'll be finding out how to make the perfect snowball, how drunk Santa is come the end of Christmas Eve and whether an artificial tree is better for the environment th...

We've seen them in movies, but how close are we to having nanorobots in reality? And what will we do with them? We'll be unpicking the tiny details of nanotechnology! Plus in the news this week: as Omicron cases continue to rise, what can we learn about it from South Africa? Researchers figure out why quitting smoking often leads to weight gain. And why we're bad judges of when we're over the drin...

It is time for a festive Q&A! In this episode, we are going to be answering your questions such as, does another planet Earth exist? Can robots be as creative as humans? And why do deep sea creatures glow? Our panel of scientific superstars taking on your queries this month are science song-writer Raven Baxter, deep-ocean diver Diva Amon, exoplanet explorer Hannah Wakeford and intelligence inv...

Surely a day doesn't go by without you using plastic. It's a marvel of material science. But hidden behind its convenience, plastic poses serious enviornmental challenges. Is this versatile and ubiquitous material contributing to the climate problem or helping us solve it? Plus, in the news this week: as Omicron spreads across the globe, we get the low-down on how the new variant differs from thos...

As we strive for a transition to a green future, we're asking "would wood be good" to help us build everything from better buildings to more insulating windows, from steak-cutting knives to nano-engineered, biodegradable glitter. Plus, in the news: as Covid cases take off again in Europe, we review the situation here in the UK; also, making strawberry smells with mushrooms; and breakthrough textil...

It's Q&A time! In this episode we'll be answering questions from you, our listeners, such as how close are we to developing a vaccine against the common cold, what's it like to live on Mars and what are the weirdest animals in Antarctica? That's right this week is dedicated to you. We're answering all your questions with the help of supernova scientist Sarafina Nance, marine mastermind Huw Gri...

This week we have the inside track on the COP-26 climate conference in Glasgow; why bird song at dawn sounds dramatically different to 20 years ago; and scientists uncover the secret to a successful blind date. And, as COP26 marches on, we reflect on how the climate crisis is destined to affect us all. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We're wandering into the weird world of spiders! We'll be looking at spiders that can fly using little silk parachutes and the grisly and gruesome mating habits of black widow spiders. Plus in the news, as UK cases surge, should Covid precautions move to Plan B; how does raw sewage affect our waterways; and is your mobile phone damaging your finger? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting...

It's that time again for another Q&A show, a chance for you to have your say! This week we delve behind the headlines as well, trying to figure out what social media platforms are doing to protect their users and discovering why Bitcoin, after 12 years, is now considered a threat to the global financial market. All that and more with Gareth Mitchell, Chris Riley, Eleanor Drinkwater and Andrew...

As some continue to speculate that COVID came from a lab, we're looking at the scientific research being done on dangerous diseases, whether this work is safe and how it's regulated. Plus in the news: are Covid vaccines messing with menstruation; how subsea cables are affecting crabs; and scientists add plant cells to brains to supply them with oxygen. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporti...

This week, we're journeying into the world of the smallest objects known to humanity: the tiny particles that make up us and the entire universe around us. Plus, in the news, getting the world vaccinated against COVID-19 - half the global population have been jabbed so far, but the many countries in the Global South lag far behind; the Nobel prizes are announced; and, have scientists finally solve...

As the UK struggles with a lack of fuel in petrol stations and fresh food shortages in the supermarket, we ask: what else are we at risk of running out of? Plus, in the news, why we might be destined to succumb to the 'worst cold ever' this winter; signs that air pollution causes millions of premature births each year, and scientists peer into the past and read previously-hidden parts of Marie Ant...

In this week's programme, it's Q&A time! Coming up, we'll find out: what can we learn from invisible measurements in space, how scientists discover potential new medicines made by plants and why green energy might be more costly to the consumer... Yep, we're answering science questions you've been sending in! We've assembled the very best experts to help get to the bottom of it all: climate re...

This week we're looking into a topic that almost never gets mentioned at school but affects almost all of us, one way or another. It's the menopause. And we'll hear why it happens and when it happens, and what we can do to lessen the effects when it does. Plus in the news, COVID vaccines for kids: is the side effect everyone's worried about worth worrying about, farmers toilet train cows, and Chin...

In recognition of World Sepsis Day on the 13th, we're unpicking the science of this dangerous syndrome - from the infections that cause it, to the genes that make us more susceptible, and how artificial intelligence can help us to crack it... Plus, in the news, sending hydrogen to houses through the gas network to cut our carbon footprint. How a high fat diet could be disrupting your sleep; and th...

This week, we are boosting our knowledge on what "immunity" against COVID-19 really means and what our strategy heading into winter should be. We'll also hear about a new generation of coronavirus vaccines to better protect us in future. Plus, in the news, signs that living through the pandemic is having a serious impact on early childhood development, leaded petrol disappears from the last servic...

This week we're taking a deep dive into the world of carbon sequestration and how we can use nature to help us solve climate change. We'll be wading through peat bogs, getting serious about seaweed, and digging into the details of dirt... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

It's Q and A time! Can animals really sense impending dangers like storms and earthquakes? What is the universe expanding into? And how can we prevent the insect apocalypse? We've assembled a panel of experts to answer your science questions: physicist Jess Wade, infectious disease historian Kyle Harper, animal expert Jo Wimpenny, and insect lover Dave Goulson... Like this podcast? Please help us...

This week, long COVID: we're 18 months into the pandemic and there are thousands of people with long-term health consequences of having caught the infection. We're asking the experts to find out who is most at risk, what could be causing this to happen, and what research needs to be done in trying to treat it. Plus, in the news, an even gloomier outlook on climate change as the latest IPCC report...

This week, we'll be delving into the world of environmental DNA: what did researchers find when they went looking for the Loch Ness monster? Plus, in the news, with an autumn "booster" on the cards, we look at how much antibody you need to be protected against Covid 19, and how sea level change can affect volcanic eruptions... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

From collecting cobalt to installing infrastructure, what's the latest on how we're getting ready for the electric vehicle revolution? Plus, in the news, with numbers of COVID cases falling across the UK despite the country opening up we're asking, why? Also, the bottom line on how ventilation can help us keep the pandemic at bay; and how farmers can benefit by giving bees a dose of caffeine... Li...

Why are billionaires racing for space? What is the UK's Covid-19 strategy since freedom day? And how will Covid-19 affect the Olympics? This week it's QnA time, and with us to explore where weightlessness begins, whether animals other than mammals suckle their young, if recent findings of methane mean life on Mars, and why the UK isn't vaccinating kids against Covid, are Richard Hollingham, Linda...