The Naked Scientists Podcast

What happens if you overwater a plant? How does gravity actually work? And should we be cancelling mass events to contain the coronavirus? It's Q&A time on the show, and this week Phil Sansom is joined by a brainy panel of experts: plant biologist Nadia Radzman, particle physicist Chris Rogers, bioarchaeologist Emma Pomeroy, and virologist and Naked Scientist Chris Smith. Prepare to have your...

This week, we're talking electric cars: we get someone to drive one for a few days to find out how easy the switch to electric might be. And news of the brainy computer that's made a breakthrough against superbugs, and, on Mars, why the little green men are quaking in their boots... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

For many, the term Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a phrase straight out of sci-fi, conjuring up visions of utopias or dystopias, from films ranging from the Terminator to I Robot. But what was previously sci-fi is now increasingly becoming reality. AI technology exists, and there's a brand new frontier where it's being applied to the world of healthcare. AI is helping to diagnose cancer, design n...

With the leap year upon us, and the rare appearance of Feb 29th, we're "marking time" to find out how time works: from why time seems to go faster when we're older, to the mind-bending warping of time around black holes. Plus, in the news, scientists develop a way to produce electricity from thin air, how old mattresses are feeding refugees, and why bringing back beavers might solve some of our fl...

This week we delve into the disease that accounts for a quarter of all cancer diagnoses in men: prostate cancer. We'll be finding out how it's picked up and diagnosed, as well as speaking to someone who lives with the condition. Plus, in the news: our update on the coronavirus, from life in quarantine to developing a vaccine; cutting aircraft emissions by flying just a bit higher; and how scientis...

This week - tick tock! We're talking body clock science! Whether it's eating, sleeping, or coming down with something - we're taking a look at the biology of our daily rhythms. Plus in the news, doctors begin testing gene editing to treat cancer, and what have honeybees and love hearts got in common? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

What's a white hole? Why don't we use brain scans to diagnose mental health and why was cyanide Agatha Christie's poison of choice? All this and more as our panel of experts answer your questions. Joining Chris Smith this time are: Astronomy specialist Matt Bothwell, forensic toxicologist Lorna Nisbet, neuroscientist Camilla Nord and physiologist Sam Virtue... Like this podcast? Please help us by...

This week we're donning our kilts and raising our whisky bottles to celebrate Burns Night! The two-century-old Scottish holiday honours the memory of the great poet Robbie Burns, and in this episode we're hosting our very own Burns Supper - but with a special twist of science. We've got haggis, history, and a live science ceilidh! Plus in the news, an update on China's virus outbreak, the Earth's...

This week: food waste. Worldwide, a third of the food we buy ends up in the bin. Why? And what can science do to help? Plus - will 2020 be another climate record-breaker, and what are the climate-change consequences for future food production here? A new way to treat type 1 diabetes. And why, nutritionally-speaking, packed lunches for many children leave a lot to be desired... Like this podcast? P...

This week we're unraveling the science behind the ancient art of origami - paper folding - and how scientists are even doing it now with DNA. The new virus that's appeared in China, news of the Australian bush fires, and why running a marathon can take years off the age of your arteries... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

It's Q&A time! We've picked a selection of the best science questions from listeners, like: are lottery numbers really random? Is there still a hole in the ozone layer? And crucially - why do some bananas peel into three sections and some into four? Here to answer them is our expert panel: tech journalist Tim Revell, geneticist Hannah Thompson, climate scientist Ella Gilbert, and physicist Jes...

In this week's special episode, Katie Haylor, Adam Murphy and Phil Sansom take a trip down memory lane, month by month, reflecting on some of our favourite moments from a whole year's worth of sensational science sought out by The Naked Scientists office in 2019... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Merry Christmas! In this special edition of the show, discover how many presents are really coming your way on the 12th day, hear which medical specialists are most likely to get caught speeding, and help us track down the real Santa using stats! Plus, Naked Gamers Chris Berrow and Leigh Milner bring us up to date with what's hot in the gaming world this Christmas... Like this podcast? Please help...

NASA have stated that they are heading back to the Moon in 2024. This week we're finding out why, and what's in store for us as we head up there. Plus, in the news, cave paintings dated to 40,000 years ago, the strange magnetic fields found around the Sun, and the 3-D printed rabbit with its own DNA... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we're exploring a terrifying force of nature: avalanches. Why do they happen? How do you avoid them? And if you encounter one, how could you survive it? We speak to Lawrence Jones, who 20 years ago was caught in an avalanche - and lived to tell the tale. Plus, in the news: measles cases triple, we ask whether physicists have really discovered a new fundamental force, and the scientifical...

This week: Is fat worse than sugar? Can you die of a broken heart? Is the universe really expanding? We've assembled a panel of experts to take on your science questions: diet and genetics guru Giles Yeo, immunologist and wine expert Clare Bryant, physicist Francesca Chadha-Day, and cardiologist James Rudd. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, artificial organs! How close are we to growing life-saving hearts, kidneys and livers in the lab? Plus in the news, how hospital computer systems can save lives by spotting subtle signs doctors haven't picked up on yet; also the nano-coating to keep your toilet squeaky clean, and most importantly using half the amount of water! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked S...

This week, the deadly serious science of custard, including the chemistry of eggs, sports bra tehcnology, custard powder explosions, and that most important question of them all: is custard better hot or cold? Plus, in the news, a revolution in solar panel science, did hiccups evolve to help babies learn, 3d TV coming to a screen near you, and sex in the city: why urban living means dad might not...

This week, we're looking at the future of medicine, phenomics! Including the toilet that analyses what you put down it! And in the news, sending wine to space, new insights into the origin of life, and why a lack of sleep gives you food cravings! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Computer models are everywhere and we use them to gain an understanding of the world and make predictions about the future, such as the spread of diseases, whether a rocket will get into orbit, and even whether it will rain tomorrow. In this special documentary, Adam Murphy discovers what a model is and why we need them, how scientists develop models in the first place, and how computer scientists...

This week - How do glow worms glow, and can they do so indefinitely? Why don't birds fall out of trees when they sleep? And space tourism: when can I book my ticket to orbit? We've assembled an expert panel to answer your science questions - Richard Hollingham, space and science journalist; Keziah Latham, optometrist; Peter Cowley, tech investor, and Sophie Mowles, behavioural ecologist. Like this...

This week we're diving into the bins and sorting through the rubbish to figure out: what's going on with recycling? Many countries like the UK produce far more recyclable waste than they can deal with, and ever since China stopped importing most types of rubbish last year, we've seen crisp packets and margarine tubs piling up in illegal dumps abroad. So is our recycling system still working, and w...

This week, we're taking a look at blood, from regenerating blood vessels, to one of our team going to their first blood donation! Plus in the news, concerns that Ebola might be back with a vengeance in future: 60% more often and with 4 times the impact; plus NASA's first all-female spacewalk: we hear from one of the astronauts involved... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked S...

The Rugby World Cup is taking place in Japan, and FIFA 20 has just been released, so this month it's a sport special! Including Virtual Reality Go Karting... yes really. And we meet the author who was inspired to write poetry by playing Super Mario! New reviews include Mario Kart Tour, Trine 4 and Untitled Goose Game. For Retro Revival it's Darksiders 2 on the Nintendo Switch and Apple Arcade. Wit...

This week, computers are supposedly there to help us - but how easy are they to use and programme if you're disabled? We're looking at how to make computing as inclusive as it can be. Plus, news of the Nobel Prizes announced this week, a new test to find out whether chemotherapy will work for your individual cancer, and the whales that whisper to their young! Like this podcast? Please help us by s...