The Naked Scientists Podcast

Supported by an all-star scientific cast of luminaries and willing volunteers the Naked Scientists celebrate the holidays with the 12 scientific days of Christmas. From why 9 ladies like to dance to making those 6 geese eggs into bouncy balls... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Chris is joined by Giles Yeo, Roger Buckley, Andrew Pontzen and Kerstin Goepfrich, and they enjoy a mince pie or two while answering listener questions, including: why isn't love blinding; are glasses or contacts better for your eyes and what would happen if you brought a thimble of neutron star to earth? Plus, the team discuss the supposed benefits of the Mediterranean diet and debate the worst s...

Antibiotics are chemicals that kill bacteria but leave us unharmed. However, bacteria are evolving so that our drugs no longer kill them. If this trend continues, the treatable are going to become untreatable... How serious would this scenario be, though? We'll be putting the problem under the microscope this week. Plus in the news, the UK's new Snooper's Charter, the man modelling vascular diseas...

This week: alien hunting! Life here on Earth uses DNA, but why, and would aliens be made of the same stuff? Plus, news of how your gut microbes are controlling your genes, a new way to fight phobias, and we get a sneak peek at where the first human colonists of Mars might live... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week the show comes to you from the Royal Institute of Navigation's annual International Conference, with a look at the future of navigation. From the trousers that can track your every move to the spacecraft charting their way through the Universe. Plus, how does GPS work, and are we ready for driverless cars? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week on the Naked Scientists, we've gathered the bright and the brainy to answer your science questions, from why ants are stealing your toenail clippings to what's between your internal organs and could you survive being eaten by a snake? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week on the Naked Scientists we're exploring our human story, from the use of tools and fire, to ritualistic behaviour. Where did we come from and what makes us special? Chris Smith is joined by some of the world's best fossil experts including one man who's discovered two of our caveman ancestors, and a scientist who can get the original tissues out of remains that are millions of years old....

Have you ever wondered why some people enjoy being absolutely petrified by horror films? This week, The Naked Scientists investigate the spooky science of the genre: what does fear look like in the brain, how do you compose the most terrifying soundtrack and can we use psychology to engineer the perfect scare? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Kat and Chris are turning the lights down low in search of darkness. 80% of Europeans and Northern Americans now can't see the Milky Way. But does this extra light pollution matter? It doesn't harm anyone, or does it? Plus in the news, with the US presidential elections fast approaching, we see what we can learn from animals when it comes to picking a leader. And, do you really lose most of your h...

This week we step out of the lab and into the hospital to celebrate one of our most treasured institutions. We find out about the technology that could be changing the future of healthcare and Connie tries her hand as a medical student. Plus, a potential treatment for Sickle Cell disease and do ice baths really soothe sore muscles? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientis...

Alzheimer's: A third of the population may be destined to develop this form of dementia, which robs people of their memories and independence. So what causes it, and what can we do about it? Plus in the news, NICE approves a new drug for an aggressive form of lung cancer, we've got the lowdown on the Nobel prizes, and how a computer code has been released online that could be using your devices to...

Why do cats have vertical pupils? Do clouds defy gravity? What is the brain basis of road rage? The Naked Scientists team tackle these and many more science questions, with help from an all-star guest panel. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we're in for a little light relief, as we explore how light-based technologies are delivering a brighter future, in medicine and beyond. Plus, in the news, a new gene therapy for spinal muscular atrophy, scientists make sonic holograms, and the most accurate reconstruction of a dinosaur yet. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week - Cambridge's key role in the mission to map the milky way! We learn how the Gaia space telescope is pinpointing the positions of a billion stars in our galaxy. Plus, news of a net which will leave mozzies dead or infertile, the DNA double-double helix discovery, and can the moon cause earthquakes? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, we don our uniforms for a lesson in the science of education: what's the best way to mould the minds of the future? Plus, a new drug that could cure malaria with a single dose and we find out what happened to the ice bucket challenge. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Can we see the lunar landing sites with a telescope? Why is it cooler at altitude despite being closer to the Sun? Why is there no salt in sea ice? Was it windier when the Earth turned faster? What will end life on Earth sooner, the cooling core or the Sun becoming a red giant? Is modern medicine damaging the gene pool? How old is the average atom? This week David Rothery, Caroline Steel, Andrew H...

This week, The Naked Scientists are celebrating their 15th birthday and so Graihagh Jackson puts science under the microscope and questions its importance in today's world. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, we find out how science can help you get from script to screen in animated movies, from the physics of balancing a giraffe on a tightrope to the researcher putting voice actors in a brain scanner. Plus, news of why we're more prone to viral infections when we're jet-lagged, how a common technique to prevent premature birth could actually cause it and did campfires kill the Neanderthals?...

100 years since the first UK drug law, we explore the controversial and confusing science behind the drugs debate. From the brain basis of addiction to how ecstasy could treat anxiety, what are the implications of the world's war on drugs? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

From farting fish to the link between diet and cancer, Kat Arney and Chris Smith take on your questions with Matt Middleton, Giles Yeo and Eleanor Drinkwater... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

The Olympics is finally upon us and from going for gold in the tropical Rio climate to boosting the efficiency of jet engines, our ability to cope in high temperatures could make the difference between falling or flying. This week on The Naked Scientists we're exploring the many ways in which humans, and machines, can handle the heat. Plus, which country tops the charts when it comes to height? Al...

This week we'll need you to fasten your seatbelts because we're taking a trip into the future of fuels. We're asking if biofuels are really that brilliant and finding out how one lab is attempting to reinvent diesel. Plus, new research that could help unclog arteries and the data storage solution that operates at the scale of individual atoms. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Na...

The Naked Scientists bring you a 'ruff' guide to dogs! We chart the ancient origins of our favourite pets, examine how smart dogs could provide clues into human disease and explore the science behind the problems caused by years of inbreeding. Plus, news of why it's not just redheads who are more at risk from the sunny weather, and does Pokemon Go mark a new frontier in gaming? Like this podcast?...

The 11th of July was world population day and at current figures there are over 7.4 billion of us living on the planet. That number continues to grow and at the same time the proportion of people living in urban environments is also increasing. This week we're asking if there's space for animals in our concrete jungles and what we can do to persuade people to put nature first. Plus, in the news we...

This week, we're answering the science questions that you've been sending in, including: is the Earth's core cooling down, how do messages from space probes get back to Earth and why sleeping on your front might increase your risk of Alzheimer's Disease... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists