The Naked Scientists Podcast

This week we visit the Historic city of Edinburgh to put Scottish science under the microscope! We discover the incredible magnetic bacteria and find out how their bio-nano-magnets could help treat cancer. We find out how satellite images can help predict outbreaks of cholera, and talk about the twist in the tale of TB - drug resistant Tuberculosis has now been found in the UK, so what is this dis...

This week, we catch up with the action from this year's Cambridge Science Festival. We find out what you could learn from a plasticine brain and how your next holiday could be literally out-of-this-world! We explore the science of Dr who's Sonic Screwdrivers, Spiderman and Skateboarders and find out how long the festival takes to prepare. Plus, how meteorite strikes benefit life on Earth, get a st...

On this week's Naked Scientists, we tackle your questions. We find out what creates a 'Moonbow', how much water there was on Earth over one million years ago and what happens to milk in the freezer. Also, how butterflies could remember what caterpillars learn, why electric cars may stress stretched water supplies and how the 'smell' of a coral reef attracts fish from miles around. Plus, we speak t...

This week we're exploring the science of sound and music. We sound out the human voice, hear why we all talk differently, and probe the origins of accents and the means by which impersonators mimic their victims. Also, we discover how a tune can act like cocaine in your brain and why, in some cultures, music can replace a lawyer! Also, we hear what's going on in the brains of Jazz musicians as the...

This week the Naked Scientists go virtual! We'll be hearing how a new computer system can accurately gauge your age from a mugshot, we come face to face with the painting fool, a computer that can read - and then paint - your emotions, and we find out what's still lurking on your hard disc, even after you think you've wiped it. We also unveil Second Naked Scientists - our home in Second Life - and...

On this weeks Pan-Continental Naked Scientists we bring you the latest science news from the AAAS conference in Boston. We hear about why cholesterol-lowering drugs are good for us but bad for bacteria, see the map that shows mankind's effect on the oceans and discover the surprisingly complex science of sand castles. Also in this week's show, we look into the future for organ transplants - how bo...

This week on the Naked Scientists we discover novel drugs in carnivorous plants, genes pointing to prostate cancer and a way to capture waste wattage whilst walking. We hear about the future of 3D TV, the bio fuel carbon debt and how Pirate Bay could be about to walk the plank! Also, we take on your questions, such as why do electric lights stay on in a flood, how do animals evolve camouflage and...

Get Wet and Wild with the Naked Scientists! We don our wellies and wade into the science of wetlands, discovering the species you might see and why wetlands are vital for wildlife on land and at sea. We'll also find out how wetlands protect us from floods, and what can be done to conserve them in the face of climate change. Also in this weeks show, how Humans are fatally infecting Chimps with the...

In this week's not-to-be-sniffed-at infectious episode of the naked scientists, we find out the facts of flu, including how the virus hijacks your cells, how new strains of the virus emerge to trigger epidemics and pandemics, and how scientists can combat the threat with vaccines. Also under the microscope is a new technique to identify viruses within just 2 hours, providing patients with a fast t...

On this week's Naked Scientists, We look at ways to tackle the problem of climate change - including capturing carbon at sea, trapping carbon dioxide in coal to release a useful fuel, and a way to turn co2 to stone, with the help of old lava floes! Also, we find out how silicon nano wires can be used to make super-batteries, why sneaky squirrels are faking what they do with their nuts, how the pri...

This week, we uncover an ideal anti-freeze for ice-cream, find out how scientists grew a new heart in a dish and hear how four simple lifestyle changes could make you live fourteen years longer. Also, we find out about the technology of the future, the tropical Paris of the past and the crystal secret behind the silvery sheen on fish scales. Plus, we asked for your questions and the floodgates ope...

Hooked on the Naked Scientists? This week we're looking into the science of addiction, finding out how smoking alters the teenage brain, why a mixture of brain chemistry and psychological habits make drugs hard to kick, and how addiction re-wires the brain in a similar way to school. Also, how a good night's sleep could stave off diabetes, why traffic pollutes your IQ and why your next prescriptio...

Happy New Year! We celebrate the arrival of 2008 with a second special edition of our new podcast, Ask The Naked Scientists, followed by a 25 minute round up of the top climate change stories featured on the Naked Scientists over the last 12 months. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Happy Christmas! To keep you entertained while we're off tucking into Turkey, this week and next we've got special editions of a new series of programmes we're launching in 2008 called Ask The Naked Scientists, our new live interactive science radio phone-in, with Dave Ansell, Sue Marchant and Chris Smith. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Ho Ho Ho! This week on the Naked Scientists we're celebrating the festive season in style, with a party right here in the studio. From Christmas crackers to Brussels sprouts, we'll be looking at some of the science behind Christmas. We'll be learning about snowflakes and how these sub-zero designs are created, we'll find out what your choice of Christmas card says about you, and we'll reveal the b...

This week, we take on your science questions, tackling the sticky subject of how glue works, the explosive potential of underground uranium and the problems with performance enhancing-football shirts. We look into gastroenteritis and find out how just one gram of vomit could infect one million people, and if that hasn't put you off your food, how acrylamide, found in toast and other tasty foods, m...

This week we learn about Alzheimer's disease, how it changes the brain and may be caused by the virus which causes cold sores. We probe your grey matter to find out how memory works, what goes wrong to give us false memories, and the science behind earworms - the songs that we can't get out of our heads! Also, GM plants that can survive a drought, why future chewing gum may contain magnolia bark a...

This week, we bring you the highlights of the Naked Scientists trip to South Africa. We explore what life is like in the poor regions of Johannesburg, and how the frightening reality of HIV and AIDS offers a silver lining in prevention research. Plus, In a journey through our evolutionary history, we come face to face with the two-and-a-half million year old Taung child, one of the most important...

This week on the Naked Scientists we cross hemispheres to explore galaxies far far away. Chris presents live from Johannesburg to discuss the South African Large Telescope whilst back in the studio we explore the effects of space travel on the body, the expansion of our universe and the possibilities of another planet earth. We also investigate effects on our hearing and bring you a special kitche...

This week on the Naked Scientists we seek solutions to your science questions. From finding the site of the big bang to repairing the retina, mirages on the motorway to fruit fireworks in your microwave. We also find out why staying in bed could help you keep slim, we explore the genes that let flies get drunk, and discover the source of the so-called "Oh My God! Particles", which have 100 million...

This week on the Naked Scientists, we're probing the origins of man and pursuing the spread of humans around the world. We find out how to date a hobbit, discover how an enormous flood formed the English Channel, and examine the evidence for when ancient humans first used fire. We also tune into the world's smallest nano-sized radio, talk to the two men who flew over Mt Everest on paragliders and...

This week on the Award Winning Naked Scientists we find out about stem cells and cloning. We discuss the elusive 'stemness' that allows cells to specialise, and learn about cloning in the post-Dolly the sheep era. We also find out how genetics has revealed that Neanderthals were redheads, how soap affects shoals of fish and some turtles come equipped with anti-roll bars. We also pay a visit to the...

This week, we delve inside atoms to find out what matter is made of, and how smashing them together can tell us about the birth of the universe. We learn about quarks, antimatter and the 'god particle' and discover that scientists are actually trying to build a black hole in the lab! Also, nano-wires give us the world's smallest solar cells, we hear about glue from mussels that sticks to teflon an...

This week, we're taking on your science questions. We find out how cockroaches and ants avoid the heat in a microwave oven, how best to protect yourself from lightning and why a light box can save you from a SAD winter. Also, a table decoration inspired, radiation-resistant spaceship design to keep astronauts healthy, how the contraceptive pill hurts A lapdancers' looks and why penguins prefer to...

This week, we're quenching our thirst for knowledge with the science of Beer and Brewing! We learn about how beer is made, why nitrogen is vital for the perfect pint of Guinness and why professors of brewing think they have the best job in the world. We also delve into the natural history of beer, to discuss the age old argument, what came first, the beer or the bread? We look into the future of b...