Question of the Week, from the Naked Scientists

We ask why the New World wasn't technologically as advanced as the Old World. Is this a valid question? Plus, we ask what the benefits of kissing might be. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

When brushing one's dental equipment with an electric toothbrush one may notice a slight wobbling of the television images. Why does this happen? Plus, we ask why the Americas hadn't developed the same kinds of technologies as the Old World at the time of European contact. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why does one side of the brain control the other side of the body? Surely it would make more sense if the left half of the brain told the left side of the body what to do. We find out what the current thinking on this conundrum is. Plus, we ask how an electric toothbrush can disturb vision. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Many a dog has been observed barking at the television - but can they see what's going on in 'One man and his Dog'? Can they see images better on LCD TVs rather than CRT? Plus, we ask why one side of our brain is wired up to control the other side of our body. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We work out what would happen if you shone a light whilst travelling at light speed. Would you see anything? Would an observer see anything? Plus, we ask if dogs really can watch TV. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In our quest for answers we discover how memories might be encoded in genes, though probably not the sort of memories you were expecting. Plus, we ask what would happen if you shine a light whilst travelling at light speed. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

What is it that sometimes makes micturating nasally irritating? Why does asparagus make your urine smell and why might some cereals do the same thing? Plus, we ask whether memories can be handed down through generations. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why do horses go "neigh!" when donkeys "he-haw!"? And what noize do zebras make? Just because they look similar, should they sound the same? Plus, we ask how food alters the smell of your urine... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We discover some likely explanations for the different blood groups seen in humans. Is there any reason for having one blood type over another? Do other animals have them too? Plus, we ask: why do horses, donkeys and zebras all make different noises? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Crocodiles have been the same for millennia upon millennia. What's going on? Why are they so uneventful in terms of evolution? Plus, we ask why we have different blood types. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Do radio signals change as we move to and from the transmitter? Do our movements affect how a radio boradcast sounds? We find the answer in this question of the week. Plus, we ask why crocodiles haven't changed all that much in the last few million years. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We find out if it's possible to put an age on someone without a birth certificate. Given that cells regularly regenerate in the body, can you carbon date your grandmother? Plus, we ask if radio shows get doppler shifted. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week's question endeavours to find the answer to the footpath conundrum - how do worms survive in the rain? What happens if the soil dries out? Plus, we ask if it's possible to carbon-date one's grandmother... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We explore why a dog's mouth might be cleaner then a human's from the perspective of getting a bite from either. Who's got the worst oral bacteria? Plus, we ask how worms survive flooding of their soil-y burrows. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week's question is all about energy! Do our bodies manage to harvest all the energy from food or do we miss a few calories here and there? Plus, we ask whose bite is worse, dog or human? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We find out if it's possible to revise for exams, become a mechanic or pick up a new language in your sleep! Do those CDs really work? Plus, we ask how many calories our bodies actually absorb from the food we eat. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this lucrative Question of the Week we find out how paper notes and metal coins are minted and printed in the money making factories of the UK. Plus, we ask if and how subliminal CDs work... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We find out about the physics behind wet T-shirt competitions! Why is it that pale clothing becomes transparent with the addition of water? Plus, in a totally unrelated question, we ask how money is made... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this seasonal Question of the Week we explore how removing the lovely white reflective stuff might cause the whole world to warm up. Plus, we ask how wet T-shirt competitions work (the science behind it, that is)! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Got an urgent call that needs to overcome virtually infinite gravity? This Question of the Week explores if mobile calls from black holes are possible. Plus, we ask if ploughing up the snow can worsen global warming. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We discover whether life in the Cretaceous period was as seasonal as it is today. Did dinosaurs put up with leaves on the line too? Plus, we ask whether it's possible to make a call from a black hole. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We find out if evaporation works in cold weather too! Is it worth using the tumble dryer, after all? Plus, we ask if the seasons have always sat in the same part of the solar year... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We find out whether a giant hulk of steel can disrupt a bird's navigation system. Would a 350,000 ton tanker do the trick? Plus, we ask how cold it can be before hanging out the washing becomes pointless. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We find out if the old adage is true - do pets really look similar to their owners? Or is it just that we only tend to remember those that do look similar? Plus, we ask why pigeons like settling on oil tankers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this environmentally-themed QotW we find out how nations across the globe add up their greenhouse gas contributions. Does everyone do CO2 accounts in the same way? Plus, we ask why it is that pets look like their owners. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists