Question of the Week, from the Naked Scientists

This week, we ask if the human race is evolving to be less intelligent, as those with more education tend to delay breeding and have fewer children. Plus, we ask how sunflowers follow the Sun, and whether they re-set overnight! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How did the waggle dance - the complex dance that honeybees use to describe the whereabouts of good food - evolve in small steps? We find out in this Question of the Week. Plus, we ask where human evolution is taking us... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week's question jet propels us into the blue skies thinkingon passenger jet manoeuvrability. Can a large airliner perform barrel rolls and loops? We also ask, how did bee dances come about? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this Question of the Week, we ask if the positions of the Sun and Moon influence your weight - Is night time your light time, what do you weigh at midday? Diana O'Carroll finds out. Plus, we ask if it's possible to do aerobatic stunts in large passenger aircraft! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this Question of the Week, we find out if a magnetic field can stop pipes from clogging up with limescale? Many manufacturers would like us to believe that simply clamping a magnet to your plumbing is all you need for clean, free flowing water, but is the science on their side? Plus, we ask if the planets and stars align to make you weigh less at night! Like this podcast? Please help us by supp...

As they can't close their eyes, how do fish sleep? We find out in this Question of the Week. Plus, we ask if magnetism can really stop limescale from sticking to your pipes... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This Question of the Week is about getting to the root of toxic snake bites. Why do Aussie snakes have such a venomous reputation? Plus, we ask what goldfish get up to at night... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this week's QotW we find out what food to eat if you want to turn orange. Plus, we ask why Australian snakes are, on the whole, moretoxic than their global counterparts. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

On this Question of the Week, we ask if humans grow a winter coat, and then moult in the winter, as so many other furry animals do? Plus, if Flamingoes are pink because of their diet, can we eat to change colour? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this Question of the Week, we discover the biological basis of burns - just what does happen to your cells when you touch something hot? Plus, we ask if humans undergo seasonal moulting - do we lose more hair when it's warmer? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, we search our own databanks to find out how much energy it takes to search for something on Google. Plus, we ask what happens at a molecular level when we touch a hot object... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this special Question of the Week, we explore the reasons why trees, even when closely related an in the same environment, can have such diverse leaf shapes. Plus, we ask how much energy it takes to search the internet for answers! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why should milk 'change it's tune' when it's being steamed? In this Question of the Week, we find out why the sound of steaming milk changes abruptly at around 60C (140F), and invite you to consider Sir David Attenborough's question for next week... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Could a robotic suit make a ballerina out of a buffoon? Could technology allow ordinary people to perform extraordinary tasks? We find out in this Question of the Week. Plus, we ask why milk seems to be so musical - why does the sound of milk being steamed seem to suddenly change when the milk reaches 60 degrees Celsius? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How does spit make your shoes so shiny? A good polish needs more than just elbow grease, it needs your saliva too! We find out in this Question of the Week, and ask if it's possible to build a suit that lets you dance like a ballerina? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

You can instantly tell if there are three objects on a table, but if there are twenty, you would need to count them to be sure. Why can we spot the small groups without having to count, and how big does the group have to be for us to get out our mental abacus'? We find out in this Question of the Week, plus, we ask why should spit shine shoes so successfully? Like this podcast? Please help us by s...

Petrified wood is a type of fossil, but some claim to have seen wooden fence posts that have already become petrified. Is it scientifically possible for wood to fossilise in such a short period? We ask how petrified wood is formed, and what exactly does it consist of? Plus, you may instinctively be able to count three items in a pile, but how many items before you have to stop and count? Like this...

Meteorites, dust and other space rubbish is falling to Earth all the time, but does any of it ever contain life? We find out if aliens hitch a lift on space rubble in this Question of the Week. Plus, we ask how does wood become petrified? Can it happen quickly enough for us to find petrified fence posts? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

If you're given an excess of chocolate or sweets as a present, is it better for you to wolf them all down in a huge binge, or just eat a few each day to make them last? We find out what to do with your chocolate haul in this Question of the Week. Plus, we ask if amongst all the things that fall from space, have we ever found evidence for life? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Na...

What is tryptophan, and does Turkey really make you sleepy? We find out in this seasonal Question of the Week. Plus, we ask if you should scoff down all of your Christmas chocolates in one go, or make them last all winter? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

What is it that makes us laugh? We find out what makes us giggle and keeps stand up comedians in work! Plus, we ask if eating Turkey really makes you sleepy... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Could a psychopath pass a lie detector test, if they felt no remorse for their crimes? We find out if the technology is up to finding the truth in this Question of the Week. Plus, what is it that makes us laugh? Find out how to excersise your giggle muscle next week. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this Question of the Week, we learn the correct etiquette for attending a birthday party on the Moon - Should you bring a helium balloon, or will it just be a let down? Plus, we ask if people who do not feel remorse can trick a lie detector test... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Are we the only animals who cook our food? Why do we need to cook, and if it's so good, why haven't other animals joined us at the barbeque? We find out in this Question of the Week. Plus, we ask if a helium balloon would float on the moon... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

If the human race were to become spontaneously extinct, how long would it take for all evidence of us to be wiped from the planet Earth? Will there be evidence of human activity forever, or will we disappear without a trace. Find out in this Question of the Week, where we also ask if we are the only species to cook our food... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists