Ask the Naked Scientists

This week Dr Chris discusses how volcanoes can cut global warming, the evidence for genes linked to race, whether ambidexterity is real, the cause of crop circles, news of a new vaccine for tuberculosis (TB) and the tale of a comet that turned into an asteroid... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Are fat cells all made equal, why women glow while men perspire, the science of electromagnetic induction, what is emphysema, how are drug doses determined, is the Earth gaining weight and where does belly button fluff come from all go under the microscope in this week's Ask! the Naked Scientist from Talk Radio 702... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Where does the waste from an aeroplane toilet go? And could you ever really get stuck to one when pressing the flush? Do we have bigger brains than 500 years ago? And why are planets spherical? We tackle all of these questions this week, as well as finding out that researchers have created an artificial nose even more sensitive than a dog's. Plus we'll discover why onions make your eyes water... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How do dolphins and other marine animals hydrate themselves? Can we use nanotechnology to fight disease? How does a radio-controlled clock work? We take on this variety of questions as well as find out why tea stains our cups, whether volcanic activity hollows out the earths core and why ice sticks to your tongue. Plus, we investigate if any large land animals can survive without oxygen! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How does a mobile phone mast work? What affect does living in space have on the human body? Could tractor beams become a reality? We take on these space age questions in this week's show as well as reveal the land area of Earth, why people in the Southern Hemisphere don't walk on their heads, why hair looks darker when wet and why alcohol makes you feel happy. Plus, we investigate what would happen if we drilled to the centre of the Earth! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Are we at risk when we use public toilets? What can we catch from kissing strangers? Why is it safer to eat cooked rather than rare meat? We take on these risk averse questions as well as find out how the sun burns, why children shouldn't drink coffee, the direction our blood flows around our body and how much ruminent animals and permafrost contribute to our greenhouse gases. Plus, we investigate whether it's more efficient to run our cars on a half or full tank of gas! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why do Pigeons nod their heads? How does food become body fat? What can you do with a ramjet? We take on these questions as well as discover how megapixels are formed, whether bees go into their hives at night and why we use CO2 in fizzy drinks. Plus, we sniff out why cows produce methane! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

On Ask the Naked Scientists this week, we find out how cacti can survive with very little water, and why they are so well endowed with spines! We answer your questions on asteroids, the size of the universe and the correct angle to leave the Earth. Plus, we test Dave's knowledge of anti-ageing cosmetics! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How did we measure geographic distances before GPS? And how do GPS satellites do it now? Would floating bridges help in Pakistan? We'll tackle all of these questions this week, as well as finding out if ice would melt in space and ifall the alcohol evaporates if you use it in cooking. Plus, whether explosions in space just keep going... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How small is a proton? What is a photon? And how do colour-changing toys work? We'll find out the answers to all these questions this week, plus find out how new stars are born, how painkillers work and the effects of salt on our bodies! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How do lasers work? Could lasers be used to treat cataracts and blindness as well as our eyesight? Why is a hydrogen atom bigger than a helium one? Why is there no oxygen on other planets? We take on these questions in this week's show as well as find out whether South American Indians can really shrink heads, whether microwaves could be altered to cool food down, if women will survuve longer than men on earth and investigate if it's possible to make artificial gravity out in space! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why does time seem to go by faster as we get older? What do IQ tests really measure? How do probiotic yoghurts work? We get the answers to all these on this week's show, as well as finding out why hair goes lighter in the sun and how 3D televisions work. Plus, is there such a thing as a 'good' virus? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why does sugar look so different when you heat it up? How much CO2 is there in all the world's bottles of Cola? And which way is it to the Centre of the Universe? We'll tackle all these questions this week, as well as discovering what causes thunderstorms, and whether aeroplanes would work in space. Plus, does wrapping your fish and chips in newspaper make it poisonous? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Do we really need 8 glasses of water a day? How does a jet engine work? Where does earwax come from? Why are some apes vegetarian when we're not? We find out the answers to all these questions, as well as discover what thunderflies are, investigate if we're any closer to a malaria vaccine and discuss why bird feathers are so colourful. Plus, we find out about a newly discovered chemical that promotes cell survival in our brains! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why are moths attracted to light? How do red-leaved plants photosynthesise? Why don't hayfever sufferers become tolerant to pollen? We take on these questions in this week's show as well as discover if our planet changes its weight, how our brains store information and whether the Sun has any gravity. Plus, we discuss if man will ever land on Mars! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How does vinegar 'cook' an egg? How does Google work? Are the colours we see really real? We'll get the answers to all of these, plus explore how giant tortoises made it to the Galapogos, and how wiping out the human population would alter the atmosphere! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How are crisp flavours created? What makes flies so resilient? Why do some women get facial hair with age? We take on this variety of questions in this week's show as well as find out how our universe began, if Aspergers syndrome is hereditary and how methane clathrates can help store gases. Plus we discover how scientists are creating lungs in the lab! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Is microwaved water safe? Why does a mirage form? What causes that shimmer on a hot road? We tackle all of these questions this week, as well as look at how anti-dandruff shampoo works, how ships stay upright and whether humans are the only species that cry. We also find out if your laptop would survive a dunking in de-ionised water! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How did HIV originate? Why does anaemia occur more often in Africa? Do growing pains exist? We take on these infectious questions as well as find out how limescale remover works, how rainbows form and whether all objects expand in heat. Plus, we investigate if humans can get stronger under stress and reveal how much water we should drink for a healthy body. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How do Tornadoes form? What's a daisy cutter bomb? Why do we get electric shocks when leaving our cars? We take on these questions as well as find out why Jelly freezes in the fridge, why humans can't pickup radiowaves and how far away the moon is. We also investigate when a scientific theory becomes a fact! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Does our sense of taste change with age? How are horrid and pleasant smells decided by our brains? Is it harder to urinate when you're older? We tackle these time-sensitive questions in this week's show as well as find out how de-caffeinated coffee is made, whether caffeine is bad for us and how we acquire the bacteria that live naturally inside us. Plus, we investigate whether love can rule our brains! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why can't we tickle ourselves? Is deafness down to our genes? Can diabetes cause Eczema? How does deodorant prevent body odour? We take on these questions in this week's show as well as reveal if botox can be used as a medicine, why some people don't feel pain and whether it's possible to wake up with a new accent. Plus we investigate if bacteria could be used to clean the oil spill in the gulf of Mexico! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Ask the Naked Scientists, South Africa! This week we're adding a new member to the Ask! family with a new show on South Africa's flagship station TalkRadio 702. We look at man-boobs, hair cells, relativity at work in rugby, the right way round for your headphones, the getting-cold-causes-colds myth, excito-toxicity, how the immune system works, why asparagus makes urine smell and the lifespan of a fly. Don't know the answer? Then why not Ask the Naked Scientists... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

What effects can underground nuclear explosions have on our land? How do antibacterial cleaners work? Could bacteria be used to clean up our environment from pollutants? We take on these question in this week's show as well as find out why the colour blue is so hard to see at night, why grass can survive when covered with snow, whether tanks could be made with armoured glass and how data can be saved on non-magnetic disks. Plus, we find out how scientists are developing flexible touch screens! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Do earthquakes shift the earths axis? If the population of China jumped at once would it cause an earthquake? How much lava is inside the earth? Would more eruptions lead to an ice age? We tackle these questions as well as find out what makes stainless steel stainless, why it is colder further out in space, and why wet towels whip harder than dry ones. Plus we investigate how ice found on asteroids could give more evidence for life in outer space. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Could a comet shield the earth from the sun? How do planets form around stars? Why are planets spherical? What's the temperature in space? We tackle these astronomical questions in this weeks show as well as reveal why there isn't a cure for the common cold, why 3D glasses make some of us feel dizzy and if volcanic ash can disrupt space travel. Plus, we investigate what the Hubble Telescope sees in space! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why are some Volcanic Eruptions stronger than others? Why can't aeroplanes fly around the ash in the sky? Is our ozone layer still a concern? Why will sea levels rise if the ice caps melt? We take on these explosive questions in this week's show as well as find out if dogs can communicate, how boats sail into the wind, how outdoor infra-red heaters work and why clingfilm expands over food in the microwave. We also investigate is silverfish are related to dinosaurs and where water goes when it evaporates! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why does it feel hotter when the sun is out? Why can we see clouds at night? Is the sky always grey when it rains? We tackle these question on this week's show as well as find out if a magnet could replace the wires in a pendulum, why some plugs only have 2 prongs, how it is possible to go blind only temporarily and we reveal how our blood clots. Plus, we investigate the science behind near-death experiences! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Do cats have a sixth sense? How do dogs moult? Why are some hairs longer than others? Why do women get hot flushes? We tackle these questions on this weeks show as well as find out why we form tears, how animals navigate and why our voice changes when we hold our nose? Plus, we investigate if toads can detect earthquakes! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why do boomerangs return? How do painkillers know where to go? Are some painkillers faster than others? Why do men have nipples? We take on these questions in this week's show as well as find out why rainbows form arcs, what Menieres disease is, how sea breezes form and why we don't sing with accents. We also investigate the difference between X-rays, MRIs and other medical scans! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How does lightning strike? Should we worry about radiation from mobile phone masts? Do our TV sets give off any radiation? Why do we see the Northern Lights? We tackle these questions in this weeks show as well as reveal how a gyroscope works, why some batteries last longer than others and if the earths core uses oil as a coolant. Plus, we compare the energy consumption of electric and internal combustion engine cars! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Could the Earth cope without the Moon, how do safety matches work, what causes hiccups, why don't frosts form undercover, should NASA put people on an asteroid, why do nails grow faster on holiday, and what was here before the Big Bang? Join Dr Chris as he embarks ona brain-stretching scientific tour of the Cosmos for this week's Ask the Naked Scientists! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How does fuel burn in spaceships without oxygen? Why do we see sun rays from behind clouds? Why is there often a red glow in the night sky? We take on your cosmic questions in this week's show as well as reveal how radios pick up aircraft transmissions, why solar panels work better when facing south and we investigate if the recent earthquakes have knocked the earth off its Axis! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why is Jupiter round and how does it hold onto its gas, how does skin thickness vary around the body, why does milk soothe the effects of chilli, how do brain sizes vary amongst animals, what makes a person blush, why don't we deafen ourselves when we shout and what makes bottoms attractive? Join Dr Chris as he pits his wits against this week's crop of questions... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How do meat-tenderisers make meat more succulent, how do they get the corks into Champagne bottles, do explosions travel in space, why have golf balls got dimples, how do holograms work and what does light weigh? Find out with Dave Ansell in this week's fact-packed Ask! The Naked Scientists... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How do we fall in love? What is our universe Expanding into? Will our universe ever be sucked back inwards? We take on these cosmic questions in this week's show as well as find out how dogs tell the time, if cracking our knuckles causes arthritis and why vegetables are less crisp once frozen. We also investigate whether the forces created by volcanes could be harnessed for energy! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why does the earth spin? Is the moon moving farther away from earth? What are the odds of winning the lottery twice in a row and of getting the same numbers twice? We take on these questions in this week's podcast as well as reveal the difference between blu-ray and DVD's, what will happen when the earth's magnetic poles flip, why certain materials are transparent, and if water changes composition when boiled. Plus, we investigate the potential for life in outer space. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Does being hot under the collar ever lead to spontaneous combustion? Will we ever get smellovision? Does being ill make you smarter? We take on these questions in this week's show as well as reveal if animals and humans react to drugs in the same way, whether milk is what makes mucus in our bodies and if microwaves are as good at heating water as your kettle! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why do buses get steamy, how do ships withstand super-waves, what's really invovled in balancing on a bike, how come Hawaii's on a hot-spot and do fluorescent tubes flash beneath power lines? Join Dr Dave as he pits his wits against your scientific conundra... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How long to bones take to heal? Are healed bones stronger than they were before? How do glow worms glow? We tackle these bright questions on this week's show as well as reveal what a headache is, how to cure a hangover, the strength of atomic bombs and how trees and coral can tell us about past climates! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

At what temperature does sea water freeze? Why do aeroplanes not freeze when up in the cold air? Why can't we use sand on icy roads? We tackle these chilling questions on this week's show as well as reveal if parachutes could slow down a space ship, whether we can see stars from the moon, if smoke stacks can be harvested for energy and if wood vapourises before it burns! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Is goose fat bad for us? What food ingredients are healthy? Is soy healthier than meat? What is cellulitis? We tackle these questions to kick off our healthy eating regimes for 2010. We also explore the depths of outer space to reveal how far away our planets are, how long a rocket would take to reach Neptune and whether there are planets beyond our own solar system. Plus, we calculate how long it would have taken Santa to deliver presents to everyone! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How the moon might make you behave badly, why snowstorms beget thunderstorms, the wrong sort of snow for trains, and whether tomato soup would be a warmer filling for radiators. Dr Dave tackles a festive crop of questions in this week's Ask! the Naked Scientists... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How do facial scrubs work to remove spots and oil from our skin? does hot water freeze faster than cold water? Why do we not make more use of tidal power? We take on these questions in this week's show as well as reveal why we faint, how close our genes are to our ape ancestors and what legionnaires diseases is and how to prevent it. Plus we discuss the effects of obesity on our health and whether our organs are unique to each individual! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How is Gold formed? Could hydrogen be used in power plants? How small can an atomic bomb be? Could we reverse electrolysis to make water? We tackle these questions in this week's show as well as find out how the shrunken heads in Borneo are shrunk, why burnt toast goes black, and why white bread is white. Plus, we investigate if bullets can be made from custard and whether we can trap light to use as energy! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Can we re-set our body clocks? How can we ease the effects of jetlag? Do body clocks change with age? We look into these questions in this week's show as well as investigate whether lightning can occur without clouds, the effects of head injuries, why spacecrafts need to travel at high speeds and we discuss the optimum world population. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How can you measure how dark a place is? When do meteor showers occur and how can we see them? How do 'magic eye' paintings work? We reveal the answers to these mysteries in this week's show. We also find out whether the earth breathes, why car wheels appear to move backwards, and how DNA can narrow criminals down to a specific location. Plus, we investigate where all the hazelnuts have gone! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

What is snot? Why do we make saliva? How do babies have such sweet smelling breath? These, and other less bodily questions, get tackled in this Ask the Naked Scientists. We find out how a radio can consume batteries quickly, where to live to avoid floods and if a brain scan can spot criminal intent! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why are tomato skins so tough? Can you make fireworks from custard powder? What is the speed of dark? Join us as Dave Ansell takes on your science questions, explaining if satellites get dusty, how much damage the infamous Guy Fawkes' gunpowder plot would have done and why you can't see stars in footage shot in space! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Can venoms be used to treat disease? How deadly is the sting of an Irukandje jellyfish? Do all bees die when they sting? We tackle these buzzing questions on this week's show, as well as find out how our brains process pleasure, reveal where dust comes from, and investigate why cows are bad for our environment! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists