Ask the Naked Scientists

In this week's selection of science questions, Dr Chris explains the impact of sweetners on the body, what happens when we suffer a stroke, and where the other half of the moon disappears to... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why are viruses so contagious? Are there any treatments for macular degeneration? How are we treating depression with psychedelics? Why do people lose their sense of smell? Is cloud seeding a real thing? Dr Chris Smith and Relebogile Mabotja have all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Is our perfect total eclipse just a total coincidence? Where do our dreams come from? Can you launch a missile without it being picked up by satellites? Which animals have the best memory? Do humans have any instincts? Can gravity be 1g on a planet with a greater mass than Earth? Where could we go when Earth becomes uninhabitable? What was there before the beginning of the Universe? Dr Chris Smith and Clarence Ford have all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why did the eclipse move west to east across the Earth? Why are we so interested in nuclear fusion? Could we ever breathe underwater? What is the opposite force to gravity? Would alcohol sterilise a drowning fly? What the difference between cancer and cancerous growths? Are lactose introlerant mothers allergic to their own milk? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Do animals ever get lost? Do ants count their steps? Could we recreate the greenhouse effect on Mars? Why can you hear some aircraft, but not others? Could we mine the Moon? Is it ever too late to stop somking? Do people with autism have a different brain structure? Dr Chris Smith and Clarence Ford have all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Dr Chris answers more listener submitted questions including, Why is South Africa on the bottom of the world map? Why are countries interested in landing on the moon again? How do undersea cables work? What is the Square Kilometre Array? Why are my car keys better at unlocking my car than my TV remote is at controlling my TV? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Chris Smith answers science questions from the public. Does the rate of nail growth differ between men and women? What are the advantages of a nose swab over a mouth swab? What could improve the connectivity of my remote? Accounting for the rotation of Earth, does a plane flying from London to Cape Town fly in a straight line? How does a colour printer work? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Do statins affect your Vitamin D production? Why do we have leap years? Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Could we live on the moon of Titan? Did COVID come from a lab? What aspects of science can we still now answer? Could popping a pimple on your face kill you? How does wireless charging work? Dr Chris Smith and Clarence Ford have all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Chris Smith answers another sample of enquiries from across the scientific spectrum: What might have caused my beetle infestation? Why do so many cultures describe an afterlife? What's the medical explanation for 'cracking the seal?' How do lions identify cubs that aren't theirs? If the Earth stopped rotating, would we feel it? Will hydrogen combustion engines be efficient? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

What causes the noise in a lightning strike? How do astronauts' bodies change after a long time in space? Can you die of fright? Are we living in the past? Why don't insects get hurt when they fall? Dr Chris Smith and Relebogile Mabotja have all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why do birds stand on one leg? Which animals can we eat, and which can we not? Does your life flash before your eyes when you die? Does a plug's wiring orientation matter? Why does hearing water make you need the toilet? Does anything travel alongside the ISS? Dr Chris Smith and Relebogile Mabotja have all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Dr Chris Smith answers listener questions including, how can we communicate science better? How much distance do we travel through space each second? Why might I feel stomach pain when I'm hungry and I take a cold drink? What causes people to feel sleepy when they're near a pregnant woman? Why do we enter planes on the left rather than the right? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Chris Smith takes on listener questions, including: How far out to sea do seagulls fly? How is the malaria vaccine rollout going? Why does hot weather make your muscles more tired? What is the hottest temperature humans can survive? How do vultures track their lunch? How do some people retain more information? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Chris Smith takes on listener submitted questions including, why do people disagree so much on what temperature to set the heating? Where do swallows and swifts go in the winter? Is it true that parrots don't have taste buds? And, what is dry ice? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why might chilli cause an upset stomach? How does a boomerang work? What's the difference between 50Hz and 60Hz of energy? Why does Saturn have a hexagon? Are stars moving away from us? How do we know how large underground oil deposits are? Why aren't cameras as good as out eyes? Do mosquitoes prefer certain people? Dr Chris Smith and Clarence Ford have all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why kind of gas is in a gas giant planet? Can you do anything about sleepwalking? What causes stutters and speech impediments? Does blowing out birthday candles spread germs onto the cake? Why don't we feel the wind from moving through space? What are shooting stars? Why don't we have strangers with identical DNA? Dr Chris Smith and Clarence Ford have all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In the first Ask! of 2024, Dr Chris Smith tackles questions on UV rays, Fahrenheit vs Celsius, whether the Three Gorges Dam could be slowing down the Earth's rotation, what drives dictators to do bad things, whether neutrinos pose a threat to humans, and what happens to our bodies after we die? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Are some wildfires beneficial? What is the worst case scenario for climate change? What causes lactose intolerance? Does sunscreen cause a vitamin D defiency? Why do blind people still move their eyes around when thinking? Why do we scratch itches? Dr Chris Smith and Clarence Ford have all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, a Christmas surprise in Dr Chris's tree that he'd rather not have brought home; should I drink water from aircon machines or even vehicle exhausts, will coffee make me live longer, is the flag planted during the Moon landing still there, what's the scientific basis of itching, which planets don't have a moon, and what makes mosquitoes prefer me to other people? Dr Chris and Talk Radio 702's Relebogile Mabotja take on your science questions... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

What is the science of a midlife crisis? Can you store stainless steel in the fridge? Where do flies go in the winter? Could you make food directly from soil? Do the sun and the moon change positions in the winter? Why does the mouth generate saliva? How do worms get into your body? Dr Chris Smith and Relebogile Mabotja have all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Dr Chris and Clarence Ford take on listener questions. This time they include, is intelligence more nature or nurture? Is time travel possible? Could time travellers be walking among us? Are Tibetan monks really capable of levitating? Why do I feel down during the holidays? What are the differences between lab grown and mined diamonds? What are weeds and why do they always grow where they shouldn't? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Should we ban AI from the military sphere? Does eating too much meat cause gout? What determines the shape of clouds? Are recycled tyres a safe material for roads? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Does COVID damage your brain? Why do moths have 'dust' on their wings? Where did the oldest plants come from? Is it better to sleep on your side or your back? Who is the top dog in a pack when humans aren't around? What is your pineal gland for? Why would stomach ulcers cause headaches? Dr Chris Smith and Clarence Ford have all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Does alcohol burn off during cooking, why people put their principles in front of their own life and freedom, what causes ageing and can gene editing be used to reverse it, and is curiosity genetic across species? And does Dr Chris believe in God? Relebogile Mabotja and Dr Chris Smith have the answers to the questions you're asking! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Dr Chris takes more listener questions. This week, they include: Why do the sun and the moon appear the same size during a lunar eclipse? How long does it take bowel movements to return to normal after a colostomy? Can you prick a balloon without popping it? Is an enlarged heart dangerous? Do wild horses suffer without having their hooves maintained? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How does a boomerang work? Are windturbines harmful to birds? Which are smarter, dogs or cats? Can you breathe liquid air? How do racecar spoilers work? How long are dreams in real time? What affects systolic blood pressure? Dr Chris Smith and Clarence Ford have all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this edition of Ask!, Dr Chris answers these questions and more: Do pineapples really eat you as you eat them? Do they have any health benefits? And why am I gaining weight as I go through the menopause? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Can fasting help with gut health? Why is cancer so hard to treat? Does a change in the weather lead to joint pain? How do you deal with chronic constipation in children? Dr Chris Smith and Relebogile Mabotja have all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

What is our water carbon footprint? Does microwaving food destroy the nutritional value? Why do golf balls have dimples? Should we be desalinating water? Why are breastfed babies less likely to become obese? How did we calculate a dog year? Why do we always look at something that we're told not to? What is intermittent fasting? Dr Chris Smith and Clarence Ford have all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Does prior infection or vaccine protect better against COVID? How do you know when something is wrong with your bowels? What is the difference between old and new vaccines? What effect does grapefruit have on taking mediaction? What are the chemical markers that someone is pregnant? Chris Smith and Relebogile Mabotja have all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why do animals dream? Why do weird dreams feel so normal? Do ovulating people have more vivid dreams? Why might someone stop dreaming? Will ChatGPT replace The Naked Scientists? What is deja vu? Why is so much money being invested into AI? Can sunflowers absorb radioactive waste? Is the Mexican alien real? Dr Chris Smith and Clarence Ford have all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Do skin care products live up to the hype? Is it cheaper to heat homes with electricity or gas? How does IVF work? How long will the sun continue to burn for? What is arthritis? What is the sensation of deja vu? Is there a cure for baldness? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How does colour blindness work? How do we know what other planets are made of? Why might a red dye suddenly disappear? Why don't you feel the velocity of a plane for the whole flight? Do mobile phones in crowded spaces expose us to anything dangerous? What causes testicular torsion? How do you avoid getting rats in your car? Where did humans come from? Dr Chris Smith and Clarence Ford have all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Do collagen skin treatments work? What exactly are teeth? Are DNA tests ever 100% accurate? Why do dead bodies float? Why doesn't the pole star move? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why am I right footed, but left handed? Why are dogs' sense of smell so superior? Do people with bigger eyes have better peripheral vision? Why do guns recoil? What's the function of the black patterns on the peripheries of car windscreens? Why are yawns contagious? Why are nuclear bombs so deadly? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why do I have to pee when I wash my hands? Are daddy long-legs poisonous? Are taste buds generic across the population? Why are babies so amused by their reflection? How effective are statins? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Dr Chris Smith tackles the impressive array of questions from listeners. What gives non Newtonian liquids their special properties? Could wearing socks in bed increase the risk of having a stroke? Do Inuits not experience dental decay? Why can't we remember when we fall asleep? And what makes certain foods traditional breakfast items? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why do we explore space? Why does a flame produce less of a shadow? Do zeolites pollute water? Why do some people float better in water than others? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Should you drink re-boiled water? How do bees know who to attack? Should we just leave the deep sea alone? Why do some countries drive on the left? What causes fire? Why do we need the toilet as soon as we get home? Why is there a fridge light and not a freezer light? Why does the moon move in the sky? Dr Chris Smith and Clarence Ford have all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How do we fuel cars more sustainably? What causes morning sickness during pregnancy? Why does California have a sunny Christmas? Why are some smells able to summon powerful memories? Why can I hear fluid flowing when I move my neck? Is premature ejaculation nature's way of hastening reproduction? And what's the physics behind why stars twinkle? Dr Chris Smith and Clarence Ford have the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How high a temperature can human's survive? Why does cleaning your ear make your eyes roll? How do astronauts make it back from the moon? What is on the dark side of the Moon? Should we put parachutes on aeroplanes? How long can DNA samples last? Dr Chris Smith and Clarence Ford have all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why do we itch ourselves? How do kidney stones form? I've started sleeping on a more comfortable mattress - why am I getting back pain? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

What is causing climate change? Does pumping out oil leave a hole behind in the Earth? What does an Adam's apple do? What causes temperature differences from day to day? How does throat singing work? What would happen to Twitter's data if it collapsed? What is the spring tide, and why is it dangerous? Dr Chris Smith and Clarence Ford have all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

If there was nothing before the big bang, who created nothing? When egg shell falls into the pan, why is the rest of the egg shell the most effective way to fish it out again? And what's going on with the James Webb space telescope? Dr Chris Smith and 567 CapeTalk's Clarence Ford take a look... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

What are the benefits of cold water swimming? How much pressure was on the Titan submersible? How big are protons and electrons? Why do all babies have straight hair? Why are orcas sinking sailboats? Why does a glass hob's heat not move laterally? Dr Chris Smith and Clarence Ford have all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why do my eyes burn when raindrops run into them? Why can eye and hair colour change? Why do I cry when I go to the loo? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How do flysprays work, and are they harmful for humans? What's "muscle memory" and where are these memories stored? Why do disinfectants "only" kill 99.9% of germs? How do I cleanse domestic rainwater tanks to kill microbes? How does freefall - as described by orbiting astronauts - work? If I let my pet cobra go, will it survive in the wild? What's the basis of sweating, and why do some people sweat more than others? Dr Chris Smith and CapeTalk's Clarence Ford have the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week,?What makes an appendix burst? Why do we blush??Do carrots really improve our eyesight? What other foods can we eat to regenerate our organs? Can lions survive on seafood? Can studying the arts impact on my health? And why do some flowers only release their scents at night, a how? Dr Chris Smith and Clarence Ford have the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

What are hiccups and what's the medical term for the phenomenon? How far to the horizon and why does it always appear to be at eye-level? What are lectins and are they harmful? What is pulmonary fibrosis, why does it happen and can it be cured? Why do bright lights make spots on my vision, and why does the colour change when I close my eyes? And as a 65 year old in good health and with 4 Covid-19 vaccines and one mild SARS-CoV-2 infection, do I need another Covid-19 booster?? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why do we always find cockroaches on their back? How does medicine know where it hurts? Why do we dream? Why is the Earth still so hot? What came first, the chicken or the egg? Why did Chernobyl explode? How much energy does a seed need to grow? Can we work out how much energy there is in the world? Why do most of us look different? Chris Smith and Clarence Ford answer questions from the students of the International School of Cape Town... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists