Question of the Week, from the Naked Scientists
637 episodes — Page 6 of 13
Ep 387What is the minimum land area required to sustain one human being?
Charlie asked us to field the question, "what is the minimum area required to sustain one human being in terms of oxygen and food?" Marika Ottman brought this cultivation conundrum to Marco Springmann, the Senior Researcher on Environmental Sustainability and Public Health at the University of Oxford... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Ep 386Brain Response to Audiobooks
Tuomo asks, "Does your brain respond differently when you're listening to an audiobook compared to when you're reading a book? And does this affect how much information you can retain?". Isabelle Cochrane put this to Dr Matt Davis, Programme Leader in Hearing Language at Cambridge's MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Ep 385Why do humans get bored?
Theo and Simon Hall asked Why do humans get bored? And what is the evolutionary advantage of boredom? Adam Murphy put this question to Dr. Brian Little at the University of Cambridge to get his less than boring answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Ep 384How do astronauts weigh things in space?
Chris Taylor wonders how astronauts can weigh things in space. Marika Ottman asks Michael Foale, a former NASA Astronaut and Commander of the International Space Station, to weigh in and assess the gravity of the situation... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Ep 383Could We Eat Alien Life?
Eamonn asked us to chew over this alien question: If some-day we managed to travel to another planet and discovered aliens, what is the likelihood that we could eat them?We turned to Gareth Corbett, gastroenterologist at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge, to see if he had any food for thought... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Ep 382Why does my nose drip in cold weather?
Listener Mike asked us to sniff out an answer to cold conundrum... When I cycle my bike in cold weather my nose runs, it doesn't happen in warm weather and is their anything I can do to help with it?We took this snotty situation to Ears nose and throat specialist, Neil Donelly, from Addenbrookes hospital. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Ep 381How does size affect death from falling?
Matt asked how big an animal or human has to be before a fall would kill it. Katie Haylor put this perilous pondering to physicist Stuart Higgins from Imperial College London... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Ep 380Do lobsters feel pain?
Switzerland has now banned boiling lobsters live. Do they experience pain; how do we know? Georgia Mills asked Professor Bob Elwood from Queen's University, Belfast, for his take on this hot topic. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Ep 379Is it better to walk or run in the cold?
Izzie Clarke's been chilling out with this Question of the Week from Trent... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Ep 378Why does fresh pasta rise during cooking?
Martin wanted to know why fresh pasta rises to the surface of the pot when it's ready. We asked Dr Chris Brock from London South Bank University. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Ep 377Do fish yawn?
The Waite family wanted to know if fish yawn, so Heather Wark spoke to Iain Barber from Nottingham Trent University, to find out. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Ep 376Could a space rocket be launched from a gun?
Anthony wanted to know if firing space rockets out of giant guns would be a better way to blast off. Heather Wark spoke to Dr Stuart Grey of Strathclyde University to find out... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Ep 375Why do people pick their noses?
This week we answered the sticky query, Why do people pick their noses?. Lewis Thomson put it to Liverpool GP Dr Laura Wark. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Ep 374What happens if your car is struck by lightning?
Elizabeth wanted to know whether she'd be safe if her car was hit by lightning or whether the engine would cut out. Izzie Clarke spoke to Philip Garsed from Cambridge University to spark up the debate on this electrifying question. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Ep 373How long can we survive for without a head?
In the 1940's there was a chicken who survived for 18 months without a head, how long can humans survive for without a head? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Ep 372Is it safe to live near a cell phone tower?
Jayson wanted to know if living near a cell phone tower could be affecting his and his family's health. Stevie Bain spoke to physicist Tony Kent from the University of Nottingham to shed some light on the situation. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Ep 371Are flies easier to swat if you move slowly?
Jon wanted to know whether approaching a fly slowly would make it easier to swat. With the help of animal vision specialist Kate Feller from Cambridge University, Michael Wheeler's been swotting up on swatting flies. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Ep 370Does cooking remove alcohol?
Zettie wanted to know how much alcohol stays behind in food when you cook with it. Alexandra Ashcroft asked Vayu Maini Rekdal, from Harvard University, to turn up the heat on this question... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Ep 369How smart is your pet dog?
David wanted to know how our pet dogs compare to other animals, such as primates and dolphins, when it comes to intelligence. Stevie Bain spoke to Ben Ambridge from the University of Liverpool, and author of 'Are You Smarter than a Chimpanzee?', to find out more. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Ep 368Why Do Clothes Dry Below 100 Degrees Celsius?
This week, we aired out Norm's question: if water is a solid, as ice, below 0 degrees Celsius, a gas above 100 degrees Celcius and a liquid between this range, why does washing dry when the air temperature is below 100 degrees Celsius. Alexandra Ashcroft asked Dr Thomas Ouldridge, from Imperial College London, to hang Norm's question out to dry... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Ep 367Could green humans harvest energy from the sun?
This week, Mark has a conundrum about chloroplasts: If we could go green and harvest energy from the sun, like plants, how big would our skin need to be to sustain a normal level of activity? Georgia Mills recruited Christopher Mason, associate professor at Weill Cornell Medicine to shed some light on the answer. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Ep 366Does washing dishes leave toxic detergent residue on plates?
Caitlin asked whether detergent residues left on crockery and cutlery could be bad for our health. Katie Haylor spoke to Rob Chilcott from the University of Hertfordshire to find out. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Ep 365Can Anti-Noise Silence A Highway?
Is it possible to create noise-cancelling headphones, but for an apartment? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Ep 364Why Warm up Muscles?
Jim asked whether being in a warm room - like in a hot yoga class - really does help your muscles to warm up quicker. Katie Haylor spoke to Christof Schweining from the University of Cambridge to find out. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Ep 363Can we exercise our brain to improve at difficult tasks?
Like physical activity, can we exercise our brain to improve at difficult mental challenges? Izzie Clarke spoke to Duncan Astle from Cambridge University about this tiring task... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Ep 362Why do musical instruments sound different when playing the same note?
Why does the same musical note sound different when played on different instruments? Why does, for example, an A-sharp on a piano sound different to an A-sharp on a trumpet? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Ep 360Why are blue lights harder to see?
David wanted to know why the blue lights he saw in Christmas trees were often harder to make out. Izzie Clarke spoke to Dr George Dobre from Kent University to shed some light on the issue. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Ep 361What sound does a falling missile make?
Listener George wondered why, in films, missiles make a descending sound as they fall? And what would it sound like if it fell into a bottomless pit? Izzie Clarke asked Peter Main from King's College London to explain what actually happens... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Ep 359Whats the most efficient way to run up steps?
We investigate the most energy-efficient way to climb stairs: one or two at a time? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Ep 358Can mosquitoes transmit HIV?
Can mosquitoes transmit HIV from one person to another? Ricky Nathvani investigates... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Ep 357When should I replace my bulbs with LEDs?
Ricky Navthani has been trying to shed some light of Philip's question, about when he should replace his old CFL lights for more efficient LEDs. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Ep 356How Does My Tea Become Pee?
When you drink tea and use the toilet shortly afterwards, is that the same liquid? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Ep 355Could we see into the past?
Listener David got in touch to ask about whether mirrors in space could show us what Earth was like a million years ago. Graihagh Jackson asked Cambridge's Anna Hourihane to explain how this might work... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Ep 354How did birds survive the dinosaur mass extinction?
If birds are dinosaurs, why didn't they get killed by the asteroid 60 million years ago? Tom O'Hanlon put Fay's query to David Norman from the University of Cambridge. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Ep 353Why are the poles north-south?
Listener Tim got in touch to ask: Why do the poles go north-south as opposed to east-west? Graihagh Jackson spoke to Imperial College's Stuart Higgins to find out... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Ep 352Do Ants Feel Pain?
Do ants or other insects feel pain in the same way as humans do? And what does it have to do with robots? Tom Crawford gets some ant-sight from the University of York's Eleanor Drinkwater... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Ep 351What Would Peeing on the Moon Look Like?
What would peeing on the moon look like? Is it even possible? Tom Crawford puts this astronomical question to Dr. Chris Messenger from the University of Glasgow... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Ep 350Why doesn't water burn?
Water contains hydrogen and oxygen, both of which are important in combustion, so why is it used to put out fires? Why doesn't water burn? Graihagh Jackson put this to chemist Peter Wothers from the University of Cambridge... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Ep 349Why does a broken magnets form two new ones?
Why is it when we break a magnet in half, we get two new magnets? Why don't we just get separate north and south poles formed? Liam Messin set out to find the answer with Tim Boyd, a Cambridge undergraduate... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Ep 348Can light exert a force to move an object?
Why don't you get thrown backwards when you switch on your torch? Kerstin Gopfrich made her way to the Nanophotonics Centre in Cambridge to find out from Dr. Anna Lombardi. The answer to Matt's question may blow you away... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Ep 347How much younger would you be after 50 years on Jupiter?
Could a jaunt to Jupiter be the physics-version of anti-wrinkel cream? This week, Kerstin Gpfrich convinced physicist Dr Stuart Higgins to go on a mission to answer Troy's question... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Ep 346Does regular hand soap kill germs?
This week, Connie Orbach has been cleaning up, answering Dale's question he sent in on Facebook: does soap really kill off germs?, with the help of Cherly Trundle from Addenbrooke's hospital infection control team. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Ep 345Could nuclear testing cause earthquakes?
To get a handle on this shaky question Connie Orbach called in Dr Alex Copley from Cambridge University's Department of Earth Sciences... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Ep 344Do animals experience the placebo effect?
Joshua asked us whether animals could ever experience the placebo effect. To find out, Laura Brooks spoke to Eleanor Drinkwater, researcher in animal behaviour at the University of York... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Ep 343Why does line drying make clothes rough?
Kevin got in touch ask why clothes dried on a washing line can end up feeling rough, crunchy and stiff... To find out, our Laura Brooks contacted Neil Lant at the Fabric and Home Care research and development division of Proctor and Gamble, who make Lenor fabric softener. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Ep 342Can we unlearn something that we have already learned?
It is not only learning that can appear to be quite hard; it's unlearning that we struggle with. How do we unlearn? Is there any technique for unlearning things? Claire Armstrong put this to neuroscientist Laura Ford, from the University of Cambridge... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Ep 341If we slice the earth in half what would it look like from space?
Lucka Bibic spoke to Prof Marian Holness from University of Cambridge to take her through Robert's question... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Ep 340Why does our stomach grumble when we are hungry?
This week, Natasha from Australia wrote in to ask why her stomach grumble when she is hungry. Lucka Bibic enlisted Dr Roshini Raj from Medical Trinity Center in New York to find out what causes the rumbly in our tumbly! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Ep 339How did the moon get its markings?
Listener Loot got in touch to ask how the moon got its markings. Claire Armstrong looked towards the heavens for the answer and spoke to the Open University's planetary expert Professor David Rothery. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Ep 338Did the cavemen have names?
Listener Kat got in touch to ask if cavemen really did have names and when did humans start naming each other. Lucka Bibic went in search of cavemen's names with the Professor of Linguistics at MIT, Shigeru Miyagawa. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists