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The Naked Scientists Podcast

The Naked Scientists Podcast

1,285 episodes — Page 13 of 26

Ep 685Periodic Table: 150 Au Years

This week we're celebrating 150 years of the Periodic Table - we'll find out how scientists uncovered the elements in the first place and what other mysterious materials may be waiting to be discovered. Plus a way to power up the body's own morphine-like chemicals, how microbes are gluing microplastics back together in the ocean, and post-Valentine's Day, some dating do's and dating dont's to bear in mind for next year! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Feb 19, 201955 min

Ep 684Zoo&A: Why cant dogs eat chocolate?

It's QnA time, or should we say ZOO and A? We're pondering about pets and inquiring about insects as Jacob Dunn, Eleanor Drinkwater, Jason Head and Stuart Eves join Chris Smith to answer the animal-inspired questions you've been sending in.For more podcasts by The Naked Scientists, head to thenakedscientists.com or follow us on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. We're @nakedscientists. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Feb 12, 201954 min

Ep 683How to hijack a brain

This week, how hypnosis works, the parasites that hijack brain and behaviour, why we're all being manipulated 24/7, and how to build remote-controlled rodents. Plus news that we're a step closer to reversible birth control for men, why rocks affect how you vote, plastic makes mussels weaker, and a new device that puts thoughts into words... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Feb 5, 201957 min

Ep 682Cars of the Future: Are We Ready?

This week, we're getting revved up about the cars of the future! What needs to change for future car travel to be sustainable? And in the news, as Hitachi pulls the plug on a UK nuclear deal, could the answer to the country's energy crisis lie in compressed air? Also, is "blue Monday" science fact, or science fiction? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Jan 29, 201955 min

Ep 681Art: From colours to counterfeits

From finding forgeries to creating colours, we explore the science of art. Plus, in the news, turning cancer cells into fat, a threat to one of our favourite beverages, and is there really a Dark Side of the Moon? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Jan 22, 201955 min

Ep 680Microbes: From Farm to Fork

We're making a meal out of microbes, Geogia Mills and Chris Smith meet the little helpers that get food onto the table. Plus, in the news, the intelligent material that help wounds to heal, scientists get to the bottom of how norovirus makes us ill, and we explore a mysterious signal from space.Keep up to date with the lastest science news on www.nakedscientist.com or follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.... We're @nakedscientists!Or have YOU got a science question for our team? Why not email it over to chris<@>nakedscientists.com and we'll take a look. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Jan 15, 201957 min

Ep 679Why is There Always Room for Dessert?

Do astronauts get WiFi in space? What is the speed of gravity? Why is there always room for dessert? Giles Yeo, Anne-Laura Van Harmelen, Richard Hollingham and Francesca Day gather round the microphones to answer your need-to-know questions about space, food and mental health. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Jan 8, 201957 min

Ep 678A Naked Year!

From talking whales to training astronauts, creating life to reversing life-threatening allergies, Georgia Mills, Izzie Clarke and few other familiar voices re-visit their favourite moments and the biggest scientific celebrations of the past year.To listen to the full podcasts these highlights have been taken from, head to thenakedscientists.com/podcasts You can also find The Naked Scientists on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, @nakedscientists. And should you wish to leave us a belated christmas present, we're trying to raise funding for next year's programming over on... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Dec 31, 201858 min

Ep 677The Science of Surviving Christmas

Here is The Naked Scientists' guide to surviving - and thriving - at Christmas, including our top scientifically-tested tips for cooking turkey and making the best roast potatoes. Plus, a healthy helping of crappy cracker jokes and advice on how to avoid a festive family feud... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Dec 23, 201857 min

Ep 676Regeneration: How the Body Heals

This week, we are getting to grips with regeneration: how does your body heal itself, and what can science do to help? Plus, in the news, the tech set to change our lives in 2019, the hidden perils of AI, and does a crossword a day really keep dementia at bay? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Dec 18, 201859 min

Ep 675Regeneration: Healing Revealed

This week, we are getting to grips with regeneration: how does your body heal itself, and what can science do to help? Plus, in the news, the tech set to change our lives in 2019, the hidden perils of AI, and does a crossword a day really keep dementia at bay? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Dec 18, 201859 min

Ep 674Space Talk: Missions Through Time

Izzie Clarke and Katie Haylor are blasting through a brief history of space exploration and find out how humanity's quest towards the stars has inspired their guests; space journalist Dr Stuart Clark, band members of Big Big Train, Greg Spawton and David Longdon, and former Commander of the International Space Station, Col. Chris Hadfield. Plus, in the news, an app for anemia, the shocking genetic experiment that's rocked the world, and the latest on gravitational waves and a new era of astronomy.With thanks to NASA Archive. Produced by Izzie Clarke. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Dec 11, 201856 min

Ep 673QnA: Earthworms and wormholes!

This week: Is everything in the universe spinning? How do lazy dogs keep fit? And is it safe to heat our dinner in plastic tubs? We've recruited 4 experts to tackle your science questions - astronomer Carolin Crawford, animal behaviour scientist Eleanor Drinkwater, geneticist Patrick Short and chemist Ljiljana Fruk. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Dec 4, 201856 min

Ep 672Teeth: Brushing up on Dentistry

This week, Chris Smith and Izzie Clarke are filling the gaps in their knowledge of teeth; we also meet the microbes in our mouths and test the battle of the toothbrushes. Plus, in the news, researchers grow new spinal discs in a dish, we explore the ghostly galaxy next door, and scientists discover one of the largest, oldest structures on the planet. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Nov 27, 201858 min

Ep 671Can Science Create Superhumans?

This week - Humanity 2.0! Can we use genetics, drugs and technology to become superhuman? We speak to experts on the science that can push us to our extremes, and meet the world's first cyborg. Plus, in the news, do men and women really think differently, why what we call a "kilogram" is changing, and researchers uncover an animal that can talk about the past.More at www.nakedscientists.com Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Nov 20, 201859 min

Ep 670The Great British Make Off

This week, from posters to pancakes - how do the objects we see around us every day actually get made? We're uncovering the science of manufacturing - from the very big, to the very small and the very complex. Plus in the news, why being a morning lark could protect you from breast cancer, and the project using drones and AI to keep tabs on ocean health. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Nov 13, 20181h 0m

Ep 669QnA: Temperature, Tech and Testicles

This week, we've assembled a panel of experts to tackle your science questions, including: Are there plastics in the fish we eat? Can electrical devices affect your fertility? And how does Earth's tilt give us our seasons? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Nov 6, 201856 min

Ep 668Scientific Shimmy: Why we Dance

This week the Naked Scientists are hitting the dance floor with a look at the science of the shimmy. Why do we do it, what makes a dance look good, and how can it be used to help people? Plus, in the news; how glowing lungs can fight infections, an app the reduces the symptoms of OCD, and we look at the future of the Internet... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Oct 30, 201853 min

Ep 667Catalysts: Our Tiny Chemists

From brewing beer to cleaning up car emissions and even making less polluting fuels. We're asking - what exactly are catalysts, and how do they work? Plus, in the news, scientists discover the mechanism behind the majority of Alzheimer's cases, new technology helps beekeepers keep bees, and we explore the prospects for the survival of humanity with the Astronomer Royal. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Oct 22, 201858 min

Ep 666Meet the Neolithic

This week we go back thousands of years to meet our Neolithic ancestors, and discover how their innovations paved the way for all life as we know it. Explore the origin of farming and wine making, and find out how the Neolithic wielded the remarkable material obsidian. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Oct 15, 201851 min

Ep 665QnA: Sperm Races and Monkey Business

This week, can science help us to quit our vices? Do any animals have accents? And how big can a planet get? Joining Chris Smith to tackle your sci-curious questions was physicist Jess Wade, planetary geologist David Rothery, neuroscientist Bianca Jupp and zoologist Jacob Dunn. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Oct 8, 201855 min

Ep 664How Do I Look?

This week - from skin care to going under the knife, we're lifting the lid on the science of looking good. Plus in the news, a DNA repair kit that can fix genetic diseases and a UK project launches to clean up 7000 tonnes of space junk. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Oct 1, 201858 min

Ep 663Flu Do You Think You Are?

In 1918, Spanish flu wiped out more people than World War 1. Now, a century on, we're asking why this pandemic packed such a punch, where flu came from in the first place, and how flu vaccines are made. Plus, fossilised fats from the world's first animals, a look at the IgNobel prizes, genes linked to hypertension, and the computer game that gets kids into engineering... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Sep 24, 201856 min

Ep 662On the Flip Side - Earth's Magnetic Field

This week we're looking at the magnetic field keeping our planet safe, finding out how it's generated and whether some animals can actually see it. Plus, news of a technique to read out the time of our body clocks, the people making the case to reinstate Pluto as a planet, and how red alert signals can spread through plants in just seconds after something starts to eat them. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Sep 17, 201858 min

Ep 661QnA: Diabetes, Driving and Dodgems

It's Question and Answer time! The Naked Scientists tackle the medical musings and chemical queries you've been sending in. Joining Chris Smith in studio was Astrophysicist Matt Bothwell, Chemist Peter Wothers, Psychologist Helen Keyes and Human Physiologist Sam Virtue. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Sep 10, 201859 min

Ep 660Biomimicry: Borrowing from Biology

This week, we explore the field of biomimicry and how nature can help inspire technologies of the future, including the crickets that are showing scientists how to make better hearing aids, dragonfly-inspired wind turbines and the aircraft that repairs itself. Plus, news of why heart disease begins much earlier than we thought, whether science publishing is facing a crisis, and the future of satellite navigation. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Sep 3, 201854 min

Ep 659Naked on a Punt!

Join the Naked Scientists for a leisurely ride on a punt, past Cambridge's picturesque riverside colleges. At each stop the boat picks up some of the brightest brains from the University and hear about their cutting edge ideas, from fraud-preventing holograms to driverless punts. Plus, the team find out it's not always the best idea to perform chemistry on your drink supply. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Aug 27, 201857 min

Ep 658Music Science: from Mozart to Marketing

Mozart or Motown, most of us love music. We're digging into the science behind this much-loved pass time, be it listening to your favourite tunes, or playing them for yourself. Plus in the news - the discovery of an orphan planet, succumbing to robo peer pressure and do lemmings really jump off cliffs? We'll be finding out. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Aug 20, 201853 min

Ep 657Waterloo Uncovered: Veterans Excavate Old Conflicts

This week we're on the historical Waterloo battlefield where veterans of modern wars - often with disabilities, PTSD and other mental scars - are joining archaeologists to excavate remains of one of the most important conflicts in European history. Plus news that an anti-obesity pill might be on the scientific menu, and the space probe heading for the hottest part of the Sun... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Aug 13, 201859 min

Ep 656Medicinal Cannabis: Weeding Out The Hype

This week, medical uses of cannabis. What's the hype and what's the reality? We hear from the people who grow it, and the people who want to use it. Plus in the news, scientists grow replacement lungs in a lab, why a knock on the head can lead to dementia years later, and the very tiny thing that elephants are terrified of - and no, it's not a mouse! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Aug 6, 201859 min

Ep 655Life in the year 2100

We follow a day in the life in 2100, exploring the cities, transport, workplaces and health of the future. Plus, astronomers find water on Mars, a magnetic wire which could screen for cancer and why your cat's poo could change your brain... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Jul 30, 201856 min

Ep 654The First Test Tube Baby at 40

On 25th July 1978, 40 years ago, the first baby conceived using in vitro fertilisation - IVF - techniques developed to help people who couldn't have children naturally, was born. Her name was Louise Brown, and she owes her existence to the pioneering efforts of Cambridge embryologist Bob Edwards, research nurse Jean Purdy, and Manchester-based gynaecologist Patrick Steptoe. Together, this team laid the foundations of the techniques that are now used all over the world to help people to conceive, and we're looking at the science of fertility treatment, telling their story and talking to some of... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Jul 23, 201854 min

Ep 653Fighter Flight: The Skys The Limit

We hope you've got your boarding passes at the ready! To celebrate 50 years of the jumbo jet, 100 years of the Royal Air Force and the recent arrival of the brand new F35 fighter jet in the UK, The Naked Scientists are taking a flight through the history and science of fighter aircraft. Plus, in the news, a new way to fight cancer by giving people cancer, how virtual reality can combat a fear of heights, and we shed some light on the hearing aid of the future. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Jul 16, 201859 min

Ep 652QnA - Should you wee on a jellyfish sting?

This week, The Naked Scientists are swinging into summer! Guests Jane Sterling, Jim Bacon, Laurence Kemp and Howard Griffiths take on your holiday themed questions, including: Why do we get heat waves; how do you treat a jellyfish sting and why does the sun bring out freckles? Plus, can you separate fact from fiction in our fiendish summer-themed quiz?Find transcripts and more programmes at www.nakedscientists.com Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Jul 9, 201855 min

Ep 651The A-Z of addiction

This week, addiction! Why do we get hooked on things? Are video games addictive? And evidence that the gambling industry use artificial intelligence to make you more likely to keep playing. Plus, in the news, scientists discover how to turn insulin injections into a pill, a revolution in making biofuels much faster, and we find out about the science of why things roar! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Jul 2, 201858 min

Ep 650Venting About Volcanoes

This week - we're exploding the science of volcanoes. Why do they erupt? What threat do they pose to aeroplanes? And what impact do they have on us and our environment? Plus, news that marriage cuts your mortality rate, what 800 million tweets have revealed about human moods, and the science behind the sound of a dripping tap... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Jun 25, 201859 min

Ep 649Beating Heart Disease

The Naked Scientists are delving into the science of heart disease; we've been to the UK's leading heart conference in Manchester. Hear from the researchers trying to discover the causes and new treatments for one of the world's most important diseases; why air pollution and heart attacks are linked, about the role of salt in high blood pressure and learn about a new vaccine for heart disease. With special thanks to the British Heart Foundation and the British Cardiovascular Society. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Jun 18, 201859 min

Ep 648Q and A: Disney, Dark Matter, and Deja Vu

What is dj vu? Why do I get angry when I'm hungry? Why do I remember every Disney lyric, but can't remember how to set my oven? Materials physicist Jess Wade, neuroscientist Philipe Bujold, animal behaviour expert Eleanor Drinkwater, and physicist Francesca Day join Chris Smith, to answer a brilliant barrage of scientific questions... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Jun 11, 201855 min

Ep 647Football Under the Microscope

This week we're taking a look at the science of football, from physics to psychology. And in the news, can being social stave off dementia and what new features have been found on the surface of Pluto? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Jun 4, 201855 min

Ep 646Planet B: Can We Colonise Space?

This week we're leaving planet earth in search of a new home. Is there a Planet B? How could we get there? And presenter Izzie Clarke takes a spin at astronaut training. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

May 28, 201856 min

Ep 645Allergy Science: from antibodies to anaphylaxis

Hayfever causing you havoc? Is asthma proving to be an annoyance? This week, we're talking allergies. What causes them, and can we reverse them? We talk to one specialist who's making great strides in doing just that. Plus, in the news, a possible cure for the common cold, and are longer legs really more attractive? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

May 21, 201855 min

Ep 644Q&A: Martian sunsets and submerged sloths

Why don't we get invisible animals on land? What's at the centre of a gas giant? Did we really land on the moon? Astronomer Matt Bothwell, marine biologist Kate Feller, palaeontologist Jason Head and geneticist Diana Alexander join Chris Smith to shoot the scientific breeze in this month's question and answer spectacular. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

May 14, 201853 min

Ep 643Water: Drips, Drains and Droughts

This week, The Naked Scientists are dipping their toes into water; where does it come from, could we ever run out, and we take a stroll through a local sewage plant. Plus, in the news, scientists look for Malaria's achilles heel, why our coral reefs are being silenced and a microscopic laser which can sit on the human eye. For full transcripts, paper references and more, head to thenakedscientists.com With thanks to music from Bensound.com Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

May 7, 201857 min

Ep 642Senses Month: Tackling Touch

This week, The Naked Scientists' senses month comes to a close as we tackle touch: how we develop a sense of touch, getting tactile when shopping and the secret to the perfect hug. Plus, making greener concrete and why bird populations are dropping in the South of England... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Apr 30, 201853 min

Ep 641Senses Month: Scents and Scent Ability

This week, The Naked Scientists get right up your nose! We find out how smells work, explore if stenches could help people give up smoking and sniff out the scent of nightmares. Plus, the science of running a marathon, a secret use for spleens and we go bananas over some dodgy science. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Apr 23, 201858 min

Ep 640Senses Month: A Taste of Science

This month we're exploring the science of our senses. So far we've heard how our ears work, looked the visual system in the eye, and this week, we're getting our teeth into the science of taste. Plus news of a discovery that could re-write the story of human origins, how some antibiotics can also block viruses, and how ants keep infections at bay in their colonies. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Apr 16, 201859 min

Ep 639Senses Month: The Science of Sight

From ancient fossils to cutting edge surgery, we're bringing you the lowdown on the science of vision. Plus in the news, a drug that might aid stroke recovery, and what you can learn from taking a DNA test... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Apr 9, 201852 min

Ep 638Senses Month: Can you Hear Me?

Are we headed for a hearing-loss epidemic, and can science step in when the world starts to go quiet? This week, The Naked Scientists go on an odyssey into the science of hearing, listen in to find out the strange ways our ears decode sounds, get baffled by some auditory illusions and meet someone who can see with their ears. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Apr 2, 201856 min

Ep 637Q&A: Greedy Guts & Useless Numbers

It's QnA Time! The Naked Scientists gathered a panel of experts to tackle your sci-curious questions; geneticist and food neuroscientist Giles Yeo, biologist and insect expert Chris Pull, material scientist Rachel Oliver and mathematician Bobby Seagull. So if you have any foodie thoughts, mathematical musings or an insect-ious thirst for knowledge, then this is the show for you. For full transcript visit thenakedscientists.comMusic from AudioNautix.com Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Mar 26, 201857 min

Ep 636A Brief History of Stephen Hawking

On Wednesday March the 14th, the world was shaken by the death of one of our greatest scientists, Professor Stephen Hawking. Joined by some of his Cambridge colleagues and the new generation of scientists he inspired, this week we celebrate his life, his science and his legacy... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Mar 20, 201857 min