The Naked Scientists Podcast

Repairing damage in the nervous system is incredibly challenging, but our guests this week have some promising solutions. Consultant ophthalmologist Robert MacLaren and colleagues at University College London have discovered a way to encourage the growth of photoreceptors in the retinas of blind mice, and Geoff Raisman will discuss his research into spinal cord repair. In Kitchen Science, Derek Thorne and Hugh Hunt take a closer look at the aerodynamics of a ping pong ball. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

As winter approaches, we take a trip down south to look at some of the cool research going on in Antarctica. Jane Francis talks about six-foot penguins and a time when Antarctica was warm and ice-free, Kate Hendry describes what it is like to work in Antarctica today, and Derek and Dave bring a welcome injection of heat as they find out how hand warmers work. We then dive into the waters around Antarctica with Povl Abrahamsen, who uses automated subs to look under the ice sheets and find out how they are changing, and Mike Fedak describes how his team have attached data collection instruments... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we explore the science of sound including the mathematics of music and the geometry of jazz with mathematicians Tim Gowers, from Cambridge University, and Robin Wilson from the Open University. We also get to the bottom of why helium makes your voice go all squeaky, we nail a crook by using the sound of his voice in an audio line up, and Kirsty MacDougall explains where accents come from. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why scratch your head at science when Dr Chris, Dr Dave and Dr Kat are here to answer all you questions?! In this weeks question and answer special, we discover why liquid washing tablets don't dissolve from the inside, why some genetic diseases only manifest in later life, is gravity constant, and why do men get hairy nostrils and ears when they hit sixty? There will also be a fireworks special in hounour of bonfire night including Dr Roy Lowry, who hold the record for firing the most rockets in five seconds, and Derek and Dave pull out an angle grinder for some sparkly Kitchen Science. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we take a look at some super cool science, as Tim Jackson describes how superconductors work, what they are, and how superconductors are helping astronomers get a clearer view of the universe. Also on the show, Ed Tarte discusses applications of superconductors and SQUIDS in the non-invasive discovery of heart defects and observing brain activity in the unborn foetus, and Science Graduate of the Year Alex Mischenko talks about his new environmentally friendly cooling device. In Kitchen Science, Derek Thorne and Ted Forgan show superconductivity in action with a frying pan, some... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Helping us tune into the science of sound this week is Bob Carlyon, who explains how we hear, how we can concentrate on one voice in a noisy room, and what it sounds like to have a cochlea implant. From the hard of hearing to the most finely tuned ears on the planet, Ian Russell describes how the greater moustached bat catches prey in complete darkness while flying at 40 miles per hour, Trevor Cox turns the sound of breaking wind into a record breaker as he talks about the biggest ever whoopee cushion, and in Kitchen Science, Derek and Dave investigate the science of balance with the help of a... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Taking a look at the science of sight is consultant ophthalmologist Nick Sarkies, who will discuss eye diseases and how we can treat them, and Ron Douglas provides insight into colour vision and how the world appears though the eyes of animals. Sticking with our animal focus, Bob and Chelsea reveal that there may be three times as many poisonous fish as there are snakes, and in Kitchen Science, Derek Thorne stops himself bouncing off the walls long enough to discover how superballs spin. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Cancer biology goes under the microscope this week, as Gerard Evan talks about the causes of cancer and how cancer spreads around the body. Also on the show, and joining us live from the National Cancer Research Institute Conference, is Fran Balkwill who will be discussing cancer treatments and the development of targeted therapies, and Kat Arney, who will be talking about the latest news in cancer research. We also travel Stateside for a Sciencce Update from Bob and Chelsea, hear from Michael Halpern from the Union of Concerned Scientists about governments interfering with scientific... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Answering all your cosmic conundrums this week are Drs Chris, Dave and Phil who discuss why blood is red, the size of the ozone hole, how to make magnets, the best way to get rid of excess mucus, and sticking with the gooey theme, Adam Summers discusses how some tarantulas keep a firm hold on the ground by producing sticky silk from their feet. Moving much further away from terra firma, New Horizons scientist Hal Weaver talks about the mission to Pluto, what they hope to find there and why the Kuiper Belt objects are so intriguing, and in Kitchen Science, Derek Thorne and Hugh Hunt carry out... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Chemistry and lightning quick reactions are under discussion this week as Emma Schofield explains what a catalyst is, how catalytic converters work and how catalysts can help to clean up the atmosphere, and Fraser Armstrong discusses fuel cells, using hydrogen as a fuel and how enzymes naturally found in bacteria are making hydrogen a more realistic energy source for the future. In Kitchen Science, both guests are used as guinea pigs as Dave Ansell demonstrates the wonder of enzymes with nothing but a slice of bread... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Explaining how science can help us dig up the past is Lawrence Owens, who uses teeth and bones to uncover the life and sometimes gruesome death of mummies in Peru and Bolivia, and Harriet Allen describes how the pollen record and layers of lake sedimentation can reveal what the environment was like 10 000 years ago. Also on the show, Nick Brooks talks about how climate change in the Sahara may have given rise to complex human societies, and taking us back even further in human evolution is Clive Finlayson, who discusses how a new fossil discovery shows that Neanderthals were alive and kicking... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In the hot seat this week is Beverley Glover, who will describe how flowers warm their nectar to entice passing pollinators, real life weatherman John Law discusses weather predictions and how to calculate temperature days in advance, and Marcel Visser explains how warming weather and earlier springs spell disaster for migrating birds. Also on the show, we will hear from Katey Walter about a new source of atmospheric methane, and in Kitchen Science, Derek and Dave get their hands wet in the name of discovering how the human body judges temperature. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

The Naked Scientists are back to answer all your burning science questions. Dr Chris, Dave and Helen tackle hot flushes, why spiders love living in our houses, how many stars are in the Milky Way, and why cows in a field always face in the same direction... We will also be connecting direct to Norwich, the host of this years British Association Science Festival, to hear about a world record attempt at the most people in a bubble, and sticking with bubbles, Dave and Derek make lava lamps in Kitchen Science. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In our last show before the summer, Dr Chris, Dave and Derek answer all your questions on science, technology and medicine including why paintings fade in sunlight, why body hair grows at different rates, whether UV light poses a danger at the disco, how weightlessness can be experienced on Earth, and sticking with space, Steve Miller explains the origin of Jupiter's giant red spot and its smaller relative red spot junior. We will also be repeating a famous experiment to see if people can accurately estimate physical attributes from the sound of someones voice, and in Kitchen Science, Derek... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

I predict a riot... or not. This week we're joined by crowd control experts Dr Clifford Stott, from Liverpool University, and Dr John Drury, from Sussex University, wholl be discussing why violence kicks off at football matches, how to spot a spat and the science of mass evacuation. Taking us on a flight of fancy, Dr Gay Gibson, from the University of Greenwich, who describes her research into the harmonious music of mosquitoes, and in Kitchen Science, Derek Thorne bangs out a tune from an oven shelf... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Marine biology and conservation specialist Dan Laffoley, from English Nature, and Chris Lynam, from the University of St Andrews join us to dissect the state of the worlds oceans and marine protected areas. From the conservation science institute in Alaska, Bruce Wright takes us on a tour of the world of salmon sharks, and in kitchen science we do battle against the atmosphere using a Magdeburg sphere. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Rutherford Appleton Laboratory astrophysicist Chris Davis joins us to shed light on the structure and workings of the sun and the newly-launched STEREO mission, Cambridge University engineer Jeffery Lewins talks nuclear, and Anna Nicolaou asks why do some people burn whilst others turn brown? On a practical level, in kitchen science, Derek and Dave lift the lid on how suncream works. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In honour of the annual hoards if bleary-eyed hayfever sufferers, we are joined by Carrock Sewell who describes how the immune system works, what causes allergic reactions and how we might be able to cure them, and Mark Booth discusses parasites, how they suppress and evade the immune system and how the Matangini Project attempts to provide parasite-free water in Africa. Sticking with the African continent, Derek Thorne travels to Tanzania to learn how to make ugali in Kitchen Science. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Breaking things down to the building blocks of life this week is Mark Ross, who discusses the evolution of sex chromosomes, genetics and genomes, Michael Traugott describes a novel way of using genetics to find out who is eating whom in underground food webs, and Derek Thorne gets fruity with Lucy Wheatley extracting DNA from a kiwi... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Answering all your questions on science, technology and medicine this week are Drs Chris, Dave and Kat, who will be revealing why spicy foods make you sweat, the highest possible temperature, the cause of labyrinthitis and why tissues turn black after receiving frostbite. Also on the show is Mark Skousen, a direct descendent of Benjamin Franklin, who will be talking about the life and work of this famous scientist and statesman; and in Science Update, Bob and Chelsea find some animal magic in the feeding strategies of killer whales and the interpretation of a horse whinny. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Scratching the itch of curiosity this week is William Foster, who will be talking about the evolution of social insects and his quest for social beetles in Thailand, Claire Rind flies in the face of current car safety technologies by using knowledge of collision avoidance in locusts, Matt Shardlow discusses how man-made wastelands can be a haven for rare invertebrates, and Derek Thorne joins Ed Turner in the garden to discover how to make pitfall traps. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we focus on the science of the very small - the microbial world of bacteria, viruses and fungi with Nottingham Universitys Liz Sockett and Cambridge Universitys Stacey Efstathiou and Ali Ashby. Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Derek and Sheena explain how to make litmus paper from red cabbage, we meet a generation of miniature (dwarf) dinosaurs, and calculate the extra fuel cost of flying a flag from your car for the world cup... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Powering the generators for the show this week is Nicky White who describes how oil is formed, how we find and extract oil and how long oil supplies will last, Lynne Macaskie discusses how fuel cells can be run on hydrogen gas created by bacteria and sugary waste, and Peter Hughes explains how his Electro-Kinetic Road Ramp could soon be powering your street lamps. In Science Update, Bob and Chelsea reveal how llama spit can be used to spot the ultimate power-up, caffeine, and in Kitchen Science Derek Thorne and Chris Muirhead reveal a cool way to chop your vegetables... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Answering all your science questions this week are Chris, Kat and Dave, including why some people are so prone to static electric shocks, whether humans will exceed the speed of light, how pain killers know where the pain is, and why cows get sunburnt in some places and not others... Also on the show, Bob and Chelsea provide the latest news from across the pond in Science Update, Felicia Huppert talks about the science of well-being and natures feel-good factors, and Derek sets sail in Kitchen Science as he learns how to make matchstick boats. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Bringing music to our ears this week is Hugh Hunt who discusses the science of sound, how harmonics work and how to play music in a tea cup, Jez Wells describes the frontiers of music technology including recreating the sounds of a long lost cathedral, the secrets behind making a floboe, an instrument that is half oboe and half flute, and how to revive the sound of a castrati, a man with the voice of a choirboy. To compensate for the castratis lost manhood, Bob and Chelsea look at cutting edge uses for testosterone in Science Update and Anna Lacey makes music with a long pink tube in Kitchen... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

As the ten-year ban on British beef is lifted, Tony Minson joins us to discuss what causes BSE, how it is spread and why it is such a problem, and with another example of how animal diseases pass to humans is Joanne Webster, who describes the life cycle of Toxoplasma gondii and its possible link to schizophrenia. Margaret Stanley provides some happier news and reveals the astounding success of a cervical cancer vaccine in clinical trials, and Derek Thorne has fun with food colouring in Kitchen Science. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we return to the lost world of the dinosaurs. Cambridge University palaeontologists Leslie Noe and Matt Wilkinson discuss the origins, life and demise of the dinosaurs including how they mastered the power of flight. And are the rules about fossils really set in stone - Mary Schweitzer describes the discovery of original dinosaur tissue from fossils,together with a new way to sex a dinosaur. Also, the Natural History Museum's Angela Milner introduces Fran Beckerleg to the animatronic dinosaur exhibition, and in Kitchen Science Derek and Sheena turn eggs into gyroscopes... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Brightening up the darker corners of your science knowledge this week are Chris, Phil and Kat, who look at colour-blindness in dogs, harnessing heat energy from the centre of the Earth, how glow in the dark motorbikes could save lives, and the erasable tattoos that wipe away the memory of the ex we would rather forget... Also on the show, Ron Hale-Evans talks about ways to improve memory, Michael Stebbins reveals how his book Sex, Drugs and DNA aims to fight back against those who stand in the way of science, and Anna Lacey learns to play the wine glasses in Kitchen Science. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Delving into the dark depths of science this week is Ron Douglas who describes the fascinating world of deep sea fish, bioluminescence and the sights from a deep sea sub, Jason Hall-Spencer talks about cold water corals and the threats posed by fishermen, and in slightly warmer waters David Kline reveals how Caribbean corals are suffering due to sugar pollution. Also in the show, Fran Beckerleg interviews John Ablett about a giant squid called Archie, and getting the low down on the high seas Derek finds out how a submarine works in Kitchen Science. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Bringing a ray of sunshine to the studio this week is Alex Hill from the London Met Office, who will be describing how meteorologists predict the weather on a daily basis, Tim Palmer reveals how understanding seasonal weather patterns can help scientists to predict outbreaks of malaria, Emily Shuckburgh discusses how faraway oceans can affect our local weather, Fran Beckerleg braves the roof of the London Weather Centre, and Sheena Elliott joins Derek Thorne in Kitchen Science to shed light on why the sky is blue. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Picking apart the inner workings of our brains this week are Irene Tracey, who discusses the neurological origin of pain and how we can reduce pain, Philip Shaw reveals why having a bigger brain does not make you more intelligent, Kathleen Taylor talks about her new book on brainwashing, including whether brainwashing is a real phenomenon and how we can avoid it, and from brainwashing to the bathtub, Derek Thorne scrubs up on density in Kitchen Science. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Answering all your burning science, technology and medicine questions this week are Drs Chris, Dave and Phil, who will be looking at why purifying seawater is not the answer to water shortages, how 3D glasses work and whether a man on a meteor would have to hold on tight or just soak up the stellar scenery. Also on the show, Daniel Scuka at the European Space Agency provides a Venus Express update, Diana Liverman talks about how to turn down the heat on climate change, and in Kitchen Science Anna Lacey finds out why we hear strange voices when we play old records backwards. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Conservation and saving species go under the spotlight this week as Henry Nicholls draws attention ot the plight of Lonesome George, the last giant tortoise of his kind, David Aldridge discusses the problem of invasive species and how he is purging freshwater ecosystems of zebra mussels with a poison pill, Chris interviews Rick Shine about the wave of invasive cane toads legging it across Australia, from waves to the ocean, Helen Scales discusses the issues behind marine conservation, and sticking with the watery theme, Derek Thorne whips up a storm in Kitchen Science. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Time is very much the essence of this weeks show, as Russell Foster discusses the human body clock, where the body clock is and how it gives our bodies a daily rhythm, Karl-Arne Stokkan describes how reindeer body clocks adapt to twenty four hours of sunlight, Alex Webb talks about plant circadian rhythms and how they differ from animals, and Anna Lacey interviews Cynthia Kenyon about how to survive longer and cheat time. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

The recycling revolution and the whereabouts of our waste are hot topics this week as David Butler describes a new technique for recycling water, Rebecca Weymouth lifts the lid on what happens to our domestic waste, Peter Barham reveals why plastic is so difficult to recycle, and Richard Thompson discusses how waste plastic threatens the environment. In Kitchen Science Derek turns old chip oil into biodiesel, and from making fuel to running on empty, Anna Lacey asks Andrew Prentice how humans cope with famine. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Picking apart some miniature morsels of science this week are David Carey, who provides the big picture on the world of nanotechnology, Donald Fitzmaurice describes how DNA may be used as scaffolding for the next generation of computer chips, we breach the boundaries between physics and biology as Stephen Webb discusses how new microscopes can see developing cancers at the nano-scale, and Neal Morgan explains how nanoparticles are stamping out stinky socks. Also on the show, Jim Clark digs up the ancestors of T. rex, and in Kitchen Science Derek and Dave dish the dirt on how gravy thickens. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Unlocking Natures medicine chest are doctors orders this week as Monique Simmonds reveals the research behind old herbal remedies, Tai-Ping Fan describes how Chinese medicine is being used for illnesses from gout to endometriosis, Jack Cuzick talks about clinical trials for a new drug for breast cancer, and Dr Chris is in St. Louis with details on a potato that fights back... In Kitchen Science, Derek unleashes the explosive power of flour, and Anna Lacey asks Peter Austin why thousands of languages are threatened with extinction. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Love, seduction and sexual attraction are in the air this week as Peter Brennan woos Chris and Kat with a discussion of pheromones and the science of smell, Charles Wysocki suggests how farmers can love thy neighbour by masking the stench of manure, we hit the dancefloor with William Brown who reveals the recipe for success at the Saturday night disco, and Peter Barham talks about the science of taste, food and the ingredients for a perfect Valentine meal! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we hand the show over to you, as Chris, Kat and Phil answer all your burning questions on science, technology and medicine. Anne-Maree Pearse joins us to describe the hellish plight of the Tasmanian Devil as it succumbs to an infectious facial cancer, Emma Marris discusses how scientists are bogged down in trying to prevent the Gulf of Mexico reclaiming large areas of Louisiana, and Derek and Dave put glow-sticks on ice in Kitchen Science. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we look to the solar system as Ian Sanders discusses where meteorites come from and how we can find them, astronaut Dr Stan Love describes how to avoid Armageddon asteroids, Maggie Aderin talks about satellites that monitor wind speeds, Richard Preece recounts the sticky tale of the hitchhiking snails, and Derek and Dave make water fibre optics in Kitchen Science. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we shake up the world of science as Janet Sumner describes the dynamics of volcanic eruptions and the strutcure of the Earth, Tamsin Mather talks about how the gases from volcanoes affect our atmosphere and environment, Tiziana Rossetto discusses earthquakes, tsunamis and Pakistan, and Derek joins Herbert Huppert for an explosive experiment in Kitchen Science. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we go green as Alison Smith discusses how algae get their vitamin B12, Tim Upson reveals the science behind composting, Heather Gorringe and Richard Fishbourne dish the dirt on what worms get up to in your compost heap, and John Pickett talks about natural mosquito repellents. Sticking with the insect theme, Nigel Franks describes how the first example of animal teaching has been found in ants, while in Kitchen Science, Derek is itching to reveal how ants lay chemical trails to their food. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

With the indulgences of Christmas behind us, Steve ORahilly sheds some light on shedding a few pounds as he discusses the science of appetite, obesity and weight loss, Len Almond describes the role of exercise in losing weight, John ODoherty talks about what happens in our brains when we reach for our favourite brands, Jane Visvader and Connie Eaves describe their discovery of the breast stem cell, and Dave and Derek find out what cream and paint have in common in Kitchen Science. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we put our heads in a spin as listeners across the world test whether it is possible to detect the Coriolis Effect from your bath tub, Karl Kruszelnicki provides the answer to the Coriolis quandry from a bathroom Down Under, Kat Arney interviews Jack Ashby about how insects can catch criminals, and Drs Chris, Dave and Phil answer all your questions on science, technology and medicine. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we learn about animal communication straight from the horses mouth. Dr Gillian Forrester, from the University of Sussex, describes how gorillas use tactile signals to communicate, Dr Katie Slocombe, from the University of St. Andrews, talks about her work on how chimpanzees use certain grunts to refer to specific food sources, Professor Joan Silk, from the University of California, discusses whether chimps are charitable to their chums, Professor Keith Kendrick from the Babraham Institute in Cambridge discusses how sheep recognise emotion, and Dr Vicki Melfi, from Paignton Zoo, tells... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we take a foray into forensics, as DI Alan Cook talks about how DNA is used to solve crime, Alec Jeffreys helps us brush up on how DNA fingerprinting works, Tamsin OConnell describes how DNA can help track down human origins, and in Kitchen Science we have a live DNA fingerprinting race in which schools battle it out to discover which of the Naked Scientists is the foul footed felon with the criminally smelly feet. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we dive into deep time as cosmologist Mike Hobson explains how we measure the universe, the distance of the nearest galaxy, how scientists calculate the life span of the sun, and the definition of a light year, Chris Voigt describes how he made a 100 megapixel camera from bacteria, and Derek and Dave cook up a treat in Kitchen Science. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we unravel the secrets of DNA as Darren Grafham discusses the importance of sequencing genomes and how the Human Genome Project has improved medicine, Mike Majerus reveals why we look different from worms despite sharing genetic information, Anna Lacey interviews BBC producer Mike Salisbury about the new David Attenborough series, Life in the Undergrowth, and Kitchen Science goes back to school for a live DNA extraction experiment. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week Prof. David Pritchard gets to the bottom of why parasites may help to get rid of allergies, Elizabeth Bernays describes how caterpillars acquire a taste for plants containing toxic chemicals when they have parasites, Chris Smith visits Westbourne High School in Ipswich to carry out fitness experiments for Healthcare Science Week, and Dave and Derek go bang with an explosive electrolysis experiment in the Naked Scientists Laboratory. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this explosions extravaganza, John Emsley and Jacqueline Akhavan describe the chemistry behind the bangs on bonfire night, George Pendle talks about Jack Parsons and the history of rocketry, Mark Schrope comes back down to earth to describe his experience of flying into the eye of Hurricane Rita, and Dave and Derek cool us off with a home made fire extinguisher in kitchen science. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists