The Naked Scientists بودكاست

Why chainsaw's blunt over time, planet rotation, Star Trek's on the money with scientific accuracy, mathematical conundrums, sneezing in your sleep, the kinetic energy of a sneeze and our perception of flavour. Lester and Dr Chris have the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists…

Emerging viral infections go under our microscope this week, including the recent surge in monkeypox, the world's largest bird flu outbreak to date, and learning points from Covid-19. Plus, in the news, the biggest bacterium ever seen, brain training - or brain draining - apps, polio circulating in London, and signs we make friends with people who …

Listener Alaster wrote in to ask "The electricals in my car stopped working after it was transported from Cape Town to the UK. I think there was a fault in the scanner in Cape Town. My question is, how does a car scanner work? Can it damage the electrical components within cars?" Julia Ravey presented this troublesome transport problem to Roger Wor…

The idea of sanctuary for the oppressed individual or for groups of people fleeing persecution or war is an ancient and noble one. In biblical times there were even designated sanctuary cities for those under threat. In these gender conscious times, the Women's Refuge provides another sort of sanctuary. Sara Trewitt and Beth Phillips discuss sanctu…

Leigh Milner and Chris Berrow return from holiday so it's time to get back in shape, after putting on nearly a stone. Oops. We review Lanebreak from Pelaton to see if gaming can make exercise more fun. And the big news story of the past few weeks: why have EA and FIFA decided to part ways? Alex Rhodes returns to play Blasphemous, and we review Kirb…

Consumption of energy in the brain; the role of my adam's apple; seed anatomy; why there are so many planets; body components that suck oxygen from the air; NASA predicts the number of stars in our universe; why do flowers bloom in spring; measuring the milky way; the chemical properties of bromine; pursuing the origns of life; if the moon isn't ch…

In this week's programme we are going to be sharing some science highlights - sci-lights, if you will - going in depth with some of the latest science news from the past month plus some fascinating science stories. We ask researchers what policies need to be in place to protect biodiversity as we enter a descivie decade for nature and take a look a…

Soap on the bathroom mirror with a hot shower running; sedatives acting unusually; coffee reduces tiredness but also provides a lick of energy; does a glass of sherry warm you up on a cold night; how do you contract shingles; asian flush; water density experiment for you to try at home; is the conflict in Ukraine speeding up climate change. Dr Chri…

The Archbishop of Canterbury ruffled some feathers in government circles when he said that there were "serious ethical questions about sending asylum seekers overseas". Archbishop Kirill of Moscow's intervention in favour of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, characterizing it as a defence of Orthodox Christian civilization was less nuanced. Should A…

This week, should your house have a battery, the abandoned gold mine that's now pumping out power, and will your fridge talk to the grid in future to better manage your energy consumption? Continuing our theme of alternative energy, we turn to the questions of energy distribution and storage. Plus, why tyres may be worse for your health than exhaus…

There's a pizza joint in Washington DC where a cabal of satanic child abusers meets to brag about their exploits. During his presidency Donald Trump got wind of this and as part of his plan to "drain the swamp" earmarked a day of mass arrests and executions which he nicknamed "the Storm". How are we to make sense of QAnon? Ruth Lawlor and Alfred Mo…

With energy prices sky high, we continue our alternative energy month with a look at wind power. We visit a traditional windmill to understand how humans have historically harnessed the wind, learn about the turbines which you can buy a stake in, a new generation of kites that turn wind into electricity, how better weather forecasts can de-risk win…

Listener Mike presented this question to The Naked Scientists. "Does email and texting affect our brain's cognitive functions?" Otis Kingsman spoke to Dr Ravi Gajendran from Florida International University to help find the answer to this communication conundrum... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists…

The Platinum Jubilee; aerodynamics and physics of tailgating vehicles; why planets and the moon are all in the same orbital plane; how ants lead their nest-mates to a food source; animal extinction; how light can reveal what something is made of; do transplant recipients inherit genetic diseases from their donors; and would someone with an arm tran…

Diasporas are often born of misfortune, the experience of homelands left willingly because of lack of opportunity, or fled because of war. In the age after Empire, many subject communities seemed to be drawn irresistibly by the magnet of the former colonial power, where they formed their own sometimes unwelcome diaspora communities. Esther-Miriam W…

The UK harbours the leading expertise in marine renewables, but water itself remains to be a major contributor to the race for net zero. Why are these technologies lagging behind the other more favourable renewable sources and what does the next decade have in store? Also, news of a novel way to find new antibiotics, the Mars probe being forced int…

Tim wanted to know "Why can't my partner smell certain strong odours when in the countryside? She can smell manure but is immune to smelling certain potent flowers and herbs." Otis Kingsman spoke to Professor Sandeep Roberta Datta from Harvard Medical School to find the aromatic answers to this question... Like this podcast? Please help us by suppo…

What are stars made of? How do ants breathe? How does a person catch chickenpox? Why are sunsets and sunrises red? What are planets made of? How many bones in a human body? How do Earthquakes occur? IF the Earth's round, why don't we fall off? Why doesn't sand dissolve? How does a bird fly? This week Lester and Dr Chris are with the kids at the AKA…