In the news pod this week, Elon Musk's Neuralink chip is successfully implanted into a human brain, but what's the potential of computer brain interfaces? Also on the programme, an Imperial scientist reveals the reason for insects' attraction to street lights, and we hear about one of the health benefits of fasting. Plus, join us on a sneak preview of a Cambridge museum exhibit all about the evolution of the spine... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, we are in Dover, south-east England, to meet the people trying to bring sustainable solutions to one of the world's most important sectors: shipping. In this episode, we look at the shipping industry as a case study to see just how much has to be taken into consideration on so many levels, in order to work towards a carbon neutral future. What are the enormous challenges currently being faced, and what goes into building the ship of the future? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this episode of The Naked Scientists: what the structure of your retina reveals about your risk of developing a range of diseases; have we finally cracked how the first biological cells appeared 4 billion years ago; and how pond skater insects survive potentially lethal run-ins with large raindrops. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Julie Williams has dedicated much of her career to uncovering the genetic signposts for the most common cause of dementia: Alzheimer's disease. Chris Smith caught up with her to hear about influences she had growing up, how a revolution in genetics means we could be on the verge of key breakthroughs in fighting neurodegenerative conditions, and speaks about her time as Chief Scientific Advisor for Wales... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week on the Naked Scientists, did the Black Death cause a change in our genes? Also, we'll be finding out whether smaller wine glasses could be key to reducing alcohol consumption in the population, and how scientists are plugging the potholes in our roads with science. Plus, a crucial piece of the puzzle in understanding long Covid... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Titans of Science returns with another out-of-this-world guest: astronomer, astrophysicist and science populariser, Lord Martin Rees. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

On this week's edition of The Naked Scientists: Why dose of old drugs might be a new way to beat depression; with many countries gearing up for general elections, why AI-generated deepfakes have got politicians worried; And we look back at the life of the pioneering British transplant surgeon, Professor Sir Roy Calne.. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week in The Naked Scientists, Titans of Science is back, and today we hear from the University of Cambridge's new vice-chancellor, Deborah Prentice. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this edition of The Naked Scientists, What can be done to reverse a dramatic rise in measles cases around the world? We'll also be exploring Japan's susceptibility to incredibly powerful earthquakes. Plus, what may have prompted early humans to adapt the way they communicated... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Happy new year from The Naked Scientists! In this week's show, we're going to look ahead to what 2024 has in store - scientifically speaking - in a number of key areas in the months ahead. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week's show is one of retrospection. We're taking a look back at the year that was 2023, and reliving some of the outstanding scientific stories that came out of it. Everything from AI in medicine to asteroid samples. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This episode, Naked Gaming has commandeered the programme, as Chris Berrow and Leigh Milner take us through a Christmas full of games! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this festive magazine show, join Chris Smith as he samples the BMJ's Christmas offerings, enjoys a glass or two of sparkling wine (in the name of science, of course), and previews the pliosaur discovery set to make waves on TV over the Christmas period... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

For this edition of Titans of Science, Chris Smith sits down with Mark Slack, a doctor revolutionising the use of robots in medicine. They discuss his early years in apartheid South Africa, how he established himself as a surgical innovator in the UK, and what the future holds for the use of technology in the operating theatre... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In the news this week, scientists identify the protein responsible for pregnancy sickness, what was settled on in the COP consensus, how honeyguides listen out for local language, and the special chemical which could hold the key to preserving a Rembrandt masterpiece. Plus, how many nukes would it take to destroy Jupiter? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This episode marks the return of Titans of Science: full of in depth interviews with some of science's greats. To start us off, the astronaut and rockstar, Chris Hadfield. The conversation covers his upbringing in rural Canada, his time as an elite test pilot in the US military - the inspiration for his latest thriller novel 'The Defector' - and his multiple missions into space, culminating in a stint as commander of the International Space Station. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this edition of The Naked Scientists, What did we learn from Boris Johnson's appearance at the COVID inquiry? Then, we'll hear from the team that's developing a new drug in the fight against the United States' fentanyl crisis. And, We'll hear about the discovery and fate of an ancient woodland. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

If there were a pill you could take to reduce your risk of chronic diseases like heart failure, obesity, diabetes, depression, anxiety and more by 20%, chances are you'd be interested in getting your hands on it. Studies continue to extol the virtues of living an active lifestyle, but a growing number of us consistently fail to meet recommended levels of physical exertion. In this episode, we speak with medical experts on why it is so important, whatever your level of fitness, to feel like you can make a positive change to your life through exercise... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this week's news pod, we preview the COP28 climate summit with Richard Black and get the latest on a confirmed case of a new strain of swine flu in the UK. Also, we speak to the researcher discovering the capacity for language learning in babies yet to be born, and hear from a scientist who has finally got their hands on a sample from the Bennu asteroid... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this episode of The Naked Scientists, we'll be taking a closer look at digital twins. What are they, and could they be the future of engineering, healthcare, and climate science? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week on The Naked Scientists, A damning indictment of our politicians' grasp of science emerges from the Covid Inquiry. Also, we'll ask who is behind the high-profile cyber hacks on the British Library. And, how researchers got to the bottom of why some of us get red-wine headaches? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week - following the revelation that a man with debilitating Parkinson's Disease has been helped to walk again with a special implant that stimulates nerves in his spinal cord - that's what we're going to look at in this half hour. We'll be hearing from the surgeon who performed the operation, and other experts seeking to understand more about the condition... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week on the Naked Scientists; why, after many years, chickenpox vaccines for children finally look set to become the norm in the UK. Also, will artificial intelligence beat our weather forecasters? And can comets seed the biological building blocks of life to planets like Earth? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, we're taking a look at the genetics of selective breeding, how it might be dooming certain breeds of dog but saving certain endangered species. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this edition of The Naked Scientists, the drug called Anastrozole can help prevent thousands of cases of breast cancer among older women: but at what cost? Also, climate change expert Mark Maslin on what we need to know about the forthcoming COP28 summit kicking off soon in Dubai. And, how the UK's hedgehogs have been going through a rough patch... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Today, we're helping you to get to know your microbiome, and hearing why a better understanding of it viewed by some as the next frontier in helping us to live longer, healthier lives. First, we explore the co-evolution of man and microbe, and the suite of modern techniques helping to clear up the remaining mysteries of the intestines. And, later on, how medicine is mobilsing the microbiome to ward of antibiotic resistant bacteria using faecal transplants and 'good' viruses... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

As flu season starts to bite the Northern Hemisphere, we look into the efforts to develop the most effective vaccines. Also, an AI expert reviews the recent Safety Summit hosted at Bletchley Park, how chimps are demonstrating human battle tactics, why cockney accents are becoming less common amongst young people, and how one might go about bending a laser around the Moon... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, during the spookiest time of the year, we're going to look at the unfair portrayal that certain organisms get due to their reputation of being scary, dangerous, or gross, just like the ones above my head now. Instead, we will talk about what makes them great for both the planet and ourselves, as well as what we can do to protect them. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this edition of The Naked Scientists, new analysis on the prevalence of long COVID. How widespread is it? Also, could climate change be causing hurricanes in the Atlantic to get stronger? And, we ask if scientists have finally established how bees decide which flower to forage from next... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

As winter creeps over the Northern hemisphere, many of us will be turning time backwards by an hour in aid of daylight saving time. But why do we do this? In this episode, we weigh up whether there's really a robust rationale for changing the clocks depending on the time of year, hearing from scientists and historians... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In the news pod, we speak to World Rugby's Chief Medical Officer to hear how they're making the professional game as safe as possible. Also, we explore the potential consequences of climate change on the world's stock of farmland, and hear why an increasing number of satellites means our atmosphere is filling up with potentially harmful chemicals. Then, we send a member of the team for an eye test, and find out whether swatting mosquitoes could impact selection pressures on the species... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, the beginning of the universe and the search for extraterrestrial life. We look at the technological marvel that is the James Webb Space Telescope. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week on The Naked Scientists, the rise of the bedbugs. Leading bedbug expert, James Logan, will tell us all we need to know. Also, could genetically modified pig kidneys soon be transplanted into humans? the clinical trial is now awaiting approval. Plus, why it might be time for us to reappraise the impact of the 1918 flu pandemic. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Medical professionals largely agree: the world is far more susceptible to a Covid level crisis than it ever has been. Mass urbanisation, political instability and climate change are among the factors contributing to an increased risk of diseases jumping from animals into people. We hear from scientists who demand action before the next coronavirus arises, likely to be within the decade... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In the news pod: the WHO have recommended the Oxford Covid jab for use - we talk to someone who helped design it. We also speak with the scientist who questions whether the Fukushima wastewater disposal plans are as controversial as some would have us believe, and there's a round up of this year's Nobel prizes... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this edition of The Naked Scientists, it's time for the conclusion of our summer series: Titans of Science. Chris Smith chats with England's former Chief Medical Officer and the current Master of Trinity College, Cambridge: Dame Sally Davies. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this episode of The Naked Scientists, A future proof covid jab that combats variants that don't even exist yet. Reassuringly for theoretical physics, signs that antimatter does obey the rules of gravity, and why one doomsday scenario is predicting we'll all be wiped out in 250 million years time, when plate tectonics give us a new supercontinent. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week's guest is a pioneer of IVF, award-winning broadcaster, and member of the House of Lords, Robert Winston. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week on The Naked Scientists: A breakthrough in treating spinal cord injuries, worrying news about red fire ants in Sicily, we look at what it means for us in the UK. Plus, NASA is sending a sample of an asteroid back to Earth - it arrives this weekend; find out what scientists are hoping to learn. All that and more on this week's show... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Time for the next installment in Titans of Science! This week's very special guest is the former chief medical advisor to the White House during the pandemic, Dr Anthony Fauci. He tells Chris Smith his fascinating story, from a boyhood flair on the basketball court, his rise to prominence handling an HIV crisis, to what it was like working with Donald Trump... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

On the news pod, we ask whether an outright ban is the best way to deal with the health and environmental cost of sweet shop style vapes. Also on the programme; a new device for detecting Covid on patients' breath, the search for life elsewhere in the universe intensifies, and we pay tribute to Ian Wilmut, the 'father' of Dolly the sheep Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Part 2 of the extraordinary story of the first Briton in space. What was life like on a space station? How do you get back down? and what do you do afterwards? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this edition, can civil engineers help rescue the UK's crumbling schools and hospitals? Also, new initiative that is hoping to improve the treatment of sepsis, and how the scent of ancient Egypt has been replicated in a Danish museum... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Today's guest is Helen Sharman, the first Briton in space. Our conversation ranges from her early beginnings working in a chocolate factory - Mars, would you believe - to her run in with the then leader of the Soviet Union... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, London's latest ULEZ expansion - will it make much difference to air quality? The concerning impacts of poaching, and not just to endangered species, and the curious case of a woman with a worm in her brain. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, we're casting our eyes towards the brightest and largest object in our night sky: the Moon. As India becomes the 4th nation to achieve a successful soft landing on our only natural sateillite, we saw a fantastic opportunity to chart the history of how the Moon was formed and the many billions worth of missions invested in finding out more about it... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In the news this week, how can we understand the motivations of serial killers? Also, we ask a dermatologist to outline the early signs of melanoma, and find out about the initiative to reduce carbon emissions from the shipping industry using aeroplane wings. Plus, water voles are being reintroduced in the Lake District - we hear from the site manager in charge. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Eating. We all have to do it 3 times a day and there's a lot to consider every time we do: is what I'm eating good for me? Is it sustainable for the planet? Can I afford the time or the expense to prepare it? In this episode, we address all these concerns, but with a focus on why food brings us joy in the first place: taste and flavour! Join Chris as he embarks on a culinary challenge to achieve everything he wants from his dinner, without compromising on cooking something delicious. The adventure takes him to a top Cambridge restaurant, to hear how a local chef is making tasty dishes with... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In the news this week, we start by asking whether we should start preparing to combat election interference in the wake of the breakthroughs in artificial intelligence. A study is out this week linking lower levels of grey matter in the brain's frontel cortex with an increased likelihood of taking up smoking - we speak to one of the authors. Will Russia's first mission to the moon in 50 years be a success? Plus, an analysis of the impacts of climate change on butterrfly numbers in the UK, and our Question of the Week relates to the states of matter and their relationships with each other... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, we'll explore the origins of nuclear weapons and how they have changed modern warfare. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, we'll find out about preparations for the next pandemic and "disease X"; the link between a noticeably enlarged part of the human brain and obesity; and how honey sweetened the deal for an injured cricketer! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Another month, another brilliant panel, another romp through your mind bending questions. Physicists Tony Padilla and Toby Wiseman, archaeologist Emma Pomeroy and educator Andrew Morris help Chris Smith explain whether electricity in our bodies is the same as in our houses, how we can detect the collision of 2 black holes from here on Earth, and why Graham's number doesn't bear thinking about too deeply... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, we're turning to the subject of hydrogen and its potential to play a role as a cleaner fuel in future. Could hydrogen be the answer to our energy conundrum? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Sweltering temperatures wreak havoc across Europe and North America, so what needs to be done to bring them down? We hear from the Cambridge scientist who wants to create the largest ever DNA and health research programme for children and young people. And, did aliens crash-land on Mars? Strange pictures resembling a crash site have been circulating but is there a more mundane explanation? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

It's been quite the ride in the realm of artifical intelligence over the past year or so. As impressive as advancements in machine learning have been, however, few experts are worried about bots taking our jobs and threatening our safety as a species. The truth is, tools like ChatGPT are not the way AI is going to prove most helpful in the short term. We scratch below the surface to explain how, with more carefully trained programmes, the real potential of chatbots can and is being unlocked... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

A new drug in the fight against Alzheimer's disease: how does it work? Plus, we'll also have the latest on measles cases in London, look at the calls to reset the lunar clock, and could algae help people who are seeking to increase vitamin B12 in their diet? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We'll be exploring depression, what causes it, and whether antidepressants or other treatments hold the key to solving it. Amongst our guests is psychologist Gordon Harold, speaking on how depression manifests in patients, and we'll also hear from psychiatrists on both sides of the antidepressant debate: Hamish McAllister Williams and Joanna Moncrieff. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

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It's a Question and Answer special this week. You supply the questions and we pose them to a panel of expert guests. Joining us this time, biologist and author Tom Ireland, marine scientist Liberty Denman, chemistry writer Philip Broadwith, and comedien Rosie Wilby. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

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Many people don't recognise light pollution at night for what it is: pollution. Largely, we fail to see this harmful introduction into the environment because we have been conditioned to associated light with good and darkness with badness. It's time to change that. In this episode, we explore the various implications of artifical light at night and speak to the activists trying to put a stop to it. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this week's show, we speak to a former navy commander about the Titan sub, do our decision-makers ignore evidence when making scientific policy? And the new telescope that is hoping to explore the dark side of the cosmos... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

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The plan to beam-in solar power from space, ways to incentivise sharing trustworthy material on social media, and do ill fish run a fever like we do? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

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As the UK's Covid inquiry kicks off, will it help to transform how we tackle future pandemics? How an AI is writing its own computer code, speeding up the Internet; and using gene therapy for cat contraception. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Researchers around the world are naming a new kind of dinosaur every week on average at the moment - what's behind this golden age of palaeontology? We talk to scientists, museum staff and amateur fossil hunters to find out about some of the most recent breakthroughs in the field, including new techniques looking for fossilised DNA still present in the samples stored away in curators' collections... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Also in the news, boys vocalise more in their first year, NASA' holds a public meeting on the study of 'unitdentified aeriel phenomena', and what damage might a time traveller cause? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

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Are public health officials preparing to clampdown on the sale of dangerous vapes, the Russian scientists under arrest for treason, how researchers are homing in on why some of us are magnets for mosquitoes, and a very welcome floral addition to King's College, Cambridge... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Your questions are going under our microscope and we?ll be asking our guests to give their expert insight on a number of topics. Including, Why does asparagus make your wee smell? Could plastic eating worms help prevent pollution? And what?s going to happen to the International Space Station? Plus, there?ll be our customary quiz at half time. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How do we remember things, why some people stuggle to remember their way around, and what does it take to be a memory world champion? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

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With the global power supply shifting towards renewables, the battery is fast becoming one of the most vital forms of power storage. So how did we get here, how do batteries still need to improve, and could we be flying in battery-powered airliners before long? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

What should we make of claims that China is building super weapons to hack and hijack US satellites? Also, the new app to help midwives detect health conditions in newborns, and we hear from the couple who have discovered one of the world's most important fossil deposits, almost on our own doorstep! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

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With 14 million new cases of diabetes each year being attributed to poor diet and half the worlds' population estimated to be overweight or obese by 2035, it's no wonder the UK's Chief Medical Officer, Chris Whitty, claims the situation around these conditions presents one of 'the biggest future health challenges we face.' So why is it happening and what can be done to reverse these worrying trends? We find out what dieting does to your metabolism, and whether the effectivness of weight loss drugs in the short term might make them a part of the solution... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In the news this week, Elon Musk's Starship experiences a 'rapid unscheduled disassembly', there's progress in developing a universal flu vaccine, and the sounds which might help your little one to fall asleep... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

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The world crosses the threshold of 1 terawatt of energy produced from solar means, the parting gift left behind by birds meeting an unfortunate demise, and looking for exoplanets that have magnetic fields Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this bonus edition, climate psychologist Patrick Kennedy-Williams introduces us to the concept of eco-anxiety, the very real phenomenon leaving people across the UK feeling stressed about the future and the frightening implications of climate change. In partnership with E.ON NEXT - the energy provider on a mission to tackle eco-anxiety - we discuss when eco-anxiety first began to make its presence felt, who is most affected and why, and what we can all do to help both ourselves and the environment... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This is a special, bonus episode brought to you in partnership with E.ON Next. If you've just been listening to our conversation with climate psychologist Patrick Kennedy-Williams, you'll know that they've created an audio toolkit for when eco-anxiety gets the better of you. We have part of it - a mindfulness meditation to boost well-being - for you here. For more of these resources search powerupforchange, or visit eonnext.com/eco-anxiety Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In the news, tech experts call for AI slowdown, monkeys fail to grasp magic tricks which require opposable thumbs to pull off, and why the WHO wants China to release information on the origin of Covid. Plus, according to one study, as many as 44 percent of the population suffer from chronic pain. The difficulty is, we experience pain in many different ways, making it notoriously hard to find treatments. We'll look into the possible causes of long term pain, and what scientists are doing to find solutions... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, in partnership with BMW, we're "recharging in nature" - discovering how stepping out into wild country replenishes our wellbeing batteries. But there's a disconnect for drivers of electric vehicles: many of the national parks are very much "off grid", paradoxically preventing those doing their bit for environmentally-friendly motoring with an electric car from benefiting. Luckily there's also a new initiative to power up national parks and benefit biodiversity... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Coming up this week, why we might need to re-draw dinosaur faces: it turns out T Rex had lips - how did we miss that? Also, as the government moves to make laughing gas illegal we look at how it works and why they're doing this, and is it time to call time on changing the clocks? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Whatever happened to make do and mend? Many of us, it seems, have lost the ability to fix the things we buy. So are manufacturers on a mission to make things impossible to fix, forcing us to buy new ones? Or should we be taking more personal responsibility to reduce waste? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In the news, scientists seeking to make measuring animal welfare a top priority on farms. Machines seeing the original chemicals in the bodies of fossilised animals. And why superglue might be the key to superior plastic recycling. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

The UN high seas treaty hopes to turn the tide on the biodiversity crisis in the ocean. Will it work, and will protecting 30% of the high seas be sufficient? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How doctors in the US have "cured" a woman with HIV, does Venus have volcanoes? Reexamining 30 year old probe footage has got scientists wondering, and signs that an artificial sweetener can affect the immune system... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

What happens when you put a space scientist interested in looking for alien life, a geologist studying some of the earliest life on Earth, a psychologist, and a linguist in a radio studio? Well hopefully a really interesting conversation and answers to some of science's - and your - big questions, because that's the line up for our Naked Scientists "ask us anything" QnA call-in this week: you supply the questions and we'll provide the answers. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Take a daily brisk walk and take 25% off your mortality rate, the northern - and southern - lights and why they've been so pronounced of late, and have scientists discovered the world's first Roman sex toy? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

The news is awash with the destructive side of these geological processes, but are there aspects of these events that can help us learn more about our planet's inner workings? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Are we any closer to a contraceptive for men, will a 4 day work week pay for itself, and how cretaceous caterpillars helped scientists work out when plants first opened and closed their leaves... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Today, we're asking whether UK science minister George Freeman's ambition of an operational fusion energy plant by 2040 is realistic. Scientists have their say as to whether or not this possible and, if not, when we can expect to see fusion on grid... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In the news this week, a UK toddler with a rare genetic disease is saved by gene therapy: we explain how it works. Cockatoos wow scientists by taking a toolkit along to solve a problem. And a 55 million year old penguin fossil... And it's a whopper that weighed in at 150 kilos! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

With over a billion birds dead and signs that the influenza virus is now spreading among mammalian species in the wild, are we at risk of another pandemic, just as we thought Covid was over? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

As Turkey battles against the clock to find survivors of the recent Earthquake there, we look at what triggered the magnitude 7.8 quake. Also, how modern day codebreakers have unlocked secret correspondence penned by Mary Queen of Scots from exile in the 1500s, and the overlooked threat of indoor air pollution: we worry about what we breath in on the streets but we're potentially encountering air just as bad in our own homes... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Scientists and governments are working together to turn farming, one of the foremost causes of global emissions, into a future-proof industry. We'll hear about the UK governments new sustainable farming scheme which rewards farmers for eco-friendly practices, scientists working on reducing reliance on harmful and costly fertilisers for grain crops, and the food formed of microbes which might soon feature on supermarket shelves... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Brain implants grown in a lab wire themselves into the nervous system. Artificial intelligence joins the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. We take part in the Big Garden Birdwatch 2023. And are sugar taxes actually effective ways to fight the obesity epidemic Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Much of our daily lives is made possible by the placement of objects orbiting our planet. From GPS, to weather forecasts, even your bank's ATM wouldn't be able to function without a timecode from space confirming when your transaction took place. So we're going to explore whether the increasing numbers of satellites up there is a problem, how we can use them to spot potential disease outbreaks before they even happen; why space weather is a threat, and even how one company are planning to forge metals aboard satellites and make things in microgravity for use back here on Earth! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

The plan to pay people to dial down their electricity use, the bacteria eating plastic in the ocean, and why antidepressants make it harder for users to enjoy themselves. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We first chatted ChatGPT last month, and have since been keeping an eye on the incredible ways it's been responding to users from across the world. This week, we consider the implications of this very powerful tool that has just landed in the hands of pretty much everyone, and whether we should be excited or concerned by the prospect it might become even more powerful... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How hair follicles might hold the key to reversing scars, but not just in skin: in hearts and other organs too. Also, scientists crack how to grow new brain cells in the laboratory dish. And what a mutant from millions of years ago is revealing about how ancient animals mated... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

It's that time of the year where we traditionally make - and usually break - resolutions to eat less, drink less, lose weight, give up meat and take up exercise during the year ahead. And in the decade since 2013, thousands of people have also been signing up for "Dry January". Last year 130,000 people in the UK elected to stop drinking alcohol for a month. So we thought this week we'd look at our long term love affair with the bottle, from how the practice of brewing began back in history, to the health harms and benefits of drinking today, and how scientists are now working on synthetic... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

The artificial pancreas to turnaround diabetes control, what went wrong with the UK's first space launch, and the Cambridge-born process that can turn CO2 and waste plastic into fuels and valuable chemical raw materials... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How stars burn for billions of years. Can Rishi Sunak turn us into a nation of mathematicians? And how misinformation changes the shape of our brains. Plus, there'll be our customary quiz at half time... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We're looking back at 2022, a remarkable year for many reasons. Whilst it is easy to be consumed by stories of conflict, climate catastrophe, and disease outbreaks, it is still important to remember that this year has been another in stellar scientific breakthroughs, a fair few of which may well help us combat the aforementioned challenges. We hope to bring you some of the weird and wonderful discoveries that were made throughout the scientific community over the past 12 months. Everything from the James Webb telescope, to James Tytko falling into a river. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We're taking a look at our planet's oceans, and seeing how and where the important work into studying our seas takes place, as well as finding out how the data collected by marine expeditions translates to research that informs our climate and conservation efforts. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

A landmark achievement: nuclear fusion experiments produce a net energy output - so what does this mean in practical terms. Also, glasses that soak up infrared to auto-demist. And how magnets are helping to solve a pollution problem on the London Underground... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we've found ourselves attracted by the topic of magnetism; it's what makes it possible to generate and distribute electricity to our homes, or send messages and radio broadcasts over the airwaves; it underpins our ability to see inside the body with technologies like MRI scanners, and thanks to the fact that there's a massive magnetic field surrounding our planet, much of the radiation onslaught from space that would otherwise hit us is fended off, keeping the Earth habitable. That planetary magnetic field also provides us and animals with a way to navigate, and there are even... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In the news, the old liver drug that turns out to be able to prevent Covid-19 infection, the artificial intelligence systems that pass the Turing test and can write their own computer programmes, and what bats and heavy metal singers have in common. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Last month, we were told, the 8 billionth person was added to Earth's human population. But despite many acknowledging that some of the biggest threats facing us and the planet, like climate change - stem from our impact on world, and the more of us there are, the worse those threats will be, the topic of population is mysteriously absent from the dialogue at major international fora, like the recent COP27 meeting in Egypt. Surely "living sustainably" must include, as David Attenborough puts it, not over-running the planet and destroying it in the process?So how many people can, or should the... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

A new Alzheimer's drug shows some promise in trials, but are the risks from side effects worth it? A new contraceptive inspired by Roman history and shellfish... And the surprising discovery about ants that scientists missed for over a century... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

If you've recently applied for a job, you may have been asked to fill out a personality test. From banks and consultancy firms to fast-food outlets, they're increasingly being used as a way to improve efficiency and perceived fairness in recruitment.The most common tests used for these purposes are based on the so-called 'big 5' personality traits that psychologists have settled on as providing a good indication of just what makes us tick. Such personality tests take the form of a questionnaire in which the participant indicates their alignment with statements concerning human behaviour,... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In the news this week, we hear about the novel approach to diagnosing diseases by looking at the chemical compounds in patients' breath, a new way of attacking viruses without damaging our cells, the potential for life on Mars, successful trials prescribing heat for health conditions, and what low frequncy noises we can't even hear can do for our propensity to dance... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, it is time to put your questions to a panel of excellent experts in one of our Q&A shows! We are going to be investigating how we track disease outbreaks, why our ears go pop, and why neanderthal DNA makes some of us more susceptible to diseases like COVID. Plus, we have a science quiz based on the World Cup. See how you fare against our experts... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, we're talking about the so-called scientific reproducibility crisis: an alarming sounding study was released earlier this year which concluded that less than one third of breast cancer research papers had reproducible results. So who's to blame? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this episode, How researchers are growing new blood in the lab, the scientists planning for potential alien communications, and why fertiliser may be fooling bees' ability to spot flowers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Before Covid, the bacterial infection "tuberculosis" was the number 1 infectious disease killer on the planet. Every day it claims the lives of thousands, with the impact particularly marked in lower income countries which account for 80% of the cases. But that doesn't mean that richer countries are off the hook. As people migrate, and wars displace refugees, Western countries are seeing a rising trend in new TB cases, particularly of highly drug-resistant forms of the infection. So this week we're looking at new ways to combat one of the oldest and most fearsome infections on the planet... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In the news this week, the novel gene therapy for epilepsy which reduces side effects, how birdsong can provide listeners with a mental health boost, we take a terrifying tour of Cambridge University's Botanic Garden, and hear about how Aluminium formate could bring carbon capture to the masses... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We mark the clocks going back with a look at our circadian rhythms: that's the mechanism by which our bodies mark time and keep our biological processes ticking over. Some drugs work better at certain times of the day, so why isn't this tested in clinical trials? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In the news this week, a new health study of unprecedented scale launches in the UK to improve disease detection, CAR-T therapy is administered without tailoring it specifically to the patient, the shock experienced by the scientist studying buzzing bees, computer games show signs of improving cognition in youngsters, and we delve deep into the ocean for signs of evolution happening before our eyes... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

A trip to the British seaside to see a See Monster - that's the title for the decommissioned gas platform turned art installation attempting to fuel new discussions around reuse and renewable energy in Weston super Mare. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Coming up this week... how bacteria could be supercharging cancer cells, the ghost fishing nets laying waste to our oceans, and could capturing carbon underground hold the key to our net zero ambitions? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, the latest research findings on Long Covid. What did a study on over a million people reveal about who's at risk of the condition and for how long? What research is now being done to discover the cause, and what role do reactivating dormant viruses like EBV, more normally the cause of glandular fever, play in the disease? Plus, the doctor disabled by two doses of Covid explains how her life has changed... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Coming up this week in the news, the advanced warning signs ten years ahead that Alzheimer's might be on the way, the exoskeleton boot that learns how you walk and helps you go faster, and the sleeping bacteria that can count themselves awake... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is an industrial process undertaken to access pockets of gas locked inside rock formations underground. It's seen by its proponents as a vital part of the solution to the current energy crisis, particularly as on-going tensions with Russia mean gas supply security looks very uncertain and remains very expensive. Critics, however, have pointed to environmental concerns and contest how much it could actually reduce energy prices. So, we're going to remove party politics from this contentious topic and see what the science has to say. We're sorting fract, from... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In the news, we dissect the achievements of the Nobel prize winners for science and medicine, ask whether paracetamol causes behavioural problems in children, and hear about the disturbance caused by cockatoos in Sydney's suburbs... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week the Naked Scientists have been in the City of Science - Trieste - to take part in their annual science festival and speak to some of the researchers pushing back the frontiers of knowledge in this beautiful part of northeastern Italy. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In the programme this week, we look at the plastic that sterilises itself, why sweeteners are worse for you than sugar, and how will seagrass react to climate change? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, it is time to put your questions to a panel of excellent experts in one of our Q&A shows! We are going to be investigating if truth serum really exists, what would happen if the Earth stopped rotating, and just how much nutrition is there in the human brain? Plus, we have a science quiz based on today in history and going back to school. See how you fare against our experts... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week's show conveys how surprisingly susceptible science is to dogma. We uncover the alarming oversights which have mitigated progress in disciplines like zoology and medicine for decades. Corrupted for years by false assumptions, the failings in these fields can be extremely difficult to overturn. We hear from scientists going against the grain to dispel mainstream myths from their respective areas of study, and also provide a protocol for dodging dogmas moving forward... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

A massive archeological find has been making headlines all over the news this week. Plus, 'breakfast like a king, dine like a pauper', is there any truth to the old saying? And are video GP consultations safe enough to be a permanent fixture in medical practice? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

When it comes to treating diseases, we often think of lifestyle changes, pills and procedures. What often isn't considered is poo. But this week, the NICE guidelines - which recommend treatments for use in the NHS - were updated so people who have a recurring gut infection caused by the Clostridium difficile superbug are eligible to receive a transplant of healthy stool in a procedure called fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) - sometimes dubbed a "transpoosion" - to aid their recovery. This procedure alters the balance of bacteria living in the gut, helping to hold the bad bugs in check... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In the news this week: mRNA vaccine giants Moderna and Pzfizer face a legal battle over potential technology infringements, and a new study explains how small talk with strangers before working together can improve strategic interactions. Plus, we hear about research suggesting cannabis use doesn't impact an indivduals motivation, the biggest animal alliance outside human beings, and the hot take on cancer risk in coffee drinkers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We're looking into where our water comes from, and how modern technology could help us better conserve the precious resources we have to be more prepared for future dry periods. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In the news this week: the medical breakthrough of a potential malaria vaccine; we find out how sewage is polluting our beaches but may also help us cope with a sulphur shortage; and a way to immunise the brain against misinformation... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

The scale of space is difficult to grasp: a trip to Mars would take 7 months, and for Jupiter you are talking years. But a scaled-down sculpture trail of our solar system offers a planetary tour on a more manageable scale. Plus we discuss living on Mars, exploding stars, and what the beautiful images flowing from the James Webb Space Telescope are showing to us... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In science news this week: the UK has approved a new COVID-19 vaccine which hopes to tackle the omicron variant, and scientists alter the blood type compatibility of a kidney outside the body. Plus, we investigate if e-scooter riders are more reckless than cyclists, how brain scans can be used to better predict learning over tests, and what chemicals make bees wobbly... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Children's wellbeing is in a state of emergency. It's a fact that has been tragically overlooked for some time now. In the UK, 41% of children are classed as overweight or obese by the time they leave primary school. Meanwhile, demand for mental health services is at an all time high.One of the central pillars to any child's development is play: a necessity for good physical and mental health. You'd have thought, given the crisis we face in children's health, ensuring kids have the proper provisions to do what comes naturally to them, to play freely, would be a top priority. Unfortunately,... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this week's news show: Chris provides an update on the polio siutation in London, and we hear what we can learn from hotter climes about dealing with the scorching weather. Plus, the robotic ant teaching other insects a lesson, tracking migrating moths, and getting to the bottom of earth's oxygen supply... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Last month saw a first in the UK: Bison were released into a woodland in Kent. An animal of this size and nature hasn't be known to be on UK soil for milennia, but now conservationists hope they can act as ecosystem engineers and help protect our woodlands. We explore how the European bison is able to exert such dramatic effects on its environment as well as dive into past reintroduction sucess stories, including the flight of the red kite and the nesting of the dormouse. Plus, we address the potential costs off adding a species into a new space, how learning to live alongside predators may... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In the world of science news this week, major supermarkets in the UK are removing their best before dates after data reveals just how much they sway our decisions to chuck food away. Plus, we dive into some physics to understand what influences how fast the Earth spins and how this fluctuates, the virtual robotic surgery techniques which helped separate Siamese twins in Brazil, and how gestures can make video meetings less fatiguing and more engaging. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week vaping, and the potential hidden health costs, go under the microscope as we also explore whether teens that would never smoke are being seduced by eCigarettes. Also, news of period impacts of the Covid-19 vaccines, woodpeckers and brain damage, signs that CRISPR could destabilise chromosomes, and a "wheely" good way to recycle old tyres... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Harry Lewis and James Tytko are off on a summer science special, a jolly down the River Cam with their Captain for the day Peter of Camboats, making pit stops to check out the local wildlife, sporting prowess of the University's rowing team, historical engineering works that still function perfectly and local residents taking it upon themselves to monitor the health of the water itself. But to kick it all off the boys will start by dipping their toes in the deep end, and making the most of what's on their doorstep... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

It's that time again where we round up some of the most pressing and perplexing science news stories from the past month. We analyse the first images from the James Webb telescope, discuss whether the protocol on rescue from car wrecks is based on any scientific evidence, and ask how data might be used to the detriment of period tracking app users in the wake of Roe vs Wade. Then, we'll find out why great white sharks are running scared near South Africa, question whether chatbots are on the verge of becoming sentient, and compare how the taste of wine is affected by the glass it is carried... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Could the potential food of the future be on its way to our supermarket shelves? Parliament is currently reviewing rules which would allow gene-edited food to be grown and sold in the UK, moving away from the more stringent rules it had adopted under EU regulations. The phrase 'genetically-modified' gained a bad repuation towards the end of the 20th century, with concerns around the safety of inserting foreign DNA into organisms, the mechanisms for doing so and the motivations behind its use. With the development of targeted gene-editing technologies, such as CRISPR-Cas9, modifying genetic... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Ponds used to prosper alongside old agricultural practices. But 100 years' of modernisation has seen bodies of water on farmland disappear, although they never truly die. And this week we go in search of their ghostly remains and show how they can spring back to life. Plus, in the news, how dengue and Zika infection makes us more attractive to mosquitoes, a lunar mystery that has space agencies bickering, and how you may be able to help map the entire seabed by 2030... 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 smell like we do! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

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 at the species living in the UK which are currently at risk. New resesearch from the week also gives us more clues about if life exists on venus and we hear how singing lava inside a volcano could help us better predict future eruptions. Plus, with... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

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 exhaust emissions, will the 4-day working week work, samples from an early asteroid, and where chickens came from... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

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 wind power, and why undersea cables can send sea creatures off course. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

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 into retirement, and an insight into why teenage girls are more likely to suffer from depression than their male peers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

The warmer weather is here and, with it, solar energy is on my mind. Sun-thing tells me I'm into something good. Join us in the first of our series of programmes on renewable energy sources as the world faces a difficult energy challenge and the threat of an 'apocalyptic' food shortage crisis. We'll be speaking to some of the players, big and small, in the solar industry in this country and around Europe, all with the shared goal of trying to build a sustainable future in which nobody is left hungry and cold either this winter, or in the coming years... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

War crimes. Violations of international law, such as the targeted killing of civilians, which could lead to the prosecution of those responsible. As the horrors of conflict continue in Ukraine, claims of war crime are increasing. Proving a crime has been committed in these circumstances is a long process and can be incredibly tough. But science can provide vital evidence, specifically archaeology and anthropology. These are fields often associated with historical findings or learning about ancient life. But when applied within forensics, they can help solve crime. Through the use of context,... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

A diverse range of expertise graces this month's "Q n May" panel show! Find out how we listen to our cosmos for signatures that herald the birth of the first stars, how gender labels help us understand our society, and whether or not your dreams might be worth remembering. We also probe your insights into the latest scientific discoveries in our new quiz, NEWSWORTHY. Unfortunately, there is no prize for the winner, but we'll give you bragging rights if you ace it... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

From skateboarding bulldogs to drumming gorillas, modern advertising is teeming with wacky characters and far-fetched fantasies, often with little relation to the product actually being promoted. But why? If you have found yourself wondering how mad marketing in all its forms actually works to get us to buy things, join us as we take a look at the science supporting the strategies of the world's biggest brands. We'll be talking to marketing experts to uncover what makes a successful campaign, and the techniques agencies use to test the tautness of our heart strings while viewing their ads.... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Stimulating isn't it. I recently came off the hard stuff and I've missed it ever since. I used to see coffee as a real treat, but that caffeine hit may soon be harder to come by. Scientists predict a drastic decline in suitable coffee growing land by up to 60% before 2050. In the show we'll put you in the hotseat to see how well you really know the UK's second favourite hot beverage. In the news: a change up at CERN could spell big changes for particle physicists universally, dinosaurs with coloured feathers and the happy hormone that makes old timers love life... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, we have an egg-cellent panel of spectacular science specialists who will be diving into their areas of expertise and sharing the goods! We hear about how formula 1 technology is changing the world, tools for coping with grief, some of the biggest controversies in science media and an update on the James Webb telescope as it preps for capturing the universe. Plus, we put our panel to the test with a science news quiz and follow clues on an easter egg trail which takes us all around the globe... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Cancers are made from a person's own cells going rogue. If a cell acquires the right combination of mutations or changes in its genetic code, it can divide uncontrollably and lead to the formation of a tumour. As these cells contain a unique individual's DNA, if they were to end up in another person's body, they should sound the immune alarm, be recognised as foreign and destroyed - much like an Incompatible organ transplant. Some viruses, like the human papilloma virus or HPV, can also cause cancer by triggering changes in a cells genetic code and promoting tumour formation. In these cases,... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

It's time to dress up to the nines and hit the red carpet in scientific style as we bring you The Naked Scientists Science of the Silver Screen Awards. We'll hear about the sandy planet in the sci-fi Dune, the likelihood of improvising a musical as portrayed by Disney's Encanto, Don't Look Up's planet-destroying comet, and the mysterious bioweapon that finished off Daniel Craig's James Bond. Plus heat-resistant corals, and how growing up in the city affects your ability to navigate... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Human milk is the special subject we're looking into this week, including how the cells it contains can jump into a baby's bloodstream - and literally make mum part of their offspring. We hear how biotechnology is aiming to produce human milk in the lab as an improved alternative to formula, and how donated human milk is helping sick babies, parents in need and cancer research. Plus, we dive into why online sales of human breast milk are on the rise due to a slightly surprising consumer group... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

From time to time here on the Naked Scientists we showcase episodes from some of the other programme strands that are part of our Naked family. Today we're sharing an episode of Naked Reflections, pertinent at the moment owing to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In this episode, host Ed Kessler is joined by Meryem Kalayci and James Smith to discuss the distressing issue of genocide. This Podcast includes some unique witness from a survivor of the Srebrenica massacre... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, AI-based facial recognition systems go live on the front in Ukraine, ozone exposure links to teenage depression, and evidence that sleeping with the light on can adversely affect your health. Plus, as the world grapples with an energy crisis, nuclear power is going up the energy agenda. We hear about Rolls-Royce's plans for a fleet of "off the peg" small modular nuclear reactors, and the efforts to harness nuclear fusion at JET... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Ever set a new year's resolution only for it to fall by the wayside after a few weeks? It is common for us to have goals and want to make change, but when it comes to turning those plans into reality, it can feel difficult. We often default back to old routines as more common behaviours take hold. Alongside trying to find ways to help us stick to our resolutions, we are exploring how our brain decides which way to act, how behaviours transition from being goal-directed to habitual, the disorders which can arise from alterations to these systems, and how research is trying to find methods to... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Conflict around the world is no longer simply fought on the ground, in the water or in the air but also in the airwaves. As digital devices pervade our lives, so too do they become both agents of and targets for conflict. To navigate us between the bombs in the bitstreams, we speak with a young student from Ukraine, unpick cyberwarfare within society, tease apart the technicalities, investigate how this changes the rules of conflict, and ask what it means for the future... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

It's that time again, where we compile all those lovely science questions you have sent in and form a crack squad of expertise, throw them on a panel together, and shove a mic under their noses! This week, you'll meet a Nobel laureate, figure out if the word 'dark' is put in front of complex theoretical physics topics to make them more attractive, and come face to face with our greatest bodily enigma: your armpit! Plus, with it being women in history month, we'll put your memory to the test to see how well you really know your great ladies of science... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Alongside analysing AI faces & how a heart beats, we will be putting microscopy under the microscope; from the first glimpses of life up close, to stepping inside the lens and experiencing microscopic specimens in virtual reality. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Amidst the aftermath of COVID-19 waiting lists continue to grow for those in need of an organ transplant, whilst simultaneously in an American surgery a man recieves the heart of a pig. Animal donors may be the answer to our shortage of available organs, but the procedure isn't quite ready to become common place. Take a trip down memory lane and embark on the jounrey of transplantation, where it began, where we are right now and what the future might look like in the next decade. Plus, catch up on chimps applying insects to their wounds, the current uses of facial recognition and how tech can... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, it is time to put your questions to a panel of excellent experts in one of our Q&A shows! We are going to be investigating what supermassive black holes do, strategies for coping with anxiousness and just how dog became man's best friend. Plus, we have a science quiz based on new beginnings and another mystery sound up our sleeve - see if you can guess what it is... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

It has been almost 2 years since the COVID19 pandemic - one of the most significant outbreaks in living history - was declared. But where did the SARS-CoV-2 virus which causes severe respiratory disease come from? Spillover from the wild? Leaked from a lab? We explore what we know about the lineage of this virus and the evidence gathered so far... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Taste is wonderful! Think of all those occasions where you and loved ones or firends are brought together by food! You may not realise, but our sense of smell, our 'fifth sense', is intertwined with taste; they are essential to our happiness and wellbeing. We're taking a deep dive into how your smell and taste work. We'll be hearing from someone who suffers from a condition called phantosmia, how we can normalise smell training and maybe we'll get a spoonful of scientific cooking work-arounds designed to help those suffering from smell and taste disorders. Also, in the news this week: an... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

2022 has been heralded as the golden era of robotics. In this episode of The Naked Scientists you'll see how futuristic machines are already employed throughout industry to make our lives better. This isn't a tech review of Alexa, but instead a glimpse at pinpoint-accurate surgical arms completing tricky operations on human patients and tiny robots that allow food to swallow itself into your stomach. Gulp. In the news this week, the worst case of Avian Flu recorded in Europe, a Sea Dragon unearthed in Rutland UK and fish that no longer need their L plates to get on the road... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We are looking into the science behind the headlines in the first week of 2022 - including a medical update on omicron and how this variant impacts disease severity, a review of some of the top games and gadgets to look out for in the year ahead, a celebration marking 100 years since the first use of insulin to manage diabetes, and a behind the scenes preview of the new Sir David Attenborough documentary, 'The Green Planet'. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We're looking back on the year that's just been, and what a year 2021 was. Once again, Covid-19 dominated the headlines, alongside the climate crisis and extreme weather events. But fear not! Sally Le Page shares only the good news stories that we've covered here on the Naked Scientists, such as solving perennial train delays caused by leaves on the line, and even how we cracked the ultimate mystery: how wombats make their poos cube shaped... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Ever wondered what it's like behind the scenes at The Naked Scientists? Well, here's your chance! Grab yourself a nice warm mug of cocoa nestle down by the decorated tree and prepare for some festive, but of course, infromative fun. We'll be finding out how to make the perfect snowball, how drunk Santa is come the end of Christmas Eve and whether an artificial tree is better for the environment than its pine counterpart... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We've seen them in movies, but how close are we to having nanorobots in reality? And what will we do with them? We'll be unpicking the tiny details of nanotechnology! Plus in the news this week: as Omicron cases continue to rise, what can we learn about it from South Africa? Researchers figure out why quitting smoking often leads to weight gain. And why we're bad judges of when we're over the drink-drive limit Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

It is time for a festive Q&A! In this episode, we are going to be answering your questions such as, does another planet Earth exist? Can robots be as creative as humans? And why do deep sea creatures glow? Our panel of scientific superstars taking on your queries this month are science song-writer Raven Baxter, deep-ocean diver Diva Amon, exoplanet explorer Hannah Wakeford and intelligence investigator Beth Singler. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Surely a day doesn't go by without you using plastic. It's a marvel of material science. But hidden behind its convenience, plastic poses serious enviornmental challenges. Is this versatile and ubiquitous material contributing to the climate problem or helping us solve it? Plus, in the news this week: as Omicron spreads across the globe, we get the low-down on how the new variant differs from those we have already seen, one researcher thinks he might have fouind our solar system's missing 9th planet and printer-ink that 'lives'! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

As we strive for a transition to a green future, we're asking "would wood be good" to help us build everything from better buildings to more insulating windows, from steak-cutting knives to nano-engineered, biodegradable glitter. Plus, in the news: as Covid cases take off again in Europe, we review the situation here in the UK; also, making strawberry smells with mushrooms; and breakthrough textiles that cool you down when the sun shines on them. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

It's Q&A time! In this episode we'll be answering questions from you, our listeners, such as how close are we to developing a vaccine against the common cold, what's it like to live on Mars and what are the weirdest animals in Antarctica? That's right this week is dedicated to you. We're answering all your questions with the help of supernova scientist Sarafina Nance, marine mastermind Huw Griffiths, viral virtuoso John Tregoning and genetic genius Nessa Carey... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we have the inside track on the COP-26 climate conference in Glasgow; why bird song at dawn sounds dramatically different to 20 years ago; and scientists uncover the secret to a successful blind date. And, as COP26 marches on, we reflect on how the climate crisis is destined to affect us all. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We're wandering into the weird world of spiders! We'll be looking at spiders that can fly using little silk parachutes and the grisly and gruesome mating habits of black widow spiders. Plus in the news, as UK cases surge, should Covid precautions move to Plan B; how does raw sewage affect our waterways; and is your mobile phone damaging your finger? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

It's that time again for another Q&A show, a chance for you to have your say! This week we delve behind the headlines as well, trying to figure out what social media platforms are doing to protect their users and discovering why Bitcoin, after 12 years, is now considered a threat to the global financial market. All that and more with Gareth Mitchell, Chris Riley, Eleanor Drinkwater and Andrew Steele. If you have a question, why not give us a whirl. Let us help you scratch that scientific itch... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

As some continue to speculate that COVID came from a lab, we're looking at the scientific research being done on dangerous diseases, whether this work is safe and how it's regulated. Plus in the news: are Covid vaccines messing with menstruation; how subsea cables are affecting crabs; and scientists add plant cells to brains to supply them with oxygen. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, we're journeying into the world of the smallest objects known to humanity: the tiny particles that make up us and the entire universe around us. Plus, in the news, getting the world vaccinated against COVID-19 - half the global population have been jabbed so far, but the many countries in the Global South lag far behind; the Nobel prizes are announced; and, have scientists finally solved the biggest problem of them all: leaves on the line delaying trains... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

As the UK struggles with a lack of fuel in petrol stations and fresh food shortages in the supermarket, we ask: what else are we at risk of running out of? Plus, in the news, why we might be destined to succumb to the 'worst cold ever' this winter; signs that air pollution causes millions of premature births each year, and scientists peer into the past and read previously-hidden parts of Marie Antoinette's love letters... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this week's programme, it's Q&A time! Coming up, we'll find out: what can we learn from invisible measurements in space, how scientists discover potential new medicines made by plants and why green energy might be more costly to the consumer... Yep, we're answering science questions you've been sending in! We've assembled the very best experts to help get to the bottom of it all: climate researcher Ella Gilbert, climate economist Gernot Wagner, enthnobotanist Cassandra Quave, and public astronomer Matthew Bothwell... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we're looking into a topic that almost never gets mentioned at school but affects almost all of us, one way or another. It's the menopause. And we'll hear why it happens and when it happens, and what we can do to lessen the effects when it does. Plus in the news, COVID vaccines for kids: is the side effect everyone's worried about worth worrying about, farmers toilet train cows, and China clamps down on kids playing computer games. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In recognition of World Sepsis Day on the 13th, we're unpicking the science of this dangerous syndrome - from the infections that cause it, to the genes that make us more susceptible, and how artificial intelligence can help us to crack it... Plus, in the news, sending hydrogen to houses through the gas network to cut our carbon footprint. How a high fat diet could be disrupting your sleep; and the Ig Nobel prizes are announced. We'll hear who's won what... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, we are boosting our knowledge on what "immunity" against COVID-19 really means and what our strategy heading into winter should be. We'll also hear about a new generation of coronavirus vaccines to better protect us in future. Plus, in the news, signs that living through the pandemic is having a serious impact on early childhood development, leaded petrol disappears from the last service stations, and the new wooden floor that generates electricity when you walk on it... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we're taking a deep dive into the world of carbon sequestration and how we can use nature to help us solve climate change. We'll be wading through peat bogs, getting serious about seaweed, and digging into the details of dirt... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

It's Q and A time! Can animals really sense impending dangers like storms and earthquakes? What is the universe expanding into? And how can we prevent the insect apocalypse? We've assembled a panel of experts to answer your science questions: physicist Jess Wade, infectious disease historian Kyle Harper, animal expert Jo Wimpenny, and insect lover Dave Goulson... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, long COVID: we're 18 months into the pandemic and there are thousands of people with long-term health consequences of having caught the infection. We're asking the experts to find out who is most at risk, what could be causing this to happen, and what research needs to be done in trying to treat it. Plus, in the news, an even gloomier outlook on climate change as the latest IPCC report confirms we need to drastically reduce emissions; also a new carnivorous plant discovery - the first for 20 years - and we're asking why COVID vaccine uptake is lagging among the under 30s in the... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, we'll be delving into the world of environmental DNA: what did researchers find when they went looking for the Loch Ness monster? Plus, in the news, with an autumn "booster" on the cards, we look at how much antibody you need to be protected against Covid 19, and how sea level change can affect volcanic eruptions... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

From collecting cobalt to installing infrastructure, what's the latest on how we're getting ready for the electric vehicle revolution? Plus, in the news, with numbers of COVID cases falling across the UK despite the country opening up we're asking, why? Also, the bottom line on how ventilation can help us keep the pandemic at bay; and how farmers can benefit by giving bees a dose of caffeine... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why are billionaires racing for space? What is the UK's Covid-19 strategy since freedom day? And how will Covid-19 affect the Olympics? This week it's QnA time, and with us to explore where weightlessness begins, whether animals other than mammals suckle their young, if recent findings of methane mean life on Mars, and why the UK isn't vaccinating kids against Covid, are Richard Hollingham, Linda Bauld, Eleanor Drinkwater and Dan Gordon. Plus, an Olympic-themed quiz to boot! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

It's the Royal Society's annual Summer Science Exhibition, but with a digital difference. We go behind the scenes to hear whether bees have favourite flowers, and discover smelly science of your armpit microbiome...Plus, in the news, the data on masks is mixed; might it be that most people aren't using them properly? Also, are "ice berg basements" why Brian May's home flooded in London? And an app that can spot anaemia from a selfie... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Are you feeling it? We're taking a hallucinatory trip into the world of psychedelic drugs. These substances are going through a medical renaissance - we'll learn how they work and how they might help to treat even the most serious psychiatric disorders. Plus, why an eye of fire appeared in the ocean off the coast of Mexico; astronomers pin down the birth of the first ever stars; and how some COVID tests can be tricked with orange juice! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we're exploring Lyme disease, looking at the science behind the ticks that carry it, the bacteria that cause it, how we treat it, and why the condition is on the rise in the UK. Plus, in the news, can we mix and match COVID vaccines? We've got the results of the latest trial. Also, a new family of beetles discovered fossilised in dinosaur poo, and a pacemaker that dissolves when you're done with it... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

It's Q and A time! Does counting calories really work? Could the universe ever implode? And what makes duct tape so sticky? We've assembled a panel of powerful people to answer your science questions: brain and bodyweight expert Giles Yeo, astrophysicist Katie Mack, chemist Kate Biberdorf, and microbiome geneticist Rob Finn... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, fetch your swimmers, or maybe not, because we're diving into the secret lives of sharks, including hearing how some of them live for hundreds of years. Plus, in the news, antibody treatments for Covid-19, plastic made from peas, and crayfish on antidepressants... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We're looking at the world of vaccine hesitancy: why are some folks unsure about getting a COVID vaccine, and how we can help? Plus, in the news, home, or away - should we be able to get away for a holiday abroad this year? Also, 'sea snot' paralyses the Turkish coastline; and how just seeing another ill bird at a distance boosts a canary's immune system. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Fetch your sunglasses because we're looking into the science of sunlight: from the past to the future, what has the sun meant to humanity? Plus, in the news: a global update on COVID, toxic mercury in glaciers, and a new glue that sets underwater. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We're diving into the science behind the latest headlines - including the oxygen shortages occurring in the wake of COVID outbreaks; the nuclear waste deep inside the wrecked Chernobyl reactor threatening to reignite; and we're meeting the man who found the Titanic, to talk about his new mission. Plus, a dive into science fiction with author Max Brooks, author of World War Z and the new novel Devolution... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we're tuning in to the science of birdsong, including parents who talk to their eggs to warn them of high temperatures, and how traffic noise means young birds are taking longer to learn their songs. Plus, in the news, scientists grow beating hearts in a laboratory culture dish; why the plastic you recycle isn't going where you think it is; and why a long working week might be the death of you. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, we're discussing ADHD: attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. It can lead to difficulty concentrating and focusing on tasks, and many adults don't actually realise they have it. So what is it, and what can we do to help people who have it? Plus, news of the Indian variant of Covid-19, new discoveries from the 40 year old Voyager 1 probe, and bats made from bamboo - but is that cricket? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we get our teeth into the science of fermented foods: are they a tasty health myth, or are the claimed medical benefits rooted in reality? From DIY sauerkraut and artisan cheeses, to the impact of fermented foods on the microbiome and how meat substitutes like Quorn are made in fermenters, it's a scientific feast. Plus, the latest Covid-19 news including government plans to vaccinate children over 12, why quantum physics just got "weirder", and an artificial intelligence that can predict when mums will go into labour... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

It's a look at the science behind the headlines! Including the latest on COVID-19; a successful vaccine for malaria; the abuses of forensic science to send down the wrong people, and is 'net zero' fact - or climate change fantasy? Also, talking about the new book he's got coming out, best-selling author of 'The Martian' Andy Weir... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

As the UK announces the world's most ambitious target for cutting carbon and enshrines it in law, we're looking at how to improve the green credentials of one of the country's largest carbon contributors: the homes we live in. Plus, as India sees covid cases hit more than 300,000 a day, is the emergence of a variant there - and its detection here - cause for concern? And, the coffee species lost for 70 years and now rediscovered... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How is it that you can listen to signals on your radio? We delve into the science of radio. From how one is made, to listening out for alien broadcasts. Plus in the news, we look at the potential for the third wave of Covid, how the vaccine fairs in pregnant people, and some muons behaving badly? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, with the northern hemisphere firmly in Spring and new growth bursting out all around us, we're talking about the science of seeds. Plus, in the news: the latest on the Astrazeneca COVID vaccine and blood clots, why UK plans to Covid test the population twice a week are flawed, and why beating their chests can save gorillas from fighting. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Meet the digital phenomenon that's worth in the trillions of dollars, that uses more power than the nation of Sweden, but that very few people - including those involved - even understand. Cryptocurrencies are notoriously complicated, the best way to understand how they work is to understand where they came from. In this programme: the history, the technology, the economics, and the psychology. Plus, latest news from the crypto-world: NFTs and multi-million art sales, 'stablecoins' and financial misconduct, and finally - will the whole thing come crashing down? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

As England embarks on a multi-billion pound healthcare redevelopment initiative, we're asking, "what should the hospital of the future look like?". Plus, we reflect on the recent UK Covid lockdown anniversary, and unpick a chromosomal conundrum in Question of the Week... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, 10 years on from the earthquake that caused the Fukushima disaster, we're looking at the science of earthquakes, new techniques to protect ancient buildings from quake damage, and are we any closer to predicting these awesome forces of nature? Plus in the news: Why countries across the EU stopped, and then restarted, using the AstraZeneca vaccine, how lightning helped life on the early Earth, and do we owe our fine sense of touch to our fingerprints? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, solving the mysteries of ancient Egypt: we delve into the discovery of secret chambers hidden inside pyramids, and if glowing bones reveal antibiotic use was going on thousands of years ago... Plus, in the news, the fireball that shot across the UK night sky; a new device protects women from HIV; and the carbon footprint of cultivating cannabis... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, we're looking at the science behind the headlines. From the latest with COVID-19, to weather in space, we'll be taking a closer look behind some of the biggest stories of the moment. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, the good news on vaccines for Covid-19, the helicopter taking to the sky on Mars, and the birds that make alarm sounds to scare females into mating with them. Plus, is the world facing a fertility crisis? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

What has happened to learning in the era of COVID-19? In this episode: the people living through the psychological consequences of future mass unemployment and what the government and higher education are going to do about it. Plus, will reopening schools cause another coronavirus outbreak? What did the WHO learn when they went to Wuhan? And the carnage from the last time the Earth's magnetic poles reversed... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

As the UK surpasses its goal of vaccinating 15 million people by the 15th of February, we're taking an in-depth look at COVID vaccines: how they work, what efficacy really means, and will they protect us against viral variants? Plus, in the news, updates to the list of COVID symptoms to watch out for; Chris Packham on the animal Einsteins giving humans a run for their money; and how scientists are using whale songs to explore the ocean floor... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

What happens when the scientist... becomes the subject? We're examining the strange world of self-experimentation, from the history of martyr medics and kooky romantics, to the modern biologists dosing themselves with DIY COVID vaccines in the months after the pandemic began. Plus, is mixing vaccines the best way to fight coronavirus? Scientists capture an elusive element, number 99... and the physics behind why wombats poo in cubes! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, we're looking at nuclear power and asking, in today's world, whether we really need nuclear power? Are the alternatives really practical alternatives, or are we just kidding ourselves? Plus in the news, is the UK right to lengthen the gap between Covid vaccines? Evidence that coronavirus infection dents male fertility, and a very strange rodent, with a very strange accent! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, we're unpacking ultrasound, imagining MRI and pondering PET scans, as we ask - how does medical imaging actually work? And what future innovations are waiting in the wings? Plus, we hear from the group that's tracking mutant coronaviruses...how do they find new variants? And a new battery for electric vehicles that can charge in 10 minutes! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, looking for a new hobby? We're exploring the science of handicrafts, including why knitting boosts wellbeing, the first textiles from 27,000 years ago, and the project that's knitting human tissue to make replacement blood vessels. Plus, in the news, novel insights into who gets severe COVID and what might cause Long COVID, the WHO arrive in China to probe for the origins of the pandemic, and the snakes that tie themselves in knots to climb trees... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We're looking ahead to the science coming up in 2021! From the Large Hadron Collider restarting, to the USA likely rejoining the Paris climate agreement, to - hopefully - an end to the pandemic. Plus, we're making some new year's resolutions that are going to last... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this week's episode, we're going to take you on a journey through some extra special science stories we reported on in 2020 - from chatting with a space shuttle astronaut to a 46,000 year old ice bird, we've got some curious tales that we covered for some of our other Naked Scientists podcasts... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Happy New Year! Welcome to 2021. To get the year started we've got a special bonus sneak peek at one of our other programmes for you this week. In our Naked Astronomy series, one of the sector's leading lights joins Adam Murphy and Ben McAllister to probe deep into their field of space science. Most recently, Alan Duffy came aboard to help put Dark Matter under the microscope... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this week's special episode, we're reflecting on some of the science we've reported on this year. Of course, the Covid crisis means that throughout 2020 we've brought you many interviews and updates on the Coronavirus, the lockdowns, and the vaccines. But, as it's the holidays, we've decided to focus on the other science we've delved into over the past 12 months. We hope you enjoy it, and here's to a brighter 2021... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Grab your controllers, we're diving into the world of videogames, how the music can get into your head, the psychology of games, and how they might have helped during lockdown. Plus in the news, should we be worried about new COVID variants, we find out about a potential origin for migraines, and why you might not want to drink George's Marvellous Medicine from Roald Dahl's book! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Merry Christmas! Here's something for your stocking: another bonus episode showcase for you this week. It's our weekly Naked Reflections strand. In this series, world-leading thinkers debate some of the deeper issues discussed elsewhere in the Naked Scientists outputs. This episode considers conflicts... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

It's Beethoven's 250th birthday! What today's tech tells us about his music? And have computers have become powerful enough to take the same creative steps as he once did? Plus, in the news: the practical challenges behind the largest mass vaccination campaign in history; cutting carbon from crisps; and why have pandas been rolling in poo? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, for World AIDS Day, we put HIV under the microscope, and talk to someone who's actually been cured, and the doctor who cured him. Plus, in the news, the UK becomes the first western country to approve a COVID vaccine, samples are successfully returned to Earth from an asteroid, and how an F1 driver walked away from what should have been a lethal 137mph crash... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

From time to time, we showcase here on the Naked Scientists feed some of the other programmes we make across our Naked Network. So, this week, we're bringing you the latest episode of the Naked Gaming Podcast, from Chris Berrow and Leigh Milner. Ideal for fun-lovers of all ages, old school gamers from the 80s and 90s especially will feel a rush of pleasure to see Leisure Suit Larry gets a review! It's also a good month to listen because there's a gift giveaway in the episode! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Through November we've been musing over the science of movement, from enormous planetary scales to tiny cellular ones. And so this week, to celebrate our devotion to motion, we bring you our Move n A! We'll be talking exercise, how animals get about, the wanderings of our early human ancestors, and movements under our feet, with a superstar panel of scientists and answering some of the questions you've been sending in... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

From strange-looking sperm to cancers that spread, we're looking at the light, and dark, sides of cell movement. Plus, a second Covid vaccine approaches the finishing line, but who are the also-rans? We'll look at who's most likely to get the vaccine first and whether we've got that pecking order right; and how microscopic plants are helping scientists grow replacement human organs... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

From ancient past to global present, us humans are a migratory bunch. But with climate change redrawing maps of the world, what does the future hold? Plus, the science behind Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine announcement, and what they're not yet telling us; the mink farms that are spreading a new variant of COVID-19; and the UK scientists trying to extract oxygen from the moon... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, will mass COVID testing in Liverpool get us out of lockdown? Antibodies to defend the brain; and why we've evolved to laugh! Plus we look at the Earth on the move: from our journey through space, to how tectonic plates rearrange themselves, ocean currents bring us warm weather, and how massive storms appear... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This month (November 2020), we're theming our shows around movement. From cells moving at one extreme, to planetary movements at the other! And this week we're kick-starting the series by talking animal movement: migration, monitoring, and when to intervene in how animals move. Plus in the news - What do falling levels of coronavirus antibodies in those infected say about the likely success of a vaccine? Why might we want to dose ourselves with vitamin D? And why the Moon's wetter than we first thought! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, news of the people catching coronavirus on purpose; those waiting-out the pandemic in an old nuclear bunker, and the good news that lullabies send babies to sleep regardless of what language they're in! Plus, "lockdown, or let rip?" what's the best way to control the coronavirus pandemic? Opinions are divided, and we're joined by four leading experts to debate the best solution... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, we're talking trees! From how they grow, to the oldest ones on Earth, to how they die, and what trees can do for our cities. Plus in the news, can you catch COVID twice? How microwaving an insecticide makes it 12 times more powerful, and the asteroid that might actually be an old Moon rocket... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week Chris is joined by top palaeoanthropologist Lee Berger and BMJ executive editor Theo Bloom to dissect the science behind the headlines. As Donald Trump recovers from his coronavirus infection, what experimental treatments has he received, and what have we learned about managing COVID since the pandemic started? The Nobel Prizes are out: who's won what? And David Attenborough's new film has launched; we talk to the executive producer... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week - we're pondering periods. With about 800 million people menstruating each day around the globe, we're re-visiting the biology, musing over menstruation and mental wellbeing, and asking why, in 2020, period poverty is such a problem. Plus in the news - Lockdown, or let rip? Are our efforts to try to stop the spread of coronavirus taking us in the wrong direction? An update on England and Wales' NHS Covid app. And with England's ban on some single use plastics now in force, why do we have so much of it in the first place? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

With an eye on World Vegetarian Day we're looking at the feasibility of a reduced meat diet: What can cutting down calories from meat do for our health, and the health of the planet? Plus, in the news, a new 20 minute test for COVID, why hybrid cars turn out to be worse for the environment than their official performance figures claim, and after hundreds of elephants mysteriously died in Botswana, researchers now think they know why... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Do algorithms run the world? Nowadays we measure the amount of data we generate in zettabytes - that's 1 followed by 21 zeroes. This data, in turn, powers algorithms that are getting more and more sophisticated at predicting our behaviour, and are making ever more decisions for us. What does this mean for our society, privacy, and even our inner selves? Plus, in the news, the science - or lack of it - behind the latest COVID "rule of six" guidelines; the Arctic ice shelf that's lost a Manchester-sized chunk of itself; and the whales that ended up tens of kilometres up an inland river... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week - a show with a difference! Space journalist Richard Hollingham and space scientist Katie Mack join Chris to probe the science behind the headlines, talk to other guests along the way, and answer questions that you've been sending in. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, the story of how humankind has gazed into space, from the first basic telescopes to what gravitational waves are now revealing about the workings of black holes. Plus, in the news, evidence that people are catching COVID again, what's the risk of coronavirus infection on an aeroplane, and bee venom to treat breast cancer... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Where did the coronavirus come from? The story we've been told is that it started off in bats, and then jumped into humans some time late last year at a seafood market in the city of Wuhan. It's a neat tale - but the problem is, nobody actually knows whether it's completely accurate. In this programme, we're exploring the possibilities, the evidence, and the gaps in the evidence... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, with our climate changing, will the traditional "English country garden" become a thing of the past? Will pests and diseases surge? And how will flowers and food crops, and the pollinators that make them productive, be affected? Plus, news of how dust and dandruff can spread flu and other viruses. The chemical fingerprint that COVID-19 leaves on the body; and self-driving cars look set to take to the road... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, How do we understand each other, from infants to adults how do we go about relating to one another. Plus, in the news, A Russian COVID vaccine, the perks of prosecco, and stopping swarming locusts. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Meet the COVID-19 patients who are still suffering the after-effects of the disease, months after catching the virus. They weren't ill enough to be hospitalised, and thought they'd recover after a fortnight. Now, though, they're on a rollercoaster of bizarre symptoms. They're calling it 'long COVID' - but what is it? Plus, in the news: children seem to harbour more coronavirus than adults; a new space mission to Mars gets under way, and the science of cows licking each other... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, we're getting stuck into some sizzling science! It's BBQ time, and we're going to explain the chemistry of cookery, the science of tastes and flavours and we're also going to try to cook something you wouldn't think was possible on the barbie. Plus news of the UK government's plan to battle the nation's bulge, but will it work? Why leaves on the line really is a reasonable excuse for late trains. And what happens when cats and dogs catch coronavirus? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

It's quiz time! Three fabulous listeners take on our questions - on everything from physics & space to the natural world. Who will emerge victorious and be crowned Big Brain of the Month? Plus, do grab a drink and play along at home! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we're celebrating the hundredth birthday of DNA pioneer Rosalind Franklin and how her work helped to unravel the DNA helix. Plus, in the news: COVID causes heart damage, water shortages in England thanks to climate change, and magic bullets to make shellfish more nutritious... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, we're meeting the neighbours. Our planetary neighbours that is, to take a look at Mars and Venus, and the new missions heading their way. Plus, in the news, COVID as an airborne disease, the mass elephant dieoff in Botswana, and why sampling sewage might be a sensitive way to search for coronavirus outbreaks. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, testing, tracing and monitoring. How does a covid test actually work? Do antibodies to covid mean immunity? And the tech to monitor covid symptoms from home. Plus in the news, as lockdowns go local: how are they doing it Down Under? Why planting trees to capture carbon is worse for the planet, and the sparrows changing their tunes! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Forget banks, forget airlines - can we bail out the planet? As the world begins to reopen from lockdown, we're asking whether the present 'reset' is a golden opportunity to tackle climate change. Can we cut emissions, and kill the coronavirus, and rescue the economy all at the same time? Plus, in the news: the whereabouts of the UK government's long-awaited contact tracing app; the man who can't see numbers; and the strange star that shouldn't exist... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, lockdown may be easing, but the pubs still haven't flung open their doors yet, so this week, we're bringing a little of the pub to you, with a Naked Scientist Pub Quiz. It's a QnA show with a difference tonight, as Adam Murphy and Phil Sansom put some science quiz questions to our expert panel; chemist Ljiljana Fruk, astronomer Matt Bothwell, AI athropologist Beth Singler, and mental health expert Olivia Remes... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, put on your hard hat and steel capped boots: we're journeying to the centre of the earth! From the soil at the surface to the magnetic molten iron at the core, we're delving into what's going on inside our planet. Plus in the news - How llamas can help us to combat Covid-19, archaeology on a quad bike, and Einstein is proved right again in a test of extreme gravity... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Come celebrate the 25th anniversary of some Nobel-prize-winning science: the fifth state of matter, a strange quantum soup known as a Bose-Einstein condensate. What is it, and why is it at the cutting edge of physics? Plus, in the news: signs that 2 metre social distancing is twice as effective as one metre; an app that can help you avoid encountering COVID-19 when you shop; and two astronauts blast off to the International Space Station... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, the search for a vaccine for COVID-19: will we succeed, and when? Plus, in the news, the search for a chemical fingerprint for severe COVID-19, bacteria that live inside cancers, and could something in your genes make coronavirus harder to deal with... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, we're asking what will the "new normal" look like? We delve into the future of healthcare, education and transport. Plus in the news, loss of smell is added to the list of coronavirus symptoms, but why has it taken so long? And how safe is it for schools to reopen? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

What's a scientific paper? What's peer review? And when governments say they're "following the science" during this pandemic, what does that actually mean? We're figuring out how science goes from results in a lab to become public information, or even national policy. Plus, in the news: we rate the security of the UK's new COVID-19 tracing app; doctors that didn't know they'd been infected with coronavirus; and should we really be bailing out airlines? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, we're bringing you a special episode, diving into the science and technology of World War Two, to mark the 75th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, pull up a chair, a drink, and get your pens and paper ready, because it's time for The Naked Scientists science pub quiz! Playing along are climate scientist Ella Gilbert from the British Antarctic Survey, animal behaviour scientist Eleanor Drinkwater, plants and pollinators researcher Hamish Symington and physiologist Sam Virtue... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, we're looking at the impacts of coronavirus beyond the virus: how is it hitting economies, universities and our mental wellbeing? Plus, researchers come up with a way out of the lockdown, how people who've recovered from coronavirus can help save the lives of those infected with it, and how the lockdown is offering one scientist a unique mass participation research opportunity... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Welcome to a voyage of discovery using only the view from your window. From cloudspotting to birdwatching to stargazing, you're never going to look at the sky the same way again. Plus, news of how the world's poorest countries are bracing against the next wave of coronavirus, as well as a drug that could block the virus from getting into our cells... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Today, we're taking a step back from talking about coronavirus, to bring you a QnA show with a difference! We're answering some of the questions you've been sending in, and we're also getting stuck in to some kitchen science experiments which you can join in with at home, whether you're a big kid or a little one. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, we are looking at radioactivity, from its uses in medicine to its uses in war. Plus, a sneak preview of a new film due out soon all about radioactivity pioneer Marie Curie. Plus, a new 90 minute test for coronavirus infection, how fast is the new coronavirus mutating, and evidence that humans are just like dogs - we eat much faster if there's someone else around! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week - from genetics to geoscience, chemistry to komodo dragons, an explosive hour of science fun! Hear what went on at our live event recorded back on 11th March for the 2020 Cambridge Science Festival - one of the last events that went ahead before the rest of the festival was cancelled. Demos, anecdotes, questions, and booms with Giles Yeo, Ljiljana Fruk, Eleanor Drinkwater and David Rothery... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Here are a few extra bits from our live show as part of the Cambridge Science Festival, recorded back on 11th March 2020 before the rest of the festival was cancelled, that we couldn't fit into this week's episode, but that we thought you might enjoy, nonetheless. To remind you of our panel - there's geneticist Giles Yeo, chemist Ljiljana Fruk, animal behaviour expert Eleanor Drinkwater and planetary geoscientist David Rothery, and former Naked Scientist Dave Ansell. Presenting the show were Adam Murphy and Chris Smith... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We take a detailed look at the coronavirus pandemic that's sweeping the globe. How does it affect the lungs? What can doctors do about it? And meet some of the teams working on solutions, from new rapid tests for the virus to vaccines to stop it. Plus, in other news, evidence that solar storms can cause whales to beach themselves - and meet the ancient bird they call Wonderchicken... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

With billions of people moving to cities in the next few decades we are looking at the secrets for making cities sustainable, from a virtual world to a World War 2 air raid shelter. Plus in the news, how the Amazon could disappear faster than we expect, what territorial gorillas can teach us about ourselves, and would you shop in a place that didn't have tills... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

What happens if you overwater a plant? How does gravity actually work? And should we be cancelling mass events to contain the coronavirus? It's Q&A time on the show, and this week Phil Sansom is joined by a brainy panel of experts: plant biologist Nadia Radzman, particle physicist Chris Rogers, bioarchaeologist Emma Pomeroy, and virologist and Naked Scientist Chris Smith. Prepare to have your curiosity satisfied... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, we're talking electric cars: we get someone to drive one for a few days to find out how easy the switch to electric might be. And news of the brainy computer that's made a breakthrough against superbugs, and, on Mars, why the little green men are quaking in their boots... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

For many, the term Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a phrase straight out of sci-fi, conjuring up visions of utopias or dystopias, from films ranging from the Terminator to I Robot. But what was previously sci-fi is now increasingly becoming reality. AI technology exists, and there's a brand new frontier where it's being applied to the world of healthcare. AI is helping to diagnose cancer, design new medicines, and even predict a person's medical future. In this programme, in partnership with Microsoft, we explore where AI technology is taking us... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

With the leap year upon us, and the rare appearance of Feb 29th, we're "marking time" to find out how time works: from why time seems to go faster when we're older, to the mind-bending warping of time around black holes. Plus, in the news, scientists develop a way to produce electricity from thin air, how old mattresses are feeding refugees, and why bringing back beavers might solve some of our flooding problems... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we delve into the disease that accounts for a quarter of all cancer diagnoses in men: prostate cancer. We'll be finding out how it's picked up and diagnosed, as well as speaking to someone who lives with the condition. Plus, in the news: our update on the coronavirus, from life in quarantine to developing a vaccine; cutting aircraft emissions by flying just a bit higher; and how scientists can take a dinosaur's temperature from its fossilised eggs... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week - tick tock! We're talking body clock science! Whether it's eating, sleeping, or coming down with something - we're taking a look at the biology of our daily rhythms. Plus in the news, doctors begin testing gene editing to treat cancer, and what have honeybees and love hearts got in common? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

What's a white hole? Why don't we use brain scans to diagnose mental health and why was cyanide Agatha Christie's poison of choice? All this and more as our panel of experts answer your questions. Joining Chris Smith this time are: Astronomy specialist Matt Bothwell, forensic toxicologist Lorna Nisbet, neuroscientist Camilla Nord and physiologist Sam Virtue... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we're donning our kilts and raising our whisky bottles to celebrate Burns Night! The two-century-old Scottish holiday honours the memory of the great poet Robbie Burns, and in this episode we're hosting our very own Burns Supper - but with a special twist of science. We've got haggis, history, and a live science ceilidh! Plus in the news, an update on China's virus outbreak, the Earth's oldest meteor crater, and scientists recreate the voice of a 3000-year-old Egyptian Mummy.... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week: food waste. Worldwide, a third of the food we buy ends up in the bin. Why? And what can science do to help? Plus - will 2020 be another climate record-breaker, and what are the climate-change consequences for future food production here? A new way to treat type 1 diabetes. And why, nutritionally-speaking, packed lunches for many children leave a lot to be desired... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we're unraveling the science behind the ancient art of origami - paper folding - and how scientists are even doing it now with DNA. The new virus that's appeared in China, news of the Australian bush fires, and why running a marathon can take years off the age of your arteries... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

It's Q&A time! We've picked a selection of the best science questions from listeners, like: are lottery numbers really random? Is there still a hole in the ozone layer? And crucially - why do some bananas peel into three sections and some into four? Here to answer them is our expert panel: tech journalist Tim Revell, geneticist Hannah Thompson, climate scientist Ella Gilbert, and physicist Jess Wade... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this week's special episode, Katie Haylor, Adam Murphy and Phil Sansom take a trip down memory lane, month by month, reflecting on some of our favourite moments from a whole year's worth of sensational science sought out by The Naked Scientists office in 2019... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Merry Christmas! In this special edition of the show, discover how many presents are really coming your way on the 12th day, hear which medical specialists are most likely to get caught speeding, and help us track down the real Santa using stats! Plus, Naked Gamers Chris Berrow and Leigh Milner bring us up to date with what's hot in the gaming world this Christmas... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

NASA have stated that they are heading back to the Moon in 2024. This week we're finding out why, and what's in store for us as we head up there. Plus, in the news, cave paintings dated to 40,000 years ago, the strange magnetic fields found around the Sun, and the 3-D printed rabbit with its own DNA... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we're exploring a terrifying force of nature: avalanches. Why do they happen? How do you avoid them? And if you encounter one, how could you survive it? We speak to Lawrence Jones, who 20 years ago was caught in an avalanche - and lived to tell the tale. Plus, in the news: measles cases triple, we ask whether physicists have really discovered a new fundamental force, and the scientifically-proven solution to hangovers (sort of) - we've tested the recipe... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week: Is fat worse than sugar? Can you die of a broken heart? Is the universe really expanding? We've assembled a panel of experts to take on your science questions: diet and genetics guru Giles Yeo, immunologist and wine expert Clare Bryant, physicist Francesca Chadha-Day, and cardiologist James Rudd. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, artificial organs! How close are we to growing life-saving hearts, kidneys and livers in the lab? Plus in the news, how hospital computer systems can save lives by spotting subtle signs doctors haven't picked up on yet; also the nano-coating to keep your toilet squeaky clean, and most importantly using half the amount of water! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, the deadly serious science of custard, including the chemistry of eggs, sports bra tehcnology, custard powder explosions, and that most important question of them all: is custard better hot or cold? Plus, in the news, a revolution in solar panel science, did hiccups evolve to help babies learn, 3d TV coming to a screen near you, and sex in the city: why urban living means dad might not be dad at all... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, we're looking at the future of medicine, phenomics! Including the toilet that analyses what you put down it! And in the news, sending wine to space, new insights into the origin of life, and why a lack of sleep gives you food cravings! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Computer models are everywhere and we use them to gain an understanding of the world and make predictions about the future, such as the spread of diseases, whether a rocket will get into orbit, and even whether it will rain tomorrow. In this special documentary, Adam Murphy discovers what a model is and why we need them, how scientists develop models in the first place, and how computer scientists can help to strip out the bugs to make them work better, faster and more efficiently... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week - How do glow worms glow, and can they do so indefinitely? Why don't birds fall out of trees when they sleep? And space tourism: when can I book my ticket to orbit? We've assembled an expert panel to answer your science questions - Richard Hollingham, space and science journalist; Keziah Latham, optometrist; Peter Cowley, tech investor, and Sophie Mowles, behavioural ecologist. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we're diving into the bins and sorting through the rubbish to figure out: what's going on with recycling? Many countries like the UK produce far more recyclable waste than they can deal with, and ever since China stopped importing most types of rubbish last year, we've seen crisp packets and margarine tubs piling up in illegal dumps abroad. So is our recycling system still working, and what does the future hold? Plus, in the news, a new drug that tricks the flu, and the artificial leaf that can turn carbon dioxide into fuel... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, we're taking a look at blood, from regenerating blood vessels, to one of our team going to their first blood donation! Plus in the news, concerns that Ebola might be back with a vengeance in future: 60% more often and with 4 times the impact; plus NASA's first all-female spacewalk: we hear from one of the astronauts involved... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

The Rugby World Cup is taking place in Japan, and FIFA 20 has just been released, so this month it's a sport special! Including Virtual Reality Go Karting... yes really. And we meet the author who was inspired to write poetry by playing Super Mario! New reviews include Mario Kart Tour, Trine 4 and Untitled Goose Game. For Retro Revival it's Darksiders 2 on the Nintendo Switch and Apple Arcade. With Chris Berrow and Leigh Milner. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, computers are supposedly there to help us - but how easy are they to use and programme if you're disabled? We're looking at how to make computing as inclusive as it can be. Plus, news of the Nobel Prizes announced this week, a new test to find out whether chemotherapy will work for your individual cancer, and the whales that whisper to their young! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Half a million genomes. That's how many the UK Biobank has, stored as blood samples in freezers up in Manchester. And in September 2019 they announced a project to sequence every single one of them. It's the obvious next step for the UK Biobank, the research study that began in 2006 and now consists of an enormous biological database: the personal and medical information of its 500,000 volunteers. That data is available to any researcher who applies to use it. But how is this, the biggest whole-genome sequencing project ever, going to work? Who's coughing up the hundreds of millions of pounds... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

It's Q&A time! This week - is AI a threat to humanity? What's a panic attack? And why does being scared make your legs wobble? We're answering your questions about science, technology, and medicine with our panel of experts. We've got university of Cambridge AI specialist Beth Singler; Naked Scientist and host of Naked Genetics Phil Sansom; Olivia Remes to chat to us about anxiety and mental health; and physiologist Sam Virtue, also from the University of Cambridge. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week - gene therapy. We talk to researchers using DNA technology to prevent blindness, halt muscular dystrophy, and even potentially cure HIV. Plus, what climate change means for the state of the world's oceans, a new satellite to take the Earth's temperature, and scientists discover the world's first baby bottles - and the milk that was in them - from thousands of years ago... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This month, doctors doing U-turns: the medical practices without much evidence to prop them up, wind-tunnel experiments reveal how geese fly at extreme altitudes, why mating makes bees go blind, stress remodelling the brain's myelin, and what goes on during a stint aboard the International Space Station? Join Chris Smith for a look inside the latest papers in eLife... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, we're taking a look through the window, or rather, at the window: we're looking at glass! Coming up, how do you make glass, how does stained glass work, and is bullet-proof glass really bulletproof? And in the news: Why birds are in big trouble, swimming the channel, scratching an itch, and treating tinnitus... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We're making codes and breaking ciphers this week as we look at the world of cryptography! Coming up, Cold War spy rings, and how does your computer keep your data secure? Plus in the news, why it's hard to keep the weight off when you get older, and seagulls are stealing more than our chips, they're stealing our superbugs... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week: How long can someone hold their breath and can you train for this? Who are fitter - footballers or rugby players? And what's the most intelligent insect? We've assembled an expert panel to take on your science questions - University of York animal behaviour scientist Eleanor Drinkwater, exercise physiologist Dan Gordon from Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge University physicist Fran Day, and Cambridge University mathematician and University Challenge icon Bobby Seagull! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We're stripping down sexual health and sexually transmitted infections! Coming up, will we soon have a vaccine for chlamydia? And what happens in a sexual health check up? And in the news, the fires in the Amazon rainforest, and a new weapon against malaria... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week: How does the internet affect us? What does it mean for our security, our wallets, and ourselves. We're taking a deep dive into the world of all things cyber... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, Chris Smith and Izzie Clarke explore the helpful materials that keep us healthy. How are dental implants made and fitted? Bacteria-resistant plastic coatings; and what hip implants have in common with plastic bags. Plus, in the latest science news, why pancreatic cancer is so aggressive - and how we might stop it, signs that something ten times the size of the Earth slammed into Jupiter, and more... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this month's QnA show we're asking: why are fridges harder to open again after you just closed them? What's the best way to wipe the memory of a smart phone? And what might climate change mean for chocolate? We're answering your questions with the help of an expert panel - neuroscientist Duncan Astle, techxpert Peter Cowley, food security expert Nadia Radzman and engineer Livia Souza... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we're taking a spin around the electron! How does a fridge magnet stay stuck? And how can quantum physics help us in battling cancer? We'll find out. Plus in the news, the chemistry of breaking down microplastics, exploring bacterial infections resistant to last line antibiotics, and we're going back to school P.E lessons! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, The Naked Scientists are taking off into the future of aviation: will flights get faster? Could we see a fully electric plane? And can a Naked Scientist land a commercial aircraft? Izzie Clarke and Adam Murphy find out... Plus, in the news, a new way of disguising cancer drugs as fat, sharks are in danger, and how do you make a bad joke funnier? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week a special show celebrating 50 years since man first walked on the Moon! How did we get there, what happened on the Moon, and will we ever go back? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, could we be living in The Matrix? We're talking about the power of computer simulations, and we're asking are we all living in one! Plus, in the news  - making diabetes treatment smarter; diagnosis by an electronic doctor - would you be comfortable with that? And the world's first robot that picks lettuces... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, Alzheimer's Disease goes under the microscope: What is it? Why do people get it, and can we cure it? Plus in the news, why the planet needs more trees, a breakthrough in storing computer data, and the science of a good excuse! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We're rounding off our month of extreme shows with some extremely high science - coping with altitude, flying over Everest, high energy physics and screaming in space! Plus, sniffing out Methane on Mars, and the scientists making sweet music with proteins... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Extremes month continues, and this week we're going extremely deep; Chris Smith takes a trip to one of the world's deepest mines in search of gold. Plus, in the news, the GM mosquito that wipes out its own population, and would you return a lost wallet if you found one? We hear which is the most honest country in the world, and who's the least honest. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

For extremes month we have an extreme QnA! This week we're joined by astronomer Carolin Crawford, nanoscientist Colm Durkan, Haydn Belfield from the Centre for Existential Risk, and chemist Ljiljana Fruk. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, we're continuing our month of science at the extremes, by looking at extreme cold. Including expeditions to the poles, what happens at absolute zero, and the animals that can survive temperatures we never could. Plus, in the news, the massive death risk from climate change, a prize for mapping the sea bed, and a new piece of the puzzle in the story of human migration... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, we're kicking off a month of science at the extremes. From fast acting venom to vehicles, speedy space to tennis serves... We're getting up to speed on Extreme Speed. Plus, in the news, weaponising a fungus to stamp out malaria, the smart glove that's taking a hold of touch technology and we celebrate an important centenary in the world of physics. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Safer, cleaner, and more efficient. That's the aim for the roads of tomorrow, but are we there yet? This week, Katie Haylor hits the road on a journey to discover how science is helping us build the highways of the future... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we're putting on our swimsuits and diving deep into the choppy waters of the world of vaccines, how do they help us, and why are people becoming so hesitant to get them. Plus in the news, A new kind of Moon lander, the true cost of streaming videos, and how good are we at spotting postnatal depression in men! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week - the mysterious stuff that's passing through you right now, and it literally holds the galaxy together... but we have no idea what it is. We talk to the scientists trying to find out. Plus in the news, the 100 year old technology that's helping us fight infections we can't currently treat. And evidence that wasps can size things up... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

It's Q&A time: We've got a panel of scientists ready and waiting to tackle the questions you've been sending in. Izzie Clarke was joined by plant ecologist Howard Giffiths, chemist and writer Kit Chapman, reproductive physiologist Bill Colledge, and physicist Ben McAllister. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week; horse racing, equine flu, a hedgehog hospital and a trip to the local zoo - we're looking at how vets keep animals healthy and why that's good news for humans too. Plus, how a dose of caffeine perks up a solar panel, cell transplants to boost wound and tissue repair, and a gene breakthrough for obesity... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Chris Smith and Adam Murphy head to Edinburgh Science Festival to bring you the best - and the bizarre - from the wonderful world of science. Joining them are Chris Johnson, Head of Computer Science at Glasgow University, Sophie Goggins, Curator of Biomedical Science at National Museums Scotland as well as astrophysicist Beth Biller and microbiologist Luke McNally, from the University of Edinburgh. Plus the team were also be joined by Sir Ian Wilmut, one of the brains behind the pioneering work of Dolly The Sheep.This show was produced by Izzie Clarke. For more podcasts by The Naked... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week a Naked Scientists exclusive: we're putting a brand new type of oven to the test - can it really, as the inventors claim - roast a raw chicken in 35 minutes? Plus, the brave scientists who've attached cameras to Great White Sharks, and what does a black hole really look like? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

It's time for our Q&A, this time from Edinburgh! This week, what happens if you get pregant in space? How do chemists make new molecules? And how do antidepressants work? Chris Smith is joined by our panel of experts to answer your questions: Space doctor Christina Mackaill, geologist John Underhill, chemist Lee Cronin and psychiatrist Stephen Lawrie. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Spring has officially sprung! There are newborn lambs prancing around in the fields in the UK, and we've recently celebrated Mothering Sunday. To celebrate, we're taking a trip down the road of pregnancy and birth, stopping off along the way to chat with experts about some of the science involved in bringing babies into the world. Plus, the person who can smell Parkinson's Disease, and a way to halve how much water plants need....Want more Naked Scientists shows? Check out our website - nakedscientists.com. Plus, we'd love your feedback and support, why not leave us a review wherever you get... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Bonjour! This week we've been to Paris; we've been attending Hello Tomorrow, the summit that showcases world-changing emerging technologies that are about to make it big. This week: A tiny microphone that lets you zoom in on individual voices in a conversation, the perks of dissolving your mobile phone, and from kites to kilowatts: a new form of wind power. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, Chris Smith and Izzie Clarke are taking you to the cutting edge of materials science including how blacksmiths made incredibly tough swords to how defence scientists make bullet-proof armour today. Plus, news of a better way to manage prostate cancer, how fingerprints might replace chip n pin, and how scientists are using cold lightning to keep fruit fresh for longer.For more podcasts by The Naked Scientists, head to nakedscientists.com, find @NakedScientists on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and subscribe to "The Naked Scientists" on your favourite podcast app.**Edinburgh Science... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, could we colonise a planet beyond our own galaxy? What's the greenest way to heat my home? And why do bright lights make some people sneeze? It's QA time! Chris Smith is joined by a panel of scientists to take on the questions YOU'VE been sending in. Joining him are chemist Ljiljana Fruk, physiologist Sam Virtue, mathematician and technology journalist Tim Revell and our very own physics boffin Adam Murphy.This episode was produced by Katie Haylor and Izzie ClarkeFor more podcasts by The Naked Scientists, head to nakedscientists.com or search "Naked Scientists" on your favourite... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, we're being invaded! Izzie Clarke and Katie Haylor explore invasive species: how they sneak in, why they disrupt nature, and how to fight back! Plus, in the news, scientists turn carbon dioxide back into coal, researchers have uncovered an alarming new way criminals are trying to hack you and the mice with infrared vision.For more science podcasts and the latest news, head to nakedscientists.com. You can also find us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook: @nakedscientists.This show was produced by Mariana Campos and Izzie Clarke, with thanks to the South Georgia Heritage Trust for... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we get off the couch to talk about the science of running. What does it do for our bodies, and our minds? Why did we ever evolve to do it in the first place? Can a man outrun a horse? Plus in the news, a potential kill-switch for tuberculosis, landing on an asteroid, and we tackle the myth of alcohol warming you up... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This week - we use them everyday - at work, at home, to chat to our friends or listen to music - but how do computers actually work, what's inside them, and what will the computers of tomorrow look like? We'll be navigating through the past, present and future of computing, and lifting the lid - literally - on a PC to peek inside and see how it works. You can find transcripts and more information at www.nakedscientists.com and the music this week is from www.bensound.com. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

It's one of the largest criminal industries in the world, worth billions and responsible for thousands of murders, but can we win the fight against the illegal wildlife trade? We speak to the foot soldiers of this battle: a scientist whose new techniques led to the capture of some dangerous criminals, a member of Border Force who intercepts ivory as it enters the country and the man with a gun facing off directly with the poachers. We also hear about the animals at risk, and why time is running out. Plus, a revelation from the early Universe which might change how we do physics today, why... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

The Naked Scientists meet the biologists who are inventing a new form of genetic information: this strange science is called xenobiology. Plus, in the news, a breakthrough in the treatment of cancer, the video game that tackles fake news and scientists make progress with Parkinson's.With music from JukeDeck and Free Sounds. For more information, interview transcripts and references, visit www.thenakedscientists.com Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, we put your questions to our expert panel of scientists - What's the tallest possible building? Do female animals flirt? And what can we do if an asteroid ends up heading for earth? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

The Naked Scientists ditch the lab coats for artistic overalls. From coding musical compositions to the jeans that remove air-pollution, we take a look at how art has helped science. Plus, in the news, the most powerful rocket ever built takes to the skies, we breakdown Bitcoin and there's evidence that vaping could give you a chest infection. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, The Naked Scientists probe the plastic problem: can science help turn the tide on our rising consumption? Plus, the killer whale that can talk, and some groundbreaking research reveals why the USA is experiencing shakeups. Find transcripts and more information at www.nakedscientists.comMusic this week from audionautix.com and jukedeck.com Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, we're asking would you risk your life to save someone else? Plenty of people do, and so do other animals and even bacteria. But why? And how did altruistic actions like this evolve? Plus in the news, scientists clone monkeys, the modified cold virus that selectively attacks pancreatic cancer, and why bees might be bad for other pollinators. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, how astronomers are planning to see the beginning of our Universe: we talk to the team behind the telescope that's about to be blasted into deep space to make it happen. Plus, scientists announce a blood test to detect the most common cancers, a round-up of flu past, present and future, and the mini drug-factories produced by 3d printing... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Is it possible to stop snoring? Is there a difference between running outside and on a treadmill? Which food group really is the worst for us? Chris Smith is joined by exercise expert Dan Gordon, sleep specialist Nick Oscroft, dietician Sian Porter and wellness guru Tom Mole to answer all the health-related queries and quandaries people have been sending in. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week - from adrenaline to arsenic, The Naked Scientists delve into the sinister science of poisons! Plus, what space tech is on the horizon in 2018, and the science of New Year's resolutions. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, The Naked Scientists raise a glass to 2017 as they look back at their favourite science moments of the year, including: bees playing football, ghost busting, and removing farts from a car. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, The Naked Scientists are spreading festive cheer as they get ready for Christmas, all in one hour! Joined by psychologist Philipe Bujold, tech expert Alex Farell, vibrations engineer Hugh Hunt and Plant development researcher David Hanke, Chris Smith and Georgia Mills tackle the physics of carol singing, firing up the christmas snacks - literally - and, whether you like them or loathe them, the biology of brussel sprouts. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Social media use is more common than ever, with over 2 billion of us signed up, but do we know what it's doing to our brains? We're exploring how this exploding trend is influencing our opinions and our wellbeing, and also how it could be used as a tool to diagnose mental illness. Plus, news of a breakthrough in Huntington's Disease research and a celebration of 50 years since the spooky radio signals that changed astronomy forever.Find more episodes and transcripts at www.nakedscientists.com Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we delve into physics in a galaxy far far away as we probe the science of Star Wars! Plus in the news, evidence that London air is stunting the growth of developing babies, and scientists use AI to decode what dolphins are saying. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Are black holes really holes? Is there such thing as a genetic love match? Why do clouds move? The Naked Scientists are joined by marine biologist Kate Feller, astrophysicist Matt Middleton, geneticist Patrick Short, and chemist Phillip Broadwith to tackle the science questions sent in by you. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Is ageing inevitable, or can science help stop or even reverse the process? From young blood to diet fads, and stem cells to dancing, we explore what the experts think will keep us healthier for longer. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, new ways to spot cancers much sooner, repair nerve injuries and fix hip arthritis: we're looking at four major medical breakthroughs waiting to happen. Plus in the news, how advertisers can profile your personality online to boost their sales, and scientists dig up evidence of winemaking from 8000 years ago. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Did dinosaurs live in herds? Why are mountains pointy? And what's the best preserved mummy? Plus we had a giant snake, a few skulls, a couple of "feet" and one of the oldest rocks on Earth in the studio. Scientists Lee Berger, Meghan Strong, Jason Head, and Owen Weller team up for an Early Earth QA show Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We devote up to 50 years of our life to it, yet it might just be getting us down. This week The Naked Scientists programme examines work, hearing how our behaviour and our buildings can change to boost our health and productivity. Plus, news of how gut bacteria can control our response to cancer treatment and how a rare opportunity allowed scientists to 'get inside' the human mind. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, The Naked Scientists delve into the paranormal. We'll be asking why so many of us have supernatural beliefs, exploring the scientific origins behind our favourite monster legends, and bravely embarking on a ghost hunt... Plus in the news, what dinosaurs and zorro have in common, why swearing could do you some good, and how sugarcane ethanol could help cut global carbon emissions. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, The Naked Scientists get under the skin of skin. Hear about the new method to treat burn victims, the electronic tattoo that can tell if you've got flu and how to keep your skin in good shape. Plus, in the news this week, the diabetes drug that's treating leukaemia, how bird feeders are affecting beak length, and how the challenge of landing space probes now keep your crisps crunchy. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

The Naked Scientists are joined by an expert panel to discuss the seven most significant questions people are asking about AI. We explore the risks and positive outcomes of AI, and Chris finds out an artificial podcast presenter may be after his job. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we delve into DNA and what it can tell us about our past, present and future. And, what happened when we decided to read the DNA sequence of a local sausage. Plus, in the news, what won Nobel Prizes, the world's largest HIV survey, and why doing exercise you don't like makes you more likely to binge on junk food. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Can your intestines grow back? How can you measure your own stress levels? How do electric eels work? Scientists David Rothery, Sarah Madden and Gareth Corbett team up to answer an eclectic and electric selection of questions. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week a look at enhancements for future humans: wearable robots, an artificial pancreas, and a replacement retina, as well as limb and head transplants. Plus, in the news, a new hope for global warming, a new therapy to halt MS, what a shock from an electric eel feels like, and how much alcohol remains in food after cooking... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, we take a trip down memory lane. How scientists can implant false memories, wipe memory away, and the link between head injuries and Alzheimer's disease. Plus, in the news, farewell to Cassini, the science of hurricanes, and how scientists are now able to see what's in the atmospheres of remote planets hundreds of light years away. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week; from Big Pharma to Little Pharma, we look at how new drugs are discovered. Plus, in the news - what powers the Northern Lights on Jupiter, why cuckoos have the last laugh, and 3 decades of a telescope that's changed our view of the Universe. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In the latest Q and A show from The Naked Scientists, we answer your questions with the help of an expert panel - plant scientist Beverley Glover, mathematician James Grime, physicist Jess Wade and Angel investor Peter Cowley. What makes plants carnivorous, what's the highest prime number we know of, and how do WWII coding machines work? Plus, how long would a fidget spinner spin for in space, what's the best way to water a plant, and what happened to Google Glass? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, we're exploring the end of the world. From robotic AI takeovers to global floods, when it comes to the extinction of our species, is science really set up to predict or prevent such events? Plus, how gutbugs might be key to keeping healthy for longer, a holodeck for flies and why Pythagoras was beaten to his own theorem. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, food is on the menu! Do any of the diets that you hear about actually work? What's best to eat for the health of the planet? And will the steak of the future grow in a test tube? Plus, scientists fix cells with the wrong numbers of chromosomes and how birds use magnetic fields to navigate. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we're exploring the cosmos through your senses. How scientists are attempting to see a black hole for the first time, what Saturn sounds like, and what will the surface of Mars feel like. Plus how to make the immune system attack cancer, artificial intelligence invents a magic trick, and how goldfish swap oxygen for alcohol to get through the winter. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

The science questions that you've been sending in get scrutinised and analysed by biologist Sarah Harrison, statistician Simon White, mental health expert Olivia Remes and machine learning guru Peter Clarke. Find out why smaller dogs live longer than bigger breeds, why some people are more susceptible to hayfever than others, whether machines are destined to take control of the world, and what science says will make you happy... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

The science questions that you've been sending in get scrutinised and analysed by biologist Sarah Harrison, statistician Simon White, mental health expert Olivia Remes and machine learning guru Peter Clarke. Find out why smaller dogs live longer than bigger breeds, why some people are more susceptible to hayfever, whether machines are destined to take control of the world, and what science says will make you happy... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Chernobyl was 31 years ago, but as nuclear power is one of the few reliable and low carbon energy supplies, how long before it happens again? We meet the scientists who are are preparing for when the worst happens, looking for ways to use nature to clean up nuclear spills. Plus, news of a slug-inspired glue and the science behind the fastest bicycles. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we round off Marine Month with a trip to the bottom of the ocean, meeting underwater robots and using maths to hunt for sunken treasure ships. Plus, a way to predict organ failure in hospital, and why size really does matter when it comes to speed. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Our marine month continues as we swim out from the reef into the open ocean, where we'll be meeting one of the deadliest creatures on Earth. Plus, some good news about the Zika virus, how the cordless drill intended for space found its way down to earth, and the real-life spidermen of Cambridge University! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Marine month continues with the Naked Scientists as we move out from the beach to the coastal waters in search of the world's biggest fish and the corals that glow in the dark to survive. Plus, in the news this week a new personalised cancer vaccine, how to programme human morals into self-driving cars and we investigate the science at work on the courts of Wimbledon... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Here at The Naked Scientists HQ, it's marine month! Throughout four programmes in July, come dip your toes into all things aquatic as we work our way down to the bottom of the deepest ocean. From building superior sandcastles to the Mexican clam that's invading Europe, we kick things off with a trip to the beach. Plus, how scientists have created the brightest light on Earth, new news on fake news and a drumming bird, nicknamed Ringo. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Would you trust a robot to grow your food, to operate on you, to fight a war on your behalf, or to save your life in an emergency? We look at how robots are on course to alter our lives. Plus, new insights into how the Sun works, and climate change: why we need to wake up and smell the coffee: scientists are saying that warmer weather will affect the flavour of the world's favourite beverage. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

The Naked Scientists report back from the British Cardiovascular Society's annual conference, finding out how our tickers deal with extreme exercise and environments, from deep under the sea right into outer space. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

The Naked Scientists are joined by marine biologist Danielle Green, physicist Stuart Higgins, psychologist Duncan Astle and astrophysicist Carolin Crawford, to tackle your questions. This week, find out whether you can hear screams in space, how to clean a beach, and just how giant is a Giant Squid? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

As life moves increasingly online, so do crime and fraud. This week, we uncover some personal secrets from a supposedly blank hard drive, find out how hackers can use baby monitors to spy on people and hear about the next generation of passwords. Plus, news of how Zika virus could be used to combat brain cancer and plans to build a bigger, stronger particle accelerator. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Journey back 3.7 billion years to the young earth, as we try to find out how life first began. Was it in a soup of colliding chemistry, a deep-sea hydrothermal vent or did life rain down on the earth from the cosmos? Plus, the microbial meal that changed the world. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

The Naked Scientists are joined by biologist Kate Feller, physicist Jess Wade, biochemist Andy Holding and Space Boffin Richard Hollingham, to field your science questions. This week, find out what happens to muscles in space, how to rid a car of flatulence, and whether any animals can become invisible. Plus, cyber security expert Paul Harris talks to Chris Smith about the recent cyber attacks - what happened, and how we can protect ourselves. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Love it or loathe it maths is everywhere... from counting bees to interstellar trade with aliens, we explore how maths earned the title of the language of the universe. Plus, getting to know our new ancestor Homo naledi, how a good nights sleep can help to ease your pain and do cats really like milk? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, The Naked Scientists go global as we explore language - can speaking more than one exercise our brain?; and is our ability to save money purely down to the way we talk? Plus, the rodents that provide new information for stroke therapy and how very hungry caterpillars could solve our plastic problem... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Cancer is a devastating disease, and one of the largest killers in the Western world. This week, in a special show, Kat Arney investigates how scientists are fighting back, from building tumours in the lab to a Google Earth for cancer. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

The Naked Scientists go on a tour of the intestine, from top to bottom, in search of the good and bad germs that lurk there and what they mean for our health. Plus, why touchscreens may be harming toddlers' sleep and why scientists all over the world are putting down their pipettes and picking up placards. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

What surprises might you find lurking in your DNA, and can that information be used against you? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We speak to scientists turning embryonic cells into nerve cells to treat Parkinson's disease and growing an entire system of organs in the lab. Plus, how antibiotics taken during pregnancy may affect your child's behaviour and why climate change will lead to bumpier flights. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

The Naked Scientists are joined by cosmologist Andrew Pontzen, biologist Sarah Shailes, neuroscientist Philipe Bujold and biochemist Sarah Madden to pit their wits against your science questions. This week, find out how venus fly traps work, whether psychologists can read your mind and why there is so much variation in herbivore poo. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

100 years since Rutherford split the atom, we investigate the secrets of the building blocks of our Universe. How can we harness the energy locked inside these particles, how have scientists been engineering brand new elements, and are we all the children of starlight? Plus, news of an anti-aging protein, a dinosaur family tree shake up and a new technique which can create millions of stem cells. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Are trends in modern living helping or harming our ability to reproduce? And how do factors affecting fertility differ between men and women? Plus, fighting brain tumours with artificial antibodies and are internet filters really keeping children safe? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

There is a floating museum above our heads: millions of fragments from past space missions are hurtling round the earth and could destroy our current satellites. We find out how spacecraft are coping now, and how we might be able to clean up space in the future. Plus, news of a synthetically engineered yeast genome, a breakthrough in OCD and a new ebola vaccine for gorillas. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why are we looking for earth-sized planets? Can I unshrink a woollen jumper? What does a black hole actually look like? Chris Smith is joined by David Rothery, Anna Ploszajski, Aimee Eckert and Michael Conterio to answer your science questions. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, a crash course in climate change: we meet one strange fish already feeling the pinch, ask if humans are wired to ignore the threat, and look at one way we could all reduce our carbon footprint. Plus, why alcohol consumption can come back to bite you, the seven new planets discovered by NASA and the bees that have been trained to score goals. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, we investigate the HIV preventative measure PrEP, which could be turning the tide on new infection rates - but is it safe to buy online? Plus, the toughest ever spider's web, a journey back through the history of language and the plant that could help clean up our oceans. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

What's the difference between a meteorite, meteoroid, a comet and an asteroid? We tell you how to find your own space rock here on Earth, and hear from a scientists tracking where space rocks come down in the Australian outback. Plus, why quinoa could feed the world in future, and is vaping safer than smoking, or a gateway for a fresh legion of teen smokers? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Do giraffes get struck by lightning? What's the highest number a person could count to? How do animals have sex underwater? Chris Smith teams up with Tim Revell, Richard Hollingham, Chris Basu and Danielle Green to tackle your science questions, which range from the bottom of the ocean to outer space! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Could a light in your brain cure epilepsy, or send you to sleep? The Naked Scientists investigate the mysterious field of optogenetics, and the treatments it promises to bring. Plus, news of a cancer-detecting artificial intelligence and a vaccination to fight fake news. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

The light bulb is a hundred-year-old technology whose time is finally up. This week, we shine a little light on its replacement to find out what makes it such a compelling alternative and look to the next revolution in lighting. Plus, how scientists are turning to robotics to treat heart failure, the death of NASA astronaut and last man on the Moon, Gene Cernan and do you really eat spiders in your are sleep? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, The Naked Scientists take a look at the science of laughter, asking why we like to laugh, hearing what babies find funny and meeting a joke-building robot. Plus, news of a gene editing technique taking on a deadly disease and a record-breaking knot. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Does being angry increase your risk of a heart attack? What's a psychopath? And how much does a single cell weigh? This week, Chris Smith answers your questions with Stuart Higgins, Maud Borensztein, Kyle Treiber and James Rudd. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

The Naked Scientists celebrate the dawn of 2017 with a look at their best bits from 2016, including: the science breakthrough of the year, how to use psychology to get a date and why it pays to look on the bright side. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week: is there anybody out there or are we alone in the Universe? Graihagh Jackson ponders one of the fundamental questions of humanity, from flying saucers and UFOs to why we haven't found any evidence and what it would mean to find ET. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Supported by an all-star scientific cast of luminaries and willing volunteers the Naked Scientists celebrate the holidays with the 12 scientific days of Christmas. From why 9 ladies like to dance to making those 6 geese eggs into bouncy balls... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Chris is joined by Giles Yeo, Roger Buckley, Andrew Pontzen and Kerstin Goepfrich, and they enjoy a mince pie or two while answering listener questions, including: why isn't love blinding; are glasses or contacts better for your eyes and what would happen if you brought a thimble of neutron star to earth? Plus, the team discuss the supposed benefits of the Mediterranean diet and debate the worst science movie mistakes. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Antibiotics are chemicals that kill bacteria but leave us unharmed. However, bacteria are evolving so that our drugs no longer kill them. If this trend continues, the treatable are going to become untreatable... How serious would this scenario be, though? We'll be putting the problem under the microscope this week. Plus in the news, the UK's new Snooper's Charter, the man modelling vascular diseases in a dish, and what happens in your brain when you talk to God... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week: alien hunting! Life here on Earth uses DNA, but why, and would aliens be made of the same stuff? Plus, news of how your gut microbes are controlling your genes, a new way to fight phobias, and we get a sneak peek at where the first human colonists of Mars might live... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week the show comes to you from the Royal Institute of Navigation's annual International Conference, with a look at the future of navigation. From the trousers that can track your every move to the spacecraft charting their way through the Universe. Plus, how does GPS work, and are we ready for driverless cars? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week on the Naked Scientists, we've gathered the bright and the brainy to answer your science questions, from why ants are stealing your toenail clippings to what's between your internal organs and could you survive being eaten by a snake? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week on the Naked Scientists we're exploring our human story, from the use of tools and fire, to ritualistic behaviour. Where did we come from and what makes us special? Chris Smith is joined by some of the world's best fossil experts including one man who's discovered two of our caveman ancestors, and a scientist who can get the original tissues out of remains that are millions of years old. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Have you ever wondered why some people enjoy being absolutely petrified by horror films? This week, The Naked Scientists investigate the spooky science of the genre: what does fear look like in the brain, how do you compose the most terrifying soundtrack and can we use psychology to engineer the perfect scare? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Kat and Chris are turning the lights down low in search of darkness. 80% of Europeans and Northern Americans now can't see the Milky Way. But does this extra light pollution matter? It doesn't harm anyone, or does it? Plus in the news, with the US presidential elections fast approaching, we see what we can learn from animals when it comes to picking a leader. And, do you really lose most of your heat through your head? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we step out of the lab and into the hospital to celebrate one of our most treasured institutions. We find out about the technology that could be changing the future of healthcare and Connie tries her hand as a medical student. Plus, a potential treatment for Sickle Cell disease and do ice baths really soothe sore muscles? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Alzheimer's: A third of the population may be destined to develop this form of dementia, which robs people of their memories and independence. So what causes it, and what can we do about it? Plus in the news, NICE approves a new drug for an aggressive form of lung cancer, we've got the lowdown on the Nobel prizes, and how a computer code has been released online that could be using your devices to launch cyber attacks. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why do cats have vertical pupils? Do clouds defy gravity? What is the brain basis of road rage? The Naked Scientists team tackle these and many more science questions, with help from an all-star guest panel. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we're in for a little light relief, as we explore how light-based technologies are delivering a brighter future, in medicine and beyond. Plus, in the news, a new gene therapy for spinal muscular atrophy, scientists make sonic holograms, and the most accurate reconstruction of a dinosaur yet. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week - Cambridge's key role in the mission to map the milky way! We learn how the Gaia space telescope is pinpointing the positions of a billion stars in our galaxy.Plus, news of a net which will leave mozzies dead or infertile, the DNA double-double helix discovery, and can the moon cause earthquakes? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, we don our uniforms for a lesson in the science of education: what's the best way to mould the minds of the future? Plus, a new drug that could cure malaria with a single dose and we find out what happened to the ice bucket challenge. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Can we see the lunar landing sites with a telescope? Why is it cooler at altitude despite being closer to the Sun? Why is there no salt in sea ice? Was it windier when the Earth turned faster? What will end life on Earth sooner, the cooling core or the Sun becoming a red giant? Is modern medicine damaging the gene pool? How old is the average atom? This week David Rothery, Caroline Steel, Andrew Holding and Adam Townsend join Kat Arney to answering the science questions that you've been sending in... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, The Naked Scientists are celebrating their 15th birthday and so Graihagh Jackson puts science under the microscope and questions its importance in today's world. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, we find out how science can help you get from script to screen in animated movies, from the physics of balancing a giraffe on a tightrope to the researcher putting voice actors in a brain scanner. Plus, news of why we're more prone to viral infections when we're jet-lagged, how a common technique to prevent premature birth could actually cause it and did campfires kill the Neanderthals? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

100 years since the first UK drug law, we explore the controversial and confusing science behind the drugs debate. From the brain basis of addiction to how ecstasy could treat anxiety, what are the implications of the world's war on drugs? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

From farting fish to the link between diet and cancer, Kat Arney and Chris Smith take on your questions with Matt Middleton, Giles Yeo and Eleanor Drinkwater... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

The Olympics is finally upon us and from going for gold in the tropical Rio climate to boosting the efficiency of jet engines, our ability to cope in high temperatures could make the difference between falling or flying. This week on The Naked Scientists we're exploring the many ways in which humans, and machines, can handle the heat. Plus, which country tops the charts when it comes to height? Also, we'll hear how tomatoes hold the key to fending off a deadly parasite. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we'll need you to fasten your seatbelts because we're taking a trip into the future of fuels. We're asking if biofuels are really that brilliant and finding out how one lab is attempting to reinvent diesel.Plus, new research that could help unclog arteries and the data storage solution that operates at the scale of individual atoms. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

The Naked Scientists bring you a 'ruff' guide to dogs! We chart the ancient origins of our favourite pets, examine how smart dogs could provide clues into human disease and explore the science behind the problems caused by years of inbreeding. Plus, news of why it's not just redheads who are more at risk from the sunny weather, and does Pokemon Go mark a new frontier in gaming? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

The 11th of July was world population day and at current figures there are over 7.4 billion of us living on the planet. That number continues to grow and at the same time the proportion of people living in urban environments is also increasing.This week we're asking if there's space for animals in our concrete jungles and what we can do to persuade people to put nature first.Plus, in the news we learn how new technology is speeding up vaccination production and how ancient bacteria could increase plant growth. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, we're answering the science questions that you've been sending in, including: is the Earth's core cooling down, how do messages from space probes get back to Earth and why sleeping on your front might increase your risk of Alzheimer's Disease... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

The Naked Scientists are hosting their very own dinner party, and the guests include a master distiller, a MasterChef finalist and a master of chocolate, all on hand to help reveal the science behind the perfect dinner party. Plus, the world's fastest supercomputer boots up in China and news of why itchy mosquito bites are more likely to infect. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week on the Naked Scientists, we observe a post-mortem. The patient was in his seventies but the coroner ordered an autopsy because the cause of death wasn't clear. Chris Smith observes pathologist Alison Cluroe conduct the procedure as she tries to find out why the patient died and sees how this once common practice is still saving lives... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This programme comes to you from the British Cardiovascular Society Conference in Manchester, where leaders in the field have been presenting their latest research on preventing heart disease: one of the leading causes of death. We explore the radioactive toothpaste that can help you predict heart attacks, listen in to a genuine heart transplant and ask whether running really keeps your heart healthy. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

A growing global population means we are facing a considerable housing shortage and it has been estimated that by 2025, as many as 1.6 billion individuals will face crowded substandard housing.But, the need to build more homes comes at a cost as in countries like the U.K., half of the population's carbon emissions come just from the buildings we inhabit. So, can we have sustainable housing that still meets the demands of a growing population?Plus in the news: painkillers that could actually be making your pain worse, the secrets of the earth's magnetic core and the truth behind the naked... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week on the Naked Scientists, are we more prone to struggle with stress and if so why? Graihagh Jackson is probing the state of our mental health by taking a stress test to unearth how the human body responds and why; we'll be seeing whether having a 'gut feeling' has anything to do with it and what we can all do to unwind a little more. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we delve into the science of salt: what does it do in the body, how can it cause problems for farmers, and what avenues are scientists exploring to desalinate sea water and keep us all refreshed? Plus, one in ten adults have ADHD, the contagious cancer that's followed dogs across the world, and how scientists are growing a brain in a dish to find answers to Alzheimer's Disease... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week on the Naked Scientists, your questions go under the microscope. Do women have a superior memory? What is the evidence for climate change? Can plants get cancer? Why do we sometimes see stars? And has the universe been through multiple big bangs? Join Dr Chris as he puts an astrophysicist, a neuroscientist, a climate researcher and a plant scientist through their paces tackling the questions you've been sending in... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

If you've followed environmental stories over the years, you'll know this tune. Scientists have long been singing off the same songbook when it comes to fossil fuels, deforestation and pollution. But drum not often banged is the dwindling supply of phosphorus. It's is an essential element for all life. It makes up our DNA and all organisms need it for energy. It cannot be replaced, there is no synthetic substitute. In other words, without phosphorus, there is no life. This week on the Naked Scientists, we investigate whether we're running out of phosphorus for fertiliser and what we can do... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week on the Naked Scientists, we've got science on trial! We look at real case studies, finding out how forensics can both help and hinder criminal investigations, including the insects who are first on the scene, how your phone can tell tales, and why DNA can lead you on a wild goose chase. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we're taking a look at the industry that transports 90% of global trade but most of us know very little about - shipping! We're all at sea as we navigate our way through driverless ships of the future and how to make an industry that is currently producing the same amount of emissions as Germany, a little greener.Plus how testosterone hardens your arteries, are drones getting out of control, and can a spoon in the bottle stop your sparkling wine going flat? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week on the Naked Scientists, we've gathered a panel of pollies, pundits and professors to answer your science questions: from how prevalent was tooth decay in the neanderthals, to how Neil Armstrong got home from the moon! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Would you care about conserving an animal if it threatened your job, your food supply or even your life? This week, we unpick the hidden conflicts and controversies inside conservation, including the tragic fight to save the mountain gorillas, how to tackle poaching smartly and the lions who live in harmony with people. Plus, news of how engineers solved a medical dilemma and a look back at one of the world's greatest mathematical geniuses. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Exam season is around the corner, so this week the Naked Scientists take a walk down memory lane to find out what's going on upstairs when you learn and remember things, and investigate if it's possible to boost your brain power. Plus, in the news, prosthetic fingers that can actually feel, the sacred art of origami gets a DNA update and Kat asks whether giant pandas really just don't fancy getting frisky. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

With the recent rise of the machines and robots - could an artificially intelligent robot take your job any time soon? And could they then take over the world, terminator-style? Join Graihagh Jackson as she journies into the world of cyborgs to see if Skynet, Ex Machina and the realms of science fiction could turn into science fact and if so, when? And what can we do about it... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week: you asked the questions, we have the answers. Our expert panel take on queries like: why don't whales get the bends, does chloroform work like it does in the movies, and would a spinning spaceship simulate gravity? Plus, the week's science news, including the controversial sugar tax, how ExoMars 2016 hunts for life on the red planet and why NASA plan to set fire to a space station. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week is a Cambridge Science Festival special with the Naked Scientists coming straight from the Cambridge Science Centre alongside a very lively audience!But that's not all, it's battle of brains as six of Cambridge's finest researchers strut their stuff in a competition of mind, matter and ultimate cool. From freeze-dried blood to turbo charged wheat who will come out on top? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

With infectious diseases wiping out millions each year, we look at how we can predict pandemics, whether scientists should be allowed to engineer super viruses, and how war and politics could prevent us from winning the fight against polio. Plus, news of how laughing gas could prevent PTSD, a breakthrough in soft-robotics and why skipping sleep could give you the munchies. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, the discovery rocking the world of physics: gravitational waves! But what are they, and why are they set to change how we see the Universe in the future? Plus we take a look at the week's leading science breakthroughs, including a new way to see heart attacks before they happen, fighting superbugs with door knobs, and is there such a thing as being right- or left-brained? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

From why spicy isn't a taste, to how long it takes a comet to form, we've gone in search of the answers to the questions you've been sending in. We investigate whether the Internet is immune to a breakdown, if a person dreams under anaesthetic, why days are divided into 24 hours, and could an explosive stop a storm? Plus, news of a new cancer therapy that's got everyone talking, and how to recycle wasted energy... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

The Naked Scientists have turned the lights down low for a stimulating odyssey through the science of dating and romance, including; which chat-up lines are most likely to get you talking, what statistics can tell us about our sex lives and lessons in love from the animal kingdom. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Caffeine is one of the only legal psychoactive stimulants but is it good or bad for our health? This week, the Naked Scientists are delving into the science to find out. Plus, the latest on Zika virus, bed bugs get their genomes sequenced, and will going out with wet hair give you pneumonia? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

By 2050 the global population is set to rise to more than 10 billion people. But right now, 1 in 10 people are suffering from chronic hunger. So how do we reconcile a rising population with an already hungry world? Plus in the news, why scientists are one step closer to understanding autism, and we take a moment to say goodbye to the Philae Lander... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

What's dark and so massive that not even light can escape its clutches? The answer is one of the most enigmatic phenomena known to physics: the black hole. And this week we explore the workings of these mysterious entities from how they distort time and what what would happen if you fell into one, to why black holes power the brightest lights in the Universe and how scientists are trying to image their interior. Plus, news of a dissolving brain implant, how ultrasound might be making some people sick, and why a real-life spider-man would have to be really, really small... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Does midwinter make you want to eat all the food in your fridge, curl up in a duvet and sleep until spring? You're not alone, many plants and animals feel the same way, but you might not be so keen when we tell you just what it would do to your body! Snuggle down as we explore the world of hibernation and how it might be used to help humans. Plus, in the news: detoxing debunked and the miracle of the microbiome. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this week's podcast, we're taking on your questions! From how we make decisions to why do we go temporarily deaf when we yawn and if light wears out, these are some of the many conundrums you asked and we answered with the help of an expert panel. Plus, the top headlines in the world of science, including the four new elements discovered, why you can blame your neanderthal heritage for bad allergies and how Harry Potteresque screens could be the next big thing... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

With the New Year, there's often a resolution or two to make a new you. But what makes you, you? Given that we share over 99.9% of our genes with each other, there's a lot of variety in that 0.01%. Just look around you now - no two people are alike! Is it just your genes or is there something else at play? In this edition of The Naked Scientists, Graihagh Jackson goes in search of what makes a person, an individual beginning by asking why her brother got sixpack abs and she didn't... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Remember that time that Ginny made Kat eat chocolate spread from a nappy? Or when Georgia broke the drone? It's the end of 2015 and what a year it's been for science! Whilst Chris and Kat take a well deserved break, producers Connie Orbach and Graihagh Jackson have hijacked the show to take you through all their favourite bits of the last 12 months. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

The Naked Scientists have Christmas unwrapped with a look at the science behind our favourite festive traditions, including how to pick the perfect present, the psychology behind board games and how to avoid hangovers. Plus, Star Wars science, a chocolate-covered PhD and Santa's tech-upgrade! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This month, the United Nations published its much-anticipated report on the state of the world's soils and the results are not good. We'll be asking why, and taking a down-to-earth look at the consequences to see what we can do to reverse the trend. Plus in the news: why life drawing improves self-esteem; how the asteroid Ceres might be an invader from outer space; and the looming antibiotic apocalypse... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How will you be receiving your presents this year - a CD, a voucher for iTunes or maybe even a Spotify membership? In 2014, streaming services made more money than CD sales for the first time ever and that trend is continuing.But it's not just the distribution of music that is changing; how musicians make music is also evolving rapidly. This week, we explore the influence of technology on one of mankind's oldest traditions - the art of music making.Plus in the news, the global response to climate change, the mystery of missing starlings and how delightful really is that red sky at night? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Extreme weather events are becoming more common, and sea levels are set to rise. So could we be about to find ourselves in very deep water? This week we're exploring how to spot where and when floods will occur, and how to avert disaster. Plus, in the news, a GM mosquito to fight malaria, what really killed the dinosaurs, and general relativity 100 years on... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, is sugar the enemy? Difficult as it is to digest, one person in every four in the UK is obese, and treating the condition as well as its knock-on effects, costs the health service 5.1 billion per year. Some say sugar is to blame, but is it the only guilty party? Plus, in the news, pigeons detecting cancer, half of museum specimens might be mislabelled, and how science journals are being hacked... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

More pieces of data have been produced in the last five years than in all of human history put together before then. But what's driving this big data revelation? We'll discover what opportunities it opens up, and we'll uncover the pitfalls we might be facing. Plus, news that scientists uncover the first water on Earth, and we talk to the team who raced a solar powered car 3,000 kilometres across Australia... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

The Naked Scientists and some special guests team up to tackle your science questions head-on. Do squirrels ever lose their nuts? Is cracking your knuckles bad for you? And could your gut bugs turn you to crime? Plus, a look at this week's science news. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

London and many other European cities face the prospect of a 300 million penalty every year over bad air. Engineers say part of the solution lies with electric transport, so this week the Naked Scientists are getting under the hoods of a new generation of vehicles ranging from the first electric buses to tomorrow's supercars. Plus, news about how scientists are making objects levitate in the lab - with sound - and why there are now 3 types of "type 2" diabetes... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

The Naked Scientists have been on a trip to Mars but we forgot to ask one BIG question, should we even be going at all? We complete the series with a debate featuring a space politician, a geologist, an astronomer and a would-be Mars pioneer. Plus, in the news, will faecal transplants change your personality, and how sci-fi has been predicting technology for years. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In episode three of our series Destination Mars, we finally arrive at the Red Planet - but what is waiting for us when we get there? We examine possible solutions to the challenges of building a home on an alien planet, including a Star Trek-inspired health scanner and bacteria that can be engineered to grow rocket fuel. Plus, the science headlines from around the world: a brain scan for epilepsy, the bees that are addicted to caffeine and the science behind hallucinations. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

To rocket engineers, the idea of transporting humans to Mars is a one colossal headache. Compared to inert satellites and probes, humans are highly unpredictable, needy and fragile. Radiation is our body's kryptonite; microgravity renders the bones thin and weak and if you broke a leg, it could take months to fix. These are just a few of the hundreds of problems scientists are grappling with when considering how they might send people to the rocky red planet. We'll be taking a closer look at some of those obstacles this week and asking if it's actually possible to get people to Mars. Plus,... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Destination Mars: this month we're launching a series of programmes to probe what it's going to take to send people to the Red Planet. We'll be looking at rocket technology, how to keep people fed and watered away from Earth and whether we really can hope to exist sustainably on Mars. This week we're focusing on the space pioneers who will take the first steps towards getting us there. Plus, in the news, four intestinal bacteria that can prevent asthma, a new magnetic material to protect you in car crashes, and a magic bullet to stop bleeding... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We take on your science questions: Can animals feel guilty? Could drones detect landmines? What's the furthest a paper plane could fly, and why don't spiders get stuck on their webs? Plus, a look at this week's science news - a development for Europe's Extra Large telescope, and the health challenges faced at the Rugby World Cup. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we find out what it takes to save a life, from doctors performing open chest surgery in the street to helping people recover in the longer term from severe brain injuries. Plus, news of a real invisibility cloak, how caffeine gives us a boost, and why scientists need you to quiz your dog. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Climate change - and concerns about rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere - are often in the headlines. However, looking back in the history of the earth, it's clear that this isn't the first time carbon dioxide levels have risen. So why should we worry now? We delve into the past to explore the effects climate change can have on the oceans and how that, in turn, can impact the climate. Plus, in the news, a new species of early human ancestor, the scientist who's jumping the Hubble queue with a helium balloon, and why humans are hard-wired for laziness... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we're asking whether scientists and technologists are in short supply, and how the way that we teach science in schools is changing: some classrooms are pumping out published papers! Plus, in the news, a 2 metre-long scorpion, seabirds with stomachs stuffed with plastic, and the facts behind fat - is butter really all that bad for you? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week is a very special, edition of the Naked Scientists as we dedicate a whole hour to the world's favourite dwarf planet - Pluto. But how did it get there in the first place? What has the New Horizons probe uncovered? And what's beyond Pluto? Graihagh Jackson puts the mission under the microscope, talking some of the leading scientists from the New Horizons operation and taking a trip to the edge of our solar system... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

On the face of it, symmetry may seem simple, but diving beneath the surface reveals a whole new world. Over the last 100 years, the mathematical idea of symmetry has proved to be a guiding light for the world of physics. But what does a mathematician mean by symmetry? How does this link in with the world around us? And could it be the key to the mysterious 'Theory of Everything'? Plus, in the news, a new MRI-based cancer treatment, zero-emission highways and the curious case of Whistled Turkish. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We delve into the disgusting to discover the emotion of disgust and how it affects our lives. From cockroaches dipped in juice to the importance of sanitation, no topic is off limits as we find out about the psychology of this most powerful of emotions and its applications. Plus, in the news, a universal flu therapy, why zebras have stripes, and the robot that can jump on water. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Hundreds of times stronger than steel, transparent, an excellent electrical conductor, and weighing next to nothing, graphene is hailed as a wonder material. But what is it doing for us now? And where will it take us in future? This week graphene goes under the microscope. We hear how industry can mass produce it, we uncover how it can clean up air in cities, produce the world's fastest lasers, revolutionise communications and boost the power of computers. Plus, news of how Earth's earliest life reproduced, how to regenerate human organs, and why animals have different shaped pupils... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Hormones are the driving force behind reproduction and are what make us keen to go make babies. We follow some of these hormones to hear how they have an influence from birth to death, and also the unexpected consequences they have on society, including causing the stock market to crash. Plus what Philae has revealed about the comet it landed on, how the bugs in your guts might be making you moody, and the key to keeping hamsters happy... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

From why scientists so often use the word "so" to the feasibility of charging a human by USB, how much Silly Putty it would it take to cover the entire Earth, and whether we could genetic engineer super-abilities into humans, we answer your burning science questions... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, we're investigating the Millennium Prize Problems - a set of mathematical equations that, if solved, will not only nab the lucky winner a million, but also revolutionise the world. Plus, the headlines from the world of science and technology, including why screams are so alarming, how fat fish help the human fight against flab, and what's the future of money? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, broadcasting live from the centre of Cambridge, the Naked Scientists delve into the digital age we live in. We look at new, exciting ways to get kids into coding, how big data is changing the world of healthcare, and we take to skies to go drone racing. But what are the problems we face in this technological age? We find out who is using our online data, and explore the dangers of connecting to public Wi-Fi... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Things get a little dangerous as we don our body armour and head out into the battlefield. How do explosives work and what can we do to protect against them? We take a sneak peek at AnUBIS, a device that uses donated human body parts to help to understand the injuries an explosion can cause, and we investigate bomb-proof materials that could also be used in sports. Plus, in the news, why antibiotics at an early age might make you fat, the comet with a cave inside, and why you shouldn't marry your cousin... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

It's 60 years since the world's first atomic clock was created. But what is time? When did time begin, and how accurate is timekeeping today? We'll be asking why we need leap seconds, we cook up a Big Bang with lasagne and hear how planet Earth is a terrible time keeper. Plus, in the news, scientists uncover the cause of tinnitus, what do your baby's eyes say about its future behaviour, and one of the earliest life forms goes under the microscope... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Tens of thousands of Londoners developed painful, apple-sized, pus-filled boils before dying from the dreadful disease within days. But just as the ordeal of the Black Death seemed to be subsiding, the Great Fire struck the city. But did the conflagration actually save the lives of thousands? In this scorcher of a show, we go in search of the cause of the plague, explore the origins of the Great Fire, and ask whether history might repeat itself? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

What's the point of mosquitoes? Do your eyes pop out if left open when sneezing? Is the Universe infinitely big? Are birds really related to dinosaurs? What is quantum entanglement? If the space station is held in orbit by gravity, why do things float about inside it? Why does hayfever make your eyes itch? Can animals forecast earthquakes? Find out in this week's show where you're in the driving seat asking us the questions... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

For World Blood Day we've been delving into the history of blood letting, getting stuck into blood donation and exploring exciting new possibilities for making blood that's safe for everyone. Plus, a new test to reveal every virus infection you've ever had, the LHC fires up again after a two year shut down, and a new weapon in the fight against Ebola... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Are we on the verge of solving one of the longest standing puzzles in physics? Physicists think we're close to discovering the identity of Dark Matter, the mysterious, invisible substance that accounts for nearly a quarter of the mass of Universe. So how will scientists see it, and why does its discovery matter? Plus, genes for pain, how smartphones can save lives, whether babies can feel pain, and how to make tastier cheese... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Colour-switching sticklebacks, geckos with enough adhesive power to hold up a human, bats with built-in sonar and moles with amazing noses - this week we go in search of the world's most incredible animals. Scientists passionate about their species put their cases to our panel. But which animal will be crowned king? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, can we colonise Mars? What's causes that smell after it rains? Can genetics inform skin care? And how do astronauts shower in space? Chris Smith, Richard Hollingham and Max Sanderson join Kat Arney to take on your quandaries, and also discuss some of the science news you might have missed this week: the Russian space race fail, hijacking a jet by hacking, and why humans feel pain... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, endoscopies for jet engines, how the aviation industry could have us cruising for an infectious bruising, the workings of radar, and whether cheap flights actually cost the Earth. Plus, in the news, why doctors could soon be culturing your cancer, the evolution of music, Messenger smashes into Mercury, and do you want to know if your DNA spells trouble for your future health? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Celebrating two hundred years since the devastating eruption of Indonesia's Mount Tambora, this week, accompanied by music from Michael Levy, we explore the science of volcanoes. We find out what causes volcanoes, we ask whether eruptions can be predicted, how we can keep people safe, and we re-create the physics of an eruption in the laboratory. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, the science at play in an industry that dwarfs both Hollywood and the music world: computer games. We hear how video games are altering the brains of players, why lovers of the shoot-em-up could be carving out a niche for themselves in the military, and whether adrenaline-fuelled sessions on a console can be addictive. Plus, why you might need a DNA test before going on holiday in future, evidence that bees are attracted by insecticides, and how colour can affect your body clock... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, you pit your wits against the Naked Scientists team and challenge us to answer your science questions. Is there an evolutionary reason why humans have rhythm? Do people sneeze in their sleep? Why do crabs walk sideways? And how do stinging nettles sting? Chris Smith, Carolin Crawford and Ginny Smith join Kat Arney get their teeth into your conundra, and take a closer look at the stories hitting the headlines, including a sieve that separates oil from water, how you can sniff happiness in sweat, and the Hubble telescope celebrates its 25'th birthday... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

The impact of modern medicine is drastically changing our concept of death. Increasingly, people are being resuscitated successfully, sometimes hours after they first died. So this week we toe the line between life and death, learn lessons from those who survived without oxygen for hours, discover how we could live immortally as robots, and hear about a very special type of cryo-ambulance to prep you for long term storage. Plus, news that the Dutch have grown nearly a foot taller in 2 centuries, what your fingers say about your marathon prospects, and the secret language of gibbons... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

The Naked Scientists take a special holiday look at some egg-cellent Easter science, including a breakthrough in how to unboil an egg, the genetically modified chickens that can't catch bird flu and why the Easter bunny might be knocked off his perch by a toucan. Plus, is a chocolate teapot really useless? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

From crime scene to court room and all the evidence in between. Join Chris Smith and Ginny Smith at our reconstructed crime scene to find out how science is used to help solve a forensic investigation, including dissecting pig organs, testing for drugs, planting false memories into our audiences' brains and trying out the world's first lie detector suit... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, how rogue antibodies turned one woman's existence into a living nightmare of delusions, hallucinations and paranoia, we examine the evidence that ME - or chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) - might be an autoimmune disease, and why the blues might be down to a hostile immune response. Plus, how tracking eye movements can be used to influence decisions, why remembering causes you to forget, a new 3d-printer inspired by Hollywood's Terminator, and the genetic map of the UK: apparently the Romans didn't fancy breeding with us very much... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Is it a particle? Or is it a wave? This week we're looking at light. From its earliest origins and what it can reveal about the Big Bang, to why Newton prodded his eye with a needle to probe the origins of colour, how the brain decodes the visual world and bionic implants to reverse blindness. Plus, in the news, a revelation in the remarkable colour-changing capabilities of chameleons, how an ultrasound can combat Alzheimer's Disease, and what people do with their fingers following a handshake... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, the world of parasites. We find out what's living in you and on you, how these invaders hijack your immune system and how they can even control the behaviours and body shapes of their hosts. Plus, in the news, the oldest remains of our first human ancestors are uncovered in Ethiopia, scientists weigh a stegosaurus and NASA's Dawn probe reaches the dwarf planet Ceres, but what awaits it there...? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

From Archimedes leaping from his bath shouting Eureka, to Isaac Newton's falling apples and Volta's piles that produced electricity on tap, this week we recreate some of the scientific experiments that changed the way we view the world. Join Ginny Smith and Chris Smith on a journey through two thousand years of discovery that includes bricks on ropes, a singing Solar System, a hydrogen detonation and a spectroscope... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Cannabis is as controversial as it is complicated. Does smoking it cause schizophrenia, and can chemicals from the plant cure cancer? Plus in the news, the new breed of chemicals that are putting our ozone layer at risk and why teenage sperms are more likely to be mutants. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, how we're haemorrhaging personal information through our smartphones. We hear how snoopers can eavesdrop on your mobile signals while you're out in public to track down your home address. A computer scientist tells us what he discovered on a bunch of second-hand mobile phones picked up off eBay, and the website that grades the threat's you face from any app yu install. Plus, the stories making the headlines from the world of science and technology, including figuring out how much dark matter is in the Milky Way, and a breath test to diagnose Parkinson's Disease... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, how to hack online dating, the way to maximise your chances on that crucial first date, what makes couples compatible, and the giveaway signs of fertility in the female voice. Plus, in the news, how late-night texting and Facebook-checking is affecting the sleep of young people, the Dutch chimps that now speak Scottish, and why chemistry teachers have a lesson to learn about one of the world's most popular classroom experiments... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, why we're passengers in our own bodies, outnumbered by our resident bacteria. We explore how these bugs can alter your brain and behaviour, and "trans-poo-sion": the poo-transplant process that might save your life! Plus, why the chances of ET existing have rocketed this week, and signs that birds count the same way we do... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Last year, 100 million tonnes of plastic were produced by industry. At the same time sufficient waste plastic was found floating in the world's oceans to make a string of bottles long enough to make it to the Moon. This week we find out what plastic is, how it is made, how to recycle it and why, in the future, it might literally grow on trees. Plus, reading Roman scrolls buried 2000 years by a volcano, how the magnetic history of a meteorite sheds light on the early Solar system, and an antidote to radiation... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Most people spend around a third of their lives asleep, and yet we know almost nothing about what goes on in the land of nod. So this week we're going "under the covers" to investigate the science of sleeping including hearing from sleep talkers, probing the world of lucid dreaming and finding out what sleep deprivation does to the brain. Plus, in the news, the missing Beagle 2 probe is pinpointed, how the ingredients for life on Earth could have been cooked up in comets, and the computer that knows you better than your best friend... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Are you sitting comfortably? You might want to stand up, because we'll be hearing why, in health terms, sitting is the new smoking! We're also taking a look at the science behind weight loss and why shedding extra pounds is so difficult. Plus news of why colds really do prefer the cold, why most of the world's fossil fuels need to stay in the ground if we're to meet climate change targets, and home from home: how scientists have discovered Earth's twin, deep in outer space... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Dissolving teaspoons, plants that sunbathe, stopping multiple sclerosis, the ARGO floats that monitor the oceans, global warming in Antarctica, and using computers to find Kiwis. Chris Smith and Simon Morton meet some of Wellington's finest researchers, including nanoscientist Nicola Gaston, plant scientist Jason Wargent, MS specialist Anne La Flamme, ocean scientist Philip Sutton, climate researcher Tim Naish and computer scientist Ed Abraham... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We all have an inner voice. Most of us know they're not real. But, for up to 15% of the population at some points in their lives, they can take on a different tone, as a terrifying experience that cannot be distinguished from reality. Where do they come from, and what do they say to sufferers? And how can the symptoms be treated? In this special guest episode, the Wellcome Trust's Chris Chapman hears the stories of schizophrenics affected by voices and explores a new approach to giving sufferers control over their experiences... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Seasons Greetings from the Naked Scientists! We invite you to spend the next hour with us as we explore the Science of Christmas. We'll be looking at why crackers are, or aren't, all that funny, the chemistry of Christmas and what makes the ultimate roast dinner as well as whether wine really is the best medicine. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Mass Extinction! 250 million years ago nearly all life on Earth ended. Back from the brink, history then repeated itself with the disappearance of the dinosaurs 60 million years ago. So are we next? Plus news of how a comet smash could have kick-started life on Earth, whether e-cigarettes are safe, and why science and medical reporting in the media might be untrustworthy... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

From the honking of cars to music blaring out of someone's bedroom window, the world around us is saturated with sound. But what exactly is sound, and how do we hear it? From mimicking an owl's wing for quieter aircraft to creating more effective cochlear implants and the science of opera singing, our panel of experts turn up the volume to 11 to answer your questions on anything audible... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we delve into the Dark Web, a hidden arm of the Internet where Google doesn't dare to search and where drugs, guns and hitmen are offered up for sale. We explore how the World Wide Web works, and ask whether it can remain unregulated, free and open as it is now? Plus, in the news this week, the worm found lurking in a patient's brain, how scientists have grown pain nerves in a Petri dish, and what do dogs hear when we speak to them? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Travel by air has increased by over 60% in the last decade and annual global air traffic is expected to reach 3.6 billion passenger journeys by 2016 meaning that there are at least 1 million people airborne aboard planes at any moment in time. But, as air traffic grows, so do concerns about smuggling and security. So keeping people safe is a major priority; but the processes can be intrusive and can also cause unpleasant delays at airports. This week we're looking at how technology - both old and new - can help to alleviate the hold ups and improve safety. Plus, in the news, the science behind... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Ebola has rocked the world in 2014, but why has this outbreak been so devastating? This week we get inside Ebola to find out about the virus itself, and how it causes disease and spreads. We talk to healthcare and charity workers on the ground in West Africa to find out how what is being done to stem the epidemic; we catch up on progress towards a vaccine and we hear how the virus is also crippling gorilla populations. Plus, in the news, the latest on the Rosetta mission to comet 67P-Churyumov-Gerasimenko and how Wikipedia can reveal what diseases are circulating and where... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, the latest breakthroughs in cancer including blood tests to pick up the disease much earlier, new genetic treatments to trigger tumours to kill themselves, and a laser technique to zap cancers in hard-to-reach places. Plus, in the news, why working the night shift can curb your intellect, a super-enzyme that could cut millions off energy bills and the gut bacteria that keep you trim... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Do you believe in ghosts? For Halloween the Naked Scientists take a look at the spooky science of the supernatural. Is there evidence that paranormal beings exist and why do so many people believe in them? How do out-of-body experiences happen? What causes coincidences? Where did werewolves and vampires come from? And what tricks do magicians use to fool your senses? Join us for an eerie exploration of how the mind can create nightmarish experiences and mysterious beliefs... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Over the next 50 years, getting to work on time or heading out to the hinterlands for your family holiday will become much, much easier - and perhaps, even pleasurable. We're journeying into the not so distant future, to a world where cars drive themselves, drones deliver your pizzas, planes are bigger, faster, stronger and even see-through, and people holiday in space. The next generation of transportation is very nearly here, and we're taking a magnifying glass to some of the most exciting developments. Plus, we shine a new light on diabetes treatment, a cheap and quick test for ebola, and... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Continuing the theme of the future of humanity, this week we take a look at what we can expect from our towns and cities in the years to come. Will we be living in wooden skyscrapers, amongst crime fighting lampposts or have our own personalised pollution sensors? Plus, in the news, invasive shellfish, the amphibian version of Ebola, making the mind young again, why new brain cells are essential for learning, and advice to brush your teeth to boost your physical fitness... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

What does climate change have in store for the future? What will it mean for the man, or woman, in the street? How will it hit the global economy, and what can businesses do to fight back? This week, we hear the perspectives of a climate specialist, an economist, a psychologist and a technologist as we ask, "what are the costs of climate change?" Plus, in the news, the emerging ebola crisis, tastier beers coming on tap thanks to fruit flies, and a breakthrough in prosthetic arm technology... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

For years we have relied on fossil fuels to produce the light, heat and energy we need to live and work. But these supplies are diminishing, and polluting our environment. So can renewable resources step into the breach annd produce enough energy to power the world? In this special Naked Scientists show, live from the Cambridge Science Centre, we talk to some of the researchers trying to do just that, as well as conducting some energy-related experiments of our own... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, is there anybody out there? We're pushing at the boundaries of science in the search for ET. We take a magnifying glass to the big questions: what is life, where can we find it and could we ever communicate with it? Plus, the blood test that can tell you how long you'll take to recover from surgery, a new mussel-inspired glue that even works underwater and, 76 years after penicillin was first discovered, how scientists are combating antibiotic resistance Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, are we on the verge of being able to print a new kidney or liver? And will every home soon have a machine in it to make medicines so we don't need to head off to the chemist for a dose of antibiotics? This is the world of 3D printing and we'll show you what it promises to deliver... Plus, in the news, is fracking contaminating underground water or is it just leaky pipes? And a new breakthrough therapy for multiple sclerosis... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Have you been hacked? This week we examine the risks from public WiFi, why the Internet of Things is jeopardising the security of your home, the threats frequently lurking inside innocent-looking documents, what your mobile phone says to cybercriminals without your say-so and the new method of marketing: you compromise your competitor's website. Plus, in the news, an update on ebola, do bereaved people really die of a broken heart, and DNA points the finger at a Jack the Ripper suspect... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we're looking to nature to solve some of today's biggest problems - from climate change to water shortages. We hear how spiders hold the key to making the strongest material known to man and how insect ears have inspired the world's smallest microphone. Plus, why Bruce Willis might be making you fat, the Arctic ice sheets that are melting despite headlines to the contrary, and why thousands of languages are on the brink of extinction... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, we're exploring Nuclear Fusion, the power source of the sun. What is it and how can it help us on Earth? We visit the JET fusion facility to watch a test firing, we hear how lasers can be used to kickstart the process and how a new spherical fusion system could be outputting power within a decade. Plus, in the news, what lights up the Universe, how people are no smarter than pigeons when it comes to gambling and how the eyes can forewarn of forthcoming dementia... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Dr Chris Smith goes down under for this special report from New Zealand. In this podcast we discuss lasers that are helping us understand how molocules are formed, using viruses as antibiotics and the possibility of life on Mars. Plus, looking at video game therapy, where Ebola and HIV came from, and the world of bumblebee real estate. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we're talking about gene sequencing and how to keep that information safe. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

The Naked Scientists have food on the brain this week, as we hear about how sound can affect taste, why our mood can be changed by what we eat, and we try out some unusual flavour combinations. And in the news; why grizzly bears may help us in the fight against diabetes, the comet chaser that has finally reached its target, and self-assembling origami robots... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, we hear how one of the brightest lights in the Universe is helping scientists to build better jet engines, fight off antibiotic resistant bacteria and read the biochemical make-up of long-dead dinosaurs. Plus, how fears and phobias can pass from parent to child in a smell, why first impressions really do count, and also the physics of being a lead guitarist... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week why whales get dandruff, what seabirds think of wind farms, the plight of coral reefs, we take a look at some giant sea spiders and look at water that can stay liquid below freezing temperature. Plus, we use science to perfect the recipe for a superior sandcastle... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Will wooly mammoths roam the tundra once more? This week we ask whether improvements in genetic technologies mean extinction is no longer the end, as well as meeting moss that came back to life after 2000 years buried in permafrost, and the million-year-old microbes lurking in the ice of Antarctica. Plus, news that our genes control who we make friends with, how fossil sea urchins hold the key to finding your lost car keys, and what ancient tooth plaque is revealing about the diets of our ancestors... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We celebrate the 45th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission by asking, should we return to the moon? We discover what scientific knowledge is still to be gained by going back, what robot missions are being planned as part of the Google Lunar X prize, and do commercial companies hold the key to funding research? Plus, in the news, the electronic lables that can be printed by inkjet, the genes which control how good you are at Maths, and can elephants cry? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Chimps use gestures, climate change stops fish finding friends, gut cells reprogrammed to make insulin, and people prefer shocks to thoughts! Plus Saddle Up! - we look at the science of cyling as the Tour de France comes to the UK, including seeing how long an amateur cyclist can sustain Tour de France speeds, hearing how the bike came by its spokes, and visiting a wind tunnel to learn about the art of aerodynamics... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

From levitating trains and humans to giant, climate-altering balloons, super-steels and earthquake-proof buildings, this month's live show panel reveal the latest advances in extreme engineering. Plus, we get engineering for ourselves, including taking a blowtorch to a paperclip to make metallurgy happen before your eyes... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

England might be out of the World Cup this week, but thousands of fans are still cheering their teams on across Brazil. But how does chanting change the behaviour of a football crowd? Why do free kicks and penalties still come down to good old physics? And how can economists use data from the pitch to see whether discrimination still exists in the beatuiful game? Plus, in the news, why scientists have blown up a mountain in Chile, why you could get addicted to sunshine, and are electronic cigarettes safe? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Alois Alzheimer, who described the first case of the disease now named after him, would have been 150 years old this week. But what have we discovered about the disease since he presented the first Alzheimer's case over 100 years ago? And how can fruit flies, arm hair and video games untangle the most significant threat to our generation? Plus, in the news, how making mosquitoes male could reduce malaria, protecting astronauts from solar radiation, and why is beetle sex a sticky situation... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Freeze Dried Blood! Every day the likes of probiotic "good" bacteria in yoghurts, and even the enzymes in washing powder, give us a helping hand. This week we investigate how scientists are designing new ways to protect and guard these tiny helpers, including new techniques to freeze-dry human blood. Plus, news of how sleep boosts learning, the effects of foetal nerve transplants for Parkinson's, tree-hugging koalas and why negative Facebook friends can make you moody. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Making brainwaves: from how babies' brains develop, to how children learn language and even unravelling the adolescent mind, this month's live show panel of guests walk us through how we learn to learn! Plus, popping balloons shows why teenagers take risks, and some practical tips to improve your short term memory Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We often hear about amazing new medical developments which could improve disease treatment. But what about the ethical considerations involved in deciding how to use these advances? Hannah Critchlow and Ginny Smith discuss how we decide which drugs we can afford and what the limits are on designer babies. Plus how DJ's help get you in the groove, the risk of dengue fever at the World Cup, and how you can win the 10 million Longitude prize! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we investigate green clean ups. Can nature's recyclers, bacteria and fungi, help us clean up man-made environmental problems from oil spills to mining slag heaps? Plus in the news, how the Gemini Planet Imager is helping astronomers 'see' exoplanets, why pregnant women are at a higher risk of a car crash and why don't octopuses get tied up in knots? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we look at how our power grids are going to be transformed. From technology which hopes to reduce our energy prices to new ways to include wind and solar power in the grid. Plus, in the news, what Google have up their sleeve for their next smartphone, the proposed takeover of the UK pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca, and why AM radio could be sending birds off course... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In front of a live audience at the Cambridge Science Centre, Chris Smith is joined by three paleontologists to discuss fascinating fossils! Alex Liu explains where the first animals evolved from, Stephanie Pierce describes how animals first crawled out of the oceans and Jon Tennant digs into how the dinosaurs died out. The team also answer questions like how big are fossilied spiders? Plus, Dave Ansell and Kate Lamble break down bones and discover how we know how fast dinosaurs ran... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

With the demand for new homes ever increasing, we ask what will the buildings of the future be like? Will new materials like bamboo or plastic take a bigger place in our houses? And how can we make our accommodation greener? Plus, in the news, the first model of all of Earth's ecosystems, what a 115 year old can tell us about aging, how to improve cochlear implants, and what happens if you try and stowaway on a plane... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In a special show from Cambridge and New Zealand, Hannah Critchlow investigates the research into Huntington's Disease. How has the search to correct a single gene enhanced our understanding of how the brain functions? How are sheep helping to unpick the pizzle of the human mind? Plus we visit a brain bank to find out how tissue donors are supporting the scientific research. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this question and answer special, the Naked Scientists get stuck into your queries, like why are planets round? Why do we laugh when tickled? Does wearing glasses make your eyesight worse? And how many trees could offset carbon emissions? Plus, in the news, the app that could help you get over jet lag and the Heartbleed bug which could affect your internet security. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Bigger, better and longer lasting - this week we go in search of the battery technology that will power the future as well as consider the shortcomings of our present technologies. We also try to tune-in to our own broadcast on a radio powered by moss! Plus, in the news, the genetic switch for spinal nerve regeneration, the ocean deep inside Enceladus, young-smoking dads condemn their sons to adult obesity and why cereals make eye contact with you... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How handedness spans the scientific world, from the smallest particles in the Universe to the drugs that cure disease and even the way you hold a pen, goes under the microscope this week as we explore the realms of asymmetry. Plus, in the news, the world's first synthetic chromosome, the goo that stops bones breaking, is there a giant planet lurking beyond Pluto, aircraft black boxes and anti-aphrodisiacs... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

2014 is the Year of Code, with the UK even becoming the first major economy to introduce computer programming to the school timetable. This week we investigate why coding, and getting kids into computer science has become so important. Plus, in the news, why the estimated number of smells a human can detect has gone from 10,000 to a trillion, the astronomers who have detected primordial gravitational waves, and a new supercomputer, in Scotland... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Pit your wits against the combined brain power of the Naked Scientists, in this question and answer Special as the team try to find out the truth behind the age of the Milky Way? Whether plants die of old age, and how cats make their fur stand on end? Plus, in the news, contagious yawns, and how the number of takeaways on the way to work affects your risk of weight gain... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

With climate change expected to bring more bouts of extreme weather and longer periods of drought and flooding, this week we take a look at ways to turn the tide on the looming water crisis. Plus, in the news, the schoolboy who's become the youngest person yet to achieve nuclear fusion, the pedicure-inspired tags which are helping track turtles, the new gene therapy breakthrough for treating HIV and, what's worse for you, cigarettes, or sausages? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Robots are under examination this week. Engineer Blaise Thomson, from Vocal IQ, designs speech systems for smartphones, Neil Bargh builds robots for science labs, and Airbus systems engineer Paul Meacham, who is building the next rover that will explore Mars, join Chris Smith, Dave Ansell and Ginny Smith to pit their wits against the assembled Cambridge public, answering questions like how would the Mars rover fare in Robot Wars? Plus, we make a motor from scratch and find out what happens when we dunk electronic devices in liquid nitrogen... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Norovirus, the winter vomiting bug, affects 1 million people each year in the UK. But what is it, and how can you best protect yourself? Plus, in the news, how stress hormones depress the stock market, brain training that can improve vision on the baseball field, a new biological marker to diagnose those at risk of depression and artificial growth factors to speed up wound healing... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Should you raise your baby to be bilingual? Are video games rotting or rejuvenating children's brains? We find out! Plus in the news, personalised breast milk, modelling the brain with computers, how crude oil spills affect tuna and the next step towards nuclear fusion. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

UK Universities and Science Minister, David Willetts, becomes his own radio presenter; here, on a tour organised by the UK's Science and Innovation Network, he charts his meetings with scientists and entrepreneurs in Chicago, including discovering how researchers are trying to develop new batteries, he meets MIRA the Argonne supercomputer, attends a synthetic biology convention, talks to technology start-up CEOs, addresses the AAAS fellows forum and talks in depth to his travelling companions, Nottingham chemist Martyn Poliakoff and Edinburgh Vice Prinicipal Mary Bownes... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Do scientists resort to propaganda to defend climate change? How do we deal with evolution unbelievers? How do governments and policy-makers decide what science should be funded? Where will the next generation of communicators come from? Why are western countries spending more on baldness than malaria? Live at the AAAS 2014 meeting in Chicago, panellists David Willetts, the UK Minister for Universities and Science, Robyn Williams, of the Science Show on the ABC, MIT Enterprise Forum president, Kathleen Kennedy, IgNobel Awards founder Marc Abrahams and University of Madison-Wisconsin scientist... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We're chewing over the topic of food footprints: How green is your lunchbox? What's the environmental impact of your weekly food shop? Plus, in the news, the prosthetic hand that has allowed an amputee to feel for the first time, a new fatal strain of flu has been identified in a patient in China and Gaia's goal is to create the most accurate map yet of the Milky Way. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we we zoom in on the subject of nano-particles to examine how tiny objects, smaller than the wavelength of light, can be making such large waves in the fields of health, optics, and electronics. Plus news of purple tomatoes on their way to your dinner plates, the medical treatment that could mean the end of peanut allergies, the acid dip that reverts cells to their stem state, and what's in the air in Beijing? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Live on location at the Cambridge Science Centre, Chris Smith is joined by exercise scientist Dan Gordon, who also holds the world record in tandem cycling, epidemiologist Nita Forouhi, who studies diet, and David Ogilvie, who investigates how our environment can shape our activity. Together they pit their wits against the assembled public as they answer questions like, is watching the Exorcist a replacement for exercise? Plus Dave Ansell and Ginny Smith find the iron on breakfast cereals, measure the vitamin C in carrots, and see how much exercise it takes to work off a Mars bar... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we investigate why the UK is investing in space weather forecasts. Plus how could changes in the Sun's activity affect us here on Earth? In the news, conservationists supporting the sale of a hunting licence for the endangered Black Rhino, gene therapy success for treating blindness-causing diseases, and do humans use anger strategically? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we want to hear how you're doing with your New Year's Resolutions as we investigate the psychology of willpower and how long it takes to form a new habit. In the news, does drinking a cup of coffee after studying help students remember their work? Should the UK introduce a minimum price for alcohol? Plus the light activated glue that could change the way cardiac surgery operates. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

The Naked Scientists tackle your questions, from how hail storms come about to why the Mediterranean Sea has such small tides. And why do people often favour walking on one particular side of the road?Plus, we look at what science might hit the headlines in 2014, from China's ambitions for manned spaceflight, to new graphene-based electronics. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

It's Christmas, and we're celebrating in style with a look at the science behind the things that grace the festive period. In a special programme recorded live in the kitchen, we produce our own home-made ice cream, hear about the brain-basis of the Boxing Day sales bargain, test fruit-fuelled flamethrowers, investigate candle chemistry, find out about LED fairy lights, probe the origins of the Star of Bethlehem, and make our own hydrogen-powered party popper. Merry Christmas! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How balls of cells assemble into a baby, why cell shape is crucial in cancer, telling cells where to go in an embryo, and getting a handle on how limbs develop: this week's Naked Scientists explores the science of structure. Plus, does classical music make you brainier? News of what your Christmas dinner means to the microbes in your intestines and a breakthrough in tracking the international spread of pandemics... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

The bid to create the world's largest marine reserve, diseases threatening corals in the Caribbean, what is the best way to conserve coral reefs in Fiji, and why fish microbes matter too. Plus news of DNA sequences extracted from a 400,000 human ancestor in Spain, contraceptive pills for men, pain-free injection patches and the brain basis of dyslexia... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Live on location at the Cambridge Science Centre, Chris Smith is joined by guests Didier Queloz, who discovered the first exoplanet, Alan Tunnacliffe who investigates organisms which might be able to survive in space, and Gerry Gilmore, who is aiming to map the Milky Way. Together they pit their wits against the assembled public as they go on the hunt for alien worlds and life in space. Plus Dave Ansell and Ginny Smith reanimate yeast, spin an alarm clock to demonstrate how planets make stars wobble, and launch their own hydrogen rocket... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, smells, pheromones and anosmia. We talk to a patient with no sense of smell, hear why odours might be more down to the way molecules vibrate that how they are shaped, we look at the role that genes play in what we can smell and hear how pheromones affect how we feel. Plus, in the news, the legacy of double Nobel laureate Fred Sanger who died this week, a new water-repelling material which rejects water faster than ever before, an ode to World Toilet Day, the swarm of tiny satellites which are helping to miniaturise space missions, and we hear about the bacteria that have acquired... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists