Ask The Naked Scientists Podcast

Why does sugar look so different when you heat it up? How much CO2 is there in all the world's bottles of Cola? And which way is it to the Centre of the Universe? We'll tackle all these questions this week, as well as discovering what causes thunderstorms, and whether aeroplanes would work in space. Plus, does wrapping your fish and chips in newspaper make it poisonous? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Do we really need 8 glasses of water a day? How does a jet engine work? Where does earwax come from? Why are some apes vegetarian when we're not? We find out the answers to all these questions, as well as discover what thunderflies are, investigate if we're any closer to a malaria vaccine and discuss why bird feathers are so colourful. Plus, we find out about a newly discovered chemical that promotes cell survival in our brains! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why are moths attracted to light? How do red-leaved plants photosynthesise? Why don't hayfever sufferers become tolerant to pollen? We take on these questions in this week's show as well as discover if our planet changes its weight, how our brains store information and whether the Sun has any gravity. Plus, we discuss if man will ever land on Mars! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How does vinegar 'cook' an egg? How does Google work? Are the colours we see really real? We'll get the answers to all of these, plus explore how giant tortoises made it to the Galapogos, and how wiping out the human population would alter the atmosphere! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How are crisp flavours created? What makes flies so resilient? Why do some women get facial hair with age? We take on this variety of questions in this week's show as well as find out how our universe began, if Aspergers syndrome is hereditary and how methane clathrates can help store gases. Plus we discover how scientists are creating lungs in the lab! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Is microwaved water safe? Why does a mirage form? What causes that shimmer on a hot road? We tackle all of these questions this week, as well as look at how anti-dandruff shampoo works, how ships stay upright and whether humans are the only species that cry. We also find out if your laptop would survive a dunking in de-ionised water! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How did HIV originate? Why does anaemia occur more often in Africa? Do growing pains exist? We take on these infectious questions as well as find out how limescale remover works, how rainbows form and whether all objects expand in heat. Plus, we investigate if humans can get stronger under stress and reveal how much water we should drink for a healthy body. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How do Tornadoes form? What's a daisy cutter bomb? Why do we get electric shocks when leaving our cars? We take on these questions as well as find out why Jelly freezes in the fridge, why humans can't pickup radiowaves and how far away the moon is. We also investigate when a scientific theory becomes a fact! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Does our sense of taste change with age? How are horrid and pleasant smells decided by our brains? Is it harder to urinate when you're older? We tackle these time-sensitive questions in this week's show as well as find out how de-caffeinated coffee is made, whether caffeine is bad for us and how we acquire the bacteria that live naturally inside us. Plus, we investigate whether love can rule our brains! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why can't we tickle ourselves? Is deafness down to our genes? Can diabetes cause Eczema? How does deodorant prevent body odour? We take on these questions in this week's show as well as reveal if botox can be used as a medicine, why some people don't feel pain and whether it's possible to wake up with a new accent. Plus we investigate if bacteria could be used to clean the oil spill in the gulf of Mexico! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Ask the Naked Scientists, South Africa! This week we're adding a new member to the Ask! family with a new show on South Africa's flagship station TalkRadio 702. We look at man-boobs, hair cells, relativity at work in rugby, the right way round for your headphones, the getting-cold-causes-colds myth, excito-toxicity, how the immune system works, why asparagus makes urine smell and the lifespan of a fly. Don't know the answer? Then why not Ask the Naked Scientists... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

What effects can underground nuclear explosions have on our land? How do antibacterial cleaners work? Could bacteria be used to clean up our environment from pollutants? We take on these question in this week's show as well as find out why the colour blue is so hard to see at night, why grass can survive when covered with snow, whether tanks could be made with armoured glass and how data can be saved on non-magnetic disks. Plus, we find out how scientists are developing flexible touch screens! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Do earthquakes shift the earths axis? If the population of China jumped at once would it cause an earthquake? How much lava is inside the earth? Would more eruptions lead to an ice age? We tackle these questions as well as find out what makes stainless steel stainless, why it is colder further out in space, and why wet towels whip harder than dry ones. Plus we investigate how ice found on asteroids could give more evidence for life in outer space. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Could a comet shield the earth from the sun? How do planets form around stars? Why are planets spherical? What's the temperature in space? We tackle these astronomical questions in this weeks show as well as reveal why there isn't a cure for the common cold, why 3D glasses make some of us feel dizzy and if volcanic ash can disrupt space travel. Plus, we investigate what the Hubble Telescope sees in space! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why are some Volcanic Eruptions stronger than others? Why can't aeroplanes fly around the ash in the sky? Is our ozone layer still a concern? Why will sea levels rise if the ice caps melt? We take on these explosive questions in this week's show as well as find out if dogs can communicate, how boats sail into the wind, how outdoor infra-red heaters work and why clingfilm expands over food in the microwave. We also investigate is silverfish are related to dinosaurs and where water goes when it evaporates! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why does it feel hotter when the sun is out? Why can we see clouds at night? Is the sky always grey when it rains? We tackle these question on this week's show as well as find out if a magnet could replace the wires in a pendulum, why some plugs only have 2 prongs, how it is possible to go blind only temporarily and we reveal how our blood clots. Plus, we investigate the science behind near-death experiences! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Do cats have a sixth sense? How do dogs moult? Why are some hairs longer than others? Why do women get hot flushes? We tackle these questions on this weeks show as well as find out why we form tears, how animals navigate and why our voice changes when we hold our nose? Plus, we investigate if toads can detect earthquakes! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why do boomerangs return? How do painkillers know where to go? Are some painkillers faster than others? Why do men have nipples? We take on these questions in this week's show as well as find out why rainbows form arcs, what Menieres disease is, how sea breezes form and why we don't sing with accents. We also investigate the difference between X-rays, MRIs and other medical scans! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How does lightning strike? Should we worry about radiation from mobile phone masts? Do our TV sets give off any radiation? Why do we see the Northern Lights? We tackle these questions in this weeks show as well as reveal how a gyroscope works, why some batteries last longer than others and if the earths core uses oil as a coolant. Plus, we compare the energy consumption of electric and internal combustion engine cars! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Could the Earth cope without the Moon, how do safety matches work, what causes hiccups, why don't frosts form undercover, should NASA put people on an asteroid, why do nails grow faster on holiday, and what was here before the Big Bang? Join Dr Chris as he embarks ona brain-stretching scientific tour of the Cosmos for this week's Ask the Naked Scientists! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists