Ask The Naked Scientists Podcast

When it comes to coronavirus and the lockdown, are we at risk of a treatment worse than the disease? Also is UV the new therapy for Covid-19, as Mr. Trump proposes, or is he mistaken? Why could SARS-CoV-2 not have originated in lab? How should we dispose safely of used personal protective equipment (PPE), and why, if older people have weaker immune systems, are older people more vulnerable to Covid-19? Join Dr Chris Smith and 567 CapeTalk's Kieno Kammies for all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, are we breeding a fitter coronavirus? Lockdown measures suppress spread, but do they select for a virus with superior spreading power? Also, what are the half-moon shapes in finger and toenails? Do facemasks protect wearers, or third parties from viral infections? And how should I clean my shopping to keep coronavirus out of my home? Join Dr Chris Smith and 567 CapeTalk's Kieno Kammies for the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, coronavirus infection in big cats, how new diseases emerge in the first place, whether face masks work against coronavirus, can Covid-19 spread through the air, can you catch Covid from urine, and is previous TB a risk factor for severe coronavirus disease? Also, will wearing a face mask protect other people from you, is 5G a risk for Covid-19, and can coronaviruses be carried in semen? Join Dr Chris and Azania as they Ask the Naked Scientist... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, how did birds dodge the dinosaur apocalypse? Why does my rug climb the wall? How can we make a country richer? What does Earth look like inside? Is Covid-19 a conspiracy? Where did viruses come from in the first place? And will lockdown produce a baby boom? Join Dr Chris and Kieno Kammies for the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

What is Covid-19? Are masks worth wearing to protect against coronavirus infection? How does flu compare with coronavirus infection? Do gloves help prevent Covid infection? Are viruses alive? Will ozone kill coronaviruses on my shopping? How does menthol clear nasal passages? And what happens if you catch coronavirus while pregnant? Join Dr Chris Smith and Talk Radio 702's Gushwell Brooks to find out! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why are people stockpiling? Why does no one remind people not to smoke? Why are some songs music to my ears but a cacophony for others? What determines the rate of radioactive decay? Is COVID-19 an experiment in biowarfare? Can hair carry coronaviruses? Can chloroquine combat coronavirus infection? Once I've recovered from coronavirus infection, am I immune? And will Dettol deactivate coronaviruses? Chris Smith and Jeremy van Wyk answer your science questions... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Coronavirus conundrum: how best to block to the spread of the virus. Also, we discuss insect and spider bites, why plastic is such a problem for the oceans, the Mpemba effect - why hot water might freeze faster than cold water - and whether vitamins and supplements can boost your immune system... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Do blood groups affect mosquito preference for who they bite? What else do mosquitoes eat when they are not drinking blood? What is anger? How do blood groups work? Why do things like smoke and dirt seem to preferentially aim for our eyes? Is wildlife thriving around Chernobyl? And how far aloft is the sky blue? Join Kieno Kammies and Dr Chris Smith for the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, we answer Paul's question about the size of a diamond you could make with the carbon in a piece of coal, we discuss where butterflies in your stomach come from, discuss the basis of gut instinct, and ask how much magnesium you need and how the body absorbs it. Join 567 CapeTalk's Kieno Kammies and Dr Chris Smith to find out... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Data on the Chinese emerging coronavirus and did it come from pangolins? Why does glassware look more shiny when wet? How does the body fight off viral infections? And what happens when you freeze breast milk? Talk Radio 702's Azania Mosaka and Dr Chris team up to Ask the Scientist! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

What's the latest on the coronavirus situation? Do facemasks protect against viruses? Can we use nuclear bombs to combat climate change? Are artificial diamonds valuable? How long do viruses persist in the environment? What is WiFi sensitivity? Why does the Sun resemble popcorn in photographs? And why can I hear my sonic pest repeller? Dr Chris and 567 Cape Talk's Lester Kiewit for the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, what's the resolution of the human eye? Would nanobots be attacked by our immune systems? How small would a squash ball lump of coal be if you squished it into a diamond? Why do propellers look like they change speed, or even go backwards? And why do men's hairlines recede? Plus in the news, what's happening with this new coronavirus in China? Dr Chris chats with Kieno Kammies... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, why only one bottle of water froze while others remained liquid; do hot drinks cool you down? What's phlegm and is it safe to swallow? Is human body temperature changing? How did the NASA student intern discover an exoplanet? Are fizzy drinks safe for diverticular disease? And what's the ideal healthy diet for a human? Join Dr Chris and Kieno Kammies to find out... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, will a walk benefit my waistline; can bacteria eat plastic? Is it just humans that get prostate cancer? What limits the length of body hair? What's the physics of making a cricket ball swing? Can you combat male pattern baldness? And do sleep requirements change with age? Join Dr Chris and Kieno Kammies to Ask! The Naked Scientist and find out... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Welcome to 2020! And in our first show out of the gate this decade, we explore the science of excessive sweating; how you can get an egg within an egg; why dirty and clean water don't instantly mix; why people in the opposite hemisphere aren't upside down, what are eye floaters, and why does pressing on my eyes make me see bright lights? Join Dr Chris and 567 CapeTalk's Kieno Kammies to find out... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How might a sore throat be linked to a hear problem? Are elevated toilet cisterns better at flushing the toilet? What's your take on aliens and the paranormal? What are diabetes and coeliac disease? Why does my husband yawn so much? And where do road corrugations come from? Join Dr Chris and CapeTalk 567's Melanie Rice to find out! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

What's an exponential dilemma? Why do copper bangles make your wrist go green? What causes hot flushes associated with menopause? Which is worse, viruses or bacteria? Why put power points at floor level? Can ketamine be used to treat mental illness? And why don't the bubbles from cracked joints cause an air embolism? Join Dr Chris and Kieno Kammies for the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why are preservatives, including mercury compounds like thiomersal, added to vaccines? What is "invert sugar" and is it better for my teeth? How does is "aquamation" - the alkaline hydrolysis equivalent of a cremation - work? Is crude oil the same stuff everywhere, or does the composition vary? Can you clean your teeth with bicarbonate of soda? Why do knuckles crack? And what actually is "acidity". Join Dr Chris and Kieno Kammies for all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How does water-based water-repellent paint work? Did a burger on top of my normally vegetarian diet cause my belly ache? Why has no one invented a silent vacuum cleaner? And if an egg yolk ruptures, does that mean the egg is bad? Also, why the obsession with electric cars: surely hydrogen is the future? How do hard and soft water differ? And can blue-eyed parents have a brown-eyed baby? Join Dr Chris and Kieno Kammies for the answers on this week's Ask! The Naked Scientists... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Do flu jabs really work? What's a TB gland? Can Prince Andrew really not sweat? Why does pinching your nose halt a sneeze? How old is the Earth and how do we know? If dogs have such a keen sense of smell, why get so close to a turd to sniff it? Why does tiredness cause bags under the eyes? And what's the best time of day to clean teeth, morning or night? Want to know the answer, join Dr Chris Smith and Kieno Kammies to find out... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists