Ask The Naked Scientists Podcast

This week we're exploring why swimming on a full stomach might cause a cramp, whether it's really true that joints ache more when the weather's cold, and why does tapping the top of a beer bottle make the drink explode? Plus, why do aeroplanes fly high if there's less oxygen for the engines and less air for lift? And why does a child's hair often darken as they age? Join Dr Chris and Kieno Kammies for this week's Ask the Naked Scientist, to find out! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

What are the medical risks and benefits of silver? Is what I call a smell the same experience for you? And why do some things smell appealing, but not others? Does engine oil have a best-before date? And why do metal insulin needles have a use-by date? What makes body odours attractive? Is the inside of a banana sterile? And how do scientists find the medical properties of plants? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Does holding a car remote to your head really improve its range? What would happen to a bullet fired off the International Space Station? How did a marble make a hole smaller than itself in my window? Are mobile phone towers safe? Why does egg white go white when whipped? Why is colour blindness more common in men? And is toast bad for you? Join Dr Chris and Kieno Kammies for the answers to these and other cool science questions... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why is salt needed in an old-fashioned ice-cream maker? Are gravity and electromagnetism the same, and could we build a big enough electromagnet to repel the Moon? Are some stars no longer where we see them? Does salt make water boil hotter and hence will my pasta cook quicker? Why do distant lights twinkle? How does an air conditioner work? Why do my ear-buds make me cough when I insert them? What causes my microwave oven to interfere with my WiFi and Bluetooth? Is it possible to re-magnetise the magnet on the bathroom cabinet? Can we use light to propel a spacecraft? And why do we find our... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Is it ethical to grow a brain organoid in a dish? What's a shooting star? Do food preservatives build up in the body? What is cancer and why is it so tricky to treat? Why doe staring at a mobile phone screen cause car sickness on a long journey? Join Dr Chris and 702's Azania Mosaka and Ask! The Naked Scientists to find out... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why does alcohol affect different people differently? What's the difference between white and brown sugar, and is the brown form healthier? Can you suffocate under a blanket? Why have only 28 days in February? Why do wind turbines have long thin blades but room fans use shorter wide blades? Does diluting alcoholic drinks affect how drunk you become? Why is some metal okay in the microwave but other metallic objects make sparks? Join Dr Chris and 567 Cape Talk's Kieno Kammies for this week's crop of questions. As they say - don't know the answer? Ask the Naked Scientists! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

What will phenomics do for medicine? Is the limbic system in conflict with the brain's pre-frontal cortex? How does the brain actually work? And what is consciousness? Join Dr Chris and Talk Radio 702's Azana Mosaka to "Ask! The Naked Scientists" and answer your science questions... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

What makes a brain creative? How do viruses, and the flu, evolve? When did ancient civilisations realise there were 365 days in a year? Has the LHC discovered new dimensions yet? Why does 2 degrees of global warming matter? Can memory be improved? Join Dr Chris and Cape Talk's Kieno Kammies as we Ask! The Naked Scientists! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week: plummeting bird populations; the global climate strike; whether blood-letting benefits high blood pressure; why vaseline won't melt in the microwave; how pilots land planes even though the Earth is spinning; how birds pattern their plumage; why your nose runs when you wake up; what causes morning breath, and why would a car use more fuel driving a journey on the outward leg compared with the return journey? Join Dr Chris and 567 Cape Talk's Kieno Kammies as we Ask! the Naked Scientists... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Is flying a threat to glaucoma? Do blood groups affect diet? Is 5G harmful to my health? Why do cats have vertical pupils? What is candida infection and how can I treat it? Does speaking quickly actually communicate more information? Why am I addicted to eating toilet paper? Is the new 5G data network a health hazard? Join Dr Chris Smith and Talk Radio 702's Azania Mosaka as they strip down your science questions... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Chris Smith from the Naked Scientists takes on YOUR questions. What's the link between humidity and temperature? Is cooked meat or food healthier than the raw version? Why does the moon always have the same face pointing towards the Earth? Why do you feel like you're breathing in cold air after eating a menthol sweet? Why do we open our mouths when putting on makeup? Why are some people more susceptible to side effects of medication? Do wild animals snore? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How long does a body take to decompose? Why is spinach difficult to digest? How can you find natural water sources? Can stem cells repair retinitis pigmentosa? Does tolerance of temperatures change with race? Dr Chris answers the science questions you've always wondered about... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Chris Smith from the Naked Scientists takes on YOUR questions. Why do you sometimes see a half moon at sunrise? Why do some body hairs never go grey? Could a coin falling from the top of the Empire State Building kill you? What is the Earth's murmur? Why do effects from nuclear disasters like Chernobyl persist for many years? Does the amount of UV from the sun vary between different countries? Why do beans and sprouts make you pass gas? If a volcanic eruption as big as Krakatoa happened today and filled the atmosphere with ash, how long would planes be unable to fly? Could a person survive in... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Chris Smith from the Naked Scientists takes on YOUR questions. Can you use magnets as a source of electricity? Does chemotherapy make you lose hair from other parts of your body alongside your head? Can your brain adjust to seeing upside down by flipping your vision? Does leaving your car heater on in winter make you sick? Why does a microwave cook meat starting on the outside, but butter starting on the inside? Why does tinfoil not get hot in the microwave? Plus, the Australian National Phenome Centre - a project that could revolutionise healthcare... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Chris Smith from the Naked Scientists takes on YOUR questions. Why do men go bald on the tops of their heads first? Do we really share 50% of our DNA with bananas? Why do birds swoop down in front of cars? Is there such a thing as tuberculosis of the spine? How is it you can tell people are looking at you out of the corner of your eye? Plus, the seagulls that are carrying antibiotic-resistant bacteria... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Chris Smith from the Naked Scientists takes on YOUR questions. Do dogs recognise themselves in the mirror? Why is the sky blue? Why doesn't mitochondrial DNA recombine like other DNA, and does it run into problems with natural selection? Why did my tracksuit give me an electric shock? Would planting trees prevent climate change? Plus, Chris reflects on almost twelve years of questions on Talk Radio 702... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, on its 50th Anniversary, Dr Chris reflects on the Apollo 11 Moon landings, explores the basis of Bell's Palsy, explains the origins of an itch, and asks if wheat is bad for you. We also discuss the microbiome and food intolerance, why burned food tastes great but could give you cancer, whether Tourette's would be a good excuse for being caught speeding, why radio signals are out of sync through different devices, and if the Moon is a piece of planet Earth. As always, if you want to know the scientific answer... Ask the Naked Scientists! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Chris Smith from the Naked Scientists takes on YOUR questions. Why might someone with diabetes lose a limb? How can you predict a dangerous solar flare? Are humans really related to Neanderthals? Do we love water because we evolved from the ocean? What percentage of our brains do we really use? What causes shingles, and what's the best way to treat it? Which parts of the brain are affected when you're stressed, and can cannabis help with stress relief? Plus, the 'smart' insulin that could mean the end of insulin pens... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Chris Smith from The Naked Scientists takes on YOUR questions on Cape Talk. Do we need an appendix? How does the Sun burn when there's no oxygen in space? How much water is lost in tinned goods? How can damaged fingertips grow back? Does bloodtype indicate whether a tattoo will fade? Was Einstein's brain different from most? Can local honey cure hayfever? Which form of transport is best for the planet? Are the continents drifting? Plus, we successfully launched your screams into space! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why do flies exist? Could sound propel a spaceship? Why do humans have receptors for tetrahydrocannabinol in their brains? How do cars calculate their fuel consumption? And is all life descended from bacteria? Plus, we report on the recent discovery of a plume of methane on Mars: what does this mean for the likelihood of finding life on the red planet? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists