Naked Scientists Special Editions Podcast

David Southwood, President of the Royal Astronomical Society, tells me why NAM is so important to him. I hear about plans to double the size of the Liverpool Telescope, the sparkles in the Sun which have only recently come to light, and how gravitational lenses can produce magnified images of distant quasars. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Technological advances in racquets and balls are changing the way tennis is played, including allowing us to reach incredible 163mph serves. To find out how, Ginny Smith visited a tennis court in Fulbourn to speak to Dr Alison Cook from the sports engineering consultants Cook Associates... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Clinical Neuropsychologist Barbara Sahakian explains why some people find it difficult to make decisions that are beneficial to them, and how drugs could help. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Catalysts Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Ginny Smith talked to scientists performing at Chetenham Science Festival, as well as trying out some hands- on activities. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We were discussing on the radio today how random numbers are generated, and how could it be proved - to the satisfaction of a mathematician - that the number really is random? Evan Stanbury explains... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

A campaign has been launched to stop science toys being sold by some stores as "toys for boys". But what does science say on the matter? Introduced here by BBC 5 Live's Dotun Adebayo, Ginny Smith has been investigating... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Continuing from our podcast Restoring the Masters, Sally Woodcock, a PhD student from the Hamilton Kerr Institute talks about how we restore old oil paintings to their former glory. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This month we explore science 'in action' as we discover how researchers at the synchrotron are experimenting with implants, industrial catalysts and engine materials In-Situ! We discover how manipulating materials as they form can help create longer-lasting body implants and how catalysts are being visualised during their reactions to improve their efficiency. Plus all the latest news from Diamond including new ways to maintain ancient architecture and new materials for stronger buildings in the future... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Breasts, bazookas, bosons and bombs: The Naked Scientists take to the stage for the Cambridge Science Festival 2013. An explosive mix of fertile conversation and kitchen science... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week in the Planet Earth Podcast: a look at the potential to generate up to 20 per cent of the UK's electricity from tidal energy; and why understanding the nuts and bolts of turtles' sex lives could help protect those most at risk. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Cambridge chemist and biotechnologist Shankar Balasubramanian discusses DNA sequencing and its implications for health and disease. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We spoke to Emma Smith, a PhD student with the British Antarctic Survey about her work whilst she was based in the icy noth of Svalbard... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch is the Cambridge Science Festival's guest director this year, meaning he's been assisting the Cambridge University festival team with putting together the programme for the two-week event, which launches on March 11. He spoke with Naked Scientist Ben Valsler about his interest in science and his role in the festival... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week in the Planet Earth Podcast: why textbook illustrations of our early ancestors may have to be re-drawn; and why underwater canyons contain a wealth of life, including some rather ugly-looking worms. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week in the Planet Earth Podcast: decoding the ash tree's entire genetic sequence to produce a strain which is more resilient to ash dieback; the challenges of extracting biofuels from algae; and the latest news on Planet Earth Online. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Researchers at Cambridge University announced the discovery of a new way to attack the bacterial "superbug" Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which accounts for 6% of all hospital acquired infections and can be very hard to treat, particularly for patients with lung diseases like cystic fibrosis. Ben Valsler went to meet the man behind the breakthrough, Martin Welch... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week in the Planet Earth Podcast: how a virus brought to the UK by insects poses a worrying threat to the country's great tit population; and which new technologies could affect global biodiversity in 2013. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week in the Planet Earth Podcast: why understanding where plankton congregates can help us protect basking sharks and other marine creatures; how primates planning ahead tells us about our own intelligence; and how to predict dangerous climate tipping points. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How can we protect neurons from degeneration? In this podcast from Cambridge Cafe Scientifique, we hear how understanding transport of proteins and other chemicals within individual nerve cells may be key to keeping the cell alive after injury... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists