19th Jun 2009
- Hiccups and Helium
Why does helium make our voices higher? What are hiccups and how can we get rid of them? How contagious is swine flu? We take on these questions on this weeks podcast as well as find out how beta blockers slow our heart rate down, why food sticks to the bottom of a pan when it burns and how sewage waste is moved round an aeroplane. Plus, we look into the role of the prostate in men and the conditions associated with this organ.
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12th Jun 2009
- Stars, Wormholes and our Expanding Universe.
Are Orion's stars shrinking? What are wormholes and do they really exist? What is our universe expanding into? We tackle these cosmic conundrums on this weeks show, as well as find out why light travels faster than sound, if everything spins in space, why TV adverts sound so loud and we investigate the existence of the Bermuda Triangle!
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5th Jun 2009
- Laughter, Sound and Smell
How has laughter evolved? Why can'we tickle ourselves? Why do hot and cold water sound different? What is smell and why do things have a smell? We tackle these chalenges on this weeks show, as well as investigate if blood pressure varies in different sized people, why mouthwash makes water taste colder, investigate why we shouldn't breed with relatives and discuss the causes of vertigo.
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29th May 2009
- Glass, Galaxies and the Gulf Stream
Can we break glass using sound? Is glass a liquid? Can we use GPS to navigate galaxies? Will climate change make the UK colder by affecting the Gulf stream? We tackle these questions on this weeks show as well as reveal how submarines stay at a fixed depth, why toothpase is better with fluoride in it, how sunlight can be converted into energy and we investigate whether we could ever create a time machine!
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21st May 2009
- Solar Wind, Moondust and Mouldy Cheese
How would astronauts cope in a solar wind? Why did dry moon dust hold a footprint? Why does wine age well but beer go off? And should you eat mould? We find out in this week's Ask the Naked Scientists. Plus, what happens if you exceed the speed of light, and what's going on at the centre of the Earth?
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15th May 2009
- Cameras, Probes and Mobile Messaging
How do cameras work? What are the Herschel and Plank probes hoping to find out? How are messages sent to computers and mobile phones? We tackle these questions on this weeks show. We also find out if blood gets thinner as you get older, why newspapers are easier to tear vertically than horizontally, and investigate if it's safe to take aspirin and anti-inflammatories at the same time.
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8th May 2009
- Spiders, Space and Skyscrapers
How strong is spider silk? Why are some people scared of spiders? How vast is space and does it have an end? How are skyscrapers built? We answer these question in this week's show. We also discuss swine flu, investigate how good aluminium is as a lining material, uncover what causes allergies to cats, work out the speed of heat and electricity and reveal if it's possible to reverse gravity!
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1st May 2009
- Spotty Bottoms and Jogger's Nipple
Why do we get spots on our bottoms? What is Jogger's Nipple? What is Gangrene? Why do we have different languages? We tackle these questions on this week's show, as well as find out how our hearts work and how a pacemaker can control it. We also find out what an aneurism is, analyse the conditions in which moss grows and discuss the treatment options for arthritis.
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24th Apr 2009
- Sticky Water, Static Shocks and Solar Storms
This week, we ask how water can be both sticky and slippery, what causes static shocks and if Solar storms can take down aeroplanes. Plus, we find out why 240 volts may be better than 110, and how your body can act as a radio aerial!
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17th Apr 2009
- Painkillers, Plastics and Platelets
How do painkillers work and which ones are available to us? Why doesn't the plastic on ready-meals melt in the oven? How can we donate platelets instead of blood? How can we ease the pain of arthritis? We take on these questions in this week's show. We also reveal why omega oils are so good for us, look into how the International Space Station keeps itself moving over earth and investigate the demise of the honeybee.
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10th Apr 2009
- Sparks, Lightning and Electricity
Can horses feel electric shocks through their fur? Can we create lightning artificially? How do we send electric signals via cables to America? Can frozen nitrogen conduct electricity? We tackle these sparky questions on this weeks show. We also learn about the northern lights, reveal why rain falls heavier than snow and investigate if it really is dangerous to pour hot water into a glass.
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20th Mar 2009
- Genes and Clones
Are identical twins clones of each other? Can parents with brown eyes have children with blue ones? Is it possible to have blonde hair and brown eyes? How do conjoined twins form? We answer these questions on this week's show. We also find out why our dreams don't always reflect reality, investigate if it is safe to re-heat food in the microwave, reveal how boils are formed and discover how washing powders make our whites dazzling bright!
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13th Mar 2009
- Electric Cars and Exploding Champagne
How much does it cost to run an electric car? Why does shaken champagne not explode if you wait a while before opening it? Would a car filled inside with helium run for longer? Is man the only mammal to have racial features? We dig into these questions on this week's show, as well as reveal if hyper-space travel is possible, explain how a memory stick works and investigate if a compass would work on the moon!
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6th Mar 2009
- Atomic Bombs, The Amazon and our Climate.
Can atomic bombs cause changes in our climate? Can understanding the Amazon help control the greenhouse effect? Are we likely to find life in outer space? We take on these question in this week's show. As well as find out about Bell's Palsy, reveal why people have fits, learn how to identify animals by their DNA and learn how to help control diabetes with our diets.
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27th Feb 2009
- Planes, Spaceships and Automobiles
How do mobile phones work on planes? Is flying more environmentally friendly than driving? What is rocket fuel? Can we see the International Space Station with the naked eye? These are just some of the questions asked in this week's show. We also investigate whether we can use our bodies as aerials, reveal how computer animated characters are created in films and find out if we can steam our eggs for breakfast!
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20th Feb 2009
- The Earth and Its Elements
How does the Earth rotate? Why do we not fall off the Earth as it spins? Why is there a periodic table? Why is Oxygen written as O2? We tackle these questions in this week's show. We also find out about the causes and symptoms of diabetes, investigate how our bodies generate heat, and reveal how to create a perfectly straight object!
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13th Feb 2009
- Ice, Snow and Space
What experiments can be done with snow? Why is snow white yet ice is clear? How can ice be made without refridgeration? And how do Jet engines work out in space? We tackle these questions in this week's show. We also find out about the Ares-V rocket being built by NASA, investigate why underarm hair hasn't been lost through evolution and reveal how someones smell could reveal if they're your perfect match!
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6th Feb 2009
- Phantom Limbs and Electric Shocks
What is phantom Limb Syndrome? Why don't birds get electrocuted when they land on power lines? Why can a tooth filling give us electric shocks? We tackle these questions on this week's show. We also find out why bears and penguins feet don't freeze on ice, look into the world of dreaming to find out why we each dream differently, reveal why waves are white when they break against the shore and discover what makes an electric train travel.
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30th Jan 2009
- The Science of Lightbulbs and Compact Discs
Do energy saving lightbulbs give you headaches? How do LED lights work? How do CD's show us the spectrum of light? Can we see magenta in the spectrum? We tackle these question on this week's show. We also find out how trrains stay on their tracks and whether it's possible to communicate when tarvelling faster than the speed of sound!
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23rd Jan 2009
- Stars, Stings and Tickles.
Why do we see stars in the sky? Why do stars twinkle? Why can't we tickle ourselves? And how do stinging nettles sting? We tackle these question in this weeks show. We also find out whether eyesight can improve with age, how fibre optics work, why water doesn't burn and we reveal what hypermiling is!
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16th Jan 2009
- Space, Sciatica and Solar Power
How does Solar heating work? What is Sciatica? What's the point of space exploration? We tackle these challenges in this week's show. We'll also be finding out why we get headaches, whether we can duplicate stem cells using their DNA and explain why it's possible for humans to land on the Moon, but not Mars.
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9th Jan 2009
- The Science of Sparks, Candles and Lightbulbs
Would a matchbox spark in space? How do re-igniting candles work? How does an energy-saving lightbulb work? Does the sun rotate like the earth? We answer these questions this week, as well as reveal how mobile phone charms work, investigate why New Zealand has mainly non-deciduous trees and find otu if rainwater is safe to drink.
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