22nd Dec 2008
- Having your Cake and eating it all
If you're given an excess of chocolate or sweets as a present, is it better for you to wolf them all down in a huge binge, or just eat a few each day to make them last? We find out what to do with your chocolate haul in this Question of the Week. Plus, we ask if amongst all the things that fall from space, have we ever found evidence for life?
|
15th Dec 2008
- Tryptophan and Turkey
What is tryptophan, and does Turkey really make you sleepy? We find out in this seasonal Question of the Week. Plus, we ask if you should scoff down all of your Christmas chocolates in one go, or make them last all winter?
|
8th Dec 2008
- Why do we Laugh?
What is it that makes us laugh? We find out what makes us giggle and keeps stand up comedians in work! Plus, we ask if eating Turkey really makes you sleepy...
|
1st Dec 2008
- Would a psychopath pass a lie detector test?
Could a psychopath pass a lie detector test, if they felt no remorse for their crimes? We find out if the technology is up to finding the truth in this Question of the Week. Plus, what is it that makes us laugh? Find out how to excersise your giggle muscle next week.
|
24th Nov 2008
- Helium Balloons on the Moon
In this Question of the Week, we learn the correct etiquette for attending a birthday party on the Moon - Should you bring a helium balloon, or will it just be a let down? Plus, we ask if people who do not feel remorse can trick a lie detector test...
|
17th Nov 2008
- The Beasts Who Barbeque
Are we the only animals who cook our food? Why do we need to cook, and if it's so good, why haven't other animals joined us at the barbeque? We find out in this Question of the Week. Plus, we ask if a helium balloon would float on the moon...
|
10th Nov 2008
- Wiping Away the Human Race
If the human race were to become spontaneously extinct, how long would it take for all evidence of us to be wiped from the planet Earth? Will there be evidence of human activity forever, or will we disappear without a trace. Find out in this Question of the Week, where we also ask if we are the only species to cook our food...
|
3rd Nov 2008
- The Speed of Time
Why does time seem to go quicker as we age? It seems that the longer we live, the shorter the days seem to be. Paradoxically, sometimes the hours drag by while the weeks fly past! We find out why in this Question of the Week! Plus, we ask how long it would take to wipe all evidence of human life from the Earth...
|
27th Oct 2008
- A Better Balanced Bicycle
Where should you put your bags to best balance your bike? Will groceries on the handlebars waste your pedal power, or will paniers on the back pull you backwards? We find out in this Question of the Week and also ask why time seems to go faster as you get older...
|
20th Oct 2008
- Better Battery Life
How do you get the best out of your batteries? Should you discharge them completely, or keep them permanently topped up? We find out in this Question of the Week! Plus, we ask where is the best place to balance bags on your bike - will one position make better use of your cycling effort than another, or is it better to push or pull your paniers?
|
13th Oct 2008
- Repeat Listening
Why do songs, even those you hate, sound better the more you hear them? We find out why familiarity can defeat contempt in this Question of the Week, and ask if you should let your batteries run down completely to get the best performance...
|
6th Oct 2008
- Do animals have blood groups?
Why do we have different blood groups, such as A, B, O and rhesus positive or negative? Do animals have blood groups? If so, are they the same as humans, or do they have their own? We find out in this Question of the Week. Plus, we ask why songs sound better the more you hear them...
|
29th Sep 2008
- Elderly Eyebrows
Why do eyebrows and other bodily hair grow out of control as we get older? We find out why we develop a post-retirement facial forest in this Question of the Week. Plus, we ask why humans have blood types, and if any animals share this blood system with us...
|
22nd Sep 2008
- How do Smells Travel Underwater?
Sharks seem to smell blood underwater from miles away in mere seconds - but how fast do smells really travel underwater? We find out in this Question of the Week, and ask why eyebrow hair gets out of control as we age...
|
15th Sep 2008
- Are Glow-in-the-Dark Watches Dangerous?
Are Glow-in-the-Dark watches a radiation hazard? Should you store your best timepiece in a lead lined box? Find the answer in this Question of the Week. Plus, we ask how smells travel underwater, and how a shark can smell a drop of blood in an entire ocean...
|
8th Sep 2008
- Running out of Memory
Does our memory have a limited capacity? In this Question of the Week, we'll find out if learning something new pushes out old information and why your brain needs a regular workout. We'll also ask whether glow in the dark watches give off dangerous radiation and should be kept in lead-lined boxes!
|
28th Jul 2008
- Do We Drink Dinosaur Drinks?
Do we drink the same water that dinosaurs drank? Has your water passed through the countless bladders of the past? In this Question of the Week, we find out if our drinking water has been repeatedly recycled. We also ask if the human brain has a limited capacity, and if so, do we forget the old to make space for the new?
|
21st Jul 2008
- Who Wants to Live Forever?
How old is the oldest organism? In this Question of the Week we find out if any organism has found the secret of eternal life, and can truly live forever. Plus, we ask if all the water on Earth has been drunk before, and how much data can our brain take before it's full?
|
14th Jul 2008
- Breathing Without Lungs?
How does the Bornean Flat-Headed Frog breathe when it has no lungs? No, it's not a bad joke, it's our Question of the Week! We find out how this marvellous little frog survives, and ask if any animals live forever, and if the water we drink today was once drunk by dinosaurs?
|
7th Jul 2008
- Remembering Your Dreams
Why are dreams so hard to remember? In this Question of the Week, we find out why your night time imagination slips away as you wake and is gone before your first coffee! Plus, we ask how certain frogs can breathe without lungs, and can anything truly live forever?
|
30th Jun 2008
- The Colourful Compounds of Copper
Why are copper compounds so colourful? In this week's Question of the Week we find out how one metal can have so many colourful compounds, as well as a distinctive green flame. Plus, we ask why dreams are so hard to remember, even the really good ones, and how can a frog can breathe through its skin, with no help from lungs or gills?
|
23rd Jun 2008
- Lightning Defibrillator
Being struck by lightning can be a heart-stopping experience - but could a second strike re-start your heart? In this question of the week, we find out if a bolt could act as a defibrillator, and if your body could take it! Plus, we ask why copper comes in different colours, and why we can't remember our dreams.
|
16th Jun 2008
- Cutting Calories by Cooking
If you burn your Pizza to a crisp, are you left with a low calorie (if not very tasty) meal? In this Question of the Week we find out whether cooking contributes calories to a dish, or turns your lunch into the slimmers option. Plus, we ask if a second bolt of lightning would act as a defibrillator and re-start your heart after a first strike had stopped it, and ask why copper comes in countless colours?
|
9th Jun 2008
- Over-Salted Fish
Most fish live in either freshwater or saltwater, but some live in both. In this Question of the Week we find out how these fish manage to avoid becoming too salty or too watery. Also, we ask if you burn your food, do the calories go up in smoke, and if a second lightning strike can act as a defibrillator, re-starting your heart after the first bolt stopped it?!
|
2nd Jun 2008
- How does the Digeridoo do what it does do?
How do you make a didgeridoo do what it does do? For this week's QotW, we find out how the length and shape of the instrument and the skill of the player affects the sound of a didgeridoo. Plus, we ask how fish can cope with both fresh and salt water, and if burning your pizza can turn it into a low-calorie equivalent of its former self!
|
26th May 2008
- How would E.T. Phone Home?
If we ever do find alien life around other stars, just how would E.T. phone home? We find out what technology we would need to communicate with our nearest stars, and the practical limitations. Plus, we seek the secrets of the didgeridoo, and ask if salt water fish have more permeable skin.
|
19th May 2008
- Did Dinos Die Young?
How long was a big dino's lifespan? On this week's Question of the Week, we find out how many candles a dinosaur birthday cake would have, and how we can tell from only fossilised remains. Also, we ask, what technology will we need to communicate with nearby stars (assuming we find anything to communicate with) and how does the shape of a didgeridoo affect it's sound?
|
12th May 2008
- Earplugs Make Sounds Louder?
Wearing earplugs may help to cut out external noises, but why does it make it impossible to eat crunchy crisps? In this Question of the Week, we find out why earbud headphones make internal noises so loud, and ask how long did a dinosaur live, and what technology will we need to communicate with life around other stars?
|
5th May 2008
- Flying with the Olympic Flame
What keeps the Olympic torch alight, in flight? To keep the Olympic spirit burning, it must need to travel on aeroplanes, but how do you keep a naked flame burning, while keeping other passengers safe? We find out from one of the designers of the Sydney Olympic Torch. Plus, we ask why earplugs seem to amplify your internal noises, and they may have all died out, but just how long did a dinosaur live?
|
28th Apr 2008
- Running out of Oil
When will we run out of oil? In the 1970s, it was predicted that oil wells would run dry by the year 2000, but new reserves were discovered. So in this week's Question we find out how long we have left, and if rising oil prices will make difficult reserves more productive. Also we ask how the Olympic torch stays lit in flight, and why do earplugs keep outside noises out, but make internal noises unbearably loud?
|
21st Apr 2008
- Lightning on TV
Should you turn off the TV in a thunderstorm? In this electrifying Question of the Week we find out if an attached aerial attracts lightning, or if it's safe to ride out the storm in front of your set. Plus, we ask if we might find new reserves of oil, and how do we keep the Olympic torch alight mid-flight?
|
14th Apr 2008
- Survival in a sealed car
How long would you survive sealed in a compact car? Is there enough oxygen to survive your journey, or should you just open a window to avoid suffocating on your own expelled gas? Also, we ask if lightning should interrupt your television viewing - should you unplug your TV in a storm? And we make an oil enquiry - how do we know that we'll run out of oil? How do we know we won't find more?
|
5th Apr 2008
- Drinking Wine in the Desert
Should you drink wine in the desert? Would an alcoholic drink dehydrate you faster than no drink at all? If so, should you let the alcohol evaporate first, and how long would this take? This is the subject of this week's answer, and we ask how long you could survive in a sealed car, and should you switch off your TV in a lightning storm?
|
31st Mar 2008
- Loss of Accent when Singing
For this week's Question, we find out why it is that although some people speak with a strong accent, this almost completely disappears when they sing. Could it be that there are language lessons to learn from singing Karaoke? Plus, we ask how long you could survive on the air in a sealed car, and if you're dying of thirst would drinking wine help, or finish you off?
|
17th Mar 2008
- The Timing of the Tides
On this week's Question of the Week, we plunge into a question about tides! We find out how the tide times are worked out to the nearest minute, and why anyone would need such precision. Plus, we ask why your spoken and singing accents may not match, and if you're trapped in the desert, is it better to drink wine than drink nothing at all?
|
10th Mar 2008
- Dirty Hair Grows Slower?
This week, we tackle the hirsute - will clean, trimmed hair grow quickly? Can you slow the growth with neglect? We find out if cut hair grows back quicker and thicker, or if that's just an urban myth. Also, we ask how tide times are so precise, and why people lose their accent when they sing...
|
3rd Mar 2008
- Caves and Carbon Dioxide
Our question this week concerns caves - we find out if more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere causes caves to grow quicker. Could an acidic atmosphere create cathedral-sized caverns? Also, we ask if your hair gives you the 'cold shoulder' by growing slowly when not washed, and just how do they time the tides so accurately?
|
25th Feb 2008
- Scale of Smell - Does Your Nose Tell the Truth?
This week, we find out if our noses tell us the truth. Does a strong smell mean a lot of odour in the air, or can we be tricked by small smells? In short, does our sense of smell have a sense of scale? Also, we ask if more carbon dioxide in the air leads to bigger caves in the ground, and can you slow the growth of your hair by not having it cut?
|
18th Feb 2008
- Library Odour - The Smell of Old Books
Books can hold stories, knowledge, ideas and memories - but what about the smell? So on this week's QotW - What gives an old book that distinctive smell? Also, we ask how we perceive the 'size' of an odour, and if there's more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere - is it leading to bigger caves?
|
11th Feb 2008
- Self-Shocking Eels - How do Electric Eels avoid their own shock?
This week, we find out how Electric Eels avoid a self-shock when stunning their prey, and we ask some smelly questions; what gives an old book it's distinctive smell, and does a strong smell mean a lot of odour in the air, or do our noses play tricks on us?
|
4th Feb 2008
- Recycled Oxygen - Making Breathable Air in Space
This week, we find out how they manufacture O2 on the International Space Station - a technique that astronauts must be 'over the moon' about! Plus, we ask how electric eels avoid self-shocking, and what gives a well loved old book that distinctive smell?
|
28th Jan 2008
- Runaway Runway - Aeroplane on a Treadmill
This week, we find out if an aeroplane on a treadmill could the plane still take off, and ask how air is made in space, and if electric eels suffer from self-shock syndrome...
|
21st Jan 2008
- Fat Cyclists Freewheel Faster?
This week, we find out if a fatter cyclist free-wheels faster than a thinner cyclist, and ask if an aeroplane runway is replaced with a treadmill, can the plane still take off? Also, how is oxygen recycled on the international space station?
|
13th Jan 2008
- How do Boomerangs Work?
This week we find out why boomerangs keep coming back, and ask would a plane on a treadmill still take off, and who gets to the bottom of a hill first - a freewheeling fat or thin cyclist?
|
Twitter
Facebook
Del.icio.us
Slashdot
Stumbleupon
