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Question of the Week PodcastThe Naked Scientists: Science Radio & Science Podcasts |
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We discover why delicious chocolate is deadly for dogs. Why should they be denied the pleasure? Plus, we ask how countries measure their carbon dioxide output accurately.
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We find out what would happen if you tried to use a stun gun on an elephant. Would you live to tell the tale? Plus, we ask why dogs need to avoid chocolate...
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We find out how one makes more seedless grapes, bananas, oranges and watermelons when they don't have any seeds! Plus, we ask what would happen if you had the audacity to Taser(tm) an elephant...
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This week's question is all about the cell-zapping power of radiation. Just how much does a standard medical scan expose you to? How does that compare to the levels radiation workers are limited to receiving? Plus, we ask how seedless fruits manage to reproduce.
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Why is it that we serve white wines and red wines at different temperatures? Does this really affect the bouquet? Plus, we ask how many x-rays are too many.
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We find out why it is we see red skies at all and the meteorology behind, "Red sky at night, shepherd's delight; red sky in the morning, shepherd's warning." Is it true? Plus, we ask why different wines are served at different temperatures.
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We find out how many children a sperm donor will father. Is there a limit to the number? Plus, we ask whether red skies at night really do delight shepherds.
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Why is it that, when your mum asks you to move the TV aerial to a better position, the signal improves while you move it about and then degrades as soon as you let go? We find out what it is that makes the signal improve when you're holding a TV aerial. Plus, we ask how many offspring a sperm donor is likely to generate...
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We find out what vitreous floaters are and how they can be removed. Will a coil of wire do the trick? Plus, we ask why holding a TV aerial can improve the picture.
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How do spiders make such perfect webs? Are they expert architects, mathematical geniuses or natural engineers? Plus, we ask what the floaters in our eyes are, and if we can pull them out of the way...
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We find out why we were told as kids not to sit too close to the television. Is there any scientific basis to the warning? Plus, we ask how it is that spiders manage to build such intricate and regular webs without geometry equipment.
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We find out how sharks, proud owners of cartilaginous skeletons, make red blood cells without the aid of bone marrow. Plus, we ask whether it's safe to get up close and personal with your television set.
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Just what is the point to all those ridges and furrows set into our fingers, toes, palms and soles? We do some detective work on the answer. Plus, we ask how sharks make blood when they have bones made from cartilage.
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We discover what it is that makes fewer or more waves crash against the shore each minute. Is it the tides, the sun or the number of surfers? Plus, we ask, why do we have finger prints?
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We find out if and how plants might combat little nasties like bacteria and viruses. Plus, we ask what defines the frequency of ocean waves.
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We find out why tattoos can hang around for a lifetime. Plus, we ask if plants have an immune system.
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We find out how pacemakers keep your heart in check, even if you go running after a bus. Plus, we ask how tattoos manage to stay under your skin for so long.
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We find out what it is that makes rice-based cereals so noisy. Plus, we ask how does a pacemaker know to keep step with a human heart?
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We find out how developing bird embryos get their oxygen whilst trapped inside an egg. Plus, we ask what makes breakfast cereals go "snap, crackle and pop?"
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In this Question of the Week, we ask if we sneeze in our sleep? What stops us from 'atchoo'ing while we're snoozing? Plus, we ask how oxygen gets into a developing egg.
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On this Question of the Week, we ask if it makes environmental sense to trade in an old car for a new one, as there's so much embodied carbon in a car. Find out how efficient your new car would need to be to render the old one ungreen! Plus, we ask why we never sneeze in our sleep...
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We clean up the science of washing powders, how they work and why stains rather than dyes are removed by them. Plus, we ask whether it is better for the environment to continue driving an old car or have a new one made.
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We ask if the Earth rains outwards and loses water to space! Plus, how does laundry detergent target stains but avoid dyes?
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Where would be the best place for an asteroid to strike the Earth? Would deep ocean, land or polar ice cap be the least destructive? We weigh up the options on this Question of the Week. Plus, we ask if the Earth leaks water into space.
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We find out how sunflowers follow the sun as it moves from east to west and whether the blooms have the same attraction to the moon. Plus, we ask where the best place would be for an asteroid to land.
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This week, we ask if the human race is evolving to be less intelligent, as those with more education tend to delay breeding and have fewer children. Plus, we ask how sunflowers follow the Sun, and whether they re-set overnight!
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How did the waggle dance - the complex dance that honeybees use to describe the whereabouts of good food - evolve in small steps? We find out in this Question of the Week. Plus, we ask where human evolution is taking us...
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This week's question jet propels us into the blue skies thinking on passenger jet manoeuvrability. Can a large airliner perform barrel rolls and loops? We also ask, how did bee dances come about?
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In this Question of the Week, we ask if the positions of the Sun and Moon influence your weight - Is night time your light time, what do you weigh at midday? Diana O'Carroll finds out. Plus, we ask if it's possible to do aerobatic stunts in large passenger aircraft!
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In this Question of the Week, we find out if a magnetic field can stop pipes from clogging up with limescale? Many manufacturers would like us to believe that simply clamping a magnet to your plumbing is all you need for clean, free flowing water, but is the science on their side? Plus, we ask if the planets and stars align to make you weigh less at night!
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As they can't close their eyes, how do fish sleep? We find out in this Question of the Week. Plus, we ask if magnetism can really stop limescale from sticking to your pipes...
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This Question of the Week is about getting to the root of toxic snake bites. Why do Aussie snakes have such a venomous reputation? Plus, we ask what goldfish get up to at night...
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In this week's QotW we find out what food to eat if you want to turn orange. Plus, we ask why Australian snakes are, on the whole, more toxic than their global counterparts.
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On this Question of the Week, we ask if humans grow a winter coat, and then moult in the winter, as so many other furry animals do? Plus, if Flamingoes are pink because of their diet, can we eat to change colour?
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In this Question of the Week, we discover the biological basis of burns - just what does happen to your cells when you touch something hot? Plus, we ask if humans undergo seasonal moulting - do we lose more hair when it's warmer?
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This week, we search our own databanks to find out how much energy it takes to search for something on Google. Plus, we ask what happens at a molecular level when we touch a hot object...
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In this special Question of the Week, we explore the reasons why trees, even when closely related an in the same environment, can have such diverse leaf shapes. Plus, we ask how much energy it takes to search the internet for answers!
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Why should milk 'change it's tune' when it's being steamed? In this Question of the Week, we find out why the sound of steaming milk changes abruptly at around 60°C (140°F), and invite you to consider Sir David Attenborough's question for next week...
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Could a robotic suit make a ballerina out of a buffoon? Could technology allow ordinary people to perform extraordinary tasks? We find out in this Question of the Week. Plus, we ask why milk seems to be so musical - why does the sound of milk being steamed seem to suddenly change when the milk reaches 60 degrees Celsius?
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How does spit make your shoes so shiny? A good polish needs more than just elbow grease, it needs your saliva too! We find out in this Question of the Week, and ask if it's possible to build a suit that lets you dance like a ballerina?
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You can instantly tell if there are three objects on a table, but if there are twenty, you would need to count them to be sure. Why can we spot the small groups without having to count, and how big does the group have to be for us to get out our mental abacus'? We find out in this Question of the Week, plus, we ask why should spit shine shoes so successfully?
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Petrified wood is a type of fossil, but some claim to have seen wooden fence posts that have already become petrified. Is it scientifically possible for wood to fossilise in such a short period? We ask how petrified wood is formed, and what exactly does it consist of? Plus, you may instinctively be able to count three items in a pile, but how many items before you have to stop and count?
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Meteorites, dust and other space rubbish is falling to Earth all the time, but does any of it ever contain life? We find out if aliens hitch a lift on space rubble in this Question of the Week. Plus, we ask how does wood become petrified? Can it happen quickly enough for us to find petrified fence posts?
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