The Naked Scientists

Naked Scientists Podcast

Subscribe via itunes,yahoo or google < Previous Show | Next Show >
11th Nov 2007

Naked Science Q&A


Chris Smith

Dave Ansell

This week on the Naked Scientists we seek solutions to your science questions.  From finding the site of the big bang to repairing the retina, mirages on the motorway to fruit fireworks in your microwave.  We also find out why staying in bed could help you keep slim, we explore the genes that let flies get drunk, and discover the source of the so-called "Oh My God! Particles", which have 100 million times more energy than in our biggest particle accelerators.  Also, we catch up with the latest in robotic cars and learn about the micro-microwave being used for analysis in the field.  Plus, in a live Kitchen Science, Dave finds out when is the best time to add milk, and still have the hottest tea.

Listen NowDownload as MP3 Podcast Enhanced Podcast, with pictures and chaptersMP3 Podcast.
Transcript Vote for Us

Digg Thisfacebookdel.icio.usNetscapeRedditFarkStumbleuponNewsvineYahoo! My WebFurlMagnoliaSquidoo

Science News

Eat, sleep and be skinny

Researchers have shown that, somewhat surprisingly, the key to preventing children from becoming overweight is a good nights sleep. A growing body of evidence now links lack of sleep, increased appe...

Panoramic Ultrasound Scanner

Researchers have built a panoramic ultrasound scanner to work from inside your body Ultrasound scanners are normally used from outside your body looking in, most famously for looking at unborn babies...

Plants engineered to silence pests

Nobel prize-winning medical research has found an agricultural niche, as two teams of researchers have engineered crop plants to combat the troublesome pests that feed on them by switching off their g...

Source of 'Oh-My-God' particles

Cosmic rays are very high energy atomic and subatomic particles that hit the earth from space. There are several which pass through you every second, but most of these are fairly low energy and come f...

Drunken flies and the alcoholics’ genome

US Scientists have sequenced the catalogue of more than 30 genes that are influenced by exposure to alcohol. The study was carried out in drosphila, fruit flies – often used in genetic studies as thei...

Interviews

Kitchen Science

When to add the milk


We were asked whether if you are going to leave your tea for a while should you add the milk at the start or end of your wait? Which way gives the hottest tea?

Question of the Week

Moonlight Photosynthesis

Can plants photosynthesise moonlight?


Questions

Why does a biscuit go soggy more quickly in a hot, milky drink than it does in a hot, watery drink?


If we were able to build a spaceship now, that was able to get to the universe where the Big Bang occurred, what would we find there now? Can we find the point where the Big Bang happened?


Why do we have wisdom teeth? I hear that it’s a remnant of evolution. Is that correct?


We’re using the energy at the moment, per person, of three Earths. How much energy does the Earth produce for a person to use every single day?


Could the retina be repaired using stem cell research?


While driving on a long stretch of highway I notice that when one looks ahead, very far down the road and on curves (left, right, up and down) the surface of the road becomes almost reflective. I’ve noticed this under both sunny and cloudy conditions but I’m wondering why it is.


I heated up a non-vegetarian pizza the other day. The bit in the middle wasn’t very well-cooked. How dangerous would it be to eat the pizza?


Why do dogs’ eyes shine in car headlights when humans’ don’t so much?


Why is it that if you want to cook two items in the microwave, you’ve got to cook them for twice as long when you don’t have to do the same with a normal cooker? And do microwaves kill bacteria in food?


Why, when I cut up apples into small pieces in a microwave close together, do they spark and flame up? If you cut a grape in half and put the two bits next door to each other in the microwave, why do you get glowing lights?


What’s the correlation between cold weather and catching a cold? If our body’s core temperature is controlled within such strict parameters then does the ambient temperature affect internal conditions in our bodies?


Why are bubbles round?


Can you tell me what chemical compounds in insects make their guts so difficult to clean off the windshield of my motorbike?




- Naked Scientists Science Radio Show Home - Who are The Naked Scientists
- Information about Naked Scientists - Interviews with Famous Scientists - Latest Science Radio Show
- Experiments to do at Home - Naked Science Articles - Archived Podcasts - Science Discussion Forum
- Science Book Reviews - Answers to Questions - Fact or Fiction Quiz
- Naked Scientists Contact Details - Search Naked Scientists Online - Receive Naked Scientists Podcasts

Click here for the Naked Scientists PODCAST

The contents of this site are © The Naked Scientists® 2000-2008. The Naked Scientists® and Naked Science® are registered trademarks.