Naked Scientists Podcast

Phil Rosenberg

Chris Smith

Delving into the dark depths of science this week is Dr Ron Douglas from City University in London, who describes the fascinating world of deep sea fish, bioluminescence and the sights from a deep sea sub, Dr Jason Hall-Spencer from the University of Plymouth talks about cold water corals and the threats posed by fishermen, and from slightly warmer waters Dr David Kline from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama reveals how Caribbean corals are suffering due to sugar pollution. Also in the show, Fran Beckerleg interviews John Ablett at the Natural History Museum in London about a giant squid called Archie, and getting the low down on the high seas, Derek Thorne finds out how a submarine works in Kitchen Science.

 

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Chris Smith

Kat Arney

Bringing a ray of sunshine to the studio this week is Alex Hill from the London Met Office, who will be describing how meteorologists predict the weather on a daily basis, Dr Tim Palmer from the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting reveals how understanding seasonal weather patterns can help scientists predict outbreaks of malaria, Dr Emily Shuckburgh from Cambridge University discusses how faraway oceans can affect our local weather, Fran Beckerleg braves the roof of the London Weather Centre, and Sheena Elliott joins Derek Thorne in Kitchen Science to shed light on why the sky is blue.

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Chris Smith

Helen Scales

Phil Rosenberg

Picking apart the inner workings of our brains this week are Dr Irene Tracey from Oxford University, who discusses the origin of pain at the neurological level and how we can reduce pain, Dr Philip Shaw from the US National Institute of Mental Health reveals why having a bigger brain does not make you more intelligent, Dr Kathleen Taylor from Oxford University talks about her new book 'Brainwashing: the science of thought control', including whether brainwashing is a real phenomenon and how we can avoid it, and from brainwashing to the bathtub, Derek Thorne scrubs up on density in this week's Kitchen Science.

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Chris Smith

Phil Rosenberg

Dave Ansell

Answering all your burning science, technology and medicine questions this week are Dr Chris, Dr Dave and Dr Phil, who look at why purifying seawater won't solve our water shortage problems, how 3D glasses work and whether a man on a meteor would have to hold on tight or sit back and soak up the stellar scenery. We'll also be receiving an update from Daniel Scuka at the European Space Agency on the Venus Express Mission, Professor Diana Liverman from Oxford University talks about how to turn down the heat on climate change, and in Kitchen Science Anna Lacey finds out why we hear strange voices when we play old records backwards...

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Chris Smith

Helen Scales

Conservation and saving species go under the spotlight this week as science writer Dr Henry Nicholls draws attention to the plight of 'Lonesome George', the last giant tortoise of his kind, Dr David Aldridge from Cambridge University discusses the problem of invasive species and how he is purging freshwater ecosystems of zebra mussels with a poison pill, Chris interviews Professor Rick Shine from the University of Sydney about the wave of invasive cane toads legging it across Australia, from waves to the ocean, Dr Helen Scales discusses the issues behind marine conservation, and sticking with the watery theme, Derek Thorne whips up a storm in Kitchen Science.

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Kat Arney

Chris Smith

Time is very much the essence of this week's show, as Professor Russell Foster from Imperial College London discusses the human body clock, where it is and how it gives our bodies a daily rhythm, Professor Karl-Arne Stokkan from Tromso University in Norway describes how reindeer body clocks adapt to twenty four hours of sunlight, Dr Alex Webb from Cambridge University talks about plant circadian rhythms and how they differ from animals, and Anna Lacey interviews Professor Cynthia Kenyon from the University of California, San Francisco about how to survive longer and cheat time.

 

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Chris Smith

Kat Arney

The recycling revolution and the whereabouts of our waste are hot topics this week as Professor David Butler from the University of Exeter describes how we can make our homes greener by reusing water, Rebecca Weymouth from the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Waste Partnership lifts the lid on what happens to our domestic waste, Dr Peter Barham from Bristol University gives us the breakdown on why plastic is so difficult to recycle, and Dr Richard Thompson from the University of Plymouth provides a perspective on how problem plastic threatens the marine environment. In Kitchen Science Derek Thorne discovers how to turn old chip oil into biodiesel, and from making fuel to running on empty, Anna Lacey asks Professor Andrew Prentice how the human body copes with famine.

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Chris Smith

Phil Rosenberg

Picking apart some miniature morsels of science this week are Dr David Carey from the University of Surrey, who provides the big picture on the world of nanotechnology, Professor Donald Fitzmaurice from University College Dublin describes how DNA may be used as scaffolding for the world's smallest computer chips, we breach the boundaries between physics and biology as Dr Stephen Webb from the Daresbury Laboratory discusses how new microscopes can see developing cancers at the nano-scale, and Neal Morgan from Cambridge University explains how nanoparticles are stamping out stinky socks... Also on the show, Professor Jim Clark from George Washington University tells us about digging up the ancestors of T. rex, and in Kitchen Science Derek and Dave dish the dirt on how gravy thickens.

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Sarah Urquhart

Kat Arney

Mandy Morton

Unlocking Nature's medicine chest and borrowing from biology are doctor's orders this week as Professor Monique Simmonds from the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew reveals the research behind old herbal remedies, Dr Tai-Ping Fan from Cambridge University describes how Chinese medicine is being used for illnesses from gout to endometriosis, Professor Jack Cuzick from Cancer Research UK talks about clinical trials for a new drug for breast cancer, and Dr Chris is at the AAAS conference in St. Louis digging around for science news and details on a potato that fights back... In Kitchen Science, Derek unleashes the explosive power of flour, and Anna Lacey interviews Professor Peter Austin from the School of Oriental and African Studies on why thousands of languages are threatened with extinction.

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Chris Smith

Kat Arney

Love, seduction and sexual attraction are in the air this week as Dr Peter Brennan from Bristol University woos Chris and Kat with a discussion of pheromones and the science of smell, Dr Charles Wysocki from the Monell Chemical Senses Centre suggests how farmers can love thy neighbour by masking the stench of malodorous manure, we hit the dancefloor with Dr William Brown from Rutgers University who reveals the recipe for success at the Saturday night disco, and Professor Peter Barham talks about the science of taste, food and the ingredients for the perfect Valentine's Day dinner!

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