241

The Environment / Could we dispose of nuclear waste in volcanoes?

« on: 02/02/2018 12:39:24 »

Stefan asks:

Why not drop nuclear waste (i.e. fuel rods) into an active volcano for immediate destruction/reduction to elements, rather than encasing in concrete and burying it for the next 40 000 years?

What do you think?

242

Physiology & Medicine / How does photographic memory work?

« on: 02/02/2018 09:41:23 »

Leo asks:

What is the science behind having a photographic memory, and is it possible to improve your ability to remember things?

What do you think?

243

Physiology & Medicine / Should you take fulvic acid?

« on: 02/02/2018 09:37:03 »

Jan wants to know:

I would like to know what you think of Fulvic Acid and the benefits of taking it?
I started using it about 2 months ago and must say I feel fantastic. The taste is terrible but I believe the benefits are incredible.

What do you think?

244

Radio Show & Podcast Feedback / Feedback on nutrition advice

« on: 30/01/2018 09:54:38 »

Jeff says:

Why oh why do you persist on getting on a diet nutritionist that bangs on about eating vegetables?
As you well know a human cannot solely live on vegetables, they are not the elixir of life.
Please can you get Professor Tim Noakes to talk about nutrition?

245

Physiology & Medicine / What are the treatments for keratosis pilaris?

« on: 30/01/2018 09:39:11 »

Misha asks:

My daughter has recently been diagnosed with keratosis pilaris. This is a build-up of keratin, the protein that protects skin from infections and other harmful agents. The aforementioned build-up forms a plug that blocks the opening of a hair follicle, and subsequently, bumps on the skin are formed. The cause of this condition seems to be unknown, save that it seems to be hereditary.

Questions:

1. Will she “grow out” of the symptomatic manifestation of the condition?
2. What can be done to counteract the build-up of keratin?
3. I have researched some of the aspects and increased intake of Vitamin A, D and K2 are recommended. Is there any other way of combating the build up? (mechanical options of scrubbing the affected area were not highly recommended)
4. In the event that my daughter were to have a child with a partner with the same condition, it would seem that if the infant were not immediately treated for the condition, this could result in the destruction of all hair follicles in the baby. Is this true?
5. If point 4 is in fact correct, how would one test for Keratosis Pilaris? If her potential future partner had a mild manifestation of the condition then the presence of the condition could thus be missed.

What do you think?

246

The Environment / Could we turn carbon dioxide into dry ice to reduce atmospheric CO2?

« on: 29/01/2018 11:38:20 »

Art asks:

If you put a windmill on a platform in the ocean to generate electricity, and then used that electricity used to extract carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and convert it into dry ice, could you then compress the dry ice and sink it to the bottom of the ocean where the ocean pressure would keep it compressed? If so, could this be a solution to the problem of rising atmospheric carbon dioxide levels?

What do you think?

247

Radio Show & Podcast Feedback / Feedback on mindfulness

« on: 25/01/2018 09:18:15 »

Maryan says:

I have been listening to your comments on mindfulness. I find them a little suspect.
My research was unable to find a result that was greater than the placebo effect.  I was also unable to find reliable research on physiological, psychological or behavioural effects.
Would you like to quote your sources, please?
Also, you interchanged mindfulness with meditation.  There are many different types of meditation (concentration, contemplative, mantra etc).
I also came across (in my search for a researched product) transcendental meditation for which there was masses of good research.
Your panel member, who is touting his new app, is not giving a very “scientific” response, in my humble opinion.  No numbers, no hard data. Mostly just “suck it and see”.
I do enjoy your show, but this element of it is really lightweight tonight.

248

Chemistry / Is homemade wine safe?

« on: 15/01/2018 12:55:13 »

Kalind asks:

I love making and drinking homemade wine from a variety of fruits like grapes, oranges, mango and so on. However, I am concerned about methanol contamination. Is it possible that the wine would get contaminated with methanol and prove to be fatal? If I want to check whether or not the methanol levels generated are within safe levels, what should I do? Is there a simple test available to detect the same?

What do you think?

249

Radio Show & Podcast Feedback / Feedback on the carbon footprint of space rockets

« on: 12/01/2018 16:54:56 »

Jeff says:

A recent guest on the show implied that rockets have a massive carbon footprint.  First, the dominant fuel for SpaceX rockets is liquid hydrogen and LOX.  Depending on the source of electricity used to liquefy the hydrogen and oxygen, these fuels when burned are carbon neutral. Second, SpaceX also uses 17,000 L of kerosene compared with 185,000 L for a single 747.
So the carbon footprint of a trip to orbit cannot be calculated as a linear equivalent of the number of Jumbo Jets of the rocket power output.

250

Physiology & Medicine / How does finger length affect fingernail growth?

« on: 11/01/2018 13:55:06 »

Darren asks:

On a recent Naked Scientists episode, you mentioned that nails grow faster on longer fingers and toes.  When I was younger, I had my second toe on both feet shortened as they too long were causing pain when wearing shoes. My supplementary questions to your previous episode are:
-    If a toe is shortened will the nail grow more slowly due to the toe being shortened? I haven’t been able to see any noticeable change but it’s not something I have recorded over any length of time (no pun intended  )
-    If a toe or finger is transplanted from a donor, does the nail's growth rate still remain in proportion to its length or does the growth rate reflect the rate of the toe/finger it has replaced?

Anyone know the answer?

251

Physiology & Medicine / Should we wear surgical masks when we're ill?

« on: 11/01/2018 10:54:37 »

Rahul asks:

I'm a big fan of the show and was hoping you guys would be able to clarify this for me, as the information seems to be unclear. I would like to know if surgical masks are actually effective at preventing the spread of the disease and if this practice should be adopted in western society the way it has in places such as Japan.

What do you think?

252

Radio Show & Podcast Feedback / Feedback on The Naked Scientists main show

« on: 10/01/2018 17:26:47 »

Rae says:

Just want to say how much I love your programme. You really are very good at communicating complex ideas to the general public. We homeschool our daughter and she loves all things science and says that when she grows up she wants to work as a 'scientist that helps nature'! Something to be optimistic about in terms of the many serious problems facing the planet. Your programme keeps me inspired. Thank you so much!

253

Physiology & Medicine / How rare is it to have different coloured eyes?

« on: 10/01/2018 09:31:21 »

Trynt asks:

I have dichromatic eyes but with a case that has both Heterochromia iridis (different coloured eyes) and Heterochromia iridum (different colours in one eye). I have one full blue eye and the other is green with a spot of brown that can change from a spec of brown to over half brown with no pattern to the brown size at all. I have done my research on both but I'm curious as to how rare it is to have both at the same time?

What do you think?

254

Physiology & Medicine / How do cancer drugs like tamoxifen affect healthy cells?

« on: 09/01/2018 16:12:01 »

Sarah asks:

Tamoxifen binds to receptors on ER+ breast cancer cells and acts as an antagonist, preventing oestrogen from acting on the cells and helping them grow. My question is: how does this affect normal, healthy cells? Would it bind to these cells and prevent them from responding to oestrogen - and could this cause menopausal-like symptoms? Or is there something that makes the oestrogen receptors on cancer cells different to those on normal cells?

Any thoughts?

255

Technology / Could we use carbon nanofibres to build space elevators?

« on: 09/01/2018 13:41:48 »

Aaron wants to know about space elevators...

I understand that current materials such as carbon nanofibers could, theoretically, be used in the construction of a space elevator, for the cable required.
I believe that carbon fibre nanotubes are capable of conducting electricity.  Given that the Earth’s ionosphere is highly charged, would the cable of a space elevator essentially act as grounding for the ionosphere creating a kind of short circuit?  If this is not the case would it be possible to extract energy from the ionosphere using the cable?

What do you think?

256

Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology / What do atoms look like?

« on: 09/01/2018 10:59:33 »

David asks:

When we look through an Electron Microscope we see atoms as fuzzy spheres. However, the models that we show of atomic structures do not show a sphere but a nucleus with electrons and protons revolving around the nucleus.
So what is it that makes an atom look like a fuzzy sphere? Is it another form of matter/sub-atomic particles or is it a force bonding the electrons and protons to the nucleus e.g. weak/strong nuclear forces?

What do you think?

257

Physiology & Medicine / Is a man genetically closest to his parents, siblings, or children?

« on: 09/01/2018 10:33:23 »

Stephen asks:

Who is a man, genetically speaking, most closely related to? Is it his parents, his siblings, or his children?
On average, shouldn't it be his siblings since they share mitochondrial DNA as well as nuclear DNA? Meanwhile, that commonality is missing with his father and children (who don't inherit mitochondrial DNA from him as a man).

Any thoughts?

258

Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology / Does a barrier affect equal and opposite forces?

« on: 08/01/2018 17:25:11 »

Colan asks:

When I was a child, I would fill my water gun up and pump it to the maximum pump level and shoot off into the distance. Netwon’s 3rd law would then come into play and the gun would press backwards into my shoulder with some force. I would then do the same thing again, only this time I would stand about a meter from a wall and shoot directly at it. It felt as if the force on my shoulder was now much greater than when I had shot the water into the air. Was that just my head playing tricks on me, or was there another force at play?

What do you think?

259

Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology / Does water on another planet or moon indicate life?

« on: 08/01/2018 12:29:20 »

Patrick asks:

Scientists have proposed a mission to send a probe to one of Saturn’s moons, Enceladus, to see if there is life there. The reason for this is that Enceladus has a large, subsurface ocean made of liquid water. However, liquid water in itself isn’t evidence of life. So why do scientists think there could be life on Enceladus? Is it that the water might have come from meteors, which could have also carried amino acids to the planet?

What do you think?