Question of the Week - From the Naked Scientists

This week's question jet propels us into the blue skies thinkingon passenger jet manoeuvrability. Can a large airliner perform barrel rolls and loops? We also ask, how did bee dances come about?

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!

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!

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...

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...

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, moretoxic than their global counterparts.

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?

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?

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...

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!

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 60C (140F), and invite you to consider Sir David Attenborough's question for next week...

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?

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?

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?

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?