Question of the Week - From the Naked Scientists

Why is it that some people get a bit queasy when facing backwards on a train? Find out in this QotW! Plus, we ask how it's possible that someone is unable to see coloured lines on a whiteboard.

The moon and its fickle phases are analysed in this week's question. Does someone in Australia see the same full moon at the same time as someone in the UK? Does being on the other side of the world change the view? Plus, we ask why travelling backwards makes some people ill.

The quest is on to find out how something can appear to roll up a hill, rather than down. Plus, we ask if the moon appears the same to viewers on either side of the planet.

We find out about the true nature of apple cores. They're not as innocent as they look. Plus, we ask how a ball can appear to move uphill.

We find out why we're often told that olive oil is better for you. Is there any truth to the advertising? Plus, we ask about the dangers of apple cores!

We explore the smells created by that wet weather phenomenon, rain. What brings about the damp, earthy smell? Plus, we ask if olive oil really is good for you.

How much and how fast would you have to let loose your intestinal gases in order to lift yourself from the ground? We work through the physics of farting! Plus, we ask why certain smells are released after it rains.

What is the point of kissing? Does it have any benefit for us or our progeny? Plus, we ask how much you'd have to fart in order to lift yourself off the ground!

We ask why the New World wasn't technologically as advanced as the Old World. Is this a valid question? Plus, we ask what the benefits of kissing might be.

When brushing one's dental equipment with an electric toothbrush one may notice a slight wobbling of the television images. Why does this happen? Plus, we ask why the Americas hadn't developed the same kinds of technologies as the Old World at the time of European contact.

Why does one side of the brain control the other side of the body? Surely it would make more sense if the left half of the brain told the left side of the body what to do. We find out what the current thinking on this conundrum is. Plus, we ask how an electric toothbrush can disturb vision.

Many a dog has been observed barking at the television - but can they see what's going on in 'One man and his Dog'? Can they see images better on LCD TVs rather than CRT? Plus, we ask why one side of our brain is wired up to control the other side of our body.

We work out what would happen if you shone a light whilst travelling at light speed. Would you see anything? Would an observer see anything? Plus, we ask if dogs really can watch TV.

In our quest for answers we discover how memories might be encoded in genes, though probably not the sort of memories you were expecting. Plus, we ask what would happen if you shine a light whilst travelling at light speed.

What is it that sometimes makes micturating nasally irritating? Why does asparagus make your urine smell and why might some cereals do the same thing? Plus, we ask whether memories can be handed down through generations.