Question of the Week - From the Naked Scientists
Summary: Each week we set out to solve one of the world's weirdest, wackiest, funniest and funkiest scientific puzzles. And along with the answer there's a brand new question to think about for next time...
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- Artist: Dr Chris Smith
- Copyright: Dr Chris Smith 2007-2014
Podcasts:
We find out why touch sensitive switches are sensitive to skin, soap and potato but not everything else? Plus we ask how do drinks & exercise affect the taste of your chewing gum?
We find out if foetuses get cancer, 15 yr old Louis from London got in touch asking: their cells divide rapidly, so surely they can make genetic errors and get cancer? Plus we ask, how do touch sensitive gadgets work?
We find out if we could mix spider and human DNA to create a real life Spiderman. Plus we ask, do foetuses get cancer?
ON MARS NO ONE CAN HEAR YOU SCREAM. Is that really true? And if so, why? Plus we ask, can we mix spider and human DNA to make Spiderman?
Do menstrual cycles synchronise for women who live together? If so, is there any evolutionary reason for this?
This week we find out how long you could survive by just eating your own severed limbs, plus we search for synchrony in menstrual cycles.
This week we find out why certain mushrooms contain hallucinogens, plus we ask, how long could you survive by eating your own limbs?
This week we ponder potatoes! You can bake a potato, boil a potato, fry them, chip 'em and roast 'em. But CAN YOU MELT one? Plus we ask, why do fungi bother to produce hallucinogens?
We find out where our ancestors artistically expressed themselves, plus we ask, how can we melt a potato?
This week we find out if we there will ever be a real life Dr Doolittle. And sticking with expressing ourselves we ask - was prehistoric art restricted to caves?
We find out if banking our bone marrow early in life, and transplanting down the line, may help halt the aging process. Plus we ask, why are we so good at forgetting names?.....
Earth seems like such a good place for life to thrive, so is it a good place for life to get started? Has life started on Earth more than once? If so, where is it?
By simply bouncing a laser beam between two mirrors, could you produce an infinitely powerful laser? And if not, why not?
We find out how it is possible for a single telephone wire to carry information for a telephone conversation, file downloads to a computer, WiFi access, and allow us to watch a film and listen to the news. Plus we ask can we make an infinitely powerful laser simply by adding more mirrors?
We need exposure to sunlight in order to be able to make vitamin D. Does this mean that humans, like plants, undergo a sort of photosynthesis?
