The Naked Scientists Podcast

It's 150 years since Darwin's theory of Evolution was presented to the Linnean Society, and so we've Naturally Selected the Science of Evolution! We find out why scientists have revisited a textbook example of natural selection in action, find out why horny sheep are gambling on good weather and how bacteria in the lab can evolve into a new species! We find out why tragedy almost kept Darwin's ideas from ever being seen, by looking at the archives of his own letters. Plus, why crocodiles chat from inside their eggs, a new way to send messages underwater and why Martian soil would be good for growing cabbages! And in kitchen science we find out which surface is best for keeping ice cool. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Mirrors, Magnets and Meteorites make an appearance in this week's Naked Scientists Question and Answer Show. We find out how the immune system could be convinced to fight skin cancer, how future MRI scans could be in colour, and why easy-clean computer keyboards could help keep MRSA out of hospitals. We answer your questions about inhaling helium, wind turbines, bacteria and the molecular basis of mirrors. Plus, in Kitchen Science Dave sets us the Balloon Kebab Challenge! For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Get Red Hot and Dirty with the Naked Scientists as we explore the science of volcanoes. We discover how the heat from hot rocks can be used to work out what gases are emerging, how likely a volcano is to erupt and whether it will go with a bang or a whimper. We also hear how hot runny rock can shatter under pressure to trigger an earthquake, and dip into the cooler, dirtier world of mud Volcanoes, like Lusi, which is currently pouring millions of gallons of mud onto the island of Java. Plus, we find out how a small date plant made history by being the oldest seed ever to germinate, why the paper of the future could be as tough as iron, and, in Kitchen Science, Ben and Dave provoke an eruption of their own! For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Ancient Greece is on the naked scientists' menu this week as we travel back in time to 1200 BC to discover how modern science and a 3000 year old poem have solved an ancient riddle. A team of classicists, geologists and archaeologists claim to have found the island of Ithaca, home of the legendary Greek hero Odysseus. Digging further into the past we also hear how geophysics can help archaeologists to see what lies buried underground but without having to lift a trowel. We also learn how dormant brain stem cells can be brought back to life, why it's not just size that is important when it comes to brains, and the mind-controlling parasite that turns its host first into an egg-incubator and then into a bodyguard. Plus, in Kitchen Science, savouring the Greek flavour, Ben and Dave recreate the science of the original Naked Scientist, Archimedes, and find out whether a heap of gold coins are the real thing... For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Footballs in space, mind-controlled machines and long-lasting bubbles join your questions on this week's Naked Scientists Question and Answer show. We discover the feminine side of prostate cancer and the robot that can walk up walls, and also hear how a computer has designed the next generation of mosquito repellents. Plus, we revisit the Phoenix mission on Mars, and also find out how surfing the internet can contribute more carbon to climate change than surfing the skies in an aeroplane! Plus, in Kitchen Science, Dave demonstrates a psychedelic effect with some milk. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Hours before NASA's phoenix mission was due to land on Mars, the Naked Scientists took our own tour of the Martian landscape. We discuss how looking in valleys could tell us what shaped the Martian surface, and how probing Martian mud could reveal signs of life past and present. Also, we find out how scientists have watched the explosive death of a star, and how an asteroid collision millions of miles away could have seen the birth of the meteorite that killed off the dinosaurs. Plus, in Kitchen Science, we show you how to make weightless water! For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Come with us on a tour of your body to discover how the bacteria that live on and in you play an important role! Bad breath bacteria, good gut bugs and the ones that escape through the other end all make an appearance, as we find out how bacteria are essential to your health and how probiotics could prevent or even treat asthma and allergies. Plus, we find out how clot busting drugs could treat brain haemorrhages, why pilot whales are the cheetahs of the sea and how a robot could give you a full head of hair. Plus, in a smelly kitchen science we ask if coughs and sneezes can spread diseases, then what about flatulence? For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Using nature's own tricks, we find out how to avoid mosquito bites, grow more crops and keep the weeds away in this week's Naked Scientists. We find out why mosquitoes prefer some people to others, and how to use pheromones to turn an insect's sex-drive against it! Also, why dentists could use plasma to cut down on drilling, why breast is best for bigger brains and why Popeye was right, spinach really does make you stronger. Plus, in Kitchen Science, we brave a box of biting mozzies to see if insect repellent really does repel! For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Black holes, bright birds and ice evaporating in the freezer all come under scrutiny in this week's Naked Science Question and Answer Show. We also find out why space is so cold, what happens when a neutron star collapses and where houseflies buzz off to in winter. Plus, we discover a robot who keeps kids company in hospital, and catch up with the the latest tech news about Twitter. Also, we hear how bats are louder than a rock concert, how a quantum trick could let birds see magnetism and we peer into the biggest eye in the animal kingdom - belonging to the Colossal Squid. Plus, in Kitchen Science, we get close to some hot rubber! For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Stunning sapphires, dazzling diamonds and red rubies abound in this week's sparkling edition of the Naked Scientists in which we find out how gemstones are formed, what makes them so beautiful and why they're so rare. We also reveal the tricks used by experts to flush out fake stones, and discover how synthetic diamonds can make better lasers, more powerful electronics, sweeter tweeters and cutting-edge scalpels. Plus, why a mongoose could be your best friend in a minefield, how a good breakfast leads to more male births and, in Kitchen Science, how to grow some beautiful crystals at home! For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Sustainable Solar power in Sydney, home-generated electricity and green-housing developments go under the microscope this week as we explore the science of sustainable living. Meanwhile Dave goes for gold in water recycling by purifying and drinking water from urine, and we also find out how vitamin supplements can kill, discover an atom-thin transistor and hear how testosterone provoke boom and bust on the stock market. So join us as we become eco-estate agents and go through the keyholes of the Green Houses of Tomorrow! For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Solar Flares and the Sun's influence on our climate are the burning issues of this week's show. We discover an explosion on the Sun so large that it cut global communications all over the world and rendered compasses useless. Also, we'll be looking at the link between the sun and climate change and finding out how clouds could predict earthquakes. Plus, in this week's news, we discover why some balls are really hard to catch we talk about the seahorses returning to the Thames. And in Kitchen Science, Dave shows us how to light a bulb without wires - using only a balloon! All this and more on The (naked) Science of the Sun... For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Can cold water cause weight loss, is my mother-in-law turning into a reptile and why doesn't a mobile phone interfere with itself are all answered in this week's Naked Science Question and Answer Extravaganza. We also find out about a new way to keep track of your favourite online bands and musicians, and hear how the whole world harmonises - turning news into music in just three hours! Plus, in Kitchen Science, Dave pulverises an egg to explain the basis of air pressure, and for Question of the Week Diana finds out whether alcohol can rehydrate a lost traveller in the desert. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

This week we visit the Historic city of Edinburgh to put Scottish science under the microscope! We discover the incredible magnetic bacteria and find out how their bio-nano-magnets could help treat cancer. We find out how satellite images can help predict outbreaks of cholera, and talk about the twist in the tale of TB - drug resistant Tuberculosis has now been found in the UK, so what is this disease and how can we hope to treat it? Also, how scientists have used cloned stem cells to treat Parkinson's disease in mice, how a whiff of anaesthetic could sooth traumatic memories and why bonobo apes play it safe while chimps like to gamble. Plus, in Kitchen Science we find out how yeast makes fluffy bread and fizzy beer! For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

This week, we catch up with the action from this year's Cambridge Science Festival. We find out what you could learn from a plasticine brain and how your next holiday could be literally out-of-this-world! We explore the science of Dr who's Sonic Screwdrivers, Spiderman and Skateboarders and find out how long the festival takes to prepare. Plus, how meteorite strikes benefit life on Earth, get a step closer to a cure for one of the most common forms of blindness and find out why chimps on TV could be harming their cousins in the wild. All this, and in Kitchen Science we show you how to make a Vacuum machine powered bazooka! For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy