Ask the Naked Scientists

This week, journey times to Mars, how stars come by the matter inside them, why some people feel compelled to eat paper, how coronavirus antibody levels correlate with Covid-19 severity, whether water really goes down the drain in different directions on opposite sides of the Earth, and why a yawn produces a spray of saliva. Join Dr Chris Smith and Azania Mosaka for the answers. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, Aza catches coronavirus, Covid-19 vaccines, viral variants and where are the mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 genome, can you still swallow when you're upside down, how was Einstein proved right, and what causes cramp? Dr Chris Smith has the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How do energy drinks give you a buzz? Why do planets orbit on a plane? Should we test for Covid-19 infection before we vaccinate? Do energy drinks cause diabetes? Why do you float on the Dead Sea? How does the Plimsoll Line on a boat work? When does Covid infectivity cease after death? What's your first and last organ to die? How do planets orbit? And what's the best way to get rid of rat poison? Join Dr Chris Smith for all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How do point of care tests for Covid-19 work? Are they any good? How infectious are people asymptomatically infected with Covid-19? Why do different car indicators flash at different rates? How do accents work and where do they come from? How many Earths could fit inside Jupiter, and what is the "giant red spot"? Does wearing a facemask have any negative health impacts? Do hailstorms only happen in the daytime? Join Dr Chris Smith and Tshego Modisane for the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

An update on the Pfizer vaccine for Covid-19, the lotto likelihood of sequential winning numbers, why swallows congregate around motorway bridges, the logistics of keeping the Covid-19 vaccine cold, and why is it dark in space? Also, why is there a Covid-19 vaccine in 10 months but no HIV vaccine after 4 decades, would we still have tides without the Moon, and why is the Moon white since the sky is blue? Join Dr Chris and 567 CapeTalk's Kieno Kammies for the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why shear a sheep in winter when it's cold? And can animals count? Why do geese and turkeys chase people? Also, how does coronavirus infection alter our sense of smell and taste? How do artificial sweeteners work? And when it comes to survival of the fittest, what constitutes "the fittest"? What brings asteroids onto a collision course with the Earth? Dr Chris joins Kieno Kammies to answer this week's crop of farmyard-inspired - and other - questions... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why did touching something make me taste metal? Also, what's the best liver detox, why does listening to loud music stop a stammer, does music help attention deficit disorder and is sunrise to the south even in the southern hemisphere. We also wonder whether perpetual motion is possible, why the sun can make some people sneeze, why ice cubes sometimes crumble, and how some fruits encourage others to ripen. Join Dr Chris Smith and Kieno Kammies for the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why does my Coke froth up when I add ice? How is an oesophageal stricture treated? Does immunity to other coronaviruses confer immunity to Covid-19? Can cats smell things that are poisonous? Why do athletes place their hands on their hips after exercise? And how do fingers help with heat control. Join Dr Chris Smith and Talk Radio 702 Azania Mossaka for all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, why teenagers can feel moody, what causes restless leg syndrome, fidgeting and obesity, Covid-19 genetic risk factors, whether potatoes can prevent night cramps and arthritis, and the effects of Epsom salts. Join Dr Chris Smith and 567 CapeTalk's Kieno Kammies for this week's crop of questions and answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

What's the best way to avoid mosquito bites, and a suggestion that tomatoes ward the insects off. Also, why cookers heat some parts of pans better than others, the mind-over-bladder effect when you really need to go, why generic drugs are no different to named brands, why oil makes a rainbow effect on water, if a previously transplanted kidney could be re-used elsewhere, and the toxicity of ozone. Join Dr Chris Smith and 567 CapeTalk's Koketso Sachane for the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists