

Ask the Naked Scientists
Dr Chris Smith
How many organs could you donate and remain alive? How many planet Earths could fit inside the Sun? How high is a giraffe's blood pressure? Why is the sea blue? To find out, Ask The Naked Scientists!
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 30, 2020 • 24min
Why only use big dogs as sniffer dogs?
Vitamin D for coronavirus? Narcissism and the brain. Why use big dogs as sniffer dogs? Understanding conversations in noisy places, and why that gets harder as we age. Why does my hand itch before I receive money? Is the new coronavirus linked to type I diabetes in children? And attaching significance to coincidence! Join Dr Chris on 567 CapeTalk for all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Oct 26, 2020 • 20min
Would a fat person last longer in a famine?
Can omnivores switch their diets to survive on whatever is available? Would a fat person last longer in a famine? How does serology help in the management of Covid-19? Could we use GM technology to develop a healthy form of tobacco? How and why do chameleons change colour? Why does ice stick to your skin? Why does a shop-bought chicken have tender meat and softer bones? Join Dr Chris Smith and Talk Radio 702's Azania Mossaka for the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Oct 19, 2020 • 21min
What would a brain transplant feel like?
The virtual reality system for visualising molecules, where Covid-19 came from, what would a brain transplanted individual experience, where did all the dust go when Beirut blew up recently, and why is smoking addictive? Join Dr Chris Smith and Talk Radio 702's Azania Mossaka as they delve into the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Oct 17, 2020 • 18min
How does all that web fit inside a spider?
How a tiny spider can spin so much silk, how the moon's cycle affects human behaviour, the effect of body weight on bone mass, the reason people have consciences, and the way to become a scientist all get discussed this week. Join Dr Chris Smith and Kieno Kammies for the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Oct 12, 2020 • 20min
How does body weight affect the skeleton?
Hyenas everywhere in the Kruger, but why so many? How does the human skeleton respond to changing body weight? Why remove and dump a whale carcass when it would rot down naturally? How long does the Covid-19 coronavirus remain viable in the body? Why is the sky blue? And is there a probiotic answer to body odour? Join Dr Chris Smith and Talk Radio 702's Azania Mosaka to find out the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Oct 2, 2020 • 25min
Donald Trump diagnosed with Covid
Donald Trump diagnosed with Covid-19, SNP MP Margaret Ferrier takes two trains despite coronavirus infection, and the answers to why toddlers have potbellies? Can free-divers get the bends? How does sunscreen work? What's actually inside a black hole? And why do we itch, and what's the point? Join Dr Chris Smith and Kieno Kammies from 567 CapeTalk as they shoot the scientific breeze... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Sep 25, 2020 • 23min
Toilet bleach: what's best, thick or thin?
Would a baby exposed to 5 languages from birth learn all of them? Toilet bleach: what's best, thick or thin? Are new varieties of fruits equally good for you? What's the proof for absolute zero? How are radio and TV audiences measured? What causes high pitched sounds in the ear that appear to come from nowhere? Join Chris Smith and Kieno Kammies for the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Sep 20, 2020 • 22min
How does alcohol in hand sanitiser work?
How do different tasks recruit different parts of the brain? What's the story of potential life on Venus? How long to boil the perfect egg? What's homocysteine and how much is a safe level in the blood? How does alcohol in hand sanitiser work? What's the most intelligent animal? Are smartphones changing our brains? And does same sex attraction occur in wild animals as well as humans? Join Dr Chris Smith and Kieno Kammies for the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Sep 13, 2020 • 24min
Covid-19: Has the world over-reacted?
What causes new infections, like Covid-19, to emerge in the first place? Why does the same temperature seem to feel colder in the day than it does at night? Why have we locked down the world for Covid-19 when it seems less serious than we first thought? We also talk about the symptoms of long-Covid, and explain how the heart formed back in evolutionary history, with Dr Chris Smith and 567 CapeTalk's Kieno Kammies... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Sep 7, 2020 • 25min
Would sea level rise if we all went swimming?
Why does sugar get onion smells off my skin? Are aluminium cooking pots harmful to health? Why don't hail stones make holes in leaves? What causes heart palpitations? If we all went swimming at the same time, by how much would the sea level rise? Why are covid swabs so long? How are fibre optic data transmission rates so high? Why can I hear my own heart in my ears? Join Dr Chris Smith and 567 CapeTalks Koketso Sachane to find out... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists