Ask the Naked Scientists

Dr Chris Smith
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Oct 27, 2016 • 22min

What would happen if the Earth stopped spinning?

How can I find out about my biological age, how can you stop a panic attack, how can you treat Polymyalgia Rheumatica, are detoxing products just a marketing gag, can learned behaviours be passed on genetically, what would cause my brain to forget which way around to put on my shoes, how long after boiling is water still save to drink? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
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Oct 20, 2016 • 18min

Where do children get their intelligence?

Are there increases in miscarriage rates, why are rats used in experiments, could we use developments in cartilage growth to treat scaphoid wrist fractures, is it safe to do strenuous exercise as you get older, where do children get their intelligence and what causes your stomach to flip when you go on a rollercoaster? Plus, scientists using nose cells grow new knee cartilage. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
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Oct 13, 2016 • 18min

Do we use all of our brain?

Why does the BCG vaccine cause swelling, where does moisturiser go when you put it on your face, what are the side effects of sickle-cell anaemia medication and is it true that we only use a small proportion of our brain? Plus, a gene editing technique that could provide a treatment to sickle-cell anaemia. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
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Oct 6, 2016 • 19min

How do we see distant stars?

Is autophagy linked to autoimmune diseases, what could cause unilateral spinal dysfunction, what is adrenal fatigue and how do we see distant stars? Plus, the low down on the Nobel prizes in medicine, physics and chemistry. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
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Sep 29, 2016 • 20min

How does radiation escape black holes?

How do we get bright images of planets, why do distant lights appear to blink, how does radiation escape black holes, what could cause a loss of smell and why does our stomach grumble when it's hungry? Plus, news of the Rosetta Mission's final hours. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
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Sep 22, 2016 • 21min

Could the Earth be a living creature?

Could planet Earth be a living creature, how do they name medicines, what's the difference between a heart attack and a cardiomyopathy, how do HIV protective drugs work and how were the Egyptian pyramids built? Plus, news of a new gene that could screen for heart disease. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
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Sep 15, 2016 • 21min

Why are men hairier than women?

Why are men hairier than women, how can a cockroach survive a microwave, why is our poo brown when we eat colourful food, why is the reflection on a spoon upside down, why do we close our eyes when we sneeze, do we produce saliva at night, can you make yourself taller and is there a treatment for CIAP. Plus, the monkeys that have been writing Shakespeare to treat paralysis. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
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Sep 1, 2016 • 25min

How do birds sit on electric wires?

How do birds sit on electric wires without getting hurt, why does hot weather cause nose bleeds, how do probiotics treat vaginal thrush, is there a cure for retinitis pigmentosa, are the any solutions to the problems caused by human activity and what can you do to lessen your asthma? Plus, Australian scientists have discovered evidence of the first life on earth. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
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Aug 25, 2016 • 25min

Why doesn't vodka freeze?

If the ice caps are made of freshwater, how did they form from a salt water ocean? How do baby lobsters eat jellyfish without getting stung? Why doesn't vodka freeze? Does putting a spoon into the neck of a champagne bottle stop it from going flat? What causes your eye to twitch? How do we know that the Earth isn't flat? What is the role of the placenta in pregnancy? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
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Aug 18, 2016 • 19min

What's it like on Mars?

Why do we catch colds on holiday? If a fly takes off inside a car, why doesn't it get flung to the back? What are the latest treatments for macular degeneration? Is kidney infection linked to depression? Why am I choking on my saliva? Why do wheels sometimes appear to turn backwards? ... and what is it really like on Mars? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

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