Ask the Naked Scientists

What is freezing rain, do cats control their owners, how do accents arise, why does hair go grey, what is the origin of deja vu, why did my glass table spontaneously explode and is the world population becoming more or less genetically diverse? Dr Chris tackles this week's round up of the best science questions from South Africa.... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we debate whether wounds should be left open or covered up, why toenails - but not thumbnails - ingrow, what is hydatid disease, whether we can tag people to track them for life, what causes ringworm, the difference between a TIA and a stroke and what happens to the solid fuel boosters jettisoned by the space shuttle during ascent. Plus, a look at jumping spiders' eyes! Join Dr Chris on Talk Radio 702 for all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How much water should you drink in a day? Can miscarriages be prevented? What's more efficient - leaving the hot water on constantly, or heating it only when needed? Why are some eggs double yolkers? What's the point of flies? And why do some people have more than five fingers? Join Dr Chris for another crop of South Africa's top science questions on Talk Radio 702... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Are cellphones safe? Why should cornflour make irradiated skin more comfortable? Why do dogs turn in circles before they lie down or defaecate? Are there any materials transparent to the eye but opaque to a camera? Is the Sun orbiting anything? How do they get the stripes in the toothpaste? Is blood donation an alternative to dieting? What do cows actually eat - grass, or bacteria? And why are birds so clever yet we rule the world? Join Dr Chris and the 702 crew for the first episode of Ask the Naked Scientists, 2012... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

What is the best way to manage autism? Do we swap molecules when we touch each other? Can my koi recognise my voice? Can methane be used for firing my pots? Are out of body experiences real? Are vitamin supplements a pill worth paying for? Join Dr Chris as he tackles this week's crop of questions from Talk Radio 702, South Africa, and also brings us news of the finding of the world's first fishing tackle... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Is there any evidence for acupuncture? Compared with coffee left to stand, why does freshly-brewed make a different sound when stirred? Does disprin deal with cold sores? Why would blood pressure and cholesterol drop after a trip up Kilimanjaro? What conditions might make a man explode? How does the oral contraceptive pill work? Can it fool a pregnancy test? Why do planes ditch fuel before an emergency landing? What's ozone therapy and do parallel universes exist? Join Dr Chris for the answers to this week's crop of Talk Radio 702 questions from South Africa... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

On Ask! The Naked Scientists this week, an injection to combat obesity, and we debate whether pigeons can tell one another apart... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why do more eggs means less water in an egg boiler? Does a hip replacement shorten a leg? Where do beetles go in winter? And why are planets round? Plus, how killing off aged cells improves vitality, why pollution is intensifying cyclones and how skin cells can see UV... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why do electric clocks lose time, what's smaller than an atom, what is sickle cell disease, does ice stop a nose-bleed, can cartilage be replaced and where does sweat come from and are we all equally sweaty? Ask! this week comes from the British Society for Gene Therapy conference in Brighton which kicked off with a DNA fingerprinting race... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, why does a bout of flu leave you with blocked ears? Can grapefruits be engineered to taste like meat? Why is genetic diversity highest in Africa? Why can't we tickle ourselves? And why does seeing someone else suffer make us experience pain ourselves? Plus, news of a treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome, why antivirals might abate Alzheimer's and how seaweeds make corals seasick... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists