

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

Jul 16, 2009 • 26min
Flashes, Orbits and Dogs
We find out why field mice aren't green, why the Earth isn't put off its orbit by the Sun's activity and how dogs have evolved alongside humans. We combat these conundrums in addition to: why does my radio keep playing after I've switched off the mains and why is my reflection in a spoon upside down? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Jul 9, 2009 • 25min
Trees, Tyres and Teleportation
How big can aeroplanes get? Will we ever teleport? And When we lose weight, where does it go? We take on all these brainteasers and more in this Ask the Naked Scientists Podcast. Plus, Did dogs evolve from wolves? Why do roads need resurfacing after an accident? And what are clouds made of? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Jun 18, 2009 • 32min
Hiccups and Helium
Why does helium make our voices higher? What are hiccups and how can we get rid of them? How contagious is swine flu? We take on these questions on this weeks podcast as well as find out how beta blockers slow our heart rate down, why food sticks to the bottom of a pan when it burns and how sewage waste is moved round an aeroplane. Plus, we look into the role of the prostate in men and the conditions associated with this organ. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Jun 11, 2009 • 31min
Stars, Wormholes and our Expanding Universe
Are Orion's stars shrinking? What are wormholes and do they really exist? What is our universe expanding into? We tackle these cosmic conundrums on this weeks show, as well as find out why light travels faster than sound, if everything spins in space, why TV adverts sound so loud and we investigate the existence of the Bermuda Triangle! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Jun 4, 2009 • 34min
Laughter, Smell and Sounds
How has laughter evolved? Why can'we tickle ourselves? Why do hot and cold water sound different? What is smell and why do things have a smell? We tackle these chalenges on this weeks show, as well as investigate if blood pressure varies in different sized people, why mouthwash makes water taste colder, investigate why we shouldn't breed with relatives and discuss the causes of vertigo. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

May 28, 2009 • 24min
Glass, Galaxies and the Gulf Stream
Can we break glass using sound? Is glass a liquid? Can we use GPS to navigate galaxies? Will climate change make the UK colder by affecting the Gulf stream? We tackle these questions on this weeks show as well as reveal how submarines stay at a fixed depth,why toothpase is better with fluoride in it, how sunlight can be converted into energyand we investigate whether we could ever create a time machine! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

May 20, 2009 • 29min
Solar Wind, Moondust and Mouldy Cheese
How would astronauts cope in a solar wind? Why did dry moon dust hold a footprint? Why does wine age well but beer go off? And should you eat mould? We find out in this week's Ask the Naked Scientists. Plus, what happens if you exceed the speed of light, and what's going on at the centre of the Earth? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

May 14, 2009 • 28min
Cameras, probes and mobile messaging
How do cameras work? What are the Herschel and Plank probes hoping to find out? How are messages sent to computers and mobile phones? We tackle these questions on this weeks show. We also find out if blood gets thinner as you get older, why newspapers are easier to tear vertically than horizontally, and investigate if it's safe to take aspirin and anti-inflammatories at the same time. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

May 7, 2009 • 27min
Spiders, Space and Skyscrapers
How strong is spider silk? Why are some people scared of spiders? How vast is space and does it have an end? How are skyscrapers built? We answer these question in this week's show. We also discuss swine flu, investigate how good aluminium is as a lining material, uncover what causes allergies to cats, work out the speed of heat and electricity and reveal if it's possible to reverse gravity! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Apr 30, 2009 • 30min
Spotty Bottoms and Jogger's Nipple
Why do we get spots on our bottoms? What is Jogger's Nipple? What is Gangrene? Why do we have different languages? We tackle these questions on this week's show, as well as find out how our hearts work and how a pacemaker can control it. We also find out what an aneurism is, analyse the conditions in which moss grows and discuss the treatment options for arthritis. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists