Ask the Naked Scientists

Why do people open their mouths when they apply mascara?

06 Jun 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Are mothballs poisonous? How do chameleons change colour? Where do seedless varieties of fruit come from? What is ash? How can we use DNA to trace anc...

What does coffee do to my heart rate?

30 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

What does coffee do to my heart rate? Has the earth changed size since its formation? Why are hailstones round? How do you avoid getting seasick? Are ...

What gives water its colour?

23 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

What sort of star is the Sun? Can damage done by Multiple Sclerosis be repaired? Why does an acetylene torch need oxygen? How are calories in food cal...

Are flies getting harder to swat?

16 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Are flies getting harder to swat these days? Why does more food in the microwave take longer to cook? Should penicillin-allergic people avoid blue che...

Will whales get the bends?

02 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

The building blocks of life, what is a virus? Why don't whales get the bends? How does a 3D printer work? How do 93 and 95 octane fuels differ? Why is...

Is petrol better value when it's cold?

25 Apr 2014

Contributed by Lukas

How can cochlear implants deliver gene therapy? Are you better off circumcised? What is the biggest discovery of the last 20 years? Can planets exist ...

Naked at 702

17 Apr 2014

Contributed by Lukas

The Naked Scientists appear in the flesh at Primedia Place, home of 702, to answer questions from the live audience... Like this podcast? Please help ...

The first in-vitro vagina?

11 Apr 2014

Contributed by Lukas

How have doctors grown new vaginas in vitro? Are fires feasible in space? Why does the moon always show to same face to us? Why don't we see disabled ...

How Sunny is it on Saturn?

04 Apr 2014

Contributed by Lukas

What's inside Enceladus? How do we make water safe for drinking? How Sunny is it on Saturn's moons? What causes motion sickness? Could we collect sunl...

Where does Earth get its oxygen?

28 Mar 2014

Contributed by Lukas

How did scientists make a synthetic chromosome? How does heat radiate? What wakes us up in the morning? Where does oxygen come from? Are black boxes b...

What are gravity waves?

21 Mar 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Is gravity waves from the Big Bang a big deal? Is evolution still occurring? Why does water boil at lower temperature at altitude? Can the brain be hi...

Why do Guinness bubbles go downwards?

14 Mar 2014

Contributed by Lukas

How do the processing power of a brain compare with a computer? How can we shield astronauts en-route to Mars? Do ants prefer protein? What causes lef...

Does wet coal produce less power?

08 Mar 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Can weather be manipulated? Will wet coal produce less electricity in a power station? Why does curry make my nose run? Is aluminium linked to Alzheim...

Can a phone affect my fertility?

28 Feb 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Can a mobile phone between the legs affect fertility? Why does wet cornflour stiffen when squeezed? Does light at night affect reproductive success of...

What causes a blood red moon?

21 Feb 2014

Contributed by Lukas

The cause of a blood red moon, is there an upper limits for temperature, where does the Sun's hydrogen come from, what does a blind person see in thei...

Where does dust come from?

07 Feb 2014

Contributed by Lukas

How does acid produce stem cells? Why do carpets creep across the floor? Where does dust come from? Why can't flying insects escape from the surfaces ...

What accelerates light?

31 Jan 2014

Contributed by Lukas

How does light accelerate in a less-dense medium? How do climbing plants twist around a stake? Did people share technology 5000 years ago? Why would s...

Would a swimmer hit by lightning be fried?

24 Jan 2014

Contributed by Lukas

What's the difference between GM technology and cloning? If lightning hits a swimming pool, would a swimmer be fried? What happens when we get used to...

How do you size-up a CME?

10 Jan 2014

Contributed by Lukas

How is the scale of a coronal mass ejection (CME) measured? How does evolution work? Why is sole and palm skin a lighter colour? What causes magnetic ...

Ask the Naked Scientists is BACK!

06 Jan 2014

Contributed by Lukas

How trees tell the time, the germ potential of hot air driers in toilets, where fruit flies come from, does menstruation synchronise, why do mad peopl...

Do plants have sex?

20 Dec 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Plant and tree gender, omega-3 fatty acids and cancer and the science of sous vide cooking... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Nake...

Why pulling nose hairs makes you cry?

11 Oct 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Why tugging on nasal hairs causes crying? What triggers static shocks? Why are computers based around binary? What are blood groups? How can babies ha...

What Do Rockets Push Against in Space?

27 Sep 2013

Contributed by Lukas

What colour were human ancestors? What does a rocket push against in space to propel itself forward? Why does yawning make me cry? How do bats navigat...

Why does the Universe Spin?

20 Sep 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Why scratch your head if you don't know the answer? What about the Earth made the dinosaurs so big? Why does the Universe spin? Is the Sun seem bright...

What Makes My Eyelid Twitch?

13 Sep 2013

Contributed by Lukas

How is an electron microscope tip made to measure 1 atom thick? Why do I sound different on a recording? Why does light slow down in some media? Why i...

Do Diamonds Melt?

06 Sep 2013

Contributed by Lukas

How do robotic surgeons work? Do diamonds melt? What is heartburn? Can fish see colours, and what should anglers wear? What is brain plasticity? What ...

How does Digital Storage Work?

26 Jul 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Is global warming a given? Can olive leaf extracts combat parasites? Is there a fake tanning pill? Why keep gas cylinders upright? How does digital st...

Why is space dark?

19 Jul 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Why is space dark; do bags of coins deter flies; why don't cats go grey; is GPS or an odometer more accurate; what was the effect of the Med drying up...

Why are mechanical hearts hard to make?

12 Jul 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Why are we ticklish? What happens to blood when we die? Why are mechanical hearts hard to make? What's a burb? Can a mushroom crack tarmac? Why do hel...

Do Plants do Maths?

05 Jul 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Do plants do maths? Has the Internet made us all more intelligent? Why did my milk freeze? Why do my hands get cold, but not my face? How did people r...

How do solar sails work?

28 Jun 2013

Contributed by Lukas

How much ice are glaciers losing annually? What makes eyes itch? Is yoga beneficial to health? How do solar sails work? Do we have dominant feet? Why ...

Meths for Mosquito Bites?

21 Jun 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Why does yawning produce tears? Why do noses tend to run on a cold day? Is methylated spirit good for mosquito bites? Why do computer screens sometime...

Is the weather worse at weekends?

07 Jun 2013

Contributed by Lukas

How do continental plates move? Is the weather worse at weekends? What does your brain choose to ignore? Why do wet fingers wrinkle? Are bullets fired...

Can we Reproduce in Space?

31 May 2013

Contributed by Lukas

How much radiation would an astronaut encounter on the way to Mars? What causes loss of appetite during a fever? Why does camera red eye happen? Can w...

What is Colourblindness?

24 May 2013

Contributed by Lukas

What is genetic diversity? What causes colourblindness? Why does a microwave turntable sometimes rotate in the opposite direction? How are genes linke...

Why are bubbles white?

17 May 2013

Contributed by Lukas

What attracts malaria-infected mosquitoes to people? How happens to the brain during adolescence? Why are bubbles always white? Would a sealed box con...

What is Sleep Walking?

10 May 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Does cold exposure cause colds? What consitutes safe drinking water? Why do distant lights and stars flicker? What is sleep walking? What causes bipol...

Does food affect body odour?

03 May 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Does what we eat alter how we smell? Why does the severed tail of a lizard still wriggle? How does the nervous system re-wire itself? What's in snake ...

How do Touch Screens Work?

26 Apr 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Why do adults smell more than children? How are bionic implants contributing to longevity? What is progeria? How do touch screens work? Why do anti-HI...

Weaning and HIV

19 Apr 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Does holding a car remote to your head make it work better? Why does a boat float? Are triple rainbows real? What's a near-death experience? This week...

Are babies born to swim?

05 Apr 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Are babies born to swim? Can you escape from a black hole? Can an egg with a double yolk yield two chicks? What causes nightmares? Why do we gesticula...

Live from 702 HQ

28 Mar 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Naked Scientists team, Ben Valsler, Chris Smith and Ginny Smith joined the 702 crew and a studio audience live in Johannesburg to talk science, build ...

Do Satellites Collide?

27 Mar 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Do satellites collide? Can albinism be diagnosed on a scan? What causes the timing of the equinox to vary? Do bullets fired in the air still kill peop...

Why does Washing Shrink?

15 Mar 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Who was John Snow? Why do things shrink in the wash? How does carbon dating work? Is intelligence down to mitochondria? Why does the banner also bank ...

How does a gastric bypass work?

08 Mar 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Does a cloudy day aggravate arthritis? Was the biblical flood real? How does a gastric bypass work? Will a knife in water go blunt? Where do the skele...

Are urine and sweat the same?

01 Mar 2013

Contributed by Lukas

How did horse meat end up in the food chain? Is baking foil bad for you? How big are viruses? How are urine and sweat produced? How do hydrogen vehicl...

How do pills know where pain is?

22 Feb 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Why do ovaries run out of eggs and what affects egg quality? Why does diesel smell nice but burning engine oil is unpleasant? Do genes from genetica...

Are you taking the Higgs?

08 Feb 2013

Contributed by Lukas

How does alcohol cause liver cirrhosis? Can we make matter massless by removing Higgs particles? How did spiders evolve web-making skills? What is ins...

Why Tired Toddlers Rub Their Eyes

01 Feb 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Are helium-filled balloons less likely to pop? How does a cordless toothbrush charge? Is there much mercury in compact fluorescent bulbs? Why do tired...

How does blood doping work?

25 Jan 2013

Contributed by Lukas

What is involved in blood doping in sports? Can beetroot make urine red? Can mosquitoes transmit HIV? How do dung beetles use the Milky Way to navigat...

Making more twins

21 Dec 2012

Contributed by Lukas

How box jellyfish venom exerts its lethal effect, will the World end, how were the pyramids aligned, why does humid air feel hotter, why does a hot wa...

Can genes re-write their own code?

07 Dec 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Carp with compasses, why we have earwax, what causes CIDP, can genes re-write their own code, do bananas in brown bags stay fresher longer, does hot w...

Do tyres on the roof repel lightning?

30 Nov 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Why do we age? Why do frogs end up in the swimming pool when it rains? Are mosquitoes attracted to some people more than others? What is epigenetics? ...

Do Blood Donors Live Longer?

09 Nov 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Do blood donors live longer, is water safe in plastic bottles, is Earth gaining weight and are space probes sterile? Plus, how fireflies have helped e...

What causes hurricanes?

02 Nov 2012

Contributed by Lukas

What causes hurricanes? How does plastination work? Why do we go grey? Does grunting make muscles work harder? Do parallel universes exist? What cause...

Why don't eyebrows go grey?

26 Oct 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Why aren't bubbles coloured like the soap they came from? Does holding a remote control to you head make it work better? Why has exercise reduced my a...

Why do some people have only boy babies?

19 Oct 2012

Contributed by Lukas

How do atoms change inside stars? How did Felix Baumgartner accelerate to over 800 miles per hour? What is inside a black hole? What decides the sex o...

Why are aeroplane doors always on the left?

12 Oct 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Why is skin the mouths of animals pink? Why doesn't water immediately fall out of clouds? How do we use light to send information into space? Why did ...

Why does boiled water taste different?

28 Sep 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Is the Earth about to gain a new tectonic plate? What is pompholyx and what are the treatment options? Why does sunburned skin blister? Why does boile...

How do hair transplants work?

21 Sep 2012

Contributed by Lukas

How is the effectiveness of environmental interventions measured? What's the scientific definition of nothing? Why do farts smell worse in the shower?...

Can we turn an asteroid into a space-station?

14 Sep 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Why does a local anaesthetic make my face feel fat? How do worms get into food? Would a taxi driver find a map of a new city easier to learn? From whe...

Where does amniotic fluid come from?

06 Sep 2012

Contributed by Lukas

How did NASA get their cameras to work in the cold on the moon? How does a cordless electric toothbrush charge itself? What is adult respiratory distr...

Why don't aeroplane tyres explode?

31 Aug 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Is a heater more efficient than a lightbulb? Why does your tongue stick to ice? Do planes alter the weather around airports? What's a headache? Do dre...

What is a Black Hole?

24 Aug 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Why does my GPS think my car has moved in the garage at night? Can humans survive a space-ride to Mars? Why are epsom salts worth their salt? What is ...

Why are there 360 degrees in a circle?

10 Aug 2012

Contributed by Lukas

How do nerves conduct electrical impulses? How long does it take a bee colony to make a beehive? Why are there 360 degrees in a circle? How does speci...

Why should salt have a sell-by date?

27 Jul 2012

Contributed by Lukas

What's the point of making medicines fizzy? Why should salt have a sell-by date? Is boiled water as good as distilled for my iron? Do we actually only...

What causes anencephaly?

20 Jul 2012

Contributed by Lukas

This week, what causes anencephaly and exencephaly? Can electric cars recharge themselves from their wheels? How do astronomers determine the composit...

Why doesn't the sea sink into the seafloor?

13 Jul 2012

Contributed by Lukas

This week, the cause of vitiligo, whether pork is linked to a sore throat, what happens to a flame in microgravity, what causes albinism, what is dark...

Why do wounds itch?

06 Jul 2012

Contributed by Lukas

What does the discovery of the Higgs particle mean? How do flies land upside down on the ceiling? What happens when we divide by zero? Why do healing ...

Could we Plug In an Electric Eel?

22 Jun 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Is the moon brighter overhead? Why do babies have higher heart rates? Do men snore more than women? What is peripheral neuropathy? Why are our organs ...

Could Lightning Power a Town?

15 Jun 2012

Contributed by Lukas

What gives a flame its colour, and what is the hottest part? What limits the height of a skyscraper? How does post-exposure prophylaxis for HIV work? ...

Are Muscle Transplants Possible

12 Jun 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Who was Phillip Tobias, how do self-focusing binoculars work, are muscle transplants possible, what is the bone structure of a snake, what happens whe...

Can viruses catch colds?

31 May 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Do birds have a sense of smell? Are penicillin allergies permanent? How do vultures identify dinner? Does light travel forever? Is alcohol added to co...

Will my wife look like my mother-in-law?

25 May 2012

Contributed by Lukas

What makes dog poo turn white? Is water really wet, or does it just wet things? What was the nuclear impact of Fukushima? Where did my big ants go? Do...

Can Aeroplanes run on Diesel?

18 May 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Are premium-priced fuels really worth the extra cost? Why are males born with nipples? Is a male contraceptive pill in the offing? Do all animals get ...

Why do I want to eat chalk?

04 May 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Why do I bruise more easily now I'm older? Why do some wind turbines spin in reverse? Are UV sunbeds worse for young skin? Ozone therapy, or quackery?...

How does snake venom work?

29 Mar 2012

Contributed by Lukas

What substances are in snake venom? Where is sea-level measured? Are any of my cells the original ones I was born with? Are we seeing the effects of g...

How long can a human heart remain stopped?

23 Mar 2012

Contributed by Lukas

What causes jaundice in newborn babies? What is vitiligo? How do liquids behave in space? What causes cardiac arrests? What would happen if Earth span...

Why do Whales have Horizontal Tails?

09 Mar 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Does alcohol affect men and women the same way? Do other animals menstruate? Does intensive training affect a woman's fertility? Is it bad for birds t...

Why do Bubbles go Down in Guinness?

02 Mar 2012

Contributed by Lukas

What does the genetic fingerprint of Ozti, the 5300-year-old Alpine iceman, reveal? Why do the bubbles in a glass of Guinness appear to be defying the...

In-Vitro Meat?

24 Feb 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Can we grow a hamburger in a dish? What's the one meat that vegetarians can ethically eat? Do ants regard rival colonies as friends, or foes? What ...

Are insecticides painful for insects?

17 Feb 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Why is amputation necessary in cases of gangrene? What is aspartame and can it cause Alzheimer's? What's the basis of the Atkins Diet? How is melanin ...

What causes Deja vu?

10 Feb 2012

Contributed by Lukas

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 tabl...

What is a hydatidiform mole?

27 Jan 2012

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Why do veins look blue?

20 Jan 2012

Contributed by Lukas

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 on...

How do they get the stripes in the toothpaste?

13 Jan 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Are cellphones safe? Why should cornflour make irradiated skin more comfortable? Why do dogs turn in circles before they lie down or defaecate? Are th...

Do My Koi Know My Voice?

25 Nov 2011

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Why would Humans Explode?

18 Nov 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Is there any evidence for acupuncture? Compared with coffee left to stand, why does freshly-brewed make a different sound when stirred? Does disprin d...

Weight loss injection

11 Nov 2011

Contributed by Lukas

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?...

Why Are Planets Round?

04 Nov 2011

Contributed by Lukas

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? Pl...

Are We All Equally Sweaty?

28 Oct 2011

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Why can't you tickle yourself?

21 Oct 2011

Contributed by Lukas

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 A...

What is an itch?

14 Oct 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Where do allergies come from? What "actually" is an itch? What is meant by matching a donated organ? Why do veins distend on a hot day? What causes fl...

Can you sneeze in your sleep?

07 Oct 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Why do some things dissolve but others don't, what are the stains on the towels at the gym and how do astronauts keep their balance in the absence of ...

Can frozen onions make you cry?

30 Sep 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Why do onions make you cry and will a frozen onion have the same tear-jerking effect? What medicinal qualities does aloe vera possess? Is ice-crunchin...

What causes Humans to Combust?

16 Sep 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Does cooking with gas taste better, why are yawns infectious, how does carbon dating work, what is spontaneous human combustion, why won't a nine year...

How do electrons orbit in atoms?

02 Sep 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Where does the energy come from that keeps electrons in orbit within an atom? Can cars and truck weigh themselves like lifts to prevent overloading? H...

How much mucus is made in a day?

19 Aug 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Where and in what volume is mucus made in the body? Why do bums look darker that skin elsewhere on the body? How does laughter or low mood affect heal...

Is a Dragster Faster Going East?

12 Aug 2011

Contributed by Lukas

What makes the eye's pupils change size? Does scratching a coin make a machine more likely to accept it? Why does a copper bangle change colour period...

Do microwaves cook from the inside out?

05 Aug 2011

Contributed by Lukas

NASA announce signs of running water on Mars and scientists turn skin cells into brain cells. Plus the answers to why certain drugs work well for some...