Ask the Naked Scientists

Should I Let the Dog Lick My Wounds?

15 Jul 2011

Contributed by Lukas

This week - Will wounds heal quicker if licked by a dog? Why does flying cause earaches? How do gas masks work? Why don't continuous rails buckle i...

Plummeting Lifts and Replacement Windpipes

08 Jul 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Does jumping inside a plummeting lift prior to impact prevent a fatal fall? What causes echoes on phones? Are trees actually net oxygen consumers? Why...

Why is the Sky Blue?

01 Jul 2011

Contributed by Lukas

This Week, Chris Smith and Ben Valsler join Redi in the studio for an extended Ask the Naked Scientists! We find out why the sky appears blue and if ...

Is the ice in the freezer edible?

10 Jun 2011

Contributed by Lukas

How do doctors name phobias? Is the ice on the freezer sides safe to eat? What is the low-frequency hum I can hear? Is pipe tobacco tar good for cuts ...

How do painkillers know where it hurts?

03 Jun 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Can haemorrhoid cream treat under-eye bags, how much radiation was released from Fukushima, why is the moon larger on the horizon, what constitutes st...

Why Stones Chip Windows on the Inside

27 May 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Can a tropical storm be steered? Why should a stone hitting the outside of a window produce a chip on the inside surface? Why do aircraft sound louder...

What causes sensitive teeth?

20 May 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Why can't a person see clearly underwater, what causes sensitive teeth, why do I wake up paralysed and can snail shells treat scars? Join Dr Chris for...

Can Males Donate Organs to Females?

06 May 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Why is sea level rising, are organ transplants between males and females feasible, what keeps a moving bike upright and what causes epilepsy? Join Dr ...

Why do bats dangle upside down?

15 Apr 2011

Contributed by Lukas

This week, modelling schizophrenia in a dish, why bats roost inverted, what remains in the ground after oil has been removed, why planets form on a ho...

What is Yuppie Flu?

07 Apr 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Are there any impacts of ground fracturing to recover oil and gas, how do colour-changing creatures coordinate with their surroundings, why do ants in...

Where do soundwaves go?

25 Mar 2011

Contributed by Lukas

The fate of soundwaves, can salamanders use silicon, why did the moon come closer to Earth, do you need to inhale to smell something, how do drugs k...

Why not put reactors underwater?

18 Mar 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Should you keep your banana in the fridge? Why are ice-cubes easier to eject from top-shelf freezer trays? Why not site nuclear reactors underwater in...

Why Don't Mosquitoes Burst?

15 Mar 2011

Contributed by Lukas

What causes the rainbow of colours around an aircraft's shadow, why are moths and mosquitoes attracted to lights, plasma vs LCD TV - what's the differ...

Where do Melons Get their Water?

25 Feb 2011

Contributed by Lukas

How do melons concentrate water in their flesh? Why do some hairs grow longer than others? What's the advantage of African curly hair? Does the DNA of...

Asthma, Pool Cleaners and MRSA

11 Feb 2011

Contributed by Lukas

This week, the causes of asthma, a new way to "K.O." MRSA, what is lupus and can it be controlled, how do metal-salt pool cleaners work and are henna ...

Can corks cure cramps?

04 Feb 2011

Contributed by Lukas

This week, how stimulating the brain can help you to think outside the box, why corks in the bed can cure cramps, the inside information on itching, t...

Two Suns in the Sky?

28 Jan 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Straight from the horse's mouth, or cow's stomach, this week how scientists have found the genetic clue to better biofuels; also, the brain basis of a...

What causes kidney stones?

21 Jan 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Where do renal calculi come from, can weight loss halt diabetes, how might neuro-feedback help ADHD and autism, what causes panic attacks and are arti...

To Pee, or not to Pee?

14 Jan 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Could personal nuclear reactors power towns, why can't eyes be transplanted like livers, is it dangerous not to pee and poo when you need to, do drugs...

How do cats navigate?

07 Jan 2011

Contributed by Lukas

How cats find their way back to their former homes, the science of self-winding watches, why sunlight triggers sneezes, the basis of lightning and doe...

Can a Mobile Phone Unlock a Car?

24 Dec 2010

Contributed by Lukas

What's a light-year, why is the earliest dawn not on the solstice, is the Sun hotter in South Africa, what causes neuropathy, can batteries short out ...

Do Oxygen Levels Go Down in Winter?

17 Dec 2010

Contributed by Lukas

How did a lightning storm spark a glowing ball above a roof, do atmospheric oxygen levels dip in winter, does anyone naturally not have fingerprints, ...

Is the moon upside down?

10 Dec 2010

Contributed by Lukas

What can hydrogen reveal about the structure of the early Universe and what causes Alzheimer's Disease; is the moon upside down when seen from south o...

Why do some songs get stuck in your head?

03 Dec 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Kangaroo mothercare, why we all look different, what's the capacity of the human brain and why do some songs get stuck in your head are all up for ana...

Why Do We Sleepwalk?

26 Nov 2010

Contributed by Lukas

What's more accurate, vehicle speed according to a GPS unit, or the speedometer? Also, what causes the Earth's magnetic field to flip, why do people s...

How does an astronaut swallow in space?

19 Nov 2010

Contributed by Lukas

How do space travellers navigate, can you swallow in microgravity, does apple cider vinegar help with weight loss, is there a "gay" gene, why did a ga...

Does Diesel Pollute More Than Petrol?

12 Nov 2010

Contributed by Lukas

This week, how Tetris could hold the key to blocking the bad memories and flashbacks behind post traumatic stress disorder and how an old drug could p...

Can humans get stuck together during sex?

05 Nov 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Where do accents come from, can glass be magnetised, what's the point of males and females and can people get locked together during sex? Join Dr Chri...

How Does Deodorant Work?

29 Oct 2010

Contributed by Lukas

The Naked Scientist, Chris Smith strips science down to its bare essentials.How does grass break concrete?is one of the questions answered in this fas...

Can I Crush my capsules?

22 Oct 2010

Contributed by Lukas

What stops water moving through a tiny hole, are ground up tablets safe to swallow, what are freckles, how fast can a human heart beat, what happens w...

Am I ambidextrous?

15 Oct 2010

Contributed by Lukas

This week Dr Chris discusses how volcanoes can cut global warming, the evidence for genes linked to race, whether ambidexterity is real, the cause of ...

Where Does Belly Button Fluff Come From?

08 Oct 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Are fat cells all made equal, why women glow while men perspire, the science of electromagnetic induction, what is emphysema, how are drug doses deter...

Artificial Noses, Aeroplane Toilets and Big Brains

30 Sep 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Where does the waste from an aeroplane toilet go? And could you ever really get stuck to one when pressing the flush? Do we have bigger brains than 50...

How do Dolphins Drink?

23 Sep 2010

Contributed by Lukas

How do dolphins and other marine animals hydrate themselves? Can we use nanotechnology to fight disease? How does a radio-controlled clock work? We ta...

Tractor Beams, Phone Masts and Living in Space!

16 Sep 2010

Contributed by Lukas

How does a mobile phone mast work? What affect does living in space have on the human body? Could tractor beams become a reality? We take on these spa...

Is it Safer to Kiss a Stranger or Touch the Door Handle in a Public Toilet?

09 Sep 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Are we at risk when we use public toilets? What can we catch from kissing strangers? Why is it safer to eat cooked rather than rare meat? We take on t...

Why do Pigeons nod their Heads?

02 Sep 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Why do Pigeons nod their heads? How does food become body fat? What can you do with a ramjet? We take on these questions as well as discover how megap...

Why are Cacti so Spiky?

26 Aug 2010

Contributed by Lukas

On Ask the Naked Scientists this week, we find out how cacti can survive with very little water, and why they are so well endowed with spines! We ans...

GPS, Floating Bridges and Explosions in Space!

19 Aug 2010

Contributed by Lukas

How did we measure geographic distances before GPS? And how do GPS satellites do it now? Would floating bridges help in Pakistan? We'll tackle all of ...

Protons, Photons and Colour-changing Toys

12 Aug 2010

Contributed by Lukas

How small is a proton? What is a photon? And how do colour-changing toys work? We'll find out the answers to all these questions this week, plus find ...

Lasers, Atoms and our Universe!

05 Aug 2010

Contributed by Lukas

How do lasers work? Could lasers be used to treat cataracts and blindness as well as our eyesight? Why is a hydrogen atom bigger than a helium one? Wh...

Why does time speed up as we age?

29 Jul 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Why does time seem to go by faster as we get older? What do IQ tests really measure? How do probiotic yoghurts work? We get the answers to all these o...

Caramel, Carbon Dioxide and the way to the Centre of the Universe

22 Jul 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Why does sugar look so different when you heat it up? How much CO2 is there in all the world's bottles of Cola? And which way is it to the Centre of t...

Do we really need 8 glasses of water a day?

15 Jul 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Do we really need 8 glasses of water a day? How does a jet engine work? Where does earwax come from? Why are some apes vegetarian when we're not? We f...

Why do Moths Fly Towards Light?

08 Jul 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Why are moths attracted to light? How do red-leaved plants photosynthesise? Why don't hayfever sufferers become tolerant to pollen? We take on these...

Should I Drink from the Hot Tap?

01 Jul 2010

Contributed by Lukas

How does vinegar 'cook' an egg? How does Google work? Are the colours we see really real? We'll get the answers to all of these, plus explore how g...

Flavours, Flies, and Facial Hair!

24 Jun 2010

Contributed by Lukas

How are crisp flavours created? What makes flies so resilient? Why do some women get facial hair with age? We take on this variety of questions in thi...

Microwaves and Mirages

17 Jun 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Is microwaved water safe? Why does a mirage form? What causes that shimmer on a hot road? We tackle all of these questions this week, as well as look ...

How Did HIV Begin?

10 Jun 2010

Contributed by Lukas

How did HIV originate? Why does anaemia occur more often in Africa? Do growing pains exist? We take on these infectious questions as well as find out ...

Tornadoes, Bombs and Electric Shocks!

03 Jun 2010

Contributed by Lukas

How do Tornadoes form? What's a daisy cutter bomb? Why do we get electric shocks when leaving our cars? We take on these questions as well as find out...

Ageing and our Senses

27 May 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Does our sense of taste change with age? How are horrid and pleasant smells decided by our brains? Is it harder to urinate when you're older? We tackl...

Why can't we Tickle Ourselves?

20 May 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Why can't we tickle ourselves? Is deafness down to our genes? Can diabetes cause Eczema? How does deodorant prevent body odour? We take on these quest...

Man-boobs, Hair Cells & Relativity in Rugby

19 May 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Ask the Naked Scientists, South Africa! This week we're adding a new member to the Ask! family with a new show on South Africa's flagship station Talk...

Bombs and Bacteria

13 May 2010

Contributed by Lukas

What effects can underground nuclear explosions have on our land? How do antibacterial cleaners work? Could bacteria be used to clean up our environme...

Earthquakes and Volcanoes!

06 May 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Do earthquakes shift the earths axis? If the population of China jumped at once would it cause an earthquake? How much lava is inside the earth? Would...

Comets, Planets and Space!

29 Apr 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Could a comet shield the earth from the sun? How do planets form around stars? Why are planets spherical? What's the temperature in space? We tackle t...

Volcanoes, Aeroplanes and our Environment!

22 Apr 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Why are some Volcanic Eruptions stronger than others? Why can't aeroplanes fly around the ash in the sky? Is our ozone layer still a concern? Why will...

Sun, Clouds and Rain

15 Apr 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Why does it feel hotter when the sun is out? Why can we see clouds at night? Is the sky always grey when it rains? We tackle these question on this we...

Animals, Hair and Hot Flushes!

08 Apr 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Do cats have a sixth sense? How do dogs moult? Why are some hairs longer than others? Why do women get hot flushes? We tackle these questions on this ...

Boomerangs, Painkillers and Nipples!

01 Apr 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Why do boomerangs return? How do painkillers know where to go? Are some painkillers faster than others? Why do men have nipples? We take on these ques...

Lightning, Radiation and the Northern Lights!

25 Mar 2010

Contributed by Lukas

How does lightning strike? Should we worry about radiation from mobile phone masts? Do our TV sets give off any radiation? Why do we see the Northern ...

What if the Moon went AWOL?

19 Mar 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Could the Earth cope without the Moon, how do safety matches work, what causes hiccups, why don't frosts form undercover, should NASA put people on an...

Spaceships, Sun Rays and Glowing Skies!

12 Mar 2010

Contributed by Lukas

How does fuel burn in spaceships without oxygen? Why do we see sun rays from behind clouds? Why is there often a red glow in the night sky? We take on...

Why do we find Bottoms Attractive?

05 Mar 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Why is Jupiter round and how does it hold onto its gas, how does skin thickness vary around the body, why does milk soothe the effects of chilli, how ...

What Do the Dimples Do on a Golf Ball?

26 Feb 2010

Contributed by Lukas

How do meat-tenderisers make meat more succulent, how do they get the corks into Champagne bottles, do explosions travel in space, why have golf balls...

Love and Our Universe

19 Feb 2010

Contributed by Lukas

How do we fall in love? What is our universe Expanding into? Will our universe ever be sucked back inwards? We take on these cosmic questions in this ...

Earth, Space and Winning the Lottery!

12 Feb 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Why does the earth spin? Is the moon moving farther away from earth? What are the odds of winning the lottery twice in a row and of getting the same n...

Spontaneous Combustion and Smellovision

05 Feb 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Does being hot under the collar ever lead to spontaneous combustion? Will we ever get smellovision? Does being ill make you smarter? We take on these ...

Do Strip Lights Flash Beneath Power Lines?

29 Jan 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Why do buses get steamy, how do ships withstand super-waves, what's really invovled in balancing on a bike, how come Hawaii's on a hot-spot and do flu...

Broken Bones and Glowing Worms

22 Jan 2010

Contributed by Lukas

How long to bones take to heal? Are healed bones stronger than they were before? How do glow worms glow? We tackle these bright questions on this we...

Water, Snow and Icy Roads.

15 Jan 2010

Contributed by Lukas

At what temperature does sea water freeze? Why do aeroplanes not freeze when up in the cold air? Why can't we use sand on icy roads? We tackle these c...

Food, Fats and Healthy Eating!

08 Jan 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Is goose fat bad for us? What food ingredients are healthy? Is soy healthier than meat? What is cellulitis? We tackle these questions to kick off our ...

The Wrong Sort of Snow?

18 Dec 2009

Contributed by Lukas

How the moon might make you behave badly, why snowstorms beget thunderstorms, the wrong sort of snow for trains, and whether tomato soup would be a wa...

Soap, Water and Tidal Power

11 Dec 2009

Contributed by Lukas

How do facial scrubs work to remove spots and oil from our skin? does hot water freeze faster than cold water? Why do we not make more use of tidal po...

Gold, Hydrogen and Atomic Bombs

04 Dec 2009

Contributed by Lukas

How is Gold formed? Could hydrogen be used in power plants? How small can an atomic bomb be? Could we reverse electrolysis to make water? We tackle th...

Jetlag and Body clocks

27 Nov 2009

Contributed by Lukas

Can we re-set our body clocks? How can we ease the effects of jetlag? Do body clocks change with age? We look into these questions in this week's show...

Dark Skies, Meteors and 3D Vision

20 Nov 2009

Contributed by Lukas

How can you measure how dark a place is? When do meteor showers occur and how can we see them? How do 'magic eye' paintings work? We reveal the answer...

Snot, Spit and Criminal Minds

13 Nov 2009

Contributed by Lukas

What is snot? Why do we make saliva? How do babies have such sweet smelling breath? These, and other less bodily questions, get tackled in this Ask ...

Tough Tomatoes and Custard Conflagrations

06 Nov 2009

Contributed by Lukas

Why are tomato skins so tough? Can you make fireworks from custard powder? What is the speed of dark? Join us as Dave Ansell takes on your science qu...

Venom and Stings

30 Oct 2009

Contributed by Lukas

Can venoms be used to treat disease? How deadly is the sting of an Irukandje jellyfish? Do all bees die when they sting? We tackle these buzzing quest...

Climate Change and Future Technologies

15 Oct 2009

Contributed by Lukas

Is global warming natural as well as man-made? What effect will arctic melting have on our sea levels? Why have cars not evolved past piston engines a...

Exploring our Universe

08 Oct 2009

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Dr Dominic Ford joins Dave Ansell to take on your questions about our universe. They reveal whether it's possible to live in outer space f...

Eyes, Aliens and Goosebumps!

01 Oct 2009

Contributed by Lukas

Why is our peripheral vision so good in the dark? Why do we have goosebumps? Do UFOs exist and is there life on other planets? We explore the answers ...

Batteries, Lightning and Stainless Steel

17 Sep 2009

Contributed by Lukas

Why do cameras use batteries so quickly? Why does warmth help a battery last longer? How do humans survive lightning strikes? We tackle these question...

Aliens, The Moon and The Bermuda Triangle

10 Sep 2009

Contributed by Lukas

Do Aliens Exist? Did Neil Armstrong really walk on the moon? What happens over the Bermuda Triangle? We take on these mysteries in this week's show as...

Elements, Planets and Satellites

03 Sep 2009

Contributed by Lukas

How do new elements enter the periodic table? How much does the earth weigh? Could Jupiter blow up? We tackle these explosive questions on this weeks ...

Spiders, Wasps and Evolution

27 Aug 2009

Contributed by Lukas

How do wasps reproduce? Do all spiders bite you? Why have some animals lasted many years without evolving? We take on these questions on this week's s...

Mobiles, Glowsticks and 3D Films

21 Aug 2009

Contributed by Lukas

How do glowsticks glow? Do mobile phones have limited frequencies? How do 3D films work? We tackle these questions on this weeks show, as well as disc...

Parallel Universes, Making Moons and Artifical Brains

13 Aug 2009

Contributed by Lukas

You ask Dave Ansell whether parallel universes are possible, how moons are formed around Saturn, what's new for car batteries, the existence of wormho...

Brainy Birds and Winding Watches

07 Aug 2009

Contributed by Lukas

Why do astronauts feel weightless in space? What makes teenagers throw tantrums? Do mobile phones damage our health? We tackle these questions on this...

Exploding Stars, Shoe Polish and Lost in Space

30 Jul 2009

Contributed by Lukas

When do stars explode? How does shoe polish work? What happens if you float away from your spacecraft? Why can't we feel the Earth spinning? Dr Dave a...

Yeast, Gyroscopes and Nuclear Waste

23 Jul 2009

Contributed by Lukas

We take a turn around gyroscopes, find out if it's better to run through the rain, identify the origins of yeast, chomp our way through the make-up of...

Flashes, Orbits and Dogs

16 Jul 2009

Contributed by Lukas

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 co...

Trees, Tyres and Teleportation

09 Jul 2009

Contributed by Lukas

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 As...

Hiccups and Helium

18 Jun 2009

Contributed by Lukas

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 th...

Stars, Wormholes and our Expanding Universe

11 Jun 2009

Contributed by Lukas

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 th...

Laughter, Smell and Sounds

04 Jun 2009

Contributed by Lukas

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 tac...

Glass, Galaxies and the Gulf Stream

28 May 2009

Contributed by Lukas

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 s...

Solar Wind, Moondust and Mouldy Cheese

20 May 2009

Contributed by Lukas

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? W...

Cameras, probes and mobile messaging

14 May 2009

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...