The Naked Scientists Podcast
Episodes
Europe swelters in 'heat dome', and Martin Rees on aliens
26 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Coming up, most of Europe smashes June temperature records. But what is the 'heat dome' that's driving this extreme weather? Plus, why HPV vaccine rat...
Lessons from our ancient ancestors
23 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Coming up, we explore the life and times of our ancient ancestors, and what they can teach us. In this episode, Lee Berger tells us about the Homo Nal...
UK's under-16 social media ban, and the first trillionaire
19 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Coming up, the UK follows Australia's lead in introducing age-related restrictions on social media. But do they work? Plus, how biologists are fightin...
Stonehenge and the summer solstice
16 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Coming up, we explore the summer solstice and its enduring connection with Stonehenge. Larissa Palethorpe at the University of Bristol explains the as...
Christian Eriksen's heart device, and air leaks on the ISS
12 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Coming up, Danish footballer Christian Eriksen is reportedly "doing well" after collapsing for a second time during an international match. Did a tiny...
Fever pitch: the science of the Football World Cup
09 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The FIFA World Cup is taking place across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. It's often called the beautiful game, but is it really more science t...
Ovarian cancer wonder drug, and the birth of black holes
05 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we hear about a breakthrough drug called mirvetuximab, which has been dubbed a "biological missile" in the treatment of ovarian cance...
Should we be concerned about Ebola?
02 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we explore the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighbouring Uganda - including the origins of Ebola and how it...
Rising melanoma rates, and artificial bird's eggs
29 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In today's episode, the rising rates of melanoma skin cancer in the UK - why is this happening? Also, evidence that pregnancy induces epigenetic chang...
The future of AI
26 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we unpack artificial intelligence. What does it do well? And how is it advancing science? This episode features the BBC's Zoe Kleinman, Oxford ...
The future of AI
26 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we unpack artificial intelligence. What does it do well? And how is it advancing science? This episode features the BBC's Zoe Kleinman, Oxford ...
Ebola outbreak in the DRC, and Artemis III preparation
22 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Coming up, we explore an outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighbouring Uganda. How is it being managed? Plus, NASA announces ...
Dealing with depression
19 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Today, the basis of depression and how science is helping in its management. Neuroscientist Trevor Robbins defines this condition; GP Munro Stewart te...
Virologists on hantavirus, and extreme heat at the World Cup
15 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Coming up, a virological voyage through what is known about the hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius. Plus, scientists create the first detailed map ...
Hantavirus outbreak: cruising for a biological bruising
12 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we explore an outbreak of hantavirus aboard the MV Hondius. Cambridge virologist Colin Crump explains how the outbreak of this viral diseas...
Hantavirus outbreak, and salmon on cocaine
08 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we discuss the hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius. What are we beginning to learn? Plus, how potatoes were the driving force for advanta...
Meningitis under the microscope
05 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we put meningitis under the microscope. Robin May at the UK Health Security Agency explains this group of conditions and how his team might res...
Chernobyl 40 years on, and countering ash dieback disease
01 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Forty years on from the Chernobyl disaster, we discuss radioactive fallout and our relationship with nuclear risk. In sport, researchers suggest repea...
Giant leaps in astronomy: the telescopes taking us further
28 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we are taking a journey through the evolution of space telescopes and observatories. They are continuing to drive our understanding of the Univ...
Microbiome links to Parkinson's, and a massive laser boost
24 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week scientists confirm the link between changes to the microbiome and later development of Parkinson's Disease, a super speedy microfluidic way ...
What is flooding? And how do we tackle it?
21 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
We dive into the science and impact of flooding and coastal change. In partnership with UK Research and Innovation, this podcast explores what floodin...
Alzheimer's drugs & tackling HIV
17 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we look at UK Alzheimer's drugs and the latest debate over whether new treatments are a genuine breakthrough or overhyped, alongside a stri...
Oil, gas & what comes next
14 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we are exploring the oil and gas industry, literally from the ground up: what's the geology of oil formation, how does a petrochemist go fr...
Space travel alters the body, and chronic pain on the mind
10 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we find out how space travel is likely to affect the bodies of the Artemis II astronauts. Plus, how conflict and other adverse events durin...
What is time?
07 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Time waits for no one, but what exactly is it? Is it just a human construct, or something far deeper, flowing through our minds and bodies? In this ep...
Artemis II launch, and tackling physical inactivity
03 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Artemis II begins its mission to take humans farther into space than ever before, scientists in London unveil the first lab-grown oesophagus, the dang...
Nature frozen in time
31 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Across our planet, natural archives preserve the biological footprints of species long gone, from woolly mammoths at the macro scale, through plants a...
Social media addiction, and the famous honeybee dance
27 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week: social media's role in user harm and the plausibility of app addiction, a sunken Soviet sub revealing how nuclear materials behave deep und...
Return to the Moon
24 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Coming up, we explore the race back to the Moon. Why are we going? How will we get there? Can we live and work on its surface? And what can we grow wh...
Meningitis in Kent, and sonic hedgehogs
20 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Coming up, we explore an outbreak of meningitis in the English county of Kent. Will a targeted vaccination campaign bring it under control? Plus, a fa...
Understanding endometriosis
17 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
For Endometriosis Awareness Month, we explore a condition which affects 10% of women around the world. Cells that form the lining of the uterus crop u...
War and the environment, and Neanderthal-human interbreeding
13 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Coming up, we assess the environmental and health impact of conflict in the Middle East. Plus, the gene variants that affect how heavily someone smoke...
Eradicating polio
10 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we're exploring polio: a highly infectious viral disease that can attack the nervous system and cause paralysis, mainly in young children. ...
Immune reprogramming for cancer, and squeaky shoe science
06 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Coming up, we explore how CAR-T cell therapy is revolutionising personalised cancer treatment. Plus, how NASA's DART mission tested Earth's asteroid d...
Titans of Science: Mike Wooldridge
03 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Our Titans of Science series continues with Mike Wooldridge, Ashall Professor of Foundations of Artificial Intelligence at the University of Oxford. H...
Brain fats cleared during sleep, and bird poo powered Peru
27 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Today, how the brain harnesses immune cells to clear burned out fats during sleep: does this protect from Alzheimer's disease? Also, the nutrient-rich...
Titans of Science: Jane Carlton
24 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Our Titan of Science this week is leading light in the field of malaria, Jane Carlton. The first to sequence the genome of malaria parasite Plasmodium...
Navalny's dart frog poisoning, and cat cancer genomics
20 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we look into the science behind Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny's death, caused by dart frog poison, and why Russia resorted to su...
Heart failure: can you mend a broken heart?
17 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week, in partnership with British Heart Foundation, we explore heart failure. Leading experts from the UK's largest independent funder of cardiov...
A nasal spray for flu, and is this how life began on Earth?
13 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we discuss a new antibody-based nasal spray that protects against the flu: how does it work? Plus, the tiny self-replicating molecule that ...
The mosquito: the world's deadliest animal
10 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Coming up, we explore the tremendous impact mosquitoes have had throughout their evolution. In this episode, we break down what mosquitoes are, how th...
Shingles vaccine delays dementia, and chatting AI bots
06 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we examine a herpes zoster vaccination that can reduce or delay dementia diagnosis. How does it work? Plus, the BBC's Zoe Kleinman explains...
Motor neurone disease: what does the science say?
03 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we take a closer look at motor neurone disease (MND), a progressive neurodegenerative disorder affecting the motor neurones that control volunt...
Cracking cancer's code, and the cow that scratches its back
30 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Coming up, a world-first gene cancer database is launched. How might it help us gain a better understanding of how disease develops? Plus, the link be...
Titans of Science: John Zarnecki
27 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Titans of Science is back with John Zarnecki, a towering figure in the UK's space community. He has played a crucial role in designing instruments for...
Alzheimer's fingerprick test, and space debris sonic booms
23 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week, a blood finger-prick test has been developed to detect Alzheimer's disease before symptoms arise. But how accurate is it? Plus, tracking sp...
Generation New Era: The UK's new birth cohort study
20 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we're looking at a major study that is following the development of children born in the UK in 2026. It's called Generation New Era, and in...
China's new London embassy, and screen-time retards speech
18 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week, China's attempts to build a new "mega-embassy" in London, but are there security risks? Plus, the UK plans to build a record number of offs...
Science leads the way at Davos
13 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we've partnered with Frontiers as they aim to push science to the top of the agenda at the World Economic Forum in Davos. It comes as the p...
Chickenpox jab UK rollout, and how the US grabbed Maduro
09 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week, the UK begins the rollout of the chickenpox vaccine to younger children. But why is it only being offered now? Plus, the high-level technol...
Chickenpox jab UK rollout, and how the US grabbed Maduro
09 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week, the UK begins the rollout of the chickenpox vaccine to younger children. But why is it only being offered now? Plus, the high-level technol...
Titans of Science: Ed Wild & Sarah Tabrizi
06 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we hear from not one, but two Titans of Science, together. And that's because Ed Wild and Sarah Tabrizi are neuroscientists, neurolog...
Best Science Stories of 2025
22 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we're revisiting some of the most magical moments and scientific milestones of 2025 - including the incredible legacy of Dame Jane Go...
MI6 pushes cyber security, and WHO warns of fat jab shortage
19 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week, defence analyst, Michael Clarke, explains the significance of the MI6 agency's scientific shift. Will it help counter Russia's technologica...
What's a white Christmas, and will we get one this year?
16 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today, in partnership with UK Research and Innovation, we are asking whether it will snow on the 25th of December. It's frequently called a white Chri...
New monkeypox virus strain, and Chernobyl's dome damaged
12 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this week's news podcast, Emory University's Boghuma Titanji on the discovery of a new strain of monkeypox in the UK, and efforts to curb the virus...
Titans of Science: Paul Davies
09 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Titans of Science is all about showcasing science superstars making huge breakthroughs and giant leaps foward in their scientific realms. In this epis...
Facial recognition tech, and Russia destroys launchpad
05 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Coming up, we explore the UK's plans to rollout facial recognition technology. Is it a bold move to catch violent criminals, or scientific and ethical...
Titans of Science: Georgina Long
02 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Naked Scientists welcome the return of a new series of Titans of Science, where the world's scientific, medical, and technological pioneers tell u...
Prostate cancer screening, and DNA building blocks in Bennu
28 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this week's news podcast, the former UK prime minister, David Cameron, calls for prostate cancer screening following his diagnosis. But does it rea...
New ways to combat the Antibiotic Apocalypse
25 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today, synthetic bacteriophages, a breakthrough vaccine for TB, and how unpicking the pathways used to make antibiotics are helping scientists to comb...
Small modular reactors for Wales, and moss survives in space
21 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the news, why the UK appears to be betting big on small modular nuclear reactors. Also, Iran seeds the skies in bid to end its worst drought in dec...
A climate COP out?
18 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we're analysing the COP30 conference in Brazil, asking whether the will to tackle climate change is drying up. Like this podcast? Please help u...
Flu season starts early, and staving off hungry seagulls
14 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the news show, flu season starts early in the Northern hemisphere due to pesky new strains, so will vaccines be effective? Also, the baby 'swim cap...
80 years of nuclear weapons
11 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this edition of The Naked Scientists, we go nuclear, and explore the science and politics of weapons of mass destruction... Like this podcast? Plea...
Vaping rates surge, and space race to deliver economic boon
07 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this edition of The Naked Scientists: Among British people vapers now outnumber smokers for the first time. From Big Bang to Big Crunch - the new t...
The National Physical Laboratory at 125
04 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this edition of The Naked Scientists, we go behind the scenes at the National Physical Laboratory as it celebrates 125 years at the forefront of sc...
Hurricane Melissa's wake, and alcohol-free beer with a buzz
31 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this edition of The Naked Scientists: How the latest science helped the Caribbean prepare for Hurricane Melissa. Also ahead, the alcohol-free beers...
Proteomics promises a revolution in preventative medicine
28 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today, in association with Proteomics International, we're hearing about a new era in medicine where we can tell people not what diseases they've got,...
Eye implant restores vision, and corvids follow human calls
24 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the news podcast, a new retinal implant - just two millimetres wide - that is helping restore sight to blind people; a 'pristine' star that gives u...
Frozen Flora: 25 years of the Millennium Seed Bank
21 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew celebrate the 25th Birthday of the Millenium Seed Bank in Sussex, James Tytko ventures into its giant underground va...
Talc linked to cancer, and improving yoghurt with ants
17 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this edition of The Naked Scientists: Whether talc-based products - like baby powder - can cause ovarian cancer. Also ahead, the "Sword Dragon of D...
Hearing loss, and what we can do about it
14 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this edition of The Naked Scientists, why we lose our hearing and what we can do about it... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Na...
Top athlete reveals MND diagnosis, and 2025's Nobel Prizes
10 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this edition of The Naked Scientists: Is elite level sport linked with Motor Neurone Disease? We examine the evidence as another top player announc...
Has COVID-19 weakened our immunity?
07 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
You've probably heard of Omicron, but what about Nimbus and Stratus? These are the latest COVID strains spreading around the world, and for most peopl...
Embryos made from skin cells, and remembering Jane Goodall
03 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this edition of The Naked Scientists: US scientists have turned skin cells into human embryos for the very first time. We unpack the significance. ...
Painting: where art meets science
30 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we're picking up a brush, and probing the science of paint. Where does chemistry stop, and the art take over? Like this podcast? Please help us...
Huntington's treatment, and the High Seas Treaty
26 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On today's show:, scientists successfully treat Huntington's disease for the first time, slowing the disease by at least 75%: we hear how they've done...
Lung cancer: looking at the latest developments
23 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Lung cancer is one of the world's biggest killers. Today, we explore why, and how medical research into this disease is seeing the development of bett...
US-UK nuclear deal, and forensics for plastic pollution
19 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the news podcast, the US and the UK have forged a long-term nuclear alliance - but what will it really deliver? We also examine a new study on whet...
A decade of detecting gravitational waves
16 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
To celebrate 10 years since they were first detected, we're examining gravitational waves. What are they? And how do we find them? Like this podcast? ...
Ancient Mars bacteria, and 'fugitive' methane leaks
12 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this edition of The Naked Scientists, the strongest hint yet of life on Mars. Should we get excited? Or is it another red herring? Also ahead: The ...
Made in orbit: How to sustain life in space
09 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What does it take to build a society in space? Today on the Naked Scientists, we explore efforts to make microgravity amenable to humans; including ho...
Energy drinks curb, and biting back against beetles
05 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this edition of The Naked Scientists: A new test to detect Alzheimer's disease long before symptoms first appear. Also, the study showing Earth can...
Is AI changing the way we think?
02 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this edition of The Naked Scientists, from bogus scientific papers and misleading made-up "facts", to potentially curtailing our critical thinking,...
First pig lung transplant, and the origins of dark energy
29 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today on the Naked Scientists: a pig lung is transplanted into a man in China, but what was the outcome? Also, scientists have a theory for the origin...
What can we do about hair loss?
26 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this edition of The Naked Scientists, we look at the science of hair, why we suffer hair loss, treatments that can slow hair loss, whether wigs are...
Apple wins privacy row, and microbes dictate chocolate taste
22 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this edition of The Naked Scientists, Apple locked horns with the UK government who were demanding a security back door through the company's encry...
What Niger's AMR outbreak means for the world
19 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this edition of The Naked Scientists, why we need to pay closer attention to antimicrobial resistance in some of the world's poorest nations... Lik...
Decoding our inner voice, and hunting for life on Mars
15 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this edition of The Naked Scientists: the scientists who think they can decode the thoughts we hear in our heads. Also ahead: do ultra-processed fo...
'Three-parent babies' prevent inherited genetic condition
12 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
James Tytko explores the science behind 'three-parent' embryos: the incredible medical procedure that prevents children from inheriting incurable mito...
Medicinal microbes for kidney stones, and musky mice
08 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the news, why a dose of bacteria might be the solution to combating kidney stones. What tooth enamel tells us about the lives and diets of dinosaur...
A 21st century guide to hunting dinosaur fossils
05 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this edition of The Naked Scientists, we are on the hunt for dinosaurs as we explore how cutting edge tech, chisels, and canoes go hand in hand whe...
Old drug new tricks, and a sensational bionic leg
01 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the news, an old drug heralds a new treatment for the gut parasite Cryptosporidium; the bionic-knee that anticipates where amputees want to go to m...
The science of modern warfare
29 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this edition of The Naked Scientists, how is science helping to shape the future of warfare? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Na...
Malaria bites back, and the lunar base race
25 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the news podcast, what's causing the uptick in malaria cases in Africa? Also, scientists show statistically that the sex of a baby at birth is not ...
Vivaldi: The data revolution coming to care homes
22 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
There are more than sixteen thousand care homes across the UK, housing around half a million people. Staggering numbers. They are meant to be places o...
Ancient Antarctic ice cores & is a sense of humour genetic?
18 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this edition of The Naked Scientists: Scientists get their hands on the oldest ice on Earth, and we've been to see it, but what's it going to revea...
25 years of the Human Genome Project
15 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this edition of The Naked Scientists, we look at 25 years of the Human Genome Project. What is it? And what has it achieved? Like this podcast? Ple...
Fitter fat cells, and Earth spins slightly faster
11 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week, the cells that vanish when we slim down: are these the link between obesity and health problems like diabetes? Also, the bacteria that migh...