Ask the Naked Scientists

Ask the Naked Scientists

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

May 29, 2026 24 mins
Does water boiled in a microwave oven taste different from kettle-heated water? How long does it take the body to absorb a drink of water? Does too much water cause a kidney problem? What are essential fatty acids? Why do farts linger longer in the shower? What's better for your body, hot water, cold water, or warm water? How does the body know to swallow a drink and breathe air? How does an aspirin know where it hurts? And how doe...
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Why does running water make us want to go to the bathroom? What is IQ, and can you improve it? What is a Pica craving? Why isn't sperm damaged when it's frozen? Is there any evidence that links COVID vaccines to cancer rates? Is there a test to check whether honey is authentic or adulterated? What are hempcrete building materials? Why does it take so long to enrich uranium? What causes shingles? Dr Chris Smith and Clarence Ford hav...
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Do the newly released UFO files matter? Why do people tend to live longer in the 21st century? Why do women live longer than men on average? What impact does excess rainfall have? Why might you lose phone signal when you turn on a microwave? Should we open our windows in high winds? Is climate change causing more CO2 to be released from the sea? Dr Chris Smith and Clarence Ford have the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us ...
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Is time a physical thing? How do trees know what season it is? What causes different-sized tides? Can cannibalism cause brain disease? Do all watches stop working at the same time? How do we identify different virus cases? How is hantavirus contracted? Can animals contract viruses by sniffing around contaminated material? And do meerkats carry hantavirus? Dr Chris Smith and Clarence Ford have the answers... Like this podcast? Pleas...
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May 1, 2026 23 mins
Why are humans so sensitive to the smell of rain? Do statins cause dementia? What is the storage capacity of the human brain? How can I remember all the information I study? Do scientists believe in God? How do vultures find their prey? How can I stop or reverse grey hair? What does a cataract operation involve? What is diastolic blood pressure? Are MRI scans harmful to toddlers? And is Dr Chris worried that AI will replace him?! D...
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How does polio cause disease? Why does ice added to a drink not make the glass overflow when the ice melts? What's the point of the appendix? Is old poison, past its expiry date, still toxic? What techniques built the pyramids? How do we treat hypotension? Why do our brains use a disproportionate amount of energy for their weight? Could a fan push a boat along if the wind dropped? And is a dry eye after a cataract operation normal?...
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April 17, 2026 22 mins
Do dogs dream? Can someone who was born blind dream? Do animals have souls? Do certain eye colours have more advantages than others in terms of sight? What is blind sight? What are growing pains? Is it unhealthy to sleep with closed windows? And what is some advice for sleepwalkers? Dr Chris Smith and Clarence Ford have the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
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April 10, 2026 22 mins
How does the heat shield protect the Artemis II astronauts on their return to Earth? What caused the craters on the Moon? Can the materials in cooking pots cause poisoning? What is seasickness? Can space missions take place during periods of high solar activity? And what propels spacecraft? Dr Chris Smith and Clarence Ford have the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
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March 27, 2026 21 mins
Why some people can't say their Rs; why is perception of time so context dependent; what's the nutritional value of long life milk; what determines how tall we are; why do some mirrors make you look a strange shape; why to take care with magnesium supplements to avoid explosive diarrhoea; how can fish swap between fresh and salt water environments; and why doesn't the stomach digest itself? Dr Chris Smith and Clarence Ford have the...
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March 13, 2026 23 mins
On this week's show, why dogs don't live as long as humans. Also, why do we feel cold when our skin is warm to the touch? Do we all see colours the same way? Do animals experience embarrassment? If photons head towards two small slits, do they only pass through one slit or both? Why does the Middle East have an abundance of oil? And why are our taste buds affected when we have a fever? Dr Chris Smith and Clarence Ford have the answ...
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This week Clarence Ford and Dr Chris discuss NASA's DART mission to defect an asteroid, why we can't tickle ourselves, whether lung capacity affects the heart, if white skin transplanted to a black person changes colour, why some people are more ticklish than others, how scientists are able to read ancient DNA codes, why the sea is salty, and what triggers seizures? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientis...
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This week, Dr Chris Smith and Sara Jayne Makwala King get to the bottom of IBS, why women living together often synchronise menstrual cycles, why we get a sudden falling sensation when dropping off to sleep sometimes, and if Earth suddenly stopped spinning, what would happen first? Also, are the faces that crop up in our dreams real people we've seen before, or has our brain created people that don't actually exist? Like this podca...
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February 20, 2026 19 mins
In this week's show, how scientists discover Russia's use of frog neurotoxin epibatidine to kill political opponent Alexei Navalny, why some people are more vulnerable to dental problems, why does a full bladder make me feel sick, how is gum disease linked to heart disease, where do the clouds surrounding Table Mountain go, and what is the evolutionary advantage of golf? Plus, can science and religion co-exist? Dr Chris Smith and C...
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February 13, 2026 24 mins
How did life on Earth begin? Why is glass clear when sand is opaque? What is foot-and-mouth disease? Why do some people's accents change when they emigrate? What is trigeminal neuralgia? What is decided before drug trials take place? What's the difference between colloidal silver and quantum silver? Is Lyme disease contagious? And are we gaining or losing mass on planet Earth? Dr Chris Smith and Clarence Ford have the answers... Li...
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February 6, 2026 22 mins
Do animals enjoy views like we do? Why are some elephants born without tusks? Why do some people pass out on roller coasters? Is there a cure for dizziness? Can the brain recover if you stop drinking alcohol? Why is there a difference between the way that dogs and humans metabolise food? Did hallucinogens play a role in human evolution? Is a heart murmur a side effect of an overactive thyroid? Dr Chris Smith and Clarence Ford have ...
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January 30, 2026 21 mins
What is consciousness? What is the Nipah virus? What is an induced coma? Is there an official scale for pain? Can you think yourself better? How can you make plasma? And how do you prevent a dog's pee from turning your lawn brown? Dr Chris Smith and Clarence Ford have the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
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Why does a glass of water help settle a sore throat? What are the best ways to help heal a slipped disc? Which part of the brain helps us make decisions? What causes stuttering in speech? If a fly is travelling in a fast car, is it travelling at the same speed as the car? And at what age is our brain fully developed? Dr Chris Smith and Clarence Ford have the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scien...
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Why does a glass of water help settle a sore throat? What are the best ways to help heal a slipped disk? Which part of the brain helps us make decisions? What causes stuttering in speech? If a fly is travelling in a fast car, is it travelling at the same speed as the car? And at what age is our brain fully developed? Dr Chris Smith and Clarence Ford have the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scien...
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Why does a glass of water help settle a sore throat? What are the best ways to help heal a slipped disk? Which part of the brain helps us make decisions? What causes stuttering in speech? If a fly is travelling in a fast car, is it travelling at the same speed as the car? And at what age is our brain fully developed? Dr Chris Smith and Clarence Ford have the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scien...
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Why does knocking your elbow unleash a distinctive "funny bone" jolt? Are we born with a sense of thirst? What are we seeing when we see things glow under ultraviolet? Why do our minds cling tightly to bad experiences? How do phones see the Northern Lights, even when we cannot? And do the planets in our solar system all move in the same direction? Dr Chris Smith and Clarence Ford have the answers... Like this podcast? Please help u...
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