The Naked Scientists Podcast

Using nature's own tricks, we find out how to avoid mosquito bites, grow more crops and keep the weeds away in this week's Naked Scientists. We find out why mosquitoes prefer some people to others, and how to use pheromones to turn an insect's sex-drive against it! Also, why dentists could use plasma to cut down on drilling, why breast is best for bigger brains and why Popeye was right, spinach really does make you stronger. Plus, in Kitchen Science, we brave a box of biting mozzies to see if insect repellent really does repel! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Black holes, bright birds and ice evaporating in the freezer all come under scrutiny in this week's Naked Science Question and Answer Show. We also find out why space is so cold, what happens when a neutron star collapses and where houseflies buzz off to in winter. Plus, we discover a robot who keeps kids company in hospital, and catch up with the the latest tech news about Twitter. Also, we hear how bats are louder than a rock concert, how a quantum trick could let birds see magnetism and we peer into the biggest eye in the animal kingdom - belonging to the Colossal Squid. Plus, in Kitchen... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Stunning sapphires, dazzling diamonds and red rubies abound in this week's sparkling edition of the Naked Scientists in which we find out how gemstones are formed, what makes them so beautiful and why they're so rare. We also reveal the tricks used by experts to flush out fake stones, and discover how synthetic diamonds can make better lasers, more powerful electronics, sweeter tweeters and cutting-edge scalpels. Plus, why a mongoose could be your best friend in a minefield, how a good breakfast leads to more male births and, in Kitchen Science, how to grow some beautiful crystals at home! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Sustainable Solar power in Sydney, home-generated electricity and green-housing developments go under the microscope this week as we explore the science of sustainable living. Meanwhile Dave goes for gold in water recycling by purifying and drinking water from urine, and we also find out how vitamin supplements can kill, discover an atom-thin transistor and hear how testosterone provoke boom and bust on the stock market. So join us as we become eco-estate agents and go through the keyholes of the Green Houses of Tomorrow! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Solar Flares and the Sun's influence on our climate are the burning issues of this week's show. We discover an explosion on the Sun so large that it cut global communications all over the world and rendered compasses useless. Also, we'll be looking at the link between the sun and climate change and finding out how clouds could predict earthquakes. Plus, in this week's news, we discover why some balls are really hard to catch we talk about the seahorses returning to the Thames. And in Kitchen Science, Dave shows us how to light a bulb without wires - using only a balloon! All this and more... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Can cold water cause weight loss, is my mother-in-law turning into a reptile and why doesn't a mobile phone interfere with itself are all answered in this week's Naked Science Question and Answer Extravaganza. We also find out about a new way to keep track of your favourite online bands and musicians, and hear how the whole world harmonises - turning news into music in just three hours! Plus, in Kitchen Science, Dave pulverises an egg to explain the basis of air pressure, and for Question of the Week Diana finds out whether alcohol can rehydrate a lost traveller in the desert. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we visit the Historic city of Edinburgh to put Scottish science under the microscope! We discover the incredible magnetic bacteria and find out how their bio-nano-magnets could help treat cancer. We find out how satellite images can help predict outbreaks of cholera, and talk about the twist in the tale of TB - drug resistant Tuberculosis has now been found in the UK, so what is this disease and how can we hope to treat it? Also, how scientists have used cloned stem cells to treat Parkinson's disease in mice, how a whiff of anaesthetic could sooth traumatic memories and why bonobo... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, we catch up with the action from this year's Cambridge Science Festival. We find out what you could learn from a plasticine brain and how your next holiday could be literally out-of-this-world! We explore the science of Dr who's Sonic Screwdrivers, Spiderman and Skateboarders and find out how long the festival takes to prepare. Plus, how meteorite strikes benefit life on Earth, get a step closer to a cure for one of the most common forms of blindness and find out why chimps on TV could be harming their cousins in the wild. All this, and in Kitchen Science we show you how to make... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

On this week's Naked Scientists, we tackle your questions. We find out what creates a 'Moonbow', how much water there was on Earth over one million years ago and what happens to milk in the freezer. Also, how butterflies could remember what caterpillars learn, why electric cars may stress stretched water supplies and how the 'smell' of a coral reef attracts fish from miles around. Plus, we speak to Marc Abrahams, creator of the Ig Nobel awards for science that makes you laugh, then makes you think! And in Kitchen Science we try to strike a balance between two balloons! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we're exploring the science of sound and music. We sound out the human voice, hear why we all talk differently, and probe the origins of accents and the means by which impersonators mimic their victims. Also, we discover how a tune can act like cocaine in your brain and why, in some cultures, music can replace a lawyer! Also, we hear what's going on in the brains of Jazz musicians as they improvise, see how hungry sharks are similar to shoppers and find out why a big brown bat needs magnetic bat-nav. Plus, in kitchen science we discover the musical secrets of plastic bottles! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week the Naked Scientists go virtual! We'll be hearing how a new computer system can accurately gauge your age from a mugshot, we come face to face with the painting fool, a computer that can read - and then paint - your emotions, and we find out what's still lurking on your hard disc, even after you think you've wiped it. We also unveil Second Naked Scientists - our home in Second Life - and get stuck into a new molecular glue designed to replaces surgical stitches and staples. Plus, in Kitchen Science, Ben and Dave embark on a far from fruitless mission to charge an MP3 player with an... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

On this weeks Pan-Continental Naked Scientists we bring you the latest science news from the AAAS conference in Boston. We hear about why cholesterol-lowering drugs are good for us but bad for bacteria, see the map that shows mankind's effect on the oceans and discover the surprisingly complex science of sand castles. Also in this week's show, we look into the future for organ transplants - how bone marrow grafts could make rejection a thing of the past, keeping organs alive outside the body and how we can grow a beating heart in the lab! Plus, in Kitchen Science, we find out how to prove... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week on the Naked Scientists we discover novel drugs in carnivorous plants, genes pointing to prostate cancer and a way to capture waste wattage whilst walking. We hear about the future of 3D TV, the bio fuel carbon debt and how Pirate Bay could be about to walk the plank! Also, we take on your questions, such as why do electric lights stay on in a flood, how do animals evolve camouflage and why does a fresh cut throb? Plus, we have a shocking question of the week about the workings of electric eels, and in Kitchen Science we find out how to tell which drink is diet! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Get Wet and Wild with the Naked Scientists! We don our wellies and wade into the science of wetlands, discovering the species you might see and why wetlands are vital for wildlife on land and at sea. We'll also find out how wetlands protect us from floods, and what can be done to conserve them in the face of climate change. Also in this weeks show, how Humans are fatally infecting Chimps with the common cold, the culture of a chameleon's colours and onions that can't make you cry! Plus, in Kitchen Science we hear the radio signal from a remote control, and find out how you can answer your... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this week's not-to-be-sniffed-at infectious episode of the naked scientists, we find out the facts of flu, including how the virus hijacks your cells, how new strains of the virus emerge to trigger epidemics and pandemics, and how scientists can combat the threat with vaccines. Also under the microscope is a new technique to identify viruses within just 2 hours, providing patients with a fast track to the right treatment! Also, how bone marrow transplants can overcome organ rejection, how to stop a terrorist with a mobile phone, and the new material 30 times blacker than our current... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

On this week's Naked Scientists, We look at ways to tackle the problem of climate change - including capturing carbon at sea, trapping carbon dioxide in coal to release a useful fuel, and a way to turn co2 to stone, with the help of old lava floes! Also, we find out how silicon nano wires can be used to make super-batteries, why sneaky squirrels are faking what they do with their nuts, how the price tag on wine affects it's flavour and the parasite that makes it's ant-host resemble a piece of fruit. Plus, in Kitchen Science, we find out how a digital camera can see the signal from your TV... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, we uncover an ideal anti-freeze for ice-cream, find out how scientists grew a new heart in a dish and hear how four simple lifestyle changes could make you live fourteen years longer. Also, we find out about the technology of the future, the tropical Paris of the past and the crystal secret behind the silvery sheen on fish scales. Plus, we asked for your questions and the floodgates opened! Why isn't your urine affected by coloured drinks and what does it mean if it's frothy? What happens when a lake is struck by lightning, and do you weigh less at the equator? Meanwhile, in... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Hooked on the Naked Scientists? This week we're looking into the science of addiction, finding out how smoking alters the teenage brain, why a mixture of brain chemistry and psychological habits make drugs hard to kick, and how addiction re-wires the brain in a similar way to school. Also, how a good night's sleep could stave off diabetes, why traffic pollutes your IQ and why your next prescription could be a placebo! Plus we bring you the first in our series of Rising Stars, young researchers reporting from the coalface of science, and in Kitchen Science we show you how to levitate a squid! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Happy New Year! We celebrate the arrival of 2008 with a second special edition of our new podcast, Ask The Naked Scientists, followed by a 25 minute round up of the top climate change stories featured on the Naked Scientists over the last 12 months. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Happy Christmas! To keep you entertained while we're off tucking into Turkey, this week and next we've got special editions of a new series of programmes we're launching in 2008 called Ask The Naked Scientists, our new live interactive science radio phone-in, with Dave Ansell, Sue Marchant and Chris Smith. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists