David wants to know whether the intricate and varied spiders' webs seen in nature are a product of arachnid instinct, or something that is cultivated across their life. To get to the truth, James Tytko sought out spider expert Professor Sara Goodacre from the University of Nottingham... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Jim writes in to say, 'Sometimes when I pinch near my knee, I will feel a tingling or tickling sensation behind one of my shoulder blades. What's up with that?' James Tytko found him an answer, with help from neuroscientist Dr Mark Hoon from the NIH... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Oscar asks whether the snail stuck on the inside of his car wheel while he went for a drive would have felt the effects afterwards. Jon Ablett from the Natural History Museum helped James Tytko with the answer... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Akori wants to know whether it is safe to eat vegetables and herbs grown where animals have been buried in the past. James Tytko sought the help of Professor Malcolm Bennett at the University of Nottingham's School of Veterinary Medicine and Science... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Thanks to Jim Dale for the answer! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, Carl writes in to ask whether he can be cured of specific musical anhedonia. This is a condition whereby a person can hear and distinguish between different types of music and the emotion they convey, but doesn't feel moved in the same way most people do. James Tytko took on Carl's conundrum with the help of Malinda McPherson, Assistant Professor at Purdue University's Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

When listener Suzy is taking pictures of the night sky, she makes use of longer shutter speeds to capture more light to get better images of stars. That got her thinking, do human eyes also have a shutter speed? James Tytko took up the question... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Thanks to Dana Mackenzie for the answer! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this week's Question of the Week, listener James writes in to ask, is it just him, or does spider silk feel really strange? James Tytko took on the question with Professor of Evolutionary Biology and Genetics at the University of Nottingham, Sara Goodacre, and entomologist at Western Sydney University, Eleanor Drinkwater... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, Jon wants to know, in the wake of wildfires across the world in recent years, should we be concerned about their carbon footprint? James Tytko asked Jim Dale from British Weather Services for the answer... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Christine emails in with this message: 'Does bacteria contained in probiotics become part of the microbiome; in other words can one stop taking probiotics after 30 days of taking probiotic-containing capsules?'James Tytko sought to find the answer with the help of Alex Almeida, microbiologist at the University of Cambridge. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Anne writes in with this question, which James Tytko took on with the help of the University of Cambridge's Public Astronomer, Matt Bothwell... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Elizabeth with a transatlantic teaser for this question of the week: "I heard that people in the UK can't smell when it rains, but us Americans can. If I went to the United Kingdom, would I be able to smell the rain there? Would someone from the UK be able to smell rain here? What is going on?" James Tytko sought the answer with the help of Anne Jungblut from the Natural History Museum... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Join James Tytko in the hunt for ancient DNA thanks to this question from listener Phil. Jack Lovegrove from the Natural History Museum was on hand to help with the answer... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Phil sent in this quantum conundrum which Will Tingle took on with the help of Ben Allanach, Professor of Theoretical Physics at the University of Cambridge... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Thanks to Garth Jenkins from the University of Glasgow for the answer! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Brian has been in touch to ask whether stars can be independent of galaxies. James Tytko asked the University of Cambridge's public astronomer Matt Bothwell to help find the answer... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

For today's question, James Tytko takes on Janey's query on the shape of modern wind turbine blades and draws a comparison with old fashioned windmills: why such different designs? Professor of Renewable Energy Simon Hogg from Durham University provides the answer... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

While helping his son with his maths revision, Andrew was struck by the ease with which he slipped back into the groove of the subject. He wants to know why that might be. James Tytko sought to find out with help from Catherine Loveday, neuropsychologist at the University of Westminster... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

James Tytko answers listener John's question with the help of Professor of Cardiovascular Health, Nadia Rosenthal... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Thanks to Rhod Jervis for the answer! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Thanks to Steven Abbott for the answer! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

James Tytko asked Toby Wiseman, professor of theoretical physics at Imperial College London, to answer this question from listener Daniel... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Jimmie sends in this week's question, seeking an answer as to why plastic loses its flexibility. James Tytko took on the question with the help of Chemistry World's Phillip Broadwith... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Thanks to Professor Heather Graham for the answer!This episode of Question of the Week, listener Donald asks:"Assuming mosquitoes have taste buds, then they should have adverse tastes. Have molecular scientists explored how to make or find chemicals that make mosquitoes disgusted?"Will - As someone who's about to head off to a particularly mosquito-heavy part of the world, I too would find great reassurance in knowing that I was using the most effective means of preventing a mozzie bite. Paul on the forum is thinking long term and says 'there is hope that current experimental malaria vaccines... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week's Question of the Week comes in from listener David, who asks:'On the show 'Tipping Point', Often at the end they play out the final three counters as 'What would have happened.' Would the result actually be what would have happened?Thanks to Tony Padilla for the answer! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Thanks to Bencie Woll and Victoria Mousley for the answer! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Thanks to University of Cambridge's Ben Allanach for the answer! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Steve has written in to us to ask whether the order in which one eats their food makes a difference to whether or not they experience glucose spikes. We thought this was an interesting question for Cambridge Professor Giles Yeo to sink his teeth into... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Thanks to Andrew Bremner for the answer! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Thanks to Ems Lord for the answer! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Thanks to Dr John Bissell for the answer! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Thanks to Rod Mitchell for the answer! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Will Tingle takes on this head scratcher from listener David with the help of Professor Adam Taylor of the University of Lancaster... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Thanks to UCL's Mark Maslin for the answer! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

For this Question of the Week, Lotus wants to know whether wearing mirrors could help us keep cool in the sun. James Tytko took on the challenge of answering... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Thanks to Michael Reiss for the answer! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Will Tingle took on this linguistic query from listener Satya with the help of David Crystal... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Taking on this week's question, James Tytko kneaded help from baking expert Nicola Lamb... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Thanks to ARU's Nikita Thomas for the answer! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Thanks to Dr Emma Pomeroy for the answer! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Thanks to Dr David Whitehouse for the answer! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

James Tytko took on this festive themed Question of the Week with the help of the University of Cambridge's Ems Lord... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Thanks to Matt Bothwell for the answer! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Thanks to Cambridge University's Ben Allanach for the answer! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Charlene wrote in to ask, 'Why does my nose run in cold weather? What are the physiological benefits of this?' To answer it, Rhys James enlisted the help of consultant ear, nose and throat surgeon, Neil De Zoysa. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

James Tytko took on this question from listener Fraser with the help of nutritionist Sarah Berry... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Thanks to Tony Padilla for the answer! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

James Tytko took on this question with the help of the University of Glasgow's Richard Bowman... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Thanks to Professor Michalis Zervas and Professor Simon Hooker for the answers! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

James Tytko took this question on... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Joanne sent in this question, which James Tytko posed to Laurence Hurst from the University of Bath... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Thanks to Dr Ellen Arnold for her help with this question! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week's question involves the evolutionary process of speciation. James Tytko asked the University of Sheffield's Roger Butlin... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Thanks to Geoff Oxford for the answer! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Thanks to Cecilio for sending in this question. James Tytko asked University of Leeds Professor of Dermatology, Julia Newton Bishop, for assistance... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Will Tingle took on this chilling conundrum, with the help of Imperial College London's Henry Burridge Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

James Tytko spoke with David Spiegelhalter to help solve listener John's musical mystery... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

James Tytko took this cosmic conundrum on with the help of Toby Wiseman, theoretical physicist from Imperial College London... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Chris Smith took on this week's question from listener Kala... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Taking on this question from listener Christie, James Tytko enlisted the assistance of Chemistry World's Philip Broadwith... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Thanks to Marc de Lussanet for the help with the answer! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

James Tytko enlisted the help of the University of Cambridge's Xander Byrne to help with this question from Frank, who asks: "Have there been any studies on the effects of rocket launches on the greenhouse effect respiratory issues or general carcinogenic properties?" Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Thanks to Dr Ellen Coombs for the answer. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Regular listener, Mike, asked: "When tennis players are about to serve, they get a selection of balls. They seem to look at them and then select two to serve with. Now these are all new and good quality balls, how do they select the ones they like to use? Do they recognise them? Do they have favourites?" Very topical, Mike. Rhys James travelled to meet the tennis coach, James Hoad  in Bury St Edmunds: Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why is it that some mammals with small broods have the baby feeding apparatus near the upper limbs like humans and elephants and some near the lower limbs like cows and horses? As it turns out, this is a very good question. What dictates where the teats are on a mammal? The short answer is, well, no one is really sure, but that's not going to stop us from a bit of deductive reasoning and speculation. And one man who is up to the task is Queen Mary University of London's Chris Faulkes.Chris - We've got teats in the thoracic or chest region like humans, the sort of intermediate area or abdominal... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Could someone travelling into the future potentially take a pandemic disease with them, or bring back something similar upon their return? James Tytko enlists the help of Cambridge University immunologist Brian Ferguson... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Akula writes in to ask, 'Can we compress gas into a solid?' James Tytko seeks to provide the answer... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, are biofertilisers an answer to solving the use of chemical fertilisers? Are they more advantageous in any way? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

What is the speed of evolution and, apart from reproduction, what are the factors that affect this? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Listener Jo asked: "Why is it so I can sit with a sudoku until I have no idea what to do next, so I leave it. When I go back to it later I always find new possibilities straight away." James Tytko spoke to Alejandro Lleras Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Listener David wrote this cosmic conumdrum into the Naked Scientists "How are black holes formed? And why are they often at the center of galaxies?" Otis Kingsman spoke to astrophysicist and author of the book "A Brief History of Black Holes", Dr Becky Smethurst... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Listener Ed wrote to the Naked Scientists with this particular question. "Why is it recommended to drink cola after swimming in a river? And does it really reduce the risk of getting an upset stomach?" Otis Kingsman splashes around in the science of this river rumour with Dr John Tregoning from Imperial College London... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Listener Kandi wrote into the Naked Scientists to explain the science behind this major medication method. "I have Hyponatremia as a result of a medication. How does a drug stop your body from using/absorbing the salt you consume?" Otis Kingsman spoke to Gerogetown University's professor of medicine, Joseph G Verbalis to find the answer... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Listener Lara wrote into the Naked Scientists to ask "Is there a biological benefit for cats and dogs to bury their faeces? Can it help plants grow similar to horse manure?" Otis Kingsman spoke to the primary medical care director of the veterinary medicine company Linnaeus, Dr Simon Hayes, about this question on the fascinating function of faeces... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Listener Neil wrote in looking for find the answer to this brain blaster. "Would an explosion on the moon be more powerful than on the surface of the earth?" Otis Kingsman spoke to University of Cambridge's public astronomer Matt Bothwell to make sense of this outer-space occurrence... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Listener Josie asked us "Why can't I immediately open my fridge door after closing it? It feels like air pressure is keeping it closed. Is this the case?" James Tytko spoke to Cambridge University's Engineering Professor Vikram Deshpande about this fascinating fridge function... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Listener Alaster wrote in to ask "The electricals in my car stopped working after it was transported from Cape Town to the UK. I think there was a fault in the scanner in Cape Town. My question is, how does a car scanner work? Can it damage the electrical components within cars?" Julia Ravey presented this troublesome transport problem to Roger Worrall from the security company Westminster Group PLC... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Listener Mike presented this question to The Naked Scientists. "Does email and texting affect our brain's cognitive functions?" Otis Kingsman spoke to Dr Ravi Gajendran from Florida International University to help find the answer to this communication conundrum... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Tim wanted to know "Why can't my partner smell certain strong odours when in the countryside? She can smell manure but is immune to smelling certain potent flowers and herbs." Otis Kingsman spoke to Professor Sandeep Roberta Datta from Harvard Medical School to find the aromatic answers to this question... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Listener Mark wrote in to ask 'What happens to the potential energy of a compressed coil spring that is dissolved in acid?'. Otis Kingsman sprung to action in speaking with Dr Martin Buzza from the University of Hull to find the answer to this question. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Linda wrote in to ask "Can the spinning of the earth generate electricity similar to the spinning of wind turbines?" Otis Kingsman spoke to Matthew Rooney from the Insitute of Mechanical Engineers to find the answer to this head-spinner... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Listener Tibor wanted to know the answer to the question, "Does potential energy have any mass? If I was to charge a phone battery, would it become heavier?" Dr Israel Temprano from the Univserity of Cambridge explains to Otis Kingsman about this battery baffler... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Listener Barry wants to know, 'What causes degredation in electric car batteries, and what are the upcoming developments in EV technology?' Chloe Coates from the University of Cambridge spoke to Evelyna Wang... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Malcolm wrote in to ask "How can we identify a disease? When looking at a sample of chromosomes, what are scientists looking for to spot a diseased gene?". Otis Kingsman spoke to Jocelynn Pearl from the Lady Scientist Podcast to solve this mutation mystery... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Ranjit wrote in to ask this, "As gravity and time have an inverse relationship, at some time in the future, will astronauts bring back moon rocks that are older than the Earth?" James Tytko spoke to King College London's, Professor Ruth Gregory to help us find the answer to this lunar mystery... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Mariam has been itching to find an answer to the question of "When I scratch an itch, the itch seems to move around my body. And I want to know why this is." Dr Yvonne Couch from the Radcliffe Department of Medicine spoke to Otis Kingsman... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Fiona wrote in to ask "Why do I hear voices in my head when I'm thinking? And can this voice be influenced by accents?" In order to find answers, James Tytko reached out to Helene Loevenbruck from Grenoble Alpes University to rattle our brains... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Listener Sal wanted to know the answer to the question 'Is the behaviour of school students affected by moon phases?' Otis Kingsman found 'Teresa Pavia', neurologist and the clinical director of the Sleep Medicine Centre in Lisbon, to give us a lesson on if and how the moon can impact our behaviour... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Daniel wrote into The Naked Scientists with the question of 'How do they stop the mirror on the Hubble telescope from getting dirty?' Otis Kingsman spoke to Sarah Kendrew from the European Space Agency to clear up the answers to this question. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Daniel wrote into The Naked Scientists with the question of 'How do they stop the mirror on the Hubble telescope from getting dirty?' Otis Kingsman spoke to Sarah Kendrew from the European Space Agency to clear up the answers to this question. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Richard contacted us this week to ask, 'Why do stars twinkle? And what can their colours tell us about them?' To find out, James Tytko spoke with Dr Jenifer Millard from the Awesome Astronomy Podcast, who was on hand to provide answers for this cosmic conundrum... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Otis Kingsman found the answer to this chilling question thanks to the help of Professor of Neurology & Sleep Medicine, St Thomas' Hospital's Professor Guy Leschziner... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Sally Le Page answered this head-scratching question with the help of insect venom expert, Sam Robinson, from the University of Queensland... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, Matt contacted us asking "With three space missions currently converging on Mars how do the nations avoid orbital collisions? Do they share data, do they have transponders or space traffic control etc?". Katie King spoke with Chris Bridges, academic at Surrey Space Centre in the University of Surrey to find out how we keep our spacecraft from colliding.... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, listener Rob emailed us to ask "Is dark matter in large lumps or like grains of sand?" Iacopo Russo got some help from the Little Prince story, as well as from Physics professor Francesca Day at Durham University and physicist Jacques Pienaar from the University of Chicago, to find the answer... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

To answer this juicy question, Julia Ravey asked environmental scientist at the University of York Samarthia Thankappan... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Teacher Ellie was recently asked a question by her Year 9 pupil in Manchester that she couldn't answer: "I have one blue eye and one brown eye, when I have kids, will they have one blue eye and one brown eye like me?" Eva Higginbotham put the question to eye colour expert David Mackey from The University of Western Australia... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Daniel has been dreaming of the stars, but his dreams have been rather eerie. Now, he's on a one way journey to gain some scientific insight. He got in touch to ask 'If a crew on a mission to mars had a death on board, and if that body was released into space, would it ever decay?' Matthew Bothwell, public astronomer at the University of Cambridge, spills the beans on what would happen to human remains if they were ejected out into infinity and beyond... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, listener Rick emailed us to ask "Why do we acquire lifelong immunity against some pathogens but not others?" Sally Le Page asked author and infectious disease researcher at Imperial College, London, John Tregoning, to jog our memories... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Margaret got in touch to ask The Naked Scientists: "Science has now identified actual nerve endings that humans and other mammals have that send that itchy feeling to the brain. Do snakes and other amphibians have these same nerve types? Have frogs been seen scratching an itch?"Harry Lewis dived deep to find an answer and Gerhard Schlosser from the National University of Ireland Galway was on hand to tell him more... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Listener Mark was curious to know: "Since the Universe is expanding, and light coming across it stretches as it does so, becoming more red, what happens to the lost energy when the shorter wavelength, higher energy light towards the blue end of the spectrum is shifted into lower energy, red wavelengths?" Cameron Voisey went off to figure it out... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Listener Martin wanted to know: "How long does it take the food I eat to become part of me?" Eva Higginbotham set off to find out the answer... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Dave got in touch with The Naked Scientists to ask, "How much of the brain is memory?" This week Harrison Lewis only just remembered to get in touch with Amy Milton from the University of Cambridge. Thank goodness he did, as Amy has extensive experience wrapping her head around this brain teaser... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Listener Ruomei wrote in to ask "Why do ladybugs have different numbers of spots on their backs?"Eva Higginbotham spoke with ladybird enthusiast Helen Roy from the Uk Centre for Ecology and Hydrology... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Listener Henk wrote in to ask "Is lava wet?" Sally Le Page spoke with magmanimous geologist Brooke Johnson from the University of Oxford... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Beth wrote in to ask "My dog is always licking her fur but never gets a hairball. Why don't dogs get hairballs?" Sally Le Page spoke to three animal aficionados: Nick Sutton, Science Communications Advisor at The Kennel Club; Justine Shotton, Junior Vice President at the British Veterinary Association; and Ann Hohenhaus, Staff Doctor at NYC's Animal Medical Center for the answer... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Wayne got in touch to ask: "We've always learned that heat rises but it's normally cooler in the mountains. Shouldn't their higher elevation make it warmer there?" Sally Le Page reached out to atmospheric physicist Simon Clark for the answer... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Paul got in touch to ask "If one is recovering or has recovered from covid, would playing bagpipes help to expand the lungs and be beneficial or detrimental?". Adam Murphy reached out to John Dickinson from the University of Kent and Michael Steiner from the University of Leicester for the answer... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Johan aged 5 got in touch to ask: "Why are crocodiles' skin so bumpy and not smooth?" Sally Le Page reached out to James Hennessy from Ireland's National Reptile Zoo for the answer... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, Phil Sansom has been thinking deeply - or rather, sinking deeply - about this question from listener Richard. "Will a can of soda dropped in the ocean sink until it implodes, or float once it reaches equilibrium?" Here's the answer, with help from the Cambridge Science Centre's Mia Foulkes... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, Charlotte Birkmanis is chilling out, as she answers Alan's cool question: "I have heard it said many times that no two snowflakes are the same. Given the billions and billions of them that have fallen to Earth, this really does seem unlikely. Since nobody has looked at them all, would you agree with me that the only thing to be said with any certainty, is that no researcher has ever found two the same?" Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, we're turning up the heat, as Adam Murphy's been looking into Kelvin's question: "We are told not to overcook our vegetables because this kills the nutrients. Now if that's the case, why don't we just overcook the food we enjoy and not run the risk of putting on weight?" Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, urine for a treat - Phil Sansom tackles this question from listener Trent. "Every time I walk my dog, it pees on the tyre of a particular trailer. It got me thinking: urine contains uric acid. Is that strong enough to eat through the rubber of the tyre? If so, how long would it take?" Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Jeffrey got in touch to ask: "We've had a cold and snowy winter, and I've had to shovel my driveway every few days. We had a fly in our house, and I was curious if it survived the cold somehow, or recently hatched?" Adam Murphy got in touch with Erica McAlister, fly specialist and Senior Curator from the Natural History Museum in London to fly in an answer... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Listener Ellie wanted to know: "how do ZIP files work on my computer?" Phil Sansom unzipped the question - with an answer from research data scientist Peter Foster... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Quantum hats on for this week's 'exciting' question! Listener Mejnun says: "I have learned at school that when an electron excites it jumps to another orbital around the nucleus. If an electron jumps an orbital you would expect that at that moment it can be found between the two orbitals. My teacher told me that this is never the case. I can not wrap my head around it. Does the particle just disappear in one orbital and appear in the other? Is this instant, is the particle in the other orbital the same? Can you please help me to understand this?" Phil Sansom asked physicist Ankita Anirban to... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Nancy asked: "Why does chilli stay on your fingers for so long after cooking with them, even after you wash your hands multiple times it can still hurt if you touch your eyes?" So what's the answer to this burning question. Adam Murphy asked chemist Tim Woodman, from the University of Bath... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Listener Mattie asked "If humans have too many or too few chromosomes it can cause them to be infertile. So how did different creatures get different numbers of them? For example, humans have 46 chromosomes, but mice have 40." Eva Higginbotham asked genome evolution expert Hugues Roest Crollius... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Listener Douglas asked us: "do animals get bored eating the same thing all the time? Like sheep - do they get bored of one type of grass?" Katie Haylor bored deep into the question, with help from neuroscientist James Danckert... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Listener Michael got in touch to ask "Why can't batteries, such as AA or AAA size, be recharged? What's the difference between regular batteries and rechargeables, especially lithium ones? Is this a 'big battery' conspiracy to sell more batteries, or are there valid reasons?" Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Pavel got in touch to ask "Take sunglasses and remove one lens. Watch a normal television film with one eye darkened by a sunglass lens, and the other free. The film will appear in 3D. Can someone explain to me, how does this work?" After dusting off her sunglasses, Eva Higginbotham put the question to 3D vision expert Andrew Glennerster from the University of Reading... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

James got in touch to ask us: "What were the health impacts of the vastly different diets and lifestyles of aristocrats and peasants? Would wealthy Roman patricians be much smarter than plebeians based solely on improved nutrition?" Hungry for answers, Adam Murphy spoke to University of Cambridge archaeologist Sam Leggett, and the University of Bristol's Julie Dunne... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Listener David asked: "Would a foetus develop differently in zero gravity conditions?" Adam Murphy found an answer with the help of reproductive biologist Adam Watkins, from the University of Nottingham... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

"Assuming there are a finite number of musical notes - chords, notes, octaves - at what point, how many years, would we use all combinations of musical themes such that no more music could be created?" Creative computing expert Rebecca Fiebrink from UAL totted up the answer to listener David's musical musing for us... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Listener Eleanora asked: "I want to know why my dad shivers when he pees." Phil Sansom managed to find the answer to this 'Question of the Wee'.... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

"Is it true that if the mass of the Earth were greater, it would render our chemical rockets incapable of reaching orbit?" Listener Steven launched this question at us, and so Martin Khechara went to find the answer... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Paul got in touch to ask: "I was wondering if it was possible to get DNA out of crematorium ashes. Could you get any information about the person such as weight or height, from their ashes?" Katie Haylor put the question to Charmaine Bale, from Anglia Ruskin University... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Mervyn got in touch to ask "Is sourdough bread a healthy option?" Eva Higginbotham put the question to dietician Rebecca McManamon... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Jordan got in touch to ask ""Why do females produce eggs inside the body, at body temperature, but males have to produce sperm outside the body, at a lower temperature?" Eva Higginbotham put the question to reproduction expert William Colledge at the University of Cambridge... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Listener Robert asks: "does household composting release fewer greenhouse gases compared to a landfill?" Phil Sansom dug him up an answer, with help from environmental engineer Sintana Vergara... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Robyn got in touch to ask: "I often wonder when I listen to music in the car when my dog is with me: since they hear higher frequencies than humans, do they also perceive for example loud music louder than us?" To sniff out an answer, Adam Murphy spoke to Nancy Dreschel, a specialist in animal beaviour from Penn State University... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Beata asked "If three hundred years ago there was one person with a certain surname, how many people could have their surname today?" Eva Higginbotham got mathematician James Grime to crunch the numbers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Kevin asks: "Does watering my veggie garden in the morning mean that water uptake will coincide with the intake of sunlight, and give my vegetables the best chance? Or is it just as good to water in the evening?" Phil Sansom dug out the answer by asking Anthony Bridgen from Cambridge University's Sainsbury Laboratory and Guy Barter from RHS... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Satish asks: "how does a bat sleep the whole day hanging from a tree? Won't being upside down affect blood circulation?" Phil Sansom went to find the answer, with help from Western University's Brock Fenton... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Hard... or soft? That's the watery wrangle on which listener Jo asked us to weigh in. She said: "my question is about drinking water. We drink gallons of the stuff in a lifetime, but which is better for us, hard or soft? My skin and hair prefer it soft, but what about teeth and bones? And which do our kidneys prefer?" Adam Murphy got the answer with the help of University of Cambridge chemist Ljiljana Fruk... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Charlie sent in this question "Humans have adrenaline for our fight or flight situation, do bugs have this too?" Eva Higginbotham put the question to insect-lover and expert, Eleanor Drinkwater from the University of York... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week's question is a sweaty one! It comes to us from listener Margaret: "Why, why, why can I work in the yard and be covered in sweat for hours, and only stink a little; but reveal one personal thing to a group of friends, and immediately stink to high heaven?" Phil Sansom got the answer from the International Hyperhidrosis Society's Angela Ballard, and University of Cambridge physiologist Christof Schwiening... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we've been against the clock to get the answer to this question from David "What measurement of time would you use in travelling through space as a day, week, month or a year would become meaningless, and how would this affect the body clock?" Eva Higginbotham spoke to space sleep expert Cassie Hilditch, and also former NASA astronaut Steve Swanson, to find out the answer... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we're flushing out the answer to this question from Charlie: "Maybe this is just me, but it dawned on me that whenever I have to hold in a pee, the need to go increases exponentially when I know that relief is close. Why is this?" So to relieve Charlie of his question, I asked physiologist Bill Colledge from Cambridge University to expel the answer... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Six-year-old listener Jonathan asks: "when you stir a bucket of water, I know the water is pushed to the outside; however, why do any particles end up the centre after the water has finished spinning? I have asked my Dad, but he doesn't know." Phil Sansom found someone who does know - and it's fluid dynamics expert Dan Nickstroem... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Lionel got in touch to ask us about a curious phenomenon he's noticed since installing a new sensor, raising the question whether our brains process light or sound faster. Eva Higginbotham spoke with Brian Moore of the University of Cambridge who helped us unpick the answer... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Johnny asked us if burying paper counts towards carbon sequestration. To dig up an answer, Adam Murphy spoke to Shaun Fitzgerald, Royal Academy of Engineering Visiting Professor at the University of Cambridge, about how useful that really is... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Julie got in touch to ask whether there was any reason to wash, rinse and repeat, or if it was just marketing hype. Phil Sansom spoke to two hair specialists, Sally-Ann Tarver and Eva Proudman, about this hairy issue... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Carol got in touch to ask "The government has provided more than a billion items of PPE to hospitals. There have been 130,000 COVID cases in hospitals, about 10,000 items of PPE per patient. Can you find out why so much?" Eva Higginbotham put the question to medic Isabelle Cochrane... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Neerav wanted to know why some things dissolve faster than others, so we spoke to University of Cambridge chemist Ljiljana Fruk to find out... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Sam got in touch to ask: "If identical twin brothers marry identical twin sisters, and each of those couples has a child, will those two children be like twins?" Eva Higginbotham put the question to Tessa Bertozzi - a geneticist at the University of Cambridge. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Darren got in touch to ask us: "Golf balls are dimpled to disrupt the air around the ball. As far as I can gather, this reduces their drag and allows them to fly further than they would if they were perfectly round. Why do we not see dimpled cars, aircraft, and trains? If this effect is so effective for golf balls, why not use it on Formula 1 cars, for instance?"Adam Murphy went looking for a hole-in-one to this question, and spoke to Sam Grimshaw from the Whittle Lab at the University of Cambridge... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We've been hunting down the answer to this questions from Denise: "There are plants that contain saponins and were used by Australian aboriginal people as bush medicine. Is there any research on the antiviral properties of saponins in, for example, Australian Acacia species, or other plants?" Eva Higginbotham spoke with Maher Mohamed Abed El Aziz from the University of Tripoli in Libya, and Anthony Davenport from the University of Cambridge, to find the answer. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We're blasting off to the International Space Station to answer this question from listener Fady: "has life changed for astronauts on the ISS due to coronavirus, and are astronauts still allowed to be sent to and from the ISS?" Phil Sansom roped in flight surgeon Filippo Castrucci from the European Space Agency... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Rakesh got in touch with this question: "Typically when electrons flow for the electric current, do they come out from the atoms and flow as electric current? Is it not true that when electrons come out from atoms light and energy is released? So why don't electric wires change their colours?" Eva Higginbotham got in touch with Dr Ankita Anirban to find out the answer... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Matt got in touch with this question: "Do all humans have the same number of nerve endings in their skin, and if so, do those of us who are bigger, either taller or fatter, have reduced sensitivity in a given area of skin?" Eva Higginbotham spoke with Professor Francis McGlone from Liverpool John Moores University to feel out the answer... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Pavel asked us "On one of the Naked Scientists programmes it was mentioned that a newborn baby has initially sterile intestines and gets most of its microbiome during the passage through the uterus and vagina. What happens to children that are brought into this world via caesarean?" We reached out to Peter Brocklehurst from the University of Birmingham to find out... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Listener Jon sent us this question: "I just purchased some dart frogs which need to live in high humidity conditions. In order to attain this we basically sealed off the terrariums. The question is whether a really sealed terrarium could provide enough oxygen for the frogs through plant photosynthesis alone. Who would win: the frogs or the plants?" Phil Sansom got the answer to this 'pet peeve' from plant scientist Stephanie Smith... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Fusion could be the most sustainable source of energy in the future. But how much can we get out of it? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Dogs come in all sizes, from tiny Chihuahuas to giant Great Danes. Their head size is hugely different, as must be their brain size. Does this mean that a Great Dane is massively more intelligent than a Chihuahua? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Is a kitchen sponge full of bacteria, and will a microwave kill them? We tested this at home and asked an expert! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Listener Robin asks: "I heard on the podcast, that the reason why we get a sunburn, is that the body is trying to fix cells that are damaged by UV radiation. So if one person is sunburned longer than another, does that mean their immune system is worse?" To find an answer to this burning question, Adam Murphy spoke to dermatologist Jane Sterling... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Listener Ray asked us: " The Earth has apparently reversed its polarity fairly regularly, and is perhaps overdue for the next instance. Is anything known about how this will happen, and the effects? How will it affect our reliance on technology?" We put Ray's question to Richard Harrison, Head of the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Cambridge, and he gave us a flipping good answer... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Jure asked us "Why doesn't a woman's body reject sperm as a foreign object?" Phil Sansom sought out the answer, by speaking to doctor and sexual health consultant Graham McKinnon... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Listener Derek got in touch with this question - "I can sit at my work desk, with my phone by my side, and the signal strength display goes from saying "no service" to 4 bars out of 5, within a couple of minutes, for no obvious reason. It varies like this all day, every day. I can understand why some places have good coverage, and others have bad coverage, but why should it vary so much in one place?" We asked signal expert Ramsey Faragher from Focal Point Positioning and Cambridge University to dial up an answer to Derek's question about wandering mobile phone bars... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Tim says: "The experts at the Energy Saving Trust and British Gas say it's cheaper to heat your home only when you need it. But my heating control panel says that it uses less energy to keep a background temperature when the room is unoccupied, than it does to allow the dwelling to chill too much. I'm confused! Which advice is correct?" We put Tim's question to Mike Childs, head of science, policy and research at Friends of the Earth. Also helping us out is Lewis Tyronney, an engineer with British Gas... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Elizabeth got in touch to ask: "do hairs grow out grey, or do hairs that have colour eventually turn grey?" We asked hair expert Desmond Tobin, director of the Charles Institute of Dermatology, University College Dublin... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Listener Geoff asks, "How is it that there are rising sea levels impacting some island nations such as the Maldives and Kiribati, yet 1000 kilometres in any direction there is no discernible sea level change at all?". To answer this question, Nadeem Gabbani spoke to Dr. Rob Larter of the British Antarctic Survey... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Vinny asked us: "I have read mosquitos have a preference for blood type and prefer people with Type O blood over those with Type B, or prefer Type B over Type A. Is this true, and how do they know the difference between types?" To seek out an answer to this one, Adam Murphy got in touch with Immo Hansen, from New Mexico State University to find out... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Mike got in touch to say: "When the outside temperature is hovering around the freezing mark, the condensation or dew on my automobile windshield is in a liquid state. But if I wipe the windshield, the liquid water changes to ice. Why is that?" To help, Adam Murphy spoke to Liz Thomas from the British Antarctic Survey... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Dan got in touch to ask whether most animals are edible, including dinosaurs! Mariana tucked into this question.... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Listener Pete asks, "SpaceX has launched the first 60 of what is to be a mesh of some 12,000 satellites. Two questions: how will this completed mesh impact 1) ground based optical and microwave astronomical observations, and 2) the ability of future space missions, manned and otherwise, to navigate through the cloud of objects?" To answer this question, Phil Sansom got in touch with two experts: UCL's Ingo Waldmann, and ESA's Holger Krag... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Julie wrote in with this question for us: "I have received such conflicting advice from TV food cooks. Some say that cooked chicken should be allowed to cool down to room temperature before refrigeration whilst others say to put the hot cooked chicken into the refrigerator immediately. Which is right?" Mariana Marasoiu nibbled away at this question with Paul Wigley from the University of Liverpool... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

John asked, "I'd like to know if enough people in the world donated their finger and toe nail clippings, could enough keratin be produced to satisfy the demand and thus stop the poaching of wild animals in Africa?" Mariana Marasoiu spoke with Jon Taylor from Save the Rhino International and Simon Hedges from Asian Arks about whether rhino horn alternatives can help save them... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week's question is a curious cooking query from Anthony. "When pasta or rice is added to boiling water, there is a sudden surge of the boiling water to the point that the pot boils over with bubbles. Why is this?" Phil Sansom got in touch with Phillip Broadwith, business editor of the magazine Chemistry World... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, a question from Bill. "My question is about Chernobyl and why it is that wildlife seems to be thriving there and yet we understand that humans still can't survive there. Why is this?" Phil Sansom spoke to someone who's actually been there - Victoria Gill, a science correspondent for BBC News... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Saugat asked "what is the exact cause of monsoon rain, and how will it be affected because of global warming?" Ruth Geen, from the University of Exeter, works with modelling the effect of climate change on monsoons and helped Emma Hildyard pour some insight into this... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, Manik from Canberra asked if it's possible to tell whether it's sunrise or sunset from looking at a photo or a painting. Ankita Anirban spoke to painter James Gurney and physicist William Livingston to shed light on the situation... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we are answering a question from Alex: "Are huskies (or dogs in general) able to insulate themselves from the cold of winter and from the heat of a hot summer's day as well?"Matthew Hall asks Christof Schwiening from Cambridge University's Department of Physiology... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we are answering a question sent in by Mark: "is it possible to have so many blood transfusions that your blood type changes?" Emma Hildyard asks Cedric Ghevaert, from the Department of Haemotology at the University of Cambridge... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Patrick sent us this question: "My wife wants me to light a candle after doing my number two, to get rid of the smell. Does this actually do anything?"Phil Sansom has been sniffing out an answer, with the help of Kit Chapman from Chemistry World. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Greg asked, "When I exhale, my breath contains carbon atoms. How long ago were they in my food or drink?" We were hungry for answers, so Ruby Osborn asked Fred Warren from the Quadram Institute Bioscience to break it down... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Sean asked "Why is it that when you look directly at a small faint star it disappears, but when you look at a point near it, you can see it again?" Ben McAllister has been searching far and wide for the answer to this cosmological conundrum... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We received this question from Aidan, "Consuming orange carrots in high excess can turn your skin orange, because of the beta-carotene. What about purple carrots?" Jack Tavener and Katie Haylor have been crunching through some research to get to the root of this question.If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review. Plus, for more podcasts by The Naked Scientists head to nakedscientists.com/podcasts. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We received this question from Chani... "My socks never stay together in the wash. One always disappears. Is there a scientific explanation for where those socks go? Why are they so unhappy in monogamous relationships?"Izzie Clarke asked Rob Eastaway, mathematician and author of "How Many Socks Make A Pair", to sort out the odds. For more podcasts, head to nakedscientists.com or like and subscribe to The Naked Scientists or Question of the Week on your favourite podcast app. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Donald asked us what specific effects ethanol has on the brain and why certain regions are more impacted than others when we have a drink. This week, Joe Galea, from the University of Birmingham, helps us to distil the answer... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Lia asked us why some people seem to be naturally good at imitating voices and accents. To get the last word, Adam Murphy got an answer from Jonathan Goodman, from the Language Sciences Department at Cambridge University... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Richard was wondering why do candles make more smoke and smell after they've gone out. Jenny Gracie has been sniffing out an answer from Duncan Graham at the University of Strathclyde and Ricky Carvel from the University of Edinburgh to help shed some light on the question... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Bree asked: If a person is born completely deaf and can't hear a thing, what language do they think in? We asked Dr Mairead MacSweeney, director of the Deafness Cognition and Language Research Centre at University College London... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Marcus was wondering how trees, such as giant oaks, can grow so huge and not make a hole in the ground. Where does their mass come from if not from the dirt? Jenny Gracie has been digging deep to find an answer, with help from Andrew Weatherall from the National School of Forestry at the University of Cumbria... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

When a bar of soap gets used a lot and gets smaller, it seems to struggle to form suds properly. Is something other than just a smaller surface area going on? Eva Higginbotham has been scubbing up to answer this question with the help of Phillip Broadwith, Business Editor at Chemistry World, and Paul Dauenhauer from the University of Minnesota... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, Malcolm's been watching the science fiction film, Passengers. He wanted to know what happens to air bubbles in water if gravity was suddenly turned off. Adam Murphy spoke to Stuart Higgins from Imperial College London, and to David Kinahan from Dublin City University, to get an answer to this weighty question... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Do we know if a Great Dane meeting a Chihuahua recognises it as another dog? We asked Professor Donald Broom from Cambridge University and Dr Charlotte Duranton to help us sniff out the answer to Dotty's question. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, Daniel wants to know why hurricane researchers seem to use propeller-driven planes when flying into the eye of the storm. Eva Higginbotham spoke to Dr Anna Young of the University of Cambridge's Whittle laboratory, to find out what's 'up' in the field of aeroplane engines. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

With the help of Cambridge University's Professor Robert Foley, Sam Brown took a trip back in time to answer Stuart's question: If you could bring a baby from the past to grow up in the present, how far back could you go before people would notice that this was a time travelling baby? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Poo comes in many shapes and sizes. We are used to seeing it on the street or accidentally stepping in different forms including tubes from dogs, pellets from rabbits or big splats from cows, but I have never come across cubic poo. Tamsin Bell asked Dr Louise Gentle from Nottingham trent University to help us out with this stinker... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Is it true that second hand smoking or passive smoking is more likely to give you cancer than smoking a cigarette? Tamsin Bell put this to Stefan Marciniak from the Cambridge Institute for Medical Research... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

When standing barefoot in water, we don't feel the water pressure on our feet. But when wearing Wellington boots, we do feel a pinching - why? We asked Colm-cille Caulfield, Professor at Cambridge University, to help us wade through the science of Daniel's question... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Tom asked us "Why is Blu-Tack sticky?" Adam Murphy spoke to Jennifer Gaughran, researcher at Dublin City University, to see if she could help with a question that had us stuck... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Chad asked us "Is it possible to terraform the Moon, so that humans could live there long-term?". Tamsin Bell spoke to David Rothery, Professor of Planetary Geosciences at the Open University, to see what he had to say... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

On Twitter, Andrew asked us: "Do wild animals suffer from allergies, and if so, does this occur at the same rate as in humans?" We spoke to Wild Immunologist Andy Flies, from the University of Tazmania, to sniff out an answer... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Are there more grains of sand on Earth or stars in the sky, and who counted them? We search heaven and Earth to answer Jeff's question, recruiting astronomer Michael Merrifield from Nottingham University to help out... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Martin asked us "What's the science behind non-stick pans? What prevents the sticking?"; To help out with this sticky situation, we spoke to Jess Wade, a materials scientist at Imperial College London, to get her take... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Charlie asked us to field the question, "what is the minimum area required to sustain one human being in terms of oxygen and food?" Marika Ottman brought this cultivation conundrum to Marco Springmann, the Senior Researcher on Environmental Sustainability and Public Health at the University of Oxford... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Tuomo asks, "Does your brain respond differently when you're listening to an audiobook compared to when you're reading a book? And does this affect how much information you can retain?". Isabelle Cochrane put this to Dr Matt Davis, Programme Leader in Hearing Language at Cambridge's MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Theo and Simon Hall asked Why do humans get bored? And what is the evolutionary advantage of boredom? Adam Murphy put this question to Dr. Brian Little at the University of Cambridge to get his less than boring answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Chris Taylor wonders how astronauts can weigh things in space. Marika Ottman asks Michael Foale, a former NASA Astronaut and Commander of the International Space Station, to weigh in and assess the gravity of the situation... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Eamonn asked us to chew over this alien question: If some-day we managed to travel to another planet and discovered aliens, what is the likelihood that we could eat them?We turned to Gareth Corbett, gastroenterologist at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge, to see if he had any food for thought... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Listener Mike asked us to sniff out an answer to cold conundrum... When I cycle my bike in cold weather my nose runs, it doesn't happen in warm weather and is their anything I can do to help with it?We took this snotty situation to Ears nose and throat specialist, Neil Donelly, from Addenbrookes hospital. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Matt asked how big an animal or human has to be before a fall would kill it. Katie Haylor put this perilous pondering to physicist Stuart Higgins from Imperial College London... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Switzerland has now banned boiling lobsters live. Do they experience pain; how do we know? Georgia Mills asked Professor Bob Elwood from Queen's University, Belfast, for his take on this hot topic. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Izzie Clarke's been chilling out with this Question of the Week from Trent... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Martin wanted to know why fresh pasta rises to the surface of the pot when it's ready. We asked Dr Chris Brock from London South Bank University. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

The Waite family wanted to know if fish yawn, so Heather Wark spoke to Iain Barber from Nottingham Trent University, to find out. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Anthony wanted to know if firing space rockets out of giant guns would be a better way to blast off. Heather Wark spoke to Dr Stuart Grey of Strathclyde University to find out... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we answered the sticky query, Why do people pick their noses?. Lewis Thomson put it to Liverpool GP Dr Laura Wark. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Elizabeth wanted to know whether she'd be safe if her car was hit by lightning or whether the engine would cut out. Izzie Clarke spoke to Philip Garsed from Cambridge University to spark up the debate on this electrifying question. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In the 1940's there was a chicken who survived for 18 months without a head, how long can humans survive for without a head? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Jayson wanted to know if living near a cell phone tower could be affecting his and his family's health. Stevie Bain spoke to physicist Tony Kent from the University of Nottingham to shed some light on the situation. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Jon wanted to know whether approaching a fly slowly would make it easier to swat. With the help of animal vision specialist Kate Feller from Cambridge University, Michael Wheeler's been swotting up on swatting flies. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Zettie wanted to know how much alcohol stays behind in food when you cook with it. Alexandra Ashcroft asked Vayu Maini Rekdal, from Harvard University, to turn up the heat on this question... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

David wanted to know how our pet dogs compare to other animals, such as primates and dolphins, when it comes to intelligence. Stevie Bain spoke to Ben Ambridge from the University of Liverpool, and author of 'Are You Smarter than a Chimpanzee?', to find out more. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, we aired out Norm's question: if water is a solid, as ice, below 0 degrees Celsius, a gas above 100 degrees Celcius and a liquid between this range, why does washing dry when the air temperature is below 100 degrees Celsius. Alexandra Ashcroft asked Dr Thomas Ouldridge, from Imperial College London, to hang Norm's question out to dry... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, Mark has a conundrum about chloroplasts: If we could go green and harvest energy from the sun, like plants, how big would our skin need to be to sustain a normal level of activity? Georgia Mills recruited Christopher Mason, associate professor at Weill Cornell Medicine to shed some light on the answer. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Caitlin asked whether detergent residues left on crockery and cutlery could be bad for our health. Katie Haylor spoke to Rob Chilcott from the University of Hertfordshire to find out. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Is it possible to create noise-cancelling headphones, but for an apartment? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Jim asked whether being in a warm room - like in a hot yoga class - really does help your muscles to warm up quicker. Katie Haylor spoke to Christof Schweining from the University of Cambridge to find out. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Like physical activity, can we exercise our brain to improve at difficult mental challenges? Izzie Clarke spoke to Duncan Astle from Cambridge University about this tiring task... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why does the same musical note sound different when played on different instruments? Why does, for example, an A-sharp on a piano sound different to an A-sharp on a trumpet? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Listener George wondered why, in films, missiles make a descending sound as they fall? And what would it sound like if it fell into a bottomless pit? Izzie Clarke asked Peter Main from King's College London to explain what actually happens... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

David wanted to know why the blue lights he saw in Christmas trees were often harder to make out. Izzie Clarke spoke to Dr George Dobre from Kent University to shed some light on the issue. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We investigate the most energy-efficient way to climb stairs: one or two at a time? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Can mosquitoes transmit HIV from one person to another? Ricky Nathvani investigates... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Ricky Navthani has been trying to shed some light of Philip's question, about when he should replace his old CFL lights for more efficient LEDs. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

When you drink tea and use the toilet shortly afterwards, is that the same liquid? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Listener David got in touch to ask about whether mirrors in space could show us what Earth was like a million years ago. Graihagh Jackson asked Cambridge's Anna Hourihane to explain how this might work... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

If birds are dinosaurs, why didn't they get killed by the asteroid 60 million years ago? Tom O'Hanlon put Fay's query to David Norman from the University of Cambridge. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Listener Tim got in touch to ask: Why do the poles go north-south as opposed to east-west? Graihagh Jackson spoke to Imperial College's Stuart Higgins to find out... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Do ants or other insects feel pain in the same way as humans do? And what does it have to do with robots? Tom Crawford gets some ant-sight from the University of York's Eleanor Drinkwater... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

What would peeing on the moon look like? Is it even possible? Tom Crawford puts this astronomical question to Dr. Chris Messenger from the University of Glasgow... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Water contains hydrogen and oxygen, both of which are important in combustion, so why is it used to put out fires? Why doesn't water burn? Graihagh Jackson put this to chemist Peter Wothers from the University of Cambridge... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why is it when we break a magnet in half, we get two new magnets? Why don't we just get separate north and south poles formed? Liam Messin set out to find the answer with Tim Boyd, a Cambridge undergraduate... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why don't you get thrown backwards when you switch on your torch? Kerstin Gpfrich made her way to the Nanophotonics Centre in Cambridge to find out from Dr. Anna Lombardi. The answer to Matt's question may blow you away... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Could a jaunt to Jupiter be the physics-version of anti-wrinkel cream? This week, Kerstin Gpfrich convinced physicist Dr Stuart Higgins to go on a mission to answer Troy's question... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, Connie Orbach has been cleaning up, answering Dale's question he sent in on Facebook: does soap really kill off germs?, with the help of Cherly Trundle from Addenbrooke's hospital infection control team. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

To get a handle on this shaky question Connie Orbach called in Dr Alex Copley from Cambridge University's Department of Earth Sciences... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Joshua asked us whether animals could ever experience the placebo effect. To find out, Laura Brooks spoke to Eleanor Drinkwater, researcher in animal behaviour at the University of York... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Kevin got in touch ask why clothes dried on a washing line can end up feeling rough, crunchy and stiff... To find out, our Laura Brooks contacted Neil Lant at the Fabric and Home Care research and development division of Proctor and Gamble, who make Lenor fabric softener. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

It is not only learning that can appear to be quite hard; it's unlearning that we struggle with. How do we unlearn? Is there any technique for unlearning things? Claire Armstrong put this to neuroscientist Laura Ford, from the University of Cambridge... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Lucka Bibic spoke to Prof Marian Holness from University of Cambridge to take her through Robert's question... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, Natasha from Australia wrote in to ask why her stomach grumble when she is hungry. Lucka Bibic enlisted Dr Roshini Raj from Medical Trinity Center in New York to find out what causes the rumbly in our tumbly! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Listener Loot got in touch to ask how the moon got its markings. Claire Armstrong looked towards the heavens for the answer and spoke to the Open University's planetary expert Professor David Rothery. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Listener Kat got in touch to ask if cavemen really did have names and when did humans start naming each other. Lucka Bibic went in search of cavemen's names with the Professor of Linguistics at MIT, Shigeru Miyagawa. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Listener Android got in touch to ask how octopuses camouflage themselves if they are colour blind. Graihagh Jackson went under the sea to see if the seaweed is always greener on the other side with Cambridge University's Felicity Bedford... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Mark got in touch to find out how noise cancelling headphones work. Can they damage your ears by playing back loud background noise? Fanny Yuen spoke to Trevor Cox to cut the rumble... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Listener Solomon emailed us to find out exactly what role cooking plays in digestion. Emma Sackville met up with Dr. Giles Yeo to break down the question. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, Jeff wrote in to ask whether we would be able to recognise and understand an encrypted message from space. Emma Sackville enlisted Dr. Duncan Forgan from the University of St. Andrews to help decode this question... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Listener Paul got in touch to ask if it's true that there's almost no restriction in the speed an elevator could ascend when it comes to the human body, but that there was a limiting speed for the descent. Graihagh Jackson was perplexed and intrigued by the question and so went to meet engineer, Dr Philip Garsed from Cambridge University to get up to speed... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Connie Orbach get's to grip with Lebonhang's question and ask Dr Clemency Booth to help... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, Jonathan asked us if it's possible for two planets to share the same orbit. Naked Scientist Graihagh Jackson put this to Dr Stuart Higgins from Cambridge University... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

People can certainly smell whiffy and sometimes this is attractive, other times not so much but is this a feature of pheromones? Lots of species of mammals have them, so what makes us humans any different? This week , Felicity Bedford sniffed out the answer with Tristan Wyatt from the University of Oxford... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Felicity Bedford enlisted the help of Glasgow University's Heather Ferguson for this biting question... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

The number of stars in space is huge, so why is it so chilly? Felicity Bedford spoke to Ryan MacDonald from the Cambridge University Institute of Astronomy to find out more... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why is it that our voice sounds so different to us than when we hear it back on a recording? Connie Orbach persuaded Dr Nick Gibbons, voice surgery specialist from Lewisham Hospital to take her through Che's question... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Unless you are an identical twin it's unlikely you've found anyone else who looks just like you. But, why do we all look so different? Felicity Bedford spoke to population geneticist Sir Walter Bodmer from Oxford University who is characterising thousands of faces as part of the People of the British Isles Project... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We've all had days when we're tired and wish we didn't have dark circles under our eyes. But why do we get these puffy eyes and do they serve a purpose? Felicity Bedford spoke to Dr Sean Lanigan, President of the British Cosmetic Dermatology Group to find out more... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Listener Sterling wanted to know what causes sleepwalking and how to prevent it. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Reduced sea ice is threatening polar bears in the Arctic. Listener Kevin wanted to know if they would thrive at the south pole instead? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Jess wanted to know what would happen if she plucked a guitar in space. Would her music be out of this world? Felicity Bedford spoke to Professor Jim Woodhouse from the University of Cambridge to find out. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Winter is coming and with it comes a runny nose but how can we stop a snotty hooter? Listener Amanda was keen to nose the answer, so Felicity Bedford spoke to GP Adam Forman to find out... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

It would appear that people on go bald on their heards, but why? And why not elsewhere? Rosalind Davis has been pulling her hair our over this one with Professor Robert Foley from the University of Cambridge... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Eleanor wanted to know why people enjoy looking at views. Do we learn this socially or is it innate? Rosalind Davies spoke to Michael Forster from the University of Vienna to find out. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

With Halloween just around the corner, Stephen asks the spooky question, Are zombies feasible?. Charis Lestrange investigates with the help of pathologist Suzie English from the University of Cambridge and immunologist Khalil Thirlaway from the University of Nottingham. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Marco got in touch after his truck tipped over on the motorway. He wanted to know what speed the wind would need to be blowing at to cause this, so he knew when to stop driving in the future. Rosalind Davies spoke to Zephyr Penoyre, a PhD student at Columbia State University, to find out the answer. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Anders asked the electrifying question, "Why do power lines make so much noise?";. This seemed rather complicated so Charis Lestrange asked Dr Andrew Griffiths, a semiconductor engineer from the company IQE. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Katie asked the very seasonal question of Why is gooseberry jam red, when gooseberries are green?. This really baffled the Naked Scientists, so Joanna Kerr put this thorny question to Dr Sarka Tumova, a food scientist at the University of Leeds. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Is it brain fatigue? Or do we go into autopilot? Sam Mahaffey asked Dr Steve Fleming from the Wellcome Trust centre for Neuroimaging at UCL why this happens. And if there is anything we can do to stop it. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Fingernails seem to have obvious uses but what are our toenails for? Was their some evolutionary benefit? And does that mean we'll evolve toenail-less feet? Sam Mahaffey and Dr Isabelle Winder from the University of York go in search of a gripping answer... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week Dave asked why does a minor key sound mournful and a major key sound happy? Amy Goodfellow asks music psychologist Dr Andrea Schiavio from the University of Sheffield if this is really true. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week Brian Lucas wanted to know: where are we within the universe? Joanna Kerr decided to try and find out with help from Dr Sean McGee, an astrophysicist from the University of Birmingham. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week Louise asked, how many people are needed to avoid inbreeding in a population? To answer her question Connie Orbach looks into setting up her own desert island with the help of Professor Mike Weale, a population geneticist from Kings Collge London. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

What are wormholes, and how would one be created? James Farr investigates the secrets of the universe... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week Amy Goodfellow took a trip to the country to answer Jerry's question - how much bread it takes to make one wholemeal loaf. She spoke to Andrew Whitley, the co-founder of the Real Bread Campaign... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, Graihagh Jackon drilled into John's question to try and find out what the most expensive element in the world is... But first, how do we define 'expensive?' Chemist Mark Lorch set us straight... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, Tom Crawford put Helen's question under the magnifying glass to try and find out whether fingerprints really are unique and if so, whether the same applies to toeprints? We put this to Forensic Scientist, Professor Niamh Nic Daeid form Dundee University... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we've been sequencing Lorianna's question: if babies have different genetic sequences from their mother, and are technically foreign objects in the womb, why doesn't the mother's immune system attack? Ziyad Yehia asked Dr Lucy Fairclough, an immunologist from Nottingham University to find out... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we tackle Allana's question: If we were to travel to gas giant Jupiter, would we sink to the core? Or float straight on through? Heather Douglas put this to Dr Marc Rayman from NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab to see if he could clear the air... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How do black boxes work? When a plane crashes, there's always a huge search for the elusive 'black box' to solve the mystery. But what is this, and how does it work? Heather Douglas put this to David Barry, senior lecturer in aviation safety, from Cranfield University Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We put this question to Dr Pierre Lanchantin from the University of Cambridge... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Unripe pears are dry, yet ripe pears are juicy so how do they become moist? Philip Garsed put Dennis' question to plant scientist Sonja Dunbar, from Cambridge University... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Chris wanted to know if it's true what your mum always told you. Does cheese really give you nightmares? Danielle Blackwell spoke to Max Sanderson, a neuroscientist to find out more... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Bonga tweeted us asking if we could ever use eels as a source as electricity? Would it be efficient? And how would it compare to other energy sources? Khalil Thirlaway caught up with Dr David LaVan from the National Institute of Standards and Technology to find out... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

From worms to fleas and even microscopic single celled organisms, our pets can transfer a world of parasites to us if we are not careful. Prof Susan Little, a Veternary Parasitologist tells us what parasites we might catch and how we might prevent them. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Have you ever noticed that you urinate more frequently in cold weather? Why does this happen? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

It's said that taxi drivers' brains have increased growth in certain areas from navigating around cities. Is increasing smartphone use having a similar effect on other parts of our brains? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Is homosexual behaviour seen in other species? What do they do? Why? Find out in this week's Question of the Week... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We find out why petrol creates a rainbow effect when in contact with water, and how the behaviour of light can create all these colours. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Could we clean up our oceans of plastics by fitting vacuum cleaners to ships to suck them up? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Different waking dream states can affect whether you feel resfreshed or not after a nights sleep. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We chew over some important questions relating to vitamins, including what are they? Do we really need them? Can our bodies store them? And what would happen if we didn't consume any? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

The tectonic plates below our feet move. But where does the energy for this come from? Apparently the reason is analogous to how your porridge gets heated up in the morning. We find out why! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why do we yawn? Is it because we're short on air? Matthew Boniface wanted to know this and whether he could catch a yawn from his cat. We spoke to Dr Hugh Matthews from Cambridge University to find out what makes them so contagious... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

14 hour flights sound like your idea of hell? Paul Jenn wrote in asking whether it was possible to speed up plane journeys, so we went to Neil Scott, head of engineering at Airbus, to find out. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

If you were swallowed by a whale, could you swim out and up through the oesophagus or would you be digested by the stomach acid? Plus, we ask about the future of flight: Are we going to be forever stuck in this air speed? What are the constraints of aerodynamics? Are noise rules the issue? Can a supersonic jet be ever built with decent fuel economy? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Facial hair a different colour to that on your head? We stroke our beards to ponder why. Plus we ask, what happens when you get swallowed by a whale? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Will we cause our own demise by burning the candle at both ends? Or will it be something like the giant impact that caused the dinosaurs to go extinct? What do you think? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why do leaves turn red in the autumn? And how do they know when it is time to drop? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Listener Ahmed has been struck by lightning twice! Is he prone to attracting lightning, or just unlucky? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How many people have lived on Earth? We do some number crunching. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Windows, computer screens and phones that never get grubby? What's the chemistry making that self cleaning glass possible? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We hack our heads to find out how we can make a secure password. Plus we scrub up the issue and ask: how does self-cleaning glass work? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

If you accidentally relocate a bee in your car, what happens? Would it join another colony or would that be it for the lost bee? For the answer to this insterest-sting question, we spoke to Henry Ferguson-Gow from the Zoological Society of London. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Could we get solar power from space and if so, how would we be able to transmit this energy back to Earth and use it? We spoke to John C. Mankins from Artemis Innovation Management Solutions to find out... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Humans are the only animals that cry tears of emotion as well as pain. But does each type of tear differ in its chemical composition, and can you tell why someone was crying from looking at this? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Music: a concentration aid or a complete distraction? Why do some people find it helpful and others disruptive? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, we tackle the burning issue of spontaneous human combustion. Reported cases of people bursting into flames nowhere near a fire. Is there any scientific explanation for this? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Which organs are vital and which are luxuries of life? We asked Elena Teh, Medical student at Cambridge University, for the gory details... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Star Trek fantasy or scientifically feasible? We find out with NASA! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We sniff out the science asking does sneeze volume and sound indicate personality type? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Can you combat brain fogginess and help with french homework by munching sweets? We find out if there is any scientific rationale for this sweet toothed strategy to deal with brain fatigue. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Would a scattering of your beloved's ashes be good for plant growth? Or could it be toxic? We take this question to Cambridge University's Botanic's Head Gardener. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Are there antimatter planets out there? What would they look like? And how would we tell they exist? We find out! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

What's the difference between aspirin, paracetamol and ibuprofen? We turn to a Professor of Pain for the answer. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We light up our brains with this burning question, igniting the issue with a Professor of Chemistry and Fire Science, Richard Hull, from Lancaster University. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Do you feel tired, irritable and bored during the week? Yet full of beans and enthusiasm at the weekend? We find out why this could be! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why does my PC need more data storage than my DNA? Surely human processing power is greater than a computers? We crunch into the data to find out! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Is technology changing at too fast a pace for our genetic material? Has human evolution halted? We find out! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Could we banish planes and instead use the Earths natural spin to help long distance travel across it's surface? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

When lightning strikes the sea, does it electrocute fish nearby? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We zoom into MRI scanning to find out why it is so low resolution and ask, if it was improved could that help diagnosing disorders of the brain? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We find out if other animals exhibit handed'ness. Plus what does it mean to be left handed and right footed? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Does the colour of your snot signify the severity or stage of your cold? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

What causes deodorant stains on clothing, and what's the best way to get rid of them? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

There's not that many bugs around this time of year, but those that are seem to collect by by kitchen light. Why is that? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why don't electrons crash into the centres of atoms? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Does a fly evolve faster than a toad? A whale slower than a barnacle? And if so, how does our bodies immune system keep up with bugs? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

So sweat. Do the birds and bees do it? And even educated fleas? Or is sweating just limited to humans and err, horses? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We find out how our thoughts get overloaded so that we experience visual cortex blindness and overlook the obvious! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We find out why some humans squirt saliva from their mouth as a fine jet of spit. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We find out if raising your baby to be bilingual is a good or bad thing for brain development. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We often see headlines that foods like red wine and veggie curry might decrease your likelihood of catching cancer. Is that true? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why do I fart after cottage pie? And what exactly is a fart? Do certain foods and cooking techniques affect fart frequency and potency? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Could you pass the flu onto your pooch? Could your dog then sneeze over your Great Aunt Mildred? We find out! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we dig into our pasts and uncover how related we are to Bronze Age locals. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We examine whether Earth can sustainably support this many humans. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Does the cycle of the moon affect your sleep patterns? We find out! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

What are the relative risks of e-cigarettes, nicotine patches and snuff? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why is pregnancy associated with high sensitivity to smell? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Would it kill you to have a penny dropped on your head from the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai? We find out with Dr Hugh Hunt, Engineer at Cambridge University! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We find out what happens in our brains as we dream, why we have them, and what nightmares are all about. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We find out why ice cubes can make fizzy drinks bubble over, by asking a French champagne specialist! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Could other planets make a substance like diamond? We ask a deep space mining expert. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We find out if dark matter can clump together to form dark planets, dark suns, or dark moons. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

5 yr old Georgia asks how did the cells in her mum's tummy know to make her brain cells? A Nobel Laureate provides the answer! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We brush away at this question: is it better for your teeth to suck on, or chew, your sweets? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How do babies stay upside down in the womb for so long? We got summer intern Claudia Esftaphiou to do a headstand in the office to try to get to grips with the answer! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Can we get power from poo? We get excited over excrement! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Naked Physicist Dave Ansell tries to recreate Space in his garden, in order to get to grips with a listeners question..... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How does training affect conscious control? What happens to automatic movements as we age? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We find out what's going on if exercise is making you sick. Plus we ponder the existance of free will. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

What is the physiology behind emotional breakdown? Everybody has had the feeling in traumatic situations of getting all choked up, voice breaking and tears welling up.But why does it happen? We find out! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We find out if a mountain on Earth could ever reach 20 km high. Plus we ask, what is going on during an emotional breakdown? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We find out if street lights are affecting plants and birds. Plus we ask how high can a mountain be here on Earth? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We find out what happens if you take a plant into space, and we ask how does street lighting affect nature? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We find out what is wind and why do we have it? Plus we ask, why and how do plants always grow upwards? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Is living in the big smoke better for your immune system in the long term as you are exposed to more people and their bugs? Plus we ask, what is wind and why do we have it? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Naked Archeologist Diana O Carroll takes us on a trip of dating ancient artefacts. Plus we ask, is city living an immune booster? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We find out if gene therapy could help beat depression, plus we ask are early risers more likely to be cheerful? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We find out if we can mimic the power of plants to meet our energy demands. Plus we ask, could we use gene therapy for depression? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We find out how long it takes for a comet to melt and we ask could we ever get a cometless sky? Plus we wonder the power of plants. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We rely increasingly on computer networks. If a solar storm or malicious virus hit the network, could our current civilisation dependency on computer networks be damaged irreversibly? Plus we ask, will all the comets in the sky ever melt away? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Are humans the only species that practice dental hygiene to retain their pearly nashers? Plus we ask, could we cope if computers conked? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We find out if a body wrap will help you lose weight. Plus we ask are humans the only animals that practice dental hygiene? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We find out if Earth's expanding human population will affect water supplies. Plus we ask, does the new anti-fat fad Shrinking Violet work? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Many other species have multiple partners, but are humans meant for monogamy? Plus we ask, do flies have a super sense of smell? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We find out if you can emulate a Martian environment in the kitchen, and if so, can you grow plants there? Plus we ask, are humans meant for monogamy? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Cats can have patterned fur, but can you get a tabby human? Plus we ask can we make a miniature Mars at home? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We find out if there is any evidence that anti-mosquito sound devices actually work. Plus we ask, do you get tabby humans? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We find out if there is a relationship between early rising and cheerfulness. Plus we ask how best to repel mosquitoes! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We find out why blood donations aren't rejected more readily. Plus we ask, is sleepiness related to cheerfulness? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We find out why touch sensitive switches are sensitive to skin, soap and potato but not everything else? Plus we ask how do drinks & exercise affect the taste of your chewing gum? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We find out if foetuses get cancer, 15 yr old Louis from London got in touch asking: their cells divide rapidly, so surely they can make genetic errors and get cancer? Plus we ask, how do touch sensitive gadgets work? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We find out if we could mix spider and human DNA to create a real life Spiderman. Plus we ask, do foetuses get cancer? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

ON MARS NO ONE CAN HEAR YOU SCREAM. Is that really true? And if so, why? Plus we ask, can we mix spider and human DNA to make Spiderman? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Do menstrual cycles synchronise for women who live together? If so, is there any evolutionary reason for this? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we find out how long you could survive by just eating your own severed limbs, plus we search for synchrony in menstrual cycles. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we find out why certain mushrooms contain hallucinogens, plus we ask, how long could you survive by eating your own limbs? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we ponder potatoes! You can bake a potato, boil a potato, fry them, chip 'em and roast 'em. But CAN YOU MELT one? Plus we ask, why do fungi bother to produce hallucinogens? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We find out where our ancestors artistically expressed themselves, plus we ask, how can we melt a potato? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we find out if we there will ever be a real life Dr Doolittle. And sticking with expressing ourselves we ask - was prehistoric art restricted to caves? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We find out if banking our bone marrow early in life, and transplanting down the line, may help halt the aging process. Plus we ask, why are we so good at forgetting names?..... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Earth seems like such a good place for life to thrive, so is it a good place for life to get started? Has life started on Earth more than once? If so, where is it? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

By simply bouncing a laser beam between two mirrors, could you produce an infinitely powerful laser? And if not, why not? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We find out how it is possible for a single telephone wire to carry information for a telephone conversation, file downloads to a computer, WiFi access, and allow us to watch a film and listen to the news. Plus we ask can we make an infinitely powerful laser simply by adding more mirrors? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We need exposure to sunlight in order to be able to make vitamin D. Does this mean that humans, like plants, undergo a sort of photosynthesis? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we speak with NASA's Planetary Protection Officer to find out if we could, and should, introduce life onto Mars. Plus we ask is a human producing Vitamin D a bit like a photosynthesising plant?..... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Can the type of cutlery used to prepare and serve food really alter its flavour? And does it really change, or is it just our perception? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We find out if applying ice to an injury actually helps to speed up healing. Plus we ask, would dining with a silver spoon make your food taste better? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We find out if you can escape detection at a crime scene by using clever gene therapy techniques. Plus we ask, does applying ice to an injury actually help? And if so, how? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We find out why men generally die before women. Plus we ask can we use gene therapy to cheat a DNA test and escape a crime scene...... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We find out if we can create a living organism from basic elements. Plus we ask, why do women live longer than men? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we find out how a species has so successfully infiltrated the verges of the UK road systems. Plus we ask can we create life by heating up basic chemicals... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We apply some Naked Science force to this week's question and find out if we make a magnet so strong that is squashes, rather thanks sticks to, your white goods. Plus we ask do motorways create a microclimate? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we hone our noses and sniff out the answer to this stinker of a question...."Why do toenails, and even feet in general, smell cheesy? Plus we ask can we make a magnet so strong that is squashes, rather thanks sticks to, our white goods? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We find out why, if the gene that codes for men having hairy chests and backs provides an evolutionary advantage in response to an environmental pressure, don't women have beards and hairy chests too? Plus we ask why feet smell cheesy....... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We find out if monitors, screens and e.books are more than your standard page turner leaving you tossing and turning and up all night. Plus we ask, why have women lost their hairy beard and chests..... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we find out if a liberal slathering of oil based moisturiser makes up part of our daily calorie quota. Plus we ask, are monitor screens and e.books more than your standard page turner, leaving you tossing and turning and up all night?.... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we find out why our bodies can't get their priorities right. We find out why we seek out food when we already have enough energy stored around our waists in the form of love handles and pot bellies. Plus we ask - will our skin soak up the calories in sun cream? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we find out about the inequality of the temperature scale as a listener asks: "If we can have a lower limit on temperature - absolute zero - so cold that nothing happens, why do we not have an upper limit - a temperature that is so hot that atoms and particles are so hot that they are ripped into the most elementary units and become so excited that they cannot react with anything around them?" Plus we wonder why we don't always get our priorities right........ Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Could you get cancer from someone else? Tasmanian devils can catch cancer transmitted through biting. Are there instances of cancers being transmitted this way in humans? Can you catch cancer through a blood transfusion? Plus we ask, why is there not an upper absolute in the temperature scale...... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

If there were a large object, say a meteorite falling straight down where you are standing, what kind of warning would you notice? Would there be an accompanying sound? Or would you not know until it's too late? Plus we ask, can you catch cancer?..... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We know that nothing persists for ever so surely plastics in the sea have to break down at some point. How long does it take? And where does the plastic end up? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

As the joke goes.....if you cross a kangaroo with a sheep you get a wooly jumper. Is it now possible with modern techniques to cross different animals to make one completely new species? Plus we ask will the plastics in the oceans ever degrade? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Which film dominates with their most realistic use of lasers? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We find out if fermentation yeast survive in Space, we ponder if it is possible to brew up a beer at zero gravity, plus we ask which is the most realistic fictional laser weapon?..... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

A 57 year old male wonders - do I have any original parts? How much of the baby that was born in 1954 is still part of me? Plus we ask can you brew beer in space..... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We're told to save electricity by switching off devices on standby. But if a home is heated solely by electricity, would there still be any savings by turning off all those devices? And a 57 male asks if any of his original parts remain..... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week I'll be getting inside your head.....with a question from Jarraryd Dunn. Plus we'll be asking is there any point in switching off your lights, TVs, and phone chargers during the winter?... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

With New Year's Resolutions in full swing here's a sweet thermal caramel quandary for us to sink our teeth into..... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Can wearing sunglasses fool your senses into thinking there is less sun and increase your risk of getting sunburn? We take on this quandry and also wonder why cooking caramel causes temperature to increases in stages.... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why would your feet seem further away when lying down? We put our visual depth perception to the test to find out how being horizontal could change the way you see the world. Plus, we ask if wearing sunglasses increases your risk of getting sunburned? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Fish reproduce by squirting out eggs and fertilising them, so where's the joy in that? Is there any form of pleasure that fish can experience through reproducing? We explore this fishy conundrum in Question of the Week. Plus, we ask why one's feet can sometimes look farther away than they ought to..... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why is it that the sound of nails being dragged down a blackboard makes every muscle tense and every nerve jangle? We tackle this teeth-grittingly uncomfortable problem in QotW. Plus, we ask whether fish experience extra benefits in laying eggs. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

For those who are long or short-sighted, have you ever experienced an inability to focus on objects in the mirror - even though you should be close enough to the mirror to see them clearly? Find out why in this QotW. Plus, we ask what's happening when spine-tingling sounds give you the shivers. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

When two abnormalities in space time collide, what sort of mess are they likely to produce? Will we see it? Find out in this supermassive QotW! Plus, we ask why some objects stay blurry in the mirror. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Given that a foetus is essentially a swimming thing on the end of a piece of string, how is it that the two don't become tangled more often? Find out in this jelly-like QotW. Plus, we ask what would happen if two black holes met. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

The pupil of the eye dilates in low-light conditions. Does this mean that the same amount is let into the eye when we wear sunglasses? Plus, we ask if babies can tie themselves in knots. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Many people across the world are able to grow moustaches and beards, but are these the same as whiskers? Find out in this hirsute QotW. Plus, we ask if eyes overcompensate when wearing sunglasses. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Astronauts have to put up with living in zero gravity, so how might they go about avoiding its ill effects? Find out in this body-bending QotW. Plus, we ask if humans have whiskers. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Black holes emit Hawking radiation and gradually reduce in size, so is there a critical mass at which a black hole can no longer support itself? Find out in this QotW. Plus, we ask how much gravity can keep a human healthy. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Human excrement burns quite well, so why not use it to power a house? But how could this be done? Find out in this fragrant QotW. Plus, we ask why black holes don't explode. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Does being pregnant mean you have to breathe for two? Find the answer in this Question of the Week. Plus, we ask if poo power really is possible. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Certain foods seem to complement each other while others grate; why is this? Is it a matter of personal taste, or is there some science behind it? Plus, we ask if pregnancy makes breathing harder work. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

If babies are born by caesarian and modern medicine allows many more people to survive to adulthood, will the human gene pool be affected? We explore this huuuge question in a very concise Question of the Week. Plus, we ask why it is that wine and cheese complement each other so well. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Calculators are rather speedy at subtracting, sums and deriving standard deviations. But how do they do it? We find out in this QotW. Plus, we ask if modern medicine is affecting the human gene pool. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

If you've ever returned from taking the dog for a walk through rain, you'll probably be very aware of the terrible way it smells! But what is it that makes wet dogs smell so awful? We tackle this whiffy question. Plus, we ask how the blazes calculators work! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Given that photons are massless, how do solar sails get pushed along by light? We explore the reasoning in this Question of the Week! Plus, we ask why wet dogs always seem to smell so appalling. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Do bubbles act like insulation on the surface of your bath? Will it prevent the need for that toe-burning hot water top up? Find out in this QotW! Plus, we ask how solar sails stay aloft on simple sunlight... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why is it, that when you take photos of footprints in sand, they can sometimes appear raised? We tackle this holiday illusion in Question of the Week! Plus, we ask if bubbles in your bath can keep it warmer for longer. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Ever wondered what all that junk in your DNA trunk is doing? Find out in this QotW! Plus, we ask: what's the point of two sets of organs? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Is it true that there are more earthquakes now than in the past, and that they are more intense? We explore the problem in this Question of the Week. Plus, we ask if non-coding DNA has a purpose. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Have you ever noticed how leaving bits of leftover breakfast cereal uneaten causes it to harden like cement to the side of the bowl? Why is this? We explore the science of cereal cement, with additional commentary from Dominic Ford. Plus, we ask if earthquakes are becoming more commonplace. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

So you've felt those cold winds robbing you of your heat, but how fast do you have to go before they give it back? And why do planes stay cold when shuttles are hot? Find out in this QotW! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Does a full fuel tank waste cash? Is there an optimum level to which you should fill your car's petrol tank so it doesn't just use the excess energy simply to carry the petrol around? Do vehicle manufacturers make the capacity of the petrol tank the perfect size with this in mind? Plus, passenger jets arrive cold, but spacecraft burn up - when does wind chill give way to frictional heating? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

If you've been to a whale acrobatics display at a tourist centre, you probably noticed some very loud music being played. But does it actually annoy the whales? Plus, we ask how much petrol is the optimum amount to fill the car with each time you visit the pump. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week: what methods does our body use to keep itself warm? What does shivering actually do? Plus, we ask if whales like music. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Giraffes have very long necks indeed so how do they go about barfing? We find out how they revisit their dinner. Plus, we ask how the human body keeps warm. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Eye circles plague many of us at one time or another. Some of us have them all our lives! But what causes them? We have the answers... or a few of them. Plus, we ask if giraffes find it tricky to vomit... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How did you go about heating the water for this morning's shower? Did you leave the boiler on all night or just heat what you needed? Find out which is the most energy efficient in this Question of the Week! Plus, we ask why people get dark circles around their eyes. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Where do you have to go on the Earth to find the strongest pull of gravity? And where might one go to find the weakest? Plus, we ask which is the most efficient method of heating water: keeping a tank-full warm or just heating what you need. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In the absence of a giant ruler, how does one go about measuring how far the Earth is from a star? Simon Singh explains in this QotW. Plus, we ask where in the world gravity feels strongest. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Potato peelers are the staple of the kitchen drawer, but why don't they ever seem to need a good honing as ordinary knives do? We have the answer(s). Plus, we ask how the distance to a star is calculated. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, how do painkillers locate the bits that hurt? Do they have an inflammatory sat-nav or do they just numb your entire body? Plus, we ask why potato peelers never need sharpening. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, we discover the reasons for those aches and pains known as cramps. What causes them and how can they be prevented? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

If you're hanging onto the back of a car, how fast would it have to go before you were lifted off the ground? Plus, we ask about muscle cramp and how to avoid it! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Is it possible to walk in a straight line if one is blind or blindfolded? Are blind people better at it? Find the answer in this Question of the Week. Plus, we ask how fast a car would have to travel in order to lift an outdoor passenger from the ground. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Which is better for the environment: an e-card or a traditional paper card? We have the answer for you in this (not terribly romantic) Question of the Week! Plus, we ask if people still walk in straight lines when they can't see where they're going... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Some hand washes claim to kill 99.99% of all germs. What do these advertising slogans really mean? Would two hand washes kill 100 per cent of all germs? Plus, we ask if sending an e-card is really more environmentally friendly than a paper one. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Light is supposed to be massless so how is it that gravity makes a beam bend? Plus, we ask what the hand wash adverts mean when they claim to kill 99.9% of known germs. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this touchy-feely Question of the Week we find out which bits of the brain interpret text and Braille. Are they the same? Plus, we ask how it is that light bends under gravity, even though it's supposed to be massless! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

When you think about it, drinking the milk of a cow is a little odd. Are we the only animal in the world that drinks the milk of another species? Why do we drink it anyway? Plus, we ask how Braille is processed in the brain. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we find out why the camera loves some of us and seems to seek revenge on others as we investigate what makes someone photogenic... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

If blood is full of iron does that mean magnetic jewellery is good for you? We find out. Plus, we ask if there is any science to being photogenic. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Bowels are quite good at absorbing water so why not have a drink through one? Perhaps it's not such a good idea! Find out in this QotW. Plus, we ask if magnetic bracelets actually work. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Will the universe expand faster than the speed of light in the future? Is this even possible? Will there be a big crunch at the end? The answer's in this Question of the Week. Plus, we ask if it's possible to drink through your bottom! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

What happens insides the shell of a chrysalis? Does the caterpillar turn into a protein-y mush or does it simply grow wings? Plus, we ask what happens once the universe has finished expanding. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this buzzing Question of the Week we find out how many bees are required to cook a human bee-ing. How much honey would they need to feast on in order to achieve this feat? Plus, we ask if a caterpillar turns to mush during pupation. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

If you're standing on top of Mt Everest, will your day be brighter for longer? Will there be more sunlight and why? Plus, we ask how many bees it takes to boil an entire person! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Which would have produced more carbon: the Icelandic volcano or the planes which would have flown if it hadn't erupted? Find out in this QotW. Plus, we ask if altitude can affect the hours of daylight one experiences. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why might a person, who apparently isn't colour-blind, not be able to see red or green on a whiteboard? What is colour-blindness anyway? We try to find the answer in this Question of the Week. Plus, we ask which is worse for the environment - a few weeks of volcanic eruption or a few weeks of aviation. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why is it that some people get a bit queasy when facing backwards on a train? Find out in this QotW! Plus, we ask how it's possible that someone is unable to see coloured lines on a whiteboard. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

The moon and its fickle phases are analysed in this week's question. Does someone in Australia see the same full moon at the same time as someone in the UK? Does being on the other side of the world change the view? Plus, we ask why travelling backwards makes some people ill. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

The quest is on to find out how something can appear to roll up a hill, rather than down. Plus, we ask if the moon appears the same to viewers on either side of the planet. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We find out about the true nature of apple cores. They're not as innocent as they look. Plus, we ask how a ball can appear to move uphill. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We find out why we're often told that olive oil is better for you. Is there any truth to the advertising? Plus, we ask about the dangers of apple cores! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We explore the smells created by that wet weather phenomenon, rain. What brings about the damp, earthy smell? Plus, we ask if olive oil really is good for you. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How much and how fast would you have to let loose your intestinal gases in order to lift yourself from the ground? We work through the physics of farting! Plus, we ask why certain smells are released after it rains. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

What is the point of kissing? Does it have any benefit for us or our progeny? Plus, we ask how much you'd have to fart in order to lift yourself off the ground! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We ask why the New World wasn't technologically as advanced as the Old World. Is this a valid question? Plus, we ask what the benefits of kissing might be. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

When brushing one's dental equipment with an electric toothbrush one may notice a slight wobbling of the television images. Why does this happen? Plus, we ask why the Americas hadn't developed the same kinds of technologies as the Old World at the time of European contact. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why does one side of the brain control the other side of the body? Surely it would make more sense if the left half of the brain told the left side of the body what to do. We find out what the current thinking on this conundrum is. Plus, we ask how an electric toothbrush can disturb vision. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Many a dog has been observed barking at the television - but can they see what's going on in 'One man and his Dog'? Can they see images better on LCD TVs rather than CRT? Plus, we ask why one side of our brain is wired up to control the other side of our body. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We work out what would happen if you shone a light whilst travelling at light speed. Would you see anything? Would an observer see anything? Plus, we ask if dogs really can watch TV. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In our quest for answers we discover how memories might be encoded in genes, though probably not the sort of memories you were expecting. Plus, we ask what would happen if you shine a light whilst travelling at light speed. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

What is it that sometimes makes micturating nasally irritating? Why does asparagus make your urine smell and why might some cereals do the same thing? Plus, we ask whether memories can be handed down through generations. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why do horses go "neigh!" when donkeys "he-haw!"? And what noize do zebras make? Just because they look similar, should they sound the same? Plus, we ask how food alters the smell of your urine... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We discover some likely explanations for the different blood groups seen in humans. Is there any reason for having one blood type over another? Do other animals have them too? Plus, we ask: why do horses, donkeys and zebras all make different noises? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Crocodiles have been the same for millennia upon millennia. What's going on? Why are they so uneventful in terms of evolution? Plus, we ask why we have different blood types. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Do radio signals change as we move to and from the transmitter? Do our movements affect how a radio boradcast sounds? We find the answer in this question of the week. Plus, we ask why crocodiles haven't changed all that much in the last few million years. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We find out if it's possible to put an age on someone without a birth certificate. Given that cells regularly regenerate in the body, can you carbon date your grandmother? Plus, we ask if radio shows get doppler shifted. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week's question endeavours to find the answer to the footpath conundrum - how do worms survive in the rain? What happens if the soil dries out? Plus, we ask if it's possible to carbon-date one's grandmother... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We explore why a dog's mouth might be cleaner then a human's from the perspective of getting a bite from either. Who's got the worst oral bacteria? Plus, we ask how worms survive flooding of their soil-y burrows. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week's question is all about energy! Do our bodies manage to harvest all the energy from food or do we miss a few calories here and there? Plus, we ask whose bite is worse, dog or human? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We find out if it's possible to revise for exams, become a mechanic or pick up a new language in your sleep! Do those CDs really work? Plus, we ask how many calories our bodies actually absorb from the food we eat. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this lucrative Question of the Week we find out how paper notes and metal coins are minted and printed in the money making factories of the UK. Plus, we ask if and how subliminal CDs work... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We find out about the physics behind wet T-shirt competitions! Why is it that pale clothing becomes transparent with the addition of water? Plus, in a totally unrelated question, we ask how money is made... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this seasonal Question of the Week we explore how removing the lovely white reflective stuff might cause the whole world to warm up. Plus, we ask how wet T-shirt competitions work (the science behind it, that is)! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Got an urgent call that needs to overcome virtually infinite gravity? This Question of the Week explores if mobile calls from black holes are possible. Plus, we ask if ploughing up the snow can worsen global warming. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We discover whether life in the Cretaceous period was as seasonal as it is today. Did dinosaurs put up with leaves on the line too? Plus, we ask whether it's possible to make a call from a black hole. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We find out if evaporation works in cold weather too! Is it worth using the tumble dryer, after all? Plus, we ask if the seasons have always sat in the same part of the solar year... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We find out whether a giant hulk of steel can disrupt a bird's navigation system. Would a 350,000 ton tanker do the trick? Plus, we ask how cold it can be before hanging out the washing becomes pointless. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We find out if the old adage is true - do pets really look similar to their owners? Or is it just that we only tend to remember those that do look similar? Plus, we ask why pigeons like settling on oil tankers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this environmentally-themed QotW we find out how nations across the globe add up their greenhouse gas contributions. Does everyone do CO2 accounts in the same way? Plus, we ask why it is that pets look like their owners. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We discover why delicious chocolate is deadly for dogs. Why should they be denied the pleasure? Plus, we ask how countries measure their carbon dioxide output accurately. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We find out what would happen if you tried to use a stun gun on an elephant. Would you live to tell the tale? Plus, we ask why dogs need to avoid chocolate... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We find out how one makes more seedless grapes, bananas, oranges and watermelons when they don't have any seeds! Plus, we ask what would happen if you had the audacity to Taser(tm) an elephant... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week's question is all about the cell-zapping power of radiation. Just how much does a standard medical scan expose you to? How does that compare to the levels radiation workers are limited to receiving? Plus, we ask how seedless fruits manage to reproduce. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why is it that we serve white wines and red wines at different temperatures? Does this really affect the bouquet? Plus, we ask how many x-rays are too many. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We find out why it is we see red skies at all and the meteorology behind, Red sky at night, shepherd's delight; red sky in the morning, shepherd's warning. Is it true? Plus, we ask why different wines are served at different temperatures. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We find out how many children a sperm donor will father. Is there a limit to the number? Plus, we ask whether red skies at night really do delight shepherds. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why is it that, when your mum asks you to move the TV aerial to a better position, the signal improves while you move it about and then degrades as soon as you let go? We find out what it is that makes the signal improve when you're holding a TV aerial. Plus, we ask how many offspring a sperm donor is likely to generate... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We find out what vitreous floaters are and how they can be removed. Will a coil of wire do the trick? Plus, we ask why holding a TV aerial can improve the picture. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How do spiders make such perfect webs? Are they expert architects, mathematical geniuses or natural engineers? Plus, we ask what the floaters in our eyes are, and if we can pull them out of the way... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We find out why we were told as kids not to sit too close to the television. Is there any scientific basis to the warning? Plus, we ask how it is that spiders manage to build such intricate and regular webs without geometry equipment. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We find out how sharks, proud owners of cartilaginous skeletons, make red blood cells without the aid of bone marrow. Plus, we ask whether it's safe to get up close and personal with your television set. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Just what is the point to all those ridges and furrows set into our fingers, toes, palms and soles? We do some detective work on the answer. Plus, we ask how sharks make blood when they have bones made from cartilage. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We discover what it is that makes fewer or more waves crash against the shore each minute. Is it the tides, the sun or the number of surfers? Plus, we ask, why do we have finger prints? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We find out if and how plants might combat little nasties like bacteria and viruses. Plus, we ask what defines the frequency of ocean waves. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We find out why tattoos can hang around for a lifetime. Plus, we ask if plants have an immune system. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We find out how pacemakers keep your heart in check, even if you go running after a bus. Plus, we ask how tattoos manage to stay under your skin for so long. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We find out what it is that makes rice-based cereals so noisy. Plus, we ask how does a pacemaker know to keep step with a human heart? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We find out how developing bird embryos get their oxygen whilst trapped inside an egg. Plus, we ask what makes breakfast cereals go, "snap, crackle and pop?" Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this Question of the Week, we ask if we sneeze in our sleep? What stops us from 'atchoo'ing while we're snoozing? Plus, we ask how oxygen gets into a developing egg. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

On this Question of the Week, we askif it makes environmental sense to trade in an old car for a new one, asthere's so much embodied carbon in a car. Find out how efficient your new car would need to be to render the old one ungreen! Plus, we ask why we never sneeze in our sleep... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We clean up the science of washing powders, how they work and why stains rather than dyes are removed by them. Plus, we ask whether it is better for the environment to continue driving an old car or have a new one made. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We ask if the Earth rains outwards and loses water to space! Plus, how does laundry detergent target stains but avoid dyes? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Where would be the best place for an asteroid to strike the Earth? Would deep ocean, land or polar ice cap be the least destructive? We weigh up the options on this Question of the Week. Plus, we ask if the Earth leaks water into space. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We find out how sunflowers follow the sun as it moves from east to west and whether the bloomshave the same attraction to the moon. Plus, we ask where the best place would be for an asteroid to land. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, we ask if the human race is evolving to be less intelligent, as those with more education tend to delay breeding and have fewer children. Plus, we ask how sunflowers follow the Sun, and whether they re-set overnight! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How did the waggle dance - the complex dance that honeybees use to describe the whereabouts of good food - evolve in small steps? We find out in this Question of the Week. Plus, we ask where human evolution is taking us... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week's question jet propels us into the blue skies thinkingon passenger jet manoeuvrability. Can a large airliner perform barrel rolls and loops? We also ask, how did bee dances come about? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this Question of the Week, we ask if the positions of the Sun and Moon influence your weight - Is night time your light time, what do you weigh at midday? Diana O'Carroll finds out. Plus, we ask if it's possible to do aerobatic stunts in large passenger aircraft! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this Question of the Week, we find out if a magnetic field can stop pipes from clogging up with limescale? Many manufacturers would like us to believe that simply clamping a magnet to your plumbing is all you need for clean, free flowing water, but is the science on their side? Plus, we ask if the planets and stars align to make you weigh less at night! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

As they can't close their eyes, how do fish sleep? We find out in this Question of the Week. Plus, we ask if magnetism can really stop limescale from sticking to your pipes... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This Question of the Week is about getting to the root of toxic snake bites. Why do Aussie snakes have such a venomous reputation? Plus, we ask what goldfish get up to at night... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this week's QotW we find out what food to eat if you want to turn orange. Plus, we ask why Australian snakes are, on the whole, moretoxic than their global counterparts. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

On this Question of the Week, we ask if humans grow a winter coat, and then moult in the winter, as so many other furry animals do? Plus, if Flamingoes are pink because of their diet, can we eat to change colour? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this Question of the Week, we discover the biological basis of burns - just what does happen to your cells when you touch something hot? Plus, we ask if humans undergo seasonal moulting - do we lose more hair when it's warmer? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, we search our own databanks to find out how much energy it takes to search for something on Google. Plus, we ask what happens at a molecular level when we touch a hot object... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this special Question of the Week, we explore the reasons why trees, even when closely related an in the same environment, can have such diverse leaf shapes. Plus, we ask how much energy it takes to search the internet for answers! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why should milk 'change it's tune' when it's being steamed? In this Question of the Week, we find out why the sound of steaming milk changes abruptly at around 60C (140F), and invite you to consider Sir David Attenborough's question for next week... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Could a robotic suit make a ballerina out of a buffoon? Could technology allow ordinary people to perform extraordinary tasks? We find out in this Question of the Week. Plus, we ask why milk seems to be so musical - why does the sound of milk being steamed seem to suddenly change when the milk reaches 60 degrees Celsius? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How does spit make your shoes so shiny? A good polish needs more than just elbow grease, it needs your saliva too! We find out in this Question of the Week, and ask if it's possible to build a suit that lets you dance like a ballerina? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

You can instantly tell if there are three objects on a table, but if there are twenty, you would need to count them to be sure. Why can we spot the small groups without having to count, and how big does the group have to be for us to get out our mental abacus'? We find out in this Question of the Week, plus, we ask why should spit shine shoes so successfully? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Petrified wood is a type of fossil, but some claim to have seen wooden fence posts that have already become petrified. Is it scientifically possible for wood to fossilise in such a short period? We ask how petrified wood is formed, and what exactly does it consist of? Plus, you may instinctively be able to count three items in a pile, but how many items before you have to stop and count? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Meteorites, dust and other space rubbish is falling to Earth all the time, but does any of it ever contain life? We find out if aliens hitch a lift on space rubble in this Question of the Week. Plus, we ask how does wood become petrified? Can it happen quickly enough for us to find petrified fence posts? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

If you're given an excess of chocolate or sweets as a present, is it better for you to wolf them all down in a huge binge, or just eat a few each day to make them last? We find out what to do with your chocolate haul in this Question of the Week. Plus, we ask if amongst all the things that fall from space, have we ever found evidence for life? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

What is tryptophan, and does Turkey really make you sleepy? We find out in this seasonal Question of the Week. Plus, we ask if you should scoff down all of your Christmas chocolates in one go, or make them last all winter? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

What is it that makes us laugh? We find out what makes us giggle and keeps stand up comedians in work! Plus, we ask if eating Turkey really makes you sleepy... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Could a psychopath pass a lie detector test, if they felt no remorse for their crimes? We find out if the technology is up to finding the truth in this Question of the Week. Plus, what is it that makes us laugh? Find out how to excersise your giggle muscle next week. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this Question of the Week, we learn the correct etiquette for attending a birthday party on the Moon - Should you bring a helium balloon, or will it just be a let down? Plus, we ask if people who do not feel remorse can trick a lie detector test... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Are we the only animals who cook our food? Why do we need to cook, and if it's so good, why haven't other animals joined us at the barbeque? We find out in this Question of the Week. Plus, we ask if a helium balloon would float on the moon... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

If the human race were to become spontaneously extinct, how long would it take for all evidence of us to be wiped from the planet Earth? Will there be evidence of human activity forever, or will we disappear without a trace. Find out in this Question of the Week, where we also ask if we are the only species to cook our food... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why does time seem to go quicker as we age? It seems that the longer we live, the shorter the days seem to be. Paradoxically, sometimes the hours drag by while the weeks fly past! We find out why in this Question of the Week. Plus, we ask how long it would take to wipe all evidence of human life from the Earth... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Where should you put your bags to best balance your bike? Will groceries on the handlebars waste your pedal power, or will paniers on the back pull you backwards? We find out in this Question of the Week and also ask why time seems to go faster as you get older... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How do you get the best out of your batteries? Should you discharge them completely, or keep them permanently topped up? We find out in this Question of the Week! Plus, we ask where is the best place to balance bags on your bike - will one position make better use of your cycling effort than another, or is it better to push or pull your paniers? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why do songs, even those you hate, sound better the more you hear them? We find out why familiarity can defeat contempt in this Question of the Week, and ask if you should let your batteries run down completely to get the best performance... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why do we have different blood groups, such as A, B, O and rhesus positive or negative? Do animals have blood groups? If so, are they the same as humans, or do they have their own? We find out in this Question of the Week. Plus, we ask why songs sound better the more you hear them... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why do eyebrows and other bodily hair grow out of control as we get older? We find out why we develop a post-retirement facial forest in this Question of the Week. Plus, we ask why humans have blood types, and if any animals share this blood system with us... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Sharks seem to smell blood underwater from miles away in mere seconds - but how fast do smells really travel underwater? We find out in this Question of the Week, and ask why eyebrow hair gets out of control as we age... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Are Glow-in-the-Dark watches a radiation hazard? Should you store your best timepiece in a lead lined box? Find the answer in this Question of the Week. Plus, we ask how smells travel underwater, and how a shark can smell a drop of blood in an entire ocean... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Does our memory have a limited capacity? In this Question of the Week, we'll find out if learning something new pushes out old information and why your brain needs a regular workout. We'll also ask whether glow in the dark watches give off dangerous radiation and should be kept in lead-lined boxes! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Do we drink the same water that dinosaurs drank? Has your water passed through the countless bladders of the past? In this Question of the Week, we find out if our drinking water has been repeatedly recycled. We also ask if the human brain has a limited capacity, and if so, do we forget the old to make space for the new? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How old is the oldest organism? In this Question of the Week we find out if any organism has found the secret of eternal life, and can truly live forever. Plus, we ask if all the water on Earth has been drunk before, and how much data can our brain take before it's full? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How does the Bornean Flat-Headed Frog breathe when it has no lungs? No, it's not a bad joke, it's our Question of the Week! We find out how this marvellous little frog survives, and ask if any animals live forever, and if the water we drink today was once drunk by dinosaurs? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why are dreams so hard to remember? In this Question of the Week, we find out why your night time imagination slips away as you wake and is gone before your first coffee! Plus, we ask how certain frogs can breathe without lungs, and can anything truly live forever? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why are copper compounds so colourful? In this week's Question of the Week we find out how one metal can have so many colourful compounds, as well as a distinctive green flame. Plus, we ask why dreams are so hard to remember, even the really good ones, and how can a frog can breathe through its skin, with no help from lungs or gills? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

If you burn your Pizza to a crisp, are you're left with a low calorie (if not very tasty) meal? In this Question of the Week we find out whether cooking contributes calories to a dish, or turn your lunch into the slimmers option. Plus, we ask if a second bolt of lightning would act as a defibrillator and re-start your heart after A first strike had stopped it, and ask why copper comes in countless colours? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Being struck by lightning can be a heart-stopping experience - but could a second strike re-start your heart? In this question of the week, we find out if a bolt could act as a defibrillator, and if your body could take it! Plus, we ask why copper comes in different colours, and why we can't remember our dreams. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Most fish live in either freshwater or saltwater, but some live in both. In this Question of the Week we find out how these fish manage to avoid becoming too salty or too watery. Also, we ask if you burn your food, do the calories go up in smoke, and if a second lightning strike can act as a defibrillator, re-starting your heart after the first bolt stopped it?! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How do you make a didgeridoo do what it does do? For this week's QotW, we find out how the length and shape of the instrument and the skill of the player affects the sound of a didgeridoo. Plus, we ask how fish can cope with both fresh and salt water, and if burning your pizza can turn it into a low-calorie equivalent of its former self! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

If we ever do find alien life around other stars, just how would E.T. phone home? We find out what technology we would need to communicate with our nearest stars, and the practical limitations. Plus, we seek the secrets of the didgeridoo, and ask if salt water fish have more permeable skin. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How long was a big dino's lifespan? On this week's Question of the Week, we find out how many candles a dinosaur birthday cake would have, and how we can tell from only fossilised remains. Also, we ask, what technology will we need to communicate with nearby stars (assuming we find anything to communicate with) and how does the shape of a didgeridoo affect it's sound? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Wearing earplugs may help to cut out external noises, but why does it make it impossible to eat crunchy crisps? In this Question of the Week, we find out why earbud headphones make internal noises so loud, and ask how long did a dinosaur live, and what technology will we need to communicate with life around other stars? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

What keeps the Olympic torch alight, in flight? To keep the Olympic spirit burning, it must need to travel on aeroplanes, but how do you keep a naked flame burning, while keeping other passengers safe? We find out from one of the designers of the Sydney Olympic Torch. Plus, we ask why earplugs seem to amplify your internal noises, and they may have all died out, just how long did a dinosaur live? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

When will we run out of oil? In the 1970s, it was predicted that oil wells would run dry by the year 2000, but new reserves were discovered. So in this week's Question we find out how long we have left, and if rising oil prices will make difficult reserves more productive. Also we ask how the Olympic torch stays lit in flight, and why do earplugs keep outside noises out, but make internal noises unbearably loud? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Should you turn off the TV in a thunderstorm? In this electrifying Question of the Week we find out if an attached aerial attracts lightning, or if it's safe to ride out the storm in front of your set. Plus, we ask if we might find new reserves of oil, and how do we keep the Olympic torch alight mid-flight? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How long would you survive sealed in a compact car? Is there enough oxygen to survive your journey, or should you just open a window to avoid suffocating on your own expelled gas? Also, we ask if lightning should interrupt your television viewing - should you unplug your TV in a storm? And we make an oil enquiry - how do we know that we'll run out of oil? How do we know we won't find more? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Should you drink wine in the desert? Would an alcoholic drink dehydrate you faster than no drink at all? If so, should you let the alcohol evaporate first, and how long would this take? This is the subject of this week's answer, and we ask how long you could survive in a sealed car, and should you switch off your TV in a lightning storm? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

For this week's Question, we find out why it is that although some people speak with a strong accent, this almost completely disappears when they sing. Could it be that there are language lessons to learn from singing Karaoke? Plus, we ask how long you could survive on the air in a sealed car, and if you're dying of thirst would drinking wine help, or finish you off? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

On this week's Question of the Week, we plunge into a question about tides! We find out how the tide times are worked out to the nearest minute, and why anyone would need such precision. Plus, we ask why your spoken and singing accents may not match, and if you're trapped in the desert, is it better to drink wine than drink nothing at all? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, we tackle the hirsute - will clean, trimmed hair grow quickly? Can you slow the growth with neglect? We find out if cut hair grows back quicker and thicker, or if that's just an urban myth. Also, we ask how tide times are so precise, and why people lose their accent when they sing... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Our question this week concerns caves - we find out if more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere causes caves to grow quicker. Could an acidic atmosphere create cathedral-sized caverns? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, we find out if our noses tell us the truth. Does a strong smell mean a lot of odour in the air, or can we be tricked by small smells? In short, does our sense of smell have a sense of scale? Also, we ask if more carbon dioxide in the air leads to bigger caves in the ground, and can you slow the growth of your hair by not having it cut? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Books can hold stories, knowledge, ideas and memories - but what about the smell? So on this week's QotW - What gives an old book that distinctive smell? Also, we ask how we perceive the 'size' of an odour, and if there's more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere - is it leading to bigger caves? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, we find out how Electric Eels avoid a self-shock when stunning their prey, and we ask some smelly questions; what gives an old book it's distinctive smell, and does a strong smell mean a lot of odour in the air, or do our noses play tricks on us? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, we find out how they manufacture oxygen on the International Space Station - a technique that astronauts must be 'over the moon' about! Plus, we ask how electric eels avoid self-shocking, and what gives a well loved old book that distinctive smell? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, we find out if an aeroplane on a treadmill could the plane still take off, and ask how air is made in space, and if electric eels suffer from self-shock syndrome... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, we find out if a fatter cyclist free-wheels faster than a thinner cyclist, and ask if an aeroplane runway is replaced with a treadmill, can the plane still take off? Also, how is oxygen recycled on the international space station? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we find out why boomerangs keep coming back, and ask would a plane on a treadmill still take off, and who gets to the bottom of a hill first - a freewheeling fat or thin cyclist? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists