The Naked Scientists Podcast

Before Covid, the bacterial infection "tuberculosis" was the number 1 infectious disease killer on the planet. Every day it claims the lives of thousands, with the impact particularly marked in lower income countries which account for 80% of the cases. But that doesn't mean that richer countries are off the hook. As people migrate, and wars displace refugees, Western countries are seeing a rising trend in new TB cases, particularly of highly drug-resistant forms of the infection. So this week we're looking at new ways to combat one of the oldest and most fearsome infections on the planet... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In the news this week, the novel gene therapy for epilepsy which reduces side effects, how birdsong can provide listeners with a mental health boost, we take a terrifying tour of Cambridge University's Botanic Garden, and hear about how Aluminium formate could bring carbon capture to the masses... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We mark the clocks going back with a look at our circadian rhythms: that's the mechanism by which our bodies mark time and keep our biological processes ticking over. Some drugs work better at certain times of the day, so why isn't this tested in clinical trials? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In the news this week, a new health study of unprecedented scale launches in the UK to improve disease detection, CAR-T therapy is administered without tailoring it specifically to the patient, the shock experienced by the scientist studying buzzing bees, computer games show signs of improving cognition in youngsters, and we delve deep into the ocean for signs of evolution happening before our eyes... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

A trip to the British seaside to see a See Monster - that's the title for the decommissioned gas platform turned art installation attempting to fuel new discussions around reuse and renewable energy in Weston super Mare. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Coming up this week... how bacteria could be supercharging cancer cells, the ghost fishing nets laying waste to our oceans, and could capturing carbon underground hold the key to our net zero ambitions? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, the latest research findings on Long Covid. What did a study on over a million people reveal about who's at risk of the condition and for how long? What research is now being done to discover the cause, and what role do reactivating dormant viruses like EBV, more normally the cause of glandular fever, play in the disease? Plus, the doctor disabled by two doses of Covid explains how her life has changed... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Coming up this week in the news, the advanced warning signs ten years ahead that Alzheimer's might be on the way, the exoskeleton boot that learns how you walk and helps you go faster, and the sleeping bacteria that can count themselves awake... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is an industrial process undertaken to access pockets of gas locked inside rock formations underground. It's seen by its proponents as a vital part of the solution to the current energy crisis, particularly as on-going tensions with Russia mean gas supply security looks very uncertain and remains very expensive. Critics, however, have pointed to environmental concerns and contest how much it could actually reduce energy prices. So, we're going to remove party politics from this contentious topic and see what the science has to say. We're sorting fract, from... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In the news, we dissect the achievements of the Nobel prize winners for science and medicine, ask whether paracetamol causes behavioural problems in children, and hear about the disturbance caused by cockatoos in Sydney's suburbs... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week the Naked Scientists have been in the City of Science - Trieste - to take part in their annual science festival and speak to some of the researchers pushing back the frontiers of knowledge in this beautiful part of northeastern Italy. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In the programme this week, we look at the plastic that sterilises itself, why sweeteners are worse for you than sugar, and how will seagrass react to climate change? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, it is time to put your questions to a panel of excellent experts in one of our Q&A shows! We are going to be investigating if truth serum really exists, what would happen if the Earth stopped rotating, and just how much nutrition is there in the human brain? Plus, we have a science quiz based on today in history and going back to school. See how you fare against our experts... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week's show conveys how surprisingly susceptible science is to dogma. We uncover the alarming oversights which have mitigated progress in disciplines like zoology and medicine for decades. Corrupted for years by false assumptions, the failings in these fields can be extremely difficult to overturn. We hear from scientists going against the grain to dispel mainstream myths from their respective areas of study, and also provide a protocol for dodging dogmas moving forward... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

A massive archeological find has been making headlines all over the news this week. Plus, 'breakfast like a king, dine like a pauper', is there any truth to the old saying? And are video GP consultations safe enough to be a permanent fixture in medical practice? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

When it comes to treating diseases, we often think of lifestyle changes, pills and procedures. What often isn't considered is poo. But this week, the NICE guidelines - which recommend treatments for use in the NHS - were updated so people who have a recurring gut infection caused by the Clostridium difficile superbug are eligible to receive a transplant of healthy stool in a procedure called fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) - sometimes dubbed a "transpoosion" - to aid their recovery. This procedure alters the balance of bacteria living in the gut, helping to hold the bad bugs in check... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In the news this week: mRNA vaccine giants Moderna and Pzfizer face a legal battle over potential technology infringements, and a new study explains how small talk with strangers before working together can improve strategic interactions. Plus, we hear about research suggesting cannabis use doesn't impact an indivduals motivation, the biggest animal alliance outside human beings, and the hot take on cancer risk in coffee drinkers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We're looking into where our water comes from, and how modern technology could help us better conserve the precious resources we have to be more prepared for future dry periods. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In the news this week: the medical breakthrough of a potential malaria vaccine; we find out how sewage is polluting our beaches but may also help us cope with a sulphur shortage; and a way to immunise the brain against misinformation... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

The scale of space is difficult to grasp: a trip to Mars would take 7 months, and for Jupiter you are talking years. But a scaled-down sculpture trail of our solar system offers a planetary tour on a more manageable scale. Plus we discuss living on Mars, exploding stars, and what the beautiful images flowing from the James Webb Space Telescope are showing to us... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists