The Naked Scientists Podcast

This week, we investigate the HIV preventative measure PrEP, which could be turning the tide on new infection rates - but is it safe to buy online? Plus, the toughest ever spider's web, a journey back through the history of language and the plant that could help clean up our oceans. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

What's the difference between a meteorite, meteoroid, a comet and an asteroid? We tell you how to find your own space rock here on Earth, and hear from a scientists tracking where space rocks come down in the Australian outback. Plus, why quinoa could feed the world in future, and is vaping safer than smoking, or a gateway for a fresh legion of teen smokers? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Do giraffes get struck by lightning? What's the highest number a person could count to? How do animals have sex underwater? Chris Smith teams up with Tim Revell, Richard Hollingham, Chris Basu and Danielle Green to tackle your science questions, which range from the bottom of the ocean to outer space! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Could a light in your brain cure epilepsy, or send you to sleep? The Naked Scientists investigate the mysterious field of optogenetics, and the treatments it promises to bring. Plus, news of a cancer-detecting artificial intelligence and a vaccination to fight fake news. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

The light bulb is a hundred-year-old technology whose time is finally up. This week, we shine a little light on its replacement to find out what makes it such a compelling alternative and look to the next revolution in lighting. Plus, how scientists are turning to robotics to treat heart failure, the death of NASA astronaut and last man on the Moon, Gene Cernan and do you really eat spiders in your are sleep? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, The Naked Scientists take a look at the science of laughter, asking why we like to laugh, hearing what babies find funny and meeting a joke-building robot. Plus, news of a gene editing technique taking on a deadly disease and a record-breaking knot. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Does being angry increase your risk of a heart attack? What's a psychopath? And how much does a single cell weigh? This week, Chris Smith answers your questions with Stuart Higgins, Maud Borensztein, Kyle Treiber and James Rudd. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

The Naked Scientists celebrate the dawn of 2017 with a look at their best bits from 2016, including: the science breakthrough of the year, how to use psychology to get a date and why it pays to look on the bright side. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week: is there anybody out there or are we alone in the Universe? Graihagh Jackson ponders one of the fundamental questions of humanity, from flying saucers and UFOs to why we haven't found any evidence and what it would mean to find ET. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Supported by an all-star scientific cast of luminaries and willing volunteers the Naked Scientists celebrate the holidays with the 12 scientific days of Christmas. From why 9 ladies like to dance to making those 6 geese eggs into bouncy balls... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Chris is joined by Giles Yeo, Roger Buckley, Andrew Pontzen and Kerstin Goepfrich, and they enjoy a mince pie or two while answering listener questions, including: why isn't love blinding; are glasses or contacts better for your eyes and what would happen if you brought a thimble of neutron star to earth? Plus, the team discuss the supposed benefits of the Mediterranean diet and debate the worst science movie mistakes. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Antibiotics are chemicals that kill bacteria but leave us unharmed. However, bacteria are evolving so that our drugs no longer kill them. If this trend continues, the treatable are going to become untreatable... How serious would this scenario be, though? We'll be putting the problem under the microscope this week. Plus in the news, the UK's new Snooper's Charter, the man modelling vascular diseases in a dish, and what happens in your brain when you talk to God... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week: alien hunting! Life here on Earth uses DNA, but why, and would aliens be made of the same stuff? Plus, news of how your gut microbes are controlling your genes, a new way to fight phobias, and we get a sneak peek at where the first human colonists of Mars might live... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week the show comes to you from the Royal Institute of Navigation's annual International Conference, with a look at the future of navigation. From the trousers that can track your every move to the spacecraft charting their way through the Universe. Plus, how does GPS work, and are we ready for driverless cars? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week on the Naked Scientists, we've gathered the bright and the brainy to answer your science questions, from why ants are stealing your toenail clippings to what's between your internal organs and could you survive being eaten by a snake? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week on the Naked Scientists we're exploring our human story, from the use of tools and fire, to ritualistic behaviour. Where did we come from and what makes us special? Chris Smith is joined by some of the world's best fossil experts including one man who's discovered two of our caveman ancestors, and a scientist who can get the original tissues out of remains that are millions of years old. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Have you ever wondered why some people enjoy being absolutely petrified by horror films? This week, The Naked Scientists investigate the spooky science of the genre: what does fear look like in the brain, how do you compose the most terrifying soundtrack and can we use psychology to engineer the perfect scare? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Kat and Chris are turning the lights down low in search of darkness. 80% of Europeans and Northern Americans now can't see the Milky Way. But does this extra light pollution matter? It doesn't harm anyone, or does it? Plus in the news, with the US presidential elections fast approaching, we see what we can learn from animals when it comes to picking a leader. And, do you really lose most of your heat through your head? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week we step out of the lab and into the hospital to celebrate one of our most treasured institutions. We find out about the technology that could be changing the future of healthcare and Connie tries her hand as a medical student. Plus, a potential treatment for Sickle Cell disease and do ice baths really soothe sore muscles? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Alzheimer's: A third of the population may be destined to develop this form of dementia, which robs people of their memories and independence. So what causes it, and what can we do about it? Plus in the news, NICE approves a new drug for an aggressive form of lung cancer, we've got the lowdown on the Nobel prizes, and how a computer code has been released online that could be using your devices to launch cyber attacks. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists