It's 150 years since Darwin's theory of Evolution was presented to the Linnean Society, and so we've Naturally Selected the Science of Evolution! We find out why scientists have revisited a textbook example of natural selection in action, find out why horny sheep are gambling on good weather and how bacteria in the lab can evolve into a new species! We find out why tragedy almost kept Darwin's ideas from ever being seen, by looking at the archives of his own letters. Plus, why crocodiles chat from inside their eggs, a new way to send messages underwater and why Martian soil would be good for growing cabbages! And in kitchen science we find out which surface is best for keeping ice cool.

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

Mirrors, Magnets and Meteorites make an appearance in this week's Naked Scientists Question and Answer Show. We find out how the immune system could be convinced to fight skin cancer, how future MRI scans could be in colour, and why easy-clean computer keyboards could help keep MRSA out of hospitals. We answer your questions about inhaling helium, wind turbines, bacteria and the molecular basis of mirrors. Plus, in Kitchen Science Dave sets us the Balloon Kebab Challenge!

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

Get Red Hot and Dirty with the Naked Scientists as we explore the science of volcanoes. We discover how the heat from hot rocks can be used to work out what gases are emerging, how likely a volcano is to erupt and whether it will go with a bang or a whimper. We also hear how hot runny rock can shatter under pressure to trigger an earthquake, and dip into the cooler, dirtier world of mud Volcanoes, like Lusi, which is currently pouring millions of gallons of mud onto the island of Java. Plus, we find out how a small date plant made history by being the oldest seed ever to germinate, why the paper of the future could be as tough as iron, and, in Kitchen Science, Ben and Dave provoke an eruption of their own!

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

Ancient Greece is on the naked scientists' menu this week as we travel back in time to 1200 BC to discover how modern science and a 3000 year old poem have solved an ancient riddle. A team of classicists, geologists and archaeologists claim to have found the island of Ithaca, home of the legendary Greek hero Odysseus. Digging further into the past we also hear how geophysics can help archaeologists to see what lies buried underground but without having to lift a trowel. We also learn how dormant brain stem cells can be brought back to life, why it's not just size that is important when it comes to brains, and the mind-controlling parasite that turns its host first into an egg-incubator and then into a bodyguard. Plus, in Kitchen Science, savouring the Greek flavour, Ben and Dave recreate the science of the original Naked Scientist, Archimedes, and find out whether a heap of gold coins are the real thing...

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

Footballs in space, mind-controlled machines and long-lasting bubbles join your questions on this week's Naked Scientists Question and Answer show. We discover the feminine side of prostate cancer and the robot that can walk up walls, and also hear how a computer has designed the next generation of mosquito repellents. Plus, we revisit the Phoenix mission on Mars, and also find out how surfing the internet can contribute more carbon to climate change than surfing the skies in an aeroplane! Plus, in Kitchen Science, Dave demonstrates a psychedelic effect with some milk.

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

Hours before NASA's phoenix mission was due to land on Mars, the Naked Scientists took our own tour of the Martian landscape. We discuss how looking in valleys could tell us what shaped the Martian surface, and how probing Martian mud could reveal signs of life past and present. Also, we find out how scientists have watched the explosive death of a star, and how an asteroid collision millions of miles away could have seen the birth of the meteorite that killed off the dinosaurs. Plus, in Kitchen Science, we show you how to make weightless water!

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

Come with us on a tour of your body to discover how the bacteria that live on and in you play an important role! Bad breath bacteria, good gut bugs and the ones that escape through the other end all make an appearance, as we find out how bacteria are essential to your health and how probiotics could prevent or even treat asthma and allergies. Plus, we find out how clot busting drugs could treat brain haemorrhages, why pilot whales are the cheetahs of the sea and how a robot could give you a full head of hair. Plus, in a smelly kitchen science we ask if coughs and sneezes can spread diseases, then what about flatulence?

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

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

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

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

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

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

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

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

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

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

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

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

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

This week we visit the Historic city of Edinburgh to put Scottish science under the microscope! We discover the incredible magnetic bacteria and find out how their bio-nano-magnets could help treat cancer. We find out how satellite images can help predict outbreaks of cholera, and talk about the twist in the tale of TB - drug resistant Tuberculosis has now been found in the UK, so what is this disease and how can we hope to treat it? Also, how scientists have used cloned stem cells to treat Parkinson's disease in mice, how a whiff of anaesthetic could sooth traumatic memories and why bonobo apes play it safe while chimps like to gamble. Plus, in Kitchen Science we find out how yeast makes fluffy bread and fizzy beer!

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

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

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

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

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

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

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

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

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

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

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

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

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

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

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

In this week's not-to-be-sniffed-at infectious episode of the naked scientists, we find out the facts of flu, including how the virus hijacks your cells, how new strains of the virus emerge to trigger epidemics and pandemics, and how scientists can combat the threat with vaccines. Also under the microscope is a new technique to identify viruses within just 2 hours, providing patients with a fast track to the right treatment! Also, how bone marrow transplants can overcome organ rejection, how to stop a terrorist with a mobile phone, and the new material 30 times blacker than our current blackest black! Plus, in kitchen science, we'll be pouring cold water on claims of centrifugal force...

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

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

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

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

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

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

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

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

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

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

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

Ho Ho Ho! This week on the Naked Scientists we're celebrating the festive season in style, with a party right here in the studio. From Christmas crackers to Brussels sprouts, we'll be looking at some of the science behind Christmas. We'll be learning about snowflakes and how these sub-zero designs are created, we'll find out what your choice of Christmas card says about you, and we'll reveal the best way to cook your sprouts, ensuring your family get all the nutrition they can this Christmas. Also, in Kitchen science we'll be getting you to butter bread and throw it off your kitchen counter in the name of science!

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

This week, we take on your science questions, tackling the sticky subject of how glue works, the explosive potential of underground uranium and the problems with performance enhancing-football shirts. We look into gastroenteritis and find out how just one gram of vomit could infect one million people, and if that hasn't put you off your food, how acrylamide, found in toast and other tasty foods, may cause cancer. Plus, how the future of the paperback could be plastic, and in Kitchen Science we tell you the easy way to keep mirrors mist-free - using only soap!

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

This week we learn about Alzheimer's disease, how it changes the brain and may be caused by the virus which causes cold sores. We probe your grey matter to find out how memory works, what goes wrong to give us false memories, and the science behind earworms - the songs that we can't get out of our heads! Also, GM plants that can survive a drought, why future chewing gum may contain magnolia bark and how a mirror can kill phantom limb pain. Plus, in Kitchen Science, we fool our senses with some plastic, some paper and a carpet!

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

This week, we bring you the highlights of the Naked Scientists trip to South Africa. We explore what life is like in the poor regions of Johannesburg, and how the frightening reality of HIV and AIDS offers a silver lining in prevention research. Plus, In a journey through our evolutionary history, we come face to face with the two-and-a-half million year old Taung child, one of the most important human ancestor fossils ever found. Also, we find out why a moon like ours is rare in the universe, how opals get their colours and how mice choose a mate by smelling their wee. And in kitchen science, we learn how to throw your voice huge distances with the aid of a satellite dish.

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

This week on the Naked Scientists we cross hemispheres to explore galaxies far far away. Chris presents live from Johannesburg to discuss the South African Large Telescope whilst back in the studio we explore the effects of space travel on the body, the expansion of our universe and the possibilities of another planet earth. We also investigate effects on our hearing and bring you a special kitchen science that could be out of this world.

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

This week on the Naked Scientists we seek solutions to your science questions. From finding the site of the big bang to repairing the retina, mirages on the motorway to fruit fireworks in your microwave. We also find out why staying in bed could help you keep slim, we explore the genes that let flies get drunk, and discover the source of the so-called "Oh My God! Particles", which have 100 million times more energy than in our biggest particle accelerators. Also, we catch up with the latest in robotic cars and learn about the micro-microwave being used for analysis in the field. Plus, in a live Kitchen Science, Dave finds out when is the best time to add milk, and still have the hottest tea.

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

This week on the Naked Scientists, we're probing the origins of man and pursuing the spread of humans around the world. We find out how to date a hobbit, discover how an enormous flood formed the English Channel, and examine the evidence for when ancient humans first used fire. We also tune into the world's smallest nano-sized radio, talk to the two men who flew over Mt Everest on paragliders and in Kitchen Science, we show you how to re-light your fire!

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

This week on the Award Winning Naked Scientists we find out about stem cells and cloning. We discuss the elusive 'stemness' that allows cells to specialise, and learn about cloning in the post-Dolly the sheep era. We also find out how genetics has revealed that Neanderthals were redheads, how soap affects shoals of fish and some turtles come equipped with anti-roll bars. We also pay a visit to the Manchester Science Festival for a chat with Johnny Ball, and in Kitchen Science, we "clone at home" and find out the future of the humble banana.

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

This week, we delve inside atoms to find out what matter is made of, and how smashing them together can tell us about the birth of the universe. We learn about quarks, antimatter and the 'god particle' and discover that scientists are actually trying to build a black hole in the lab! Also, nano-wires give us the world's smallest solar cells, we hear about glue from mussels that sticks to teflon and the genes that tell you when to wee. Plus Meera peers inside the Dead Sea scrolls without even having to unroll them, using x-rays called 'synchrotron light', and Ben and Dave show you how to conduct your own particle physics experiment, using an old TV set and a magnet!

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

This week, we're taking on your science questions. We find out how cockroaches and ants avoid the heat in a microwave oven, how best to protect yourself from lightning and why a light box can save you from a SAD winter. Also, a table decoration inspired, radiation-resistant spaceship design to keep astronauts healthy, how the contraceptive pill hurts A lapdancers' looks and why penguins prefer to go fishing with their pals. Plus, in Kitchen Science, Dave explains how to make a detector for the Earth's magnetic field - a home made compass! But will it work in space? And what will happen when the Earth's magnetic field swaps round? We answer all these questions and more.

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

This week, we're quenching our thirst for knowledge with the science of Beer and Brewing! We learn about how beer is made, why nitrogen is vital for the perfect pint of Guinness and why professors of brewing think they have the best job in the world. We also delve into the natural history of beer, to discuss the age old argument, what came first, the beer or the bread? We look into the future of beer, finding out how the chemistry of carbon dioxide could provide a purer pint. Also, a spicy way to specifically kill pain, saving slight with plastic corneas, and the hot, smelly sex lives of ancient plants. Plus, in Kitchen Science, Ben goes for the hard stuff by learning about distillation and the science of scotch.

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

This week, we're exploring the science of Smart Materials - we discover a Super-Non-Stick coating that even honey wont stick to and flexible plastic paper with E-Ink that we-writes itself on demand. We learn how potatoes could form the basis of future plastics and a new way to think about 'bone china', as ceramics and polymers could replace your broken bones. Also, we discover where sea turtles spend their childhood, how a microRNA gene switch could put the brakes on the spread of cancer and how thousands of cases of breast cancer could be avoided without medication. Plus, in Kitchen Science, we show you how a simple cotton handkerchief can hold back a torrent of water!

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

This week, robots have taken over the Naked Scientists! Okay, not really but we are looking into the world of robotics to find robots that can clean your floor, disarm bombs and wage war on our behalf. We find out about 'Curious George', a robot that can locate objects in the real world even though it's only ever seen them online, and ask if artificial intelligence will give us free thinking machines or murderous intellects? We also find out about how robots have revolutionised the study of genetics, learn about a mini movie showing the formation of blood platelets in real time, and uncover the oldest human remains ever found outside of Africa. Plus, we explore how a lightning strike acts as a particle accelerator, the science behind the perfect cake mix and in Kitchen Science Ben and Dave explain the principle behind a robot's knees - by showing you how to make an electromagnet!

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

This week we're bringing you the very best bits from the BA Festival of Science in York. We discover a chewing gum that dissolves in the wash but still keeps your breath fresh, get some good news about cancer and find out why jogging may not be good for heart patient recovery if it's near a busy road. Also, Chris risks his health to find out about plague control in 17th Century York, and chocolate may be nicer than it is naughty, as Roger Corder explains how it could be good for your health. Out and about in the festival, Meera explores the psychology of commuter cooperation during the 2005 London bombings, tunes in to non-contact musical instruments and gets immersed in pure colour. Plus, we tackle your questions about good viruses, antioxidants and the Aurora Borealis. In Kitchen science Ben & Dave explore the physics behind a football and find out how to 'Bend it like Beckham.'

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

This week, we look at the latest science news and tackle more of your questions. We uncover the source of the asteroid that finished off the dinosaurs, find out how moray eels eat like aliens, and although we know that breast is best, could nicotine in smokers' breast milk be affecting childrens' behaviour? Also, is the future of formula one eco-friendly? Meera investigates race cars running on biofuels and built from hemp and cashew nuts! We discuss award winning beards, eerie glowing fish and what makes for a long life. Plus, we find out what to expect at this year's BA Festival of Science in York, and in Kitchen Science Dave demonstrates how a pair of paperbacks can be stronger than a quarterback.

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

This week, Chris and Co are back from their holidays! So they're tackling their bulging mailbag of your questions. We discuss how scientists have been given the green light to cross human DNA with animal cells all in the name of medicine, eavesdroppers in your garden - the plants that respond to sound, and the world's smallest thermometer - only one molecule! We also tackle questions on keeping your beer cool on the beach, massive melons and the horticultural properties of wee. We find out about how radio shows can give Pygmies a voice and how anyone can have an out of body experience now that scientists have discovered how to trick your senses into making them happen. Plus, in Kitchen Science, Dave shows us how to make eerie music with a wine glass!

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

This week, we look back at more of the very best bits of Naked Science. We find out why scientists are swollen with success after discovering spider venom with Viagra-like properties, We meet a cow that produces skimmed milk straight from the udder, we remember a way to improve brain function and ask if a hot mint will still taste cold? Also - It's curtains for us! Joel Veitch explains why we should measure hazardicity in 'Curtains', we hear about some very clever birds who make plans for the future and we probe the hole in the ozone layer. Plus, we have two of the best kitchen science experiments - finding out how to make a jar of dry rice sticky, and if a beer belly can stop a bullet!

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

This week, we look back at some of the juiciest bits of Naked Science from the last series. We find out how an iPod became an iRod to conduct lightning, discover an electrifying bikini and find out why teenagers feel so misunderstood, not that they're 'bovvered' about the answer. We discuss wine as an essential part of an healthy diet, find out about the people who feel no pain and explore why you can immediately tell an Aussie from an American or a Londoner from a Liverpudlian, just by learning about the way accents are formed. Plus, in Kitchen Science we find out how to turn an oven shelf into a beautiful musical instrument.

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

This week, do diet foods make children fat? Could a space screw save us from catastrophe collisions? Have we seen the last of the Yangtze river dolphin? And should we look to the Simpsons for our science? Writer Al Jean explains that, despite the three eyed fish and three fingered hands, it's one of the most science literate shows on television. Also, as it's our Summer Special Question and Answer show we tackle your questions ranging from rising cakes to rising heart rates, why the moon looms larger on the horizon and why magnets make bad television. Plus, in kitchen science we investigate the mystery of Mr Matey's colour changing bubble bath!

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

This week, mind reading children, scientists find a new gene in the lung cancer cocktail, and satnav or map-nav - what's greener? Plus we become biological weapons inspectors and explore nature's arsenal of venoms, poisons and toxins, including a scorpion's sting that can highlight cancer, how funnel web spiders are helping farmers fight off insect pests, the marine cone snail that harbours a painkiller ten thousand times more powerful than morphine, and how a snake bite can help to prevent a heart attack. Meanwhile, in Kitchen Science, Ben samples a more everyday toxin - by making stinging nettle tea.

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

This week, clean coal technology - how to get the energy from coal without digging it up, why GM goats are helping to combat nerve gas attacks, and how scientists have found the 'itch' gene. We also find out why smog causes heart disease, how seafood in space can help to heal astronauts, and the weight of leaves on an average tree. Plus Drs Chris and Phil take a look at your science questions including 'tasting' music, the best way to dry your washing and can the moon affect the shapes of weather systems? In Kitchen Science Ben and Dave explain how to make a lens with a plastic bottle and some water.

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

This week, we find out about survival in extreme environments. We find out how free divers descend hundreds of feet underwater without air, how life thrives beneath the ice in Antarctica, how fighter pilots combat G-forces to avoid blackouts, and how the body copes with exercising at the top of Everest. Also, discover the benefit of breaks between bouts of exercise, how geckos hold the key to underwater post-it notes, and a gene that lets you chat whilst listening to the radio.

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

This week, from iPod to iRod as a man's taste for music turns him into a human lightning conductor, why penguins are picky eaters, and better biopsies - why doctors are attracted to a new magnetic cancer detection system. Also a fuel made from fructose that packs a punch like petrol, we find out how to make hydrogen on demand using aluminium, and grow your own gas - do we have enough land to grow our energy in future? Plus, in Kitchen Science, we turn vegetable oil into biodiesel and ask a white van man to test it...

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

This week news that men talk as much as women, cosmetics from jellyfish, songbirds "greatest-tits", a breathtaking asthma breakthrough and a gene-screen for bowel cancer. We also uncover the cause of contagious yawns, probe the brain basis of epilepsy and manic depression, and uncover a brain region responsible for out of body experiences. Plus, in Kitchen Science, Ben and Dave find out why the raisins always rise to the top of the cereal box.

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

This week, playing bingo on an inflatable space station, a new way to attack the cause of Alzheimer's and mending a broken heart with stem cells. Also, using bananas to speed up fruit ripening, leeches out of water and chemical tricks to stop smoking and iron out wrinkles. Plus, in Kitchen Science we vibrate our way to a fountain in a cup!

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

This week a rabies-based Trojan Horse that smuggles drugs across the blood-brain barrier, why first-borns are brighter, progress with Parkinson's and a lunar telescope more powerful than Hubble. Plus in this week's ARMAGEDDON-focused show we look at supervolcanes, earthquakes and arsenic, find out why curtains are absolutely lethal and why a meteorite impact probably didn't dispense with the dinosaurs after all. Also, in Kitchen Science, we test the claim that tapping the top of a fizzy drink before you open it stops it spraying all over you...

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

Under the microscope this week, the science of forensics. We find out how scientists have exploded the myth about old aged whales thanks to a piece of shrapnel, about a new rice-based vaccine for cholera, and 'whey' to go, how scientists have made edible food wrappers from milk. We investigate what your diet does to your hair, how science can finger forgers and flush out bodies from bogs, and why the key to identifying a torso that washed up in the Thames was rooted in plant science. Plus, in Kitchen Science, we arm Ben with a rifle to find out how fat you'd have to be to stop a speeding bullet with your belly...

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

This week, why some people have green blood, how radiation-hungry fungi will feed astronauts of the future, and how a cider a day keeps the doctor at bay. We discuss corrupt chemists, what happens when galaxies collide, how Beaujolais benefits your breath and if a person can feel the cold in space. Plus, in Kitchen Science we iron out the crumbs in your cornflakes!

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

This week, will a hot mint still taste cold? Also how skimmed milk could come straight from the cow in future, and why we walk upright without dragging our knuckles. Nicky Clayton discusses clever birds that use cigarettes to fumigate their feathers, Tim Clutton-Brock describes the family affairs of meerkats, and we find out from Andrew Smith why monkeys see what we see, but cats and cows can't. Plus, in Kitchen Science, we get jiggly with a jam jar full of rice.

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

This week, Drs Chris and Helen find out how your fingers can reveal whether you're mathematically minded, and bridge-building ants that quite literally let themselves be walked over. Also, Astronomer Carolin Crawford takes us on a foray into outer space to discover the shape of the universe, we meet a geyser so tall that it spurts into space, and we Join Maggie Turnbull as she searches for nearby planets that could sustain life. Plus, in Kitchen Science, how to measure the speed of light using a microwave oven!

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

This week, scientists recreate hair follicles, we uncover a means of making hydrogen in a hurry, hear about a stealthy way to destroy cancer and find out why a dose of herpes could be good for you. Also, John Grattan describes the biggest atmospheric pollution event in history, we discover with Rod Jones the role of water in the greenhouse effect, and Jonathan Shanklin tell us the 'hole' story of the ozone layer. Plus, in Kitchen Science, we make a cloud in a bottle!

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

This week, Dr Chris and Dr Helen explore the microscopic world, finding out why diarrhoea and projectile vomiting make cruise ships the perfect culture vessel for noroviruses, and asking why fungi are so important for great tasting chocolate. Also, we look at giving yeast a sense of smell, predict the weather for a planet 63 light years away, and size up the world's smallest scales, which are capable of weighing a single bacterium. Meanwhile, in Kitchen Science, we looked at toilet seats and kitchen surfaces to see which harboured the most bacteria, and came in for a nasty surprise!

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

This week Drs Chris, Dave and Phil find out how a venomous spider has got scientists swollen with excitement because it's bite has Viagra-like properties, how maggots are fighting off MRSA from ulcers, and NASA are testing their next generation telescope aboard a jumbo jet. The docs also explore the science of getting geostationary satellites into space, the basis of bacterial intelligence, and how much water trees drink on a hot day. Plus, in kitchen science, Dave and Ben put their heads in a box...to find out how a pinhole camera works.

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

This week we're exploring how populations come by their genes including the surprise finding of African DNA in a remote village in Yorkshire. Oxford University's Bruce Winney explains how studying rural populations in Britain is helping to uncover genes linked to different diseases, and Turi King, from Leicester University, discusses what your Y chromosome says about your surname. Plus we'll be hearing how Cambridge scientist Mike Majerus is putting evolution to the test with the help of the peppered moth, and in kitchen science, more jam tomorrow as Ben and Dave show you a trick with a rolling jar.

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

This week on the Naked Scientists an invitation to come and dive beneath the surface of the sea, to find out what is happening in the world's oceans. Your guides will be Marine Biologist Dr Annelise Hagan (University of Cambridge) and Ecology and Evolutionary Biologist Dr Stan Harpole (University of California, Irvine). Annelise will be talking about her project which monitors coral reefs and will explain why and how she does this, Stan will discuss his recent Nature paper on species loss resulting from reduced niche dimension and how nutrient pollution is responsible.

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

This week we look at new developments in the science of cancer with Fiona Watt and Andy Futreal, we will see how new gene technologies could be key to understanding cancer, and knowing the role of stem cells could be essential to find effective cures. Meanwhile, Dave tells you how to make your own electric slime.

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

This week we explore the science of Heart Disease. Dr Niall Campbell joins us to explain what heart attacks are and how theyre treated, Dr Anthony Mathur discusses how stem cells might hold the key to mending a broken heart, and Ben Valsler visits Brian Callingham to investigate how arteries behave when you give them various drugs.

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

This week we explore the science of flight. Dr Graham Taylor from Oxford University talks about the aerodynamics of insect flight and how video camera back-packs allow him to see how eagles fly, and Jenny Goodman describes how future aircraft might be flying at six times the speed of sound while withstanding temperatures hot enough to melt stainless steel in 5 seconds! In Kitchen Science, Ben Valsler sticks with the flight theme and finds out how a hot air balloon works.

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

Every year the Cambridge Science Festival celebrates some of the best and most exciting science and engineering going on in the UK - and the Naked Scientists were there! Find out about the cool science of ice cream, the microscopic world of microbes, and the IgNobel awards for science at its most silly. Looking further afield, the University of Aucklands Peter Metcalf unlocks the secrets of a viral sarcophagus, and Mike Brown from the California Institute of Technology discusses the origin of some mysterious objects in the Kuiper Belt. To cool us down after all that excitement, Dave and Azi sit back and explain the best way to get a cold beer.

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

Contaminated petrol, astronauts in danger of lung diseases, a new way to put the brakes on car accident rates, gas sensors made from silicon replicas of marine algae and how pollution is causing droughts, plus a healthy digest of your science questions and emails top the bill in this weeks Naked Scientists.

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

This week we unwrap the secrets of ancient mummies from Peru with the help of London Universitys Lawrence Owens, find out where domestic animals and pets came from with Keith Dobney from the University of Durham, and in kitchen science Dave explores the science of fires and fuels by blowing up some custard.

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

Clean water is something that many of us take for granted, but Mark Booth describes how in many parts of the world dirty water can lead to life-threatening disease and parasitic infections. To talk about the current strategies in place to supply clean water we are joined by the World Heath Organisations Alex McKie, and Colin Humphreys explains how high-energy UV LEDs could help provide clean water in the future. In Kitchen Science, Helen Scales and Dave Ansell bring sweetness and light to a house in Cottenham...

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

Dr Chris and Dr Helen answer all your burning science questions, including why frost can form even when the air temperature is above zero, why hair looks darker when it is wet, why sunlight looks red through your eyelids, and whether cracking your knuckles really causes arthritis. We also talk to Chemistry World editor Mark Peplow about venomous vipers, artificial kidneys, and how LSD might be switching on hallucinations, and in Kitchen Science Anna Lacey and Dave Ansell look at some slightly safer visual effects with the help of a sodium street light.

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

• view website
• subscribe
• listen

• view website
• subscribe