Small modular reactors for Wales, and moss survives in space

This week, the UK begins the rollout of the chickenpox vaccine to younger children. But why is it only being offered now? Plus, the high-level technological plan to capture Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro, what the latest research says about the health of vegan and vegetarian diets in the young, and the risks posed by "space junk" that falls back to Earth... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

9 Tammi 29min

This week, the UK begins the rollout of the chickenpox vaccine to younger children. But why is it only being offered now? Plus, the high-level technological plan to capture Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro, what the latest research says about the health of vegan and vegetarian diets in the young, and the risks posed by "space junk" that falls back to Earth... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

9 Tammi 29min

In this episode, we hear from not one, but two Titans of Science, together. And that's because Ed Wild and Sarah Tabrizi are neuroscientists, neurologists and long-time collaborators both based at University College London. They've devoted much of their careers to understanding Huntington's Disease. Chris Smith went to visit them in London... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

6 Tammi 39min

In this episode, we're revisiting some of the most magical moments and scientific milestones of 2025 - including the incredible legacy of Dame Jane Goodall, the brain-wave reading bionic-knee, why labradors are so greedy, and the beer that doesn't give you a hangover... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

22 Joulu 202552min

This week, defence analyst, Michael Clarke, explains the significance of the MI6 agency's scientific shift. Will it help counter Russia's technological threat? Plus, the University of Glasgow's Naveed Sattar tells us why weight loss medicine could be a silver bullet for global obesity, Ellie Diamant at Bard College on beaky birds during COVID, and the Institute of Astronomy's Matt Bothwell on NASA's new space telescope... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

19 Joulu 202530min

Today, in partnership with UK Research and Innovation, we are asking whether it will snow on the 25th of December. It's frequently called a white Christmas and - at this time of year - weather forecasters and the bookies are busy weighing up the odds. So we've set out to explore how weather predictions are made, what constitutes snow, the role of technology in making forecasts, and whether parts of the UK will witness a white Christmas for 2025... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

16 Joulu 202529min

On this week's news podcast, Emory University's Boghuma Titanji on the discovery of a new strain of monkeypox in the UK, and efforts to curb the virus with a breakthrough vaccine. Plus, the drone damage to the shield preventing radiation leaking from the Chernobyl nuclear site, evidence from southern England that Neanderthals deliberately made fire 400,000 years ago, and we ask how we can overcome the so-called winter blues... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

12 Joulu 202531min

Titans of Science is all about showcasing science superstars making huge breakthroughs and giant leaps foward in their scientific realms. In this episode, we turn the telescope around around to consider the extremely strange effects that kick in when physics shrinks down to the atomic scale. We are, of course, taking a tour through the world of quantum mechanics, and our guide is the physicist, writer and broadcaster Paul Davies. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

9 Joulu 202531min