5 years of COVID, and the hunt for Planet X

Answering all your burning science, technology and medicine questions this week are Drs Chris, Dave and Phil, who will be looking at why purifying seawater is not the answer to water shortages, how 3D glasses work and whether a man on a meteor would have to hold on tight or just soak up the stellar scenery. Also on the show, Daniel Scuka at the European Space Agency provides a Venus Express update, Diana Liverman talks about how to turn down the heat on climate change, and in Kitchen Science Anna Lacey finds out why we hear strange voices when we play old records backwards. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

26 Mar 200656min

Conservation and saving species go under the spotlight this week as Henry Nicholls draws attention ot the plight of Lonesome George, the last giant tortoise of his kind, David Aldridge discusses the problem of invasive species and how he is purging freshwater ecosystems of zebra mussels with a poison pill, Chris interviews Rick Shine about the wave of invasive cane toads legging it across Australia, from waves to the ocean, Helen Scales discusses the issues behind marine conservation, and sticking with the watery theme, Derek Thorne whips up a storm in Kitchen Science. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

19 Mar 200657min

Time is very much the essence of this weeks show, as Russell Foster discusses the human body clock, where the body clock is and how it gives our bodies a daily rhythm, Karl-Arne Stokkan describes how reindeer body clocks adapt to twenty four hours of sunlight, Alex Webb talks about plant circadian rhythms and how they differ from animals, and Anna Lacey interviews Cynthia Kenyon about how to survive longer and cheat time. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

12 Mar 200656min

The recycling revolution and the whereabouts of our waste are hot topics this week as David Butler describes a new technique for recycling water, Rebecca Weymouth lifts the lid on what happens to our domestic waste, Peter Barham reveals why plastic is so difficult to recycle, and Richard Thompson discusses how waste plastic threatens the environment. In Kitchen Science Derek turns old chip oil into biodiesel, and from making fuel to running on empty, Anna Lacey asks Andrew Prentice how humans cope with famine. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

5 Mar 200658min

Picking apart some miniature morsels of science this week are David Carey, who provides the big picture on the world of nanotechnology, Donald Fitzmaurice describes how DNA may be used as scaffolding for the next generation of computer chips, we breach the boundaries between physics and biology as Stephen Webb discusses how new microscopes can see developing cancers at the nano-scale, and Neal Morgan explains how nanoparticles are stamping out stinky socks. Also on the show, Jim Clark digs up the ancestors of T. rex, and in Kitchen Science Derek and Dave dish the dirt on how gravy thickens. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

26 Feb 200658min

Unlocking Natures medicine chest are doctors orders this week as Monique Simmonds reveals the research behind old herbal remedies, Tai-Ping Fan describes how Chinese medicine is being used for illnesses from gout to endometriosis, Jack Cuzick talks about clinical trials for a new drug for breast cancer, and Dr Chris is in St. Louis with details on a potato that fights back... In Kitchen Science, Derek unleashes the explosive power of flour, and Anna Lacey asks Peter Austin why thousands of languages are threatened with extinction. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

19 Feb 200658min

Love, seduction and sexual attraction are in the air this week as Peter Brennan woos Chris and Kat with a discussion of pheromones and the science of smell, Charles Wysocki suggests how farmers can love thy neighbour by masking the stench of manure, we hit the dancefloor with William Brown who reveals the recipe for success at the Saturday night disco, and Peter Barham talks about the science of taste, food and the ingredients for a perfect Valentine meal! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

12 Feb 200657min

This week we hand the show over to you, as Chris, Kat and Phil answer all your burning questions on science, technology and medicine. Anne-Maree Pearse joins us to describe the hellish plight of the Tasmanian Devil as it succumbs to an infectious facial cancer, Emma Marris discusses how scientists are bogged down in trying to prevent the Gulf of Mexico reclaiming large areas of Louisiana, and Derek and Dave put glow-sticks on ice in Kitchen Science. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

5 Feb 200658min