Do Metal Spinal Implants Lure Lightning?
Does a metal implant turn a person into a living lightning-conductor or radio receiver, is eye-size important, why is frost bad for freezers, where did the first organic molecules come from, what happens to sparkling drinks in space and why does a bump on the head make you see stars? This week, join Chris, Sarah and Dave as they pit their wits against the latest crop of your top questions. Plus, why making new computer chips looks set to become easy PC, how stem cells can get to the heart of Long QT Syndrome, feeding the world in 2050 and a new musical device to keep the drummer in the driving... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
16 Jan 20111h 1min
Would you donate your body to science?
We're discussing human dissection in this week's Naked Scientists. Chris visits the dissection room to find out how trainee doctors benefit from dissecting real bodies, and why many medical schools are increasingly turning to alternatives. We're joined by physician and film maker Paul Trotman, who followed the lives, and beyond, of three donors to explore the reasons why people choose to donate their bodies, and the impact the process had on the student's lives. In Naked Engineering, we find out how a design that copies the body's own structure and movements can make better artificial... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
9 Jan 201158min
National Pathology Week 2010
In this special podcast we focus on the highlights of this year's National Pathology Week. We'll be going behind closed doors for a tour of the pathology labs at Great Ormond Street Hospital, and we'll explore the role of veterinary pathologists in diagnosing and treating animal disease. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
2 Jan 201149min
Back in the Saddle: Getting Paralysed Patients Riding and Rowing
In this special episode of the Naked Scientists podcast, we explore the world of Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES), a technology allowing people paralysed from the waist down to row and cycle by using external electrodes to stimulate leg muscles. Michele Vanoncini investigates how it works, what benefits it can bring and talks to some of the people who have used the technique to go for gold... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
26 Des 201017min
Blowing out Candles Round Corners
In this festive episode, can you get drunk through your feet, the chemistry of cocktails, twelve marine critters of Christmas, the best food and drink combos to eschew indigestion, does a carbon fibre bike go faster, why are snowflakes different shapes and a way to impress your peers at the office party by blowing out candles round corners... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
19 Des 201057min
Why's Graphene Great?
Graphene is the focus of this week's Naked Scientists, including how it holds the key to the super-flexible touch screen displays of tomorrow, super-light composites and the next generation of computer chips. In the news, a breakthrough in understanding Alzheimer's Disease, why glider pilots should be paying more attention to how falcons fly and why a new exoplanet has led astronomers to question current theories of planetary formation. Plus, we celebrate the first chunk of cheese to make it into orbit and ask if there's any evidence of a health benefit from wearing magnetic bracelets... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
12 Des 201059min
Electrifying the Future
Current breakthroughs in electricity generation and distribution go under the spotlight in this week's sizzling edition of the Naked Scientists. We talk to the team with the electrical equivalent of cold-storage that can put power "on ice" until it's needed, and we hear how bright sparks in the UK are leading the charge to roll out "energy kiosks" to empower rural communities in Africa. We also check out a new form of small-scale turbine to extract power from rivers whilst minimising the environmental impact. In the news, why young people are more likely to fall victim to the flu, how a dose... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
5 Des 20101h 1min
Why do Men's Bits Shrink in the Cold?
How heavy is the Earth? How do snakes digest huge meals? Should I fear falling bullets? We take on these questions and more in this Naked Scientists Question and Answer show! We'll discuss the ideal hair for head lice, the mechanics of using a straw and why men's bits shrink in the cold! In the news we explore the link between jetlag and forgetfulness, discover a moon with an oxygen atmosphere, and a new technique to tell someones age by their blood. Plus, in Kitchen Science we find out why a full carton is much harder to shake. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
28 Nov 20101h
