Plastic-eating bugs & paying you to power off

Before Chris and Co get back for the start of the new series, Ben and Diana dive deep into the science of the sea. We find out why cold water corals can act as a climate calendar, how fish feminised by human female hormones have a surprising effect on the ecosystem and discover the marine micro-organisms that keep the climate in check. Also, why the humble garden pond can guard against global warming, and how penguins can be identified by their feathery fingerprint. Plus, in Kitchen Science, Ben and Dave have a unique tea party to find out if the saying 'as useless as a chocolate teapot'... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

30 Aug 200858min

The hunt for Bigfoot, how a beer or two can boost attractiveness and the brain basis of imagination go under the lens this week when Ben and Diana also meet the chemist-turned-rapper behind the contraceptive pill and the "Superheroes of Science" a concept album where science mixes with music. Plus, in an Olympic Kitchen Science, Ben and Dave tune in to a baseball bat's sweet spot... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

16 Aug 200858min

Diana and Ben take the bridge this week for a journey around the world and out into space, with a selection of the best science from the Naked Scientists worldwide travels. We find out how planets form from stardust in just tens on millions of years, and how to use winks, wobbles and blips to find planets around distant stars. We find out why the James Webb Space telescope must be very cool to pick up the hot infra-red radiation of deep space, and how the ExoMars rover could take us to previously unseen parts of Mars. Then we come back down to Earth with a bump (or should that be burp?) to... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

9 Aug 200857min

Science on the River - A Punt Down the Cam. The river Cam runs through Cambridge, past the colleges that have been home to influential scientists for hundreds of years. This week, we drift down the river, picking up key scientists as we go. We discover how petals attract pollinators, how carbon sequestration could call a halt to climate change and how ketamine could help us find the root of schizophrenic delusions. Also, we explore how evolved enzymes could make chemical reactions billions of times faster, and learn of the ultimate fate of the universe with Astronomer Royal, Professor... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

2 Aug 200859min

It's an Extravaganza of Questions and Answers on the Naked Scientists this week as we take on your questions, including whether dogs can sniff out a seizure, what is fire made of, and how do glow in the dark objects work? Also, we hear what an artificial tongue can tell us about speech production and the way to build superior voice recognition software, we rev up a system that can harness the waste heat in car exhaust to boost efficiency, find out how to flavour breast milk and hear why dolphins sing lullabies. Plus, in Kitchen Science, Ben and Dave go for a drive with a helium filled... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

26 Juli 200857min

Drug Discovery: On this week's Naked Scientists, drug development goes under the microscope as we explore two new ways to find the treatments of tomorrow. We find out why size is important when it comes to chemicals that can kill superbugs, and how soil bacteria hold the chemical clues to the next generation of antibiotics. Plus, how sheets of carbon can be used to reveal single atoms of hydrogen beneath the microscope, how scientists have homed in on the part of the brain linked to obsessive compulsive disorder, and why electronically tagging jellyfish can tell us a sea turtle's secrets.... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

19 Juli 200855min

We're going for gold on this week's Olympian Naked Scientists, by discovering the sporty science of performance enhancement. We find out how drugs can help boost an athlete's performance, and how the testing labs are hot on their heels! We also explore how altitude training and hi-tech trainers can power athletes past their personal bests. Plus, a stem cell cure for muscular dystrophy, flies with flu and how a rubber Anaconda could generate energy from waves. And in Kitchen Science, we find out how to get the biggest bounce from two balls! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

12 Juli 200859min

Give yourself the time to listen to this week's Naked Scientists Show, where we find out about the Body Clock! We discover the constant chemical cascade that keeps your clock in check, and how not seeing the sun leads to S.A.D. We probe the plant clock to explore how trees tell the time, and why even plants can suffer from jetlag. Plus, why Stradivarius' violins sound so good, why fun size snacks may be making you fat and how cuttlefish sneak a peak at their future food. Also, in Kitchen Science, Ben and Dave get water from flames! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

5 Juli 200856min