Virtual Life

Through November we've been musing over the science of movement, from enormous planetary scales to tiny cellular ones. And so this week, to celebrate our devotion to motion, we bring you our Move n A! We'll be talking exercise, how animals get about, the wanderings of our early human ancestors, and movements under our feet, with a superstar panel of scientists and answering some of the questions you've been sending in... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

1 Dec 20201h

From strange-looking sperm to cancers that spread, we're looking at the light, and dark, sides of cell movement. Plus, a second Covid vaccine approaches the finishing line, but who are the also-rans? We'll look at who's most likely to get the vaccine first and whether we've got that pecking order right; and how microscopic plants are helping scientists grow replacement human organs... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

24 Nov 202058min

From ancient past to global present, us humans are a migratory bunch. But with climate change redrawing maps of the world, what does the future hold? Plus, the science behind Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine announcement, and what they're not yet telling us; the mink farms that are spreading a new variant of COVID-19; and the UK scientists trying to extract oxygen from the moon... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

17 Nov 202055min

This week, will mass COVID testing in Liverpool get us out of lockdown? Antibodies to defend the brain; and why we've evolved to laugh! Plus we look at the Earth on the move: from our journey through space, to how tectonic plates rearrange themselves, ocean currents bring us warm weather, and how massive storms appear... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

10 Nov 202054min

This month (November 2020), we're theming our shows around movement. From cells moving at one extreme, to planetary movements at the other! And this week we're kick-starting the series by talking animal movement: migration, monitoring, and when to intervene in how animals move. Plus in the news - What do falling levels of coronavirus antibodies in those infected say about the likely success of a vaccine? Why might we want to dose ourselves with vitamin D? And why the Moon's wetter than we first thought! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

3 Nov 202055min

This week, news of the people catching coronavirus on purpose; those waiting-out the pandemic in an old nuclear bunker, and the good news that lullabies send babies to sleep regardless of what language they're in! Plus, "lockdown, or let rip?" what's the best way to control the coronavirus pandemic? Opinions are divided, and we're joined by four leading experts to debate the best solution... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

27 Okt 202059min

This week, we're talking trees! From how they grow, to the oldest ones on Earth, to how they die, and what trees can do for our cities. Plus in the news, can you catch COVID twice? How microwaving an insecticide makes it 12 times more powerful, and the asteroid that might actually be an old Moon rocket... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

20 Okt 202053min

This week Chris is joined by top palaeoanthropologist Lee Berger and BMJ executive editor Theo Bloom to dissect the science behind the headlines. As Donald Trump recovers from his coronavirus infection, what experimental treatments has he received, and what have we learned about managing COVID since the pandemic started? The Nobel Prizes are out: who's won what? And David Attenborough's new film has launched; we talk to the executive producer... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

13 Okt 202054min