Stars, Cosmology and the Beginning of the Universe

Cancer biology goes under the microscope this week, as Gerard Evan talks about the causes of cancer and how cancer spreads around the body. Also on the show, and joining us live from the National Cancer Research Institute Conference, is Fran Balkwill who will be discussing cancer treatments and the development of targeted therapies, and Kat Arney, who will be talking about the latest news in cancer research. We also travel Stateside for a Sciencce Update from Bob and Chelsea, hear from Michael Halpern from the Union of Concerned Scientists about governments interfering with scientific... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

7 Okt 200654min

Answering all your cosmic conundrums this week are Drs Chris, Dave and Phil who discuss why blood is red, the size of the ozone hole, how to make magnets, the best way to get rid of excess mucus, and sticking with the gooey theme, Adam Summers discusses how some tarantulas keep a firm hold on the ground by producing sticky silk from their feet. Moving much further away from terra firma, New Horizons scientist Hal Weaver talks about the mission to Pluto, what they hope to find there and why the Kuiper Belt objects are so intriguing, and in Kitchen Science, Derek Thorne and Hugh Hunt carry out... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

30 Sep 200656min

Chemistry and lightning quick reactions are under discussion this week as Emma Schofield explains what a catalyst is, how catalytic converters work and how catalysts can help to clean up the atmosphere, and Fraser Armstrong discusses fuel cells, using hydrogen as a fuel and how enzymes naturally found in bacteria are making hydrogen a more realistic energy source for the future. In Kitchen Science, both guests are used as guinea pigs as Dave Ansell demonstrates the wonder of enzymes with nothing but a slice of bread... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

23 Sep 200657min

Explaining how science can help us dig up the past is Lawrence Owens, who uses teeth and bones to uncover the life and sometimes gruesome death of mummies in Peru and Bolivia, and Harriet Allen describes how the pollen record and layers of lake sedimentation can reveal what the environment was like 10 000 years ago. Also on the show, Nick Brooks talks about how climate change in the Sahara may have given rise to complex human societies, and taking us back even further in human evolution is Clive Finlayson, who discusses how a new fossil discovery shows that Neanderthals were alive and kicking... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

16 Sep 200655min

In the hot seat this week is Beverley Glover, who will describe how flowers warm their nectar to entice passing pollinators, real life weatherman John Law discusses weather predictions and how to calculate temperature days in advance, and Marcel Visser explains how warming weather and earlier springs spell disaster for migrating birds. Also on the show, we will hear from Katey Walter about a new source of atmospheric methane, and in Kitchen Science, Derek and Dave get their hands wet in the name of discovering how the human body judges temperature. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

9 Sep 200659min

The Naked Scientists are back to answer all your burning science questions. Dr Chris, Dave and Helen tackle hot flushes, why spiders love living in our houses, how many stars are in the Milky Way, and why cows in a field always face in the same direction... We will also be connecting direct to Norwich, the host of this years British Association Science Festival, to hear about a world record attempt at the most people in a bubble, and sticking with bubbles, Dave and Derek make lava lamps in Kitchen Science. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

2 Sep 200654min

In our last show before the summer, Dr Chris, Dave and Derek answer all your questions on science, technology and medicine including why paintings fade in sunlight, why body hair grows at different rates, whether UV light poses a danger at the disco, how weightlessness can be experienced on Earth, and sticking with space, Steve Miller explains the origin of Jupiter's giant red spot and its smaller relative red spot junior. We will also be repeating a famous experiment to see if people can accurately estimate physical attributes from the sound of someones voice, and in Kitchen Science, Derek... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

5 Aug 200657min

I predict a riot... or not. This week we're joined by crowd control experts Dr Clifford Stott, from Liverpool University, and Dr John Drury, from Sussex University, wholl be discussing why violence kicks off at football matches, how to spot a spat and the science of mass evacuation. Taking us on a flight of fancy, Dr Gay Gibson, from the University of Greenwich, who describes her research into the harmonious music of mosquitoes, and in Kitchen Science, Derek Thorne bangs out a tune from an oven shelf... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

29 Juli 200656min