Fitter fat cells, and Earth spins slightly faster

In the world of science news this week, major supermarkets in the UK are removing their best before dates after data reveals just how much they sway our decisions to chuck food away. Plus, we dive into some physics to understand what influences how fast the Earth spins and how this fluctuates, the virtual robotic surgery techniques which helped separate Siamese twins in Brazil, and how gestures can make video meetings less fatiguing and more engaging. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

5 Aug 202229min

This week vaping, and the potential hidden health costs, go under the microscope as we also explore whether teens that would never smoke are being seduced by eCigarettes. Also, news of period impacts of the Covid-19 vaccines, woodpeckers and brain damage, signs that CRISPR could destabilise chromosomes, and a "wheely" good way to recycle old tyres... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

2 Aug 202255min

Harry Lewis and James Tytko are off on a summer science special, a jolly down the River Cam with their Captain for the day Peter of Camboats, making pit stops to check out the local wildlife, sporting prowess of the University's rowing team, historical engineering works that still function perfectly and local residents taking it upon themselves to monitor the health of the water itself. But to kick it all off the boys will start by dipping their toes in the deep end, and making the most of what's on their doorstep... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

26 Juli 202256min

It's that time again where we round up some of the most pressing and perplexing science news stories from the past month. We analyse the first images from the James Webb telescope, discuss whether the protocol on rescue from car wrecks is based on any scientific evidence, and ask how data might be used to the detriment of period tracking app users in the wake of Roe vs Wade. Then, we'll find out why great white sharks are running scared near South Africa, question whether chatbots are on the verge of becoming sentient, and compare how the taste of wine is affected by the glass it is carried... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

19 Juli 202255min

Could the potential food of the future be on its way to our supermarket shelves? Parliament is currently reviewing rules which would allow gene-edited food to be grown and sold in the UK, moving away from the more stringent rules it had adopted under EU regulations. The phrase 'genetically-modified' gained a bad repuation towards the end of the 20th century, with concerns around the safety of inserting foreign DNA into organisms, the mechanisms for doing so and the motivations behind its use. With the development of targeted gene-editing technologies, such as CRISPR-Cas9, modifying genetic... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

12 Juli 202259min

Ponds used to prosper alongside old agricultural practices. But 100 years' of modernisation has seen bodies of water on farmland disappear, although they never truly die. And this week we go in search of their ghostly remains and show how they can spring back to life. Plus, in the news, how dengue and Zika infection makes us more attractive to mosquitoes, a lunar mystery that has space agencies bickering, and how you may be able to help map the entire seabed by 2030... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

5 Juli 202258min

Emerging viral infections go under our microscope this week, including the recent surge in monkeypox, the world's largest bird flu outbreak to date, and learning points from Covid-19. Plus, in the news, the biggest bacterium ever seen, brain training - or brain draining - apps, polio circulating in London, and signs we make friends with people who smell like we do! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

28 Juni 202259min

In this week's programme we are going to be sharing some science highlights - sci-lights, if you will - going in depth with some of the latest science news from the past month plus some fascinating science stories. We ask researchers what policies need to be in place to protect biodiversity as we enter a descivie decade for nature and take a look at the species living in the UK which are currently at risk. New resesearch from the week also gives us more clues about if life exists on venus and we hear how singing lava inside a volcano could help us better predict future eruptions. Plus, with... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

21 Juni 202259min