Ask The Naked Scientists SA

Did the new coronavirus come from pangolins?

Data on the Chinese emerging coronavirus and did it come from pangolins? Why does glassware look more shiny when wet? How does the body fight off viral infections? And what happens when you freeze breast milk? Talk Radio 702's Azania Mosaka and Dr Chris team up to Ask the Scientist!…

9 Feb 2020 14 min

How long do viruses linger in the air?

What's the latest on the coronavirus situation? Do facemasks protect against viruses? Can we use nuclear bombs to combat climate change? Are artificial diamonds valuable? How long do viruses persist in the environment? What is WiFi sensitivity? Why does the Sun resemble popcorn in photographs? And why can I hear…

7 Feb 2020 22 min

How many megapixels is my eye?

This week, what's the resolution of the human eye? Would nanobots be attacked by our immune systems? How small would a squash ball lump of coal be if you squished it into a diamond? Why do propellers look like they change speed, or even go backwards? And why do men's…

24 Jan 2020 16 min

Only one of my bottles of water froze

This week, why only one bottle of water froze while others remained liquid; do hot drinks cool you down? What's phlegm and is it safe to swallow? Is human body temperature changing? How did the NASA student intern discover an exoplanet? Are fizzy drinks safe for diverticular disease? And what's…

17 Jan 2020 24 min

Can bacteria eat plastic?

This week, will a walk benefit my waistline; can bacteria eat plastic? Is it just humans that get prostate cancer? What limits the length of body hair? What's the physics of making a cricket ball swing? Can you combat male pattern baldness? And do sleep requirements change with age? Join…

10 Jan 2020 24 min

What causes floaters in your eyes?

Welcome to 2020! And in our first show out of the gate this decade, we explore the science of excessive sweating; how you can get an egg within an egg; why dirty and clean water don't instantly mix; why people in the opposite hemisphere aren't upside down, what are eye…

3 Jan 2020 24 min

Where do road corrugations come from?

How might a sore throat be linked to a hear problem? Are elevated toilet cisterns better at flushing the toilet? What's your take on aliens and the paranormal? What are diabetes and coeliac disease? Why does my husband yawn so much? And where do road corrugations come from? Join Dr…

20 Dec 2019 18 min

Virus vs bacterium: what's worse?

What's an exponential dilemma? Why do copper bangles make your wrist go green? What causes hot flushes associated with menopause? Which is worse, viruses or bacteria? Why put power points at floor level? Can ketamine be used to treat mental illness? And why don't the bubbles from cracked joints cause…

13 Dec 2019 16 min

Is mercury in vaccines safe?

Why are preservatives, including mercury compounds like thiomersal, added to vaccines? What is "invert sugar" and is it better for my teeth? How does is "aquamation" - the alkaline hydrolysis equivalent of a cremation - work? Is crude oil the same stuff everywhere, or does the composition vary? Can you…

9 Dec 2019 17 min

How do hard water and soft water differ?

How does water-based water-repellent paint work? Did a burger on top of my normally vegetarian diet cause my belly ache? Why has no one invented a silent vacuum cleaner? And if an egg yolk ruptures, does that mean the egg is bad? Also, why the obsession with electric cars: surely…

29 Nov 2019 15 min

Does Prince Andrew not sweat in nightclubs?

Do flu jabs really work? What's a TB gland? Can Prince Andrew really not sweat? Why does pinching your nose halt a sneeze? How old is the Earth and how do we know? If dogs have such a keen sense of smell, why get so close to a turd to…

22 Nov 2019 21 min

Does swimming after lunch really cause cramp?

This week we're exploring why swimming on a full stomach might cause a cramp, whether it's really true that joints ache more when the weather's cold, and why does tapping the top of a beer bottle make the drink explode? Plus, why do aeroplanes fly high if there's less oxygen…

15 Nov 2019 18 min

Are bananas sterile inside?

What are the medical risks and benefits of silver? Is what I call a smell the same experience for you? And why do some things smell appealing, but not others? Does engine oil have a best-before date? And why do metal insulin needles have a use-by date? What makes body…

8 Nov 2019 24 min

Where would a bullet fired in space end up?

Does holding a car remote to your head really improve its range? What would happen to a bullet fired off the International Space Station? How did a marble make a hole smaller than itself in my window? Are mobile phone towers safe? Why does egg white go white when whipped?…

1 Nov 2019 25 min

Will salt make my pasta cook quicker?

Why is salt needed in an old-fashioned ice-cream maker? Are gravity and electromagnetism the same, and could we build a big enough electromagnet to repel the Moon? Are some stars no longer where we see them? Does salt make water boil hotter and hence will my pasta cook quicker? Why…

25 Oct 2019 21 min

What actually is a shooting star?

Is it ethical to grow a brain organoid in a dish? What's a shooting star? Do food preservatives build up in the body? What is cancer and why is it so tricky to treat? Why doe staring at a mobile phone screen cause car sickness on a long journey? Join…

21 Oct 2019 18 min

Can you suffocate under a duvet?

Why does alcohol affect different people differently? What's the difference between white and brown sugar, and is the brown form healthier? Can you suffocate under a blanket? Why have only 28 days in February? Why do wind turbines have long thin blades but room fans use shorter wide blades? Does…

17 Oct 2019 19 min

How does the brain work?

What will phenomics do for medicine? Is the limbic system in conflict with the brain's pre-frontal cortex? How does the brain actually work? And what is consciousness? Join Dr Chris and Talk Radio 702's Azana Mosaka to "Ask! The Naked Scientists" and answer your science questions... Like this podcast? Please…

4 Oct 2019 17 min

What does 2 degrees warming mean?

What makes a brain creative? How do viruses, and the flu, evolve? When did ancient civilisations realise there were 365 days in a year? Has the LHC discovered new dimensions yet? Why does 2 degrees of global warming matter? Can memory be improved? Join Dr Chris and Cape Talk's Kieno…

27 Sep 2019 20 min

Why won't vaseline melt in the microwave?

This week: plummeting bird populations; the global climate strike; whether blood-letting benefits high blood pressure; why vaseline won't melt in the microwave; how pilots land planes even though the Earth is spinning; how birds pattern their plumage; why your nose runs when you wake up; what causes morning breath, and…

20 Sep 2019 20 min