Ask The Naked Scientists SA

How do you power a spacecraft to Saturn? Can gravity affect the telomeres inside our cells? What can be done to help people with macular degeneration? How did simple, unicellular life get more complex?

18 May 2017 18 min

Is there a cure for flu? Can your genetic engineering make you smart? How far are we from designer genes? Can we cure HIV? Do our voices change as we get older? Plus, bioengineered bones!

11 May 2017 19 min

How do birds wake up at the same time each day? How does quantum computing work? Why do we feel hot even when the room is cooler than body temperature? Who will be the first on Mars? What's the best cure for a hangover? Plus, an anti-aging tablet.

23 Mar 2017 22 min

Why do we mishear lyrics? What causes deja vu? Where have all the bees gone? Do mermaids exist? Does God exist? What causes deja vu? Plus, synthetic genomes!

9 Mar 2017 23 min

Why do I get a stitch when I run? Is there such thing as baby brain? Is exercise good for you? Do the lines on your hand mean anything? How does altitude affect athletes?

2 Mar 2017 20 min

Why are tooth aches more likely at night? Can chemo affect iron levels in your body? Why is there oil beneath the earth? What caused the big bang? Can we create rain artificially? Plus, seven new exoplanets.

23 Feb 2017 19 min

Why do chilies burn my fingers? How dangerous are cell towers to your health? Who names cyclones? Do white and black people have different body temperatures? Why do hairs reach different lengths over the body? Why is gold precious?

16 Feb 2017 22 min

Why is it that wheels look like they're going backwards? Why does my car give me static shocks? If you move an ant will it find its way home? Can you cool something below absolute zero? Do pigeons get itchy? Why do humans get sick when they eat raw meat?

2 Feb 2017 24 min

Is the earth round or flat? Can you have two snowflakes that are alike? Would medicinal marijuana help with MS and Alzheimer's? Why does your mouth heal faster than your finger?

26 Jan 2017 21 min

What are the best foods to eat before and during exams? How do you get heavy metal poisoning? Why do you develop allergies? Why would soap help clean greasy pans? Plus, a robotic heart.

19 Jan 2017 18 min

Why are dreams so realistic? When should you move your babies onto solids? Can people predict their own deaths? Am I allergic to exercise? Plus, the world's smallest knot.

12 Jan 2017 24 min

Why can't I eat fruit? How well do polar bears smell, and how do we know? How does marijuana affect your brain? How does pepper spray work?

1 Dec 2016 23 min

How did speech evolve, why do you need bacteria and fish food for aquaponic systems, do growth factors in anti-ageing creams really work, what treatments are there for allergies and how do UV lights vaporise fat in commercial kitchens? Plus, delving into the secrets of sleeping sickness.

24 Nov 2016 22 min

Could the universe be more than a coincidence, what's causing a burning skin sensation, does milk cause breast cancer, are statins effective for high cholesterol, what impact would a nuclear war have and what risk does Donald Trump pose to climate change? Plus, the science behind the supermoon.

17 Nov 2016 23 min

Is the Earth flat, do microwaves kill nutrients, why do eggs have whites and yolks, what advancements are there in the treatment of tinnitus and what happens if you fire a gun on the Moon's surface? And also a new vaccine which controls HIV in monkeys.

10 Nov 2016 20 min

Why do other people's fart smell worse than your own, why do storms turn swimming pools green, how do we stop HIV spreading, what's the difference between antibiotics and probiotics, why does it feel like you're moving slowly when you're inside an aeroplane and why does the smell of shower…

3 Nov 2016 20 min

How can I find out about my biological age, how can you stop a panic attack, how can you treat Polymyalgia Rheumatica, are detoxing products just a marketing gag, can learned behaviours be passed on genetically, what would cause my brain to forget which way around to put on my…

28 Oct 2016 22 min

Are there increases in miscarriage rates, why are rats used in experiments, could we use developments in cartilage growth to treat scaphoid wrist fractures, is it safe to do strenuous exercise as you get older, where do children get their intelligence and what causes your stomach to flip when you…

20 Oct 2016 18 min

Why does the BCG vaccine cause swelling, where does moisturiser go when you put it on your face, what are the side effects of sickle-cell anaemia medication and is it true that we only use a small proportion of our brain? Plus, a gene editing technique that could provide a…

13 Oct 2016 17 min

Is autophagy linked to autoimmune diseases, what could cause unilateral spinal dysfunction, what is adrenal fatigue and how do we see distant stars? Plus, the low down on the Nobel prizes in medicine, physics and chemistry.

6 Oct 2016 18 min