Question of the Week
Each week we set out to solve one of the world's weirdest, wackiest, funniest and funkiest scientific puzzles. And along with the answer there's a brand new question to think about for next time...
When should you refrigerate cooked chicken?
Julie wrote in with this question for us: "I have received such conflicting advice from TV food cooks. Some say that cooked chicken should be allowed to cool down to room temperature before refrigeration whilst others say to put the hot cooked chicken into the refrigerator immediately. Which is right?"…
Can fingernails stop rhino poaching?
John asked, "I'd like to know if enough people in the world donated their finger and toe nail clippings, could enough keratin be produced to satisfy the demand and thus stop the poaching of wild animals in Africa?" Mariana Marasoiu spoke with Jon Taylor from Save the Rhino International and…
Why does pasta water boil over?
This week's question is a curious cooking query from Anthony. "When pasta or rice is added to boiling water, there is a sudden surge of the boiling water to the point that the pot boils over with bubbles. Why is this?" Phil Sansom got in touch with Phillip Broadwith, business…
Why is wildlife around Chernobyl thriving? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week - 19.08.19
This week, a question from Bill. My question is about Chernobyl and why it is that wildlife seems to be thriving there and yet we understand that humans still can't survive there. Why is this? Phil Sansom spoke to someone who's actually been there - Victoria Gill, a science correspondent…
Will climate change affect monsoons? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week - 19.08.04
How does climate change affect monsoons?
Can you tell if it's sunrise or sunset? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week - 19.07.29
This week, Manik from Canberra asked if it's possible to tell whether it's sunrise or sunset from looking at a photo or a painting. Ankita Anirban spoke to painter James Gurney and physicist William Livingston to shed light on the situation…
Can a husky's fur keep it cool in summer? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week - 19.07.14
This week we are answering a question from Alex: "Are huskies (or dogs in general) able to insulate themselves from the cold of winter and from the heat of a hot summer's day as well?" Matthew Hall asks Christof Schwiening from Cambridge University's Department of Physiology…
Can a transfusion change your blood type? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week - 19.07.08
This week we are answering a question sent in by Mark: is it possible to have so many blood transfusions that your blood type changes? Emma Hildyard asks Cedric Ghevaert, from the Department of Haemotology at the University of Cambridge…
Do candles really clear nasty smells? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week - 19.05.20
Patrick sent us this question: "My wife wants me to light a candle after doing my number two, to get rid of the smell. Does this actually do anything?" Phil Sansom has been sniffing out an answer, with the help of Kit Chapman from Chemistry World.
QotW: When was my breath my dinner? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week - 19.05.13
Greg sent us this question: When I exhale, my breath contains carbon atoms. How long ago were they in my food or drink? We were hungry for answers, so Ruby Osborn asked Fred Warren from the Quadram Institute Bioscience to break it down…
How to see faint stars - Naked Scientists Question of the Week - 19.04.29
Sean asked "Why is it that when you look directly at a small faint star it disappears, but when you look at a point near it, you can see it again?" Ben McAllister has been searching far and wide for the answer to this cosmological conundrum…
Can purple carrots turn your skin purple? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 19.04.01
We received this question from Aidan, "Consuming orange carrots in high excess can turn your skin orange, because of the beta-carotene. What about purple carrots?" Jack Tavener and Katie Haylor have been crunching through some research to get to the root of this question. If you enjoyed this episode, please…
Why do socks disappear in the wash? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 19.03.18
We received this question from Chani... "My socks never stay together in the wash. One always disappears. Is there a scientific explanation for where those socks go? Why are they so unhappy in monogamous relationships?" Izzie Clarke asked Rob Eastaway, mathematician and author of "How Many Socks Make A Pair",…
What effect does ethanol have on the brain? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 19.03.04
Donald asked us what specific effects ethanol has on the brain and why certain regions are more impacted than others when we have a drink. This week, Joe Galea, from the University of Birmingham, helps us to distil the answer…
Why can some people imitate accents? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 19.02.18
Lia asked us why some people seem to be naturally good at imitating voices and accents. To get the last word, Adam Murphy got an answer from Jonathan Goodman, from the Language Sciences Department at Cambridge University…
Why do candles smoke and smell? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 19.02.04
Richard was wondering why do candles make more smoke and smell after they've gone out. Jenny Gracie has been sniffing out an answer from Duncan Graham at the University of Strathclyde and Ricky Carvel from the University of Edinburgh to help shed some light on the question…
What language do deaf people think in? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 19.01.28
Bree asked: If a person is born completely deaf and can't hear a thing, what language do they think in? We asked Dr Mairead MacSweeney, director of the Deafness Cognition and Language Research Centre at University College London…
Do plants eat dirt? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 19.01.21
Marcus was wondering how trees, such as giant oaks, can grow so huge and not make a hole in the ground. Where does their mass come from if not from the dirt? Jenny Gracie has been digging deep to find an answer, with help from Andrew Weatherall from the National…
What happens to bubbles in space? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 18.12.17
This week, Malcolm's been watching the science fiction film, Passengers. He wanted to know what happens to air bubbles in water if gravity was suddenly turned off. Adam Murphy spoke to Stuart Higgins from Imperial College London, and to David Kinahan from Dublin City University, to get an answer to…
Can dogs recognise each other as dogs? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 18.11.26
Do we know if a Great Dane meeting a Chihuahua recognises it as another dog? We asked Professor Donald Broom from Cambridge University and Dr Charlotte Duranton to help us sniff out the answer to Dotty's question.