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...
How can planes fly through hurricanes? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 18.11.19
This week, Daniel wants to know why hurricane researchers seem to use propeller-driven planes when flying into the eye of the storm. Eva Higginbotham spoke to Dr Anna Young of the University of Cambridge's Whittle laboratory, to find out what's 'up' in the field of aeroplane engines.
When did we become modern day humans? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 18.11.12
With the help of Cambridge University's Professor Robert Foley, Sam Brown took a trip back in time to answer Stuart's question: If you could bring a baby from the past to grow up in the present, how far back could you go before people would notice that this was a…
How do wombats produce cube-shaped poo? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 18.10.29
Poo comes in many shapes and sizes. We are used to seeing it on the street or accidentally stepping in different forms including tubes from dogs, pellets from rabbits or big splats from cows, but I have never come across cubic poo. Tamsin Bell asked Dr Louise Gentle from Nottingham…
Is second hand smoke more dangerous than smoking a cigarette? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 18.10.22
Is it true that second hand smoking or passive smoking is more likely to give you cancer than smoking a cigarette? Tamsin Bell put this to Stefan Marciniak from the Cambridge Institute for Medical Research…
Why do I feel the pressure of Wellington boots in water? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 18.10.01
When standing barefoot in water, we don't feel the water pressure on our feet. But when wearing Wellington boots, we do feel a pinching - why? We asked Colm-cille Caulfield, Professor at Cambridge University, to help us wade through the science of Daniel's question…
Why is Blu-Tack sticky? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 18.09.24
Tom asked us "Why is Blu-Tack sticky?" Adam Murphy spoke to Jennifer Gaughran, researcher at Dublin City University, to see if she could help with a question that had us stuck…
Could we terraform the Moon? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 18.09.17
Chad asked us "Is it possible to terraform the Moon, so that humans could live there long-term?". Tamsin Bell spoke to David Rothery, Professor of Planetary Geosciences at the Open University, to see what he had to say…
Do wild animals get allergies? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 18.09.03
On Twitter, Andrew asked us: "Do wild animals suffer from allergies, and if so, does this occur at the same rate as in humans?" We spoke to Wild Immunologist Andy Flies, from the University of Tazmania, to sniff out an answer…
Are there more stars in the sky or grains of sand on the earth? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 18.08.20
Are there more grains of sand on Earth or stars in the sky, and who counted them? We search heaven and Earth to answer Jeff's question, recruiting astronomer Michael Merrifield from Nottingham University to help out…
How do Non-Stick Pans Work? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 18.08.06
Martin asked us "What's the science behind non-stick pans? What prevents the sticking?"; To help out with this sticky situation, we spoke to Jess Wade, a materials scientist at Imperial College London, to get her take…
What is the minimum land area required to sustain one human being? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 18.07.31
Charlie asked us to field the question, "what is the minimum area required to sustain one human being in terms of oxygen and food?" Marika Ottman brought this cultivation conundrum to Marco Springmann, the Senior Researcher on Environmental Sustainability and Public Health at the University of Oxford…
How does the Brain Respond to Audiobooks? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 18.07.16
Tuomo asks, "Does your brain respond differently when you're listening to an audiobook compared to when you're reading a book? And does this affect how much information you can retain?". Isabelle Cochrane put this to Dr Matt Davis, Programme Leader in Hearing Language at Cambridge's MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences…
How do astronauts weigh things in space? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 18.06.25
Chris Taylor wonders how astronauts can weigh things in space. Marika Ottman asks Michael Foale, a former NASA Astronaut and Commander of the International Space Station, to weigh in and assess the gravity of the situation…
Could we eat alien life? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 18.06.04
Eamonn asked us to chew over this alien question: If some-day we managed to travel to another planet and discovered aliens, what is the likelihood that we could eat them?We turned to Gareth Corbett, gastroenterologist at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge, to see if he had any food for thought…
Why does my nose drip cycling in cold weather? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 18.05.21
Listener Mike asked us to sniff out an answer to cold conundrum... When I cycle my bike in cold weather my nose runs, it doesn't happen in warm weather and is their anything I can do to help with it?We took this snotty situation to Ears nose and throat specialist,…
How does size affect death from falling? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 18.03.05
Matt asked how big an animal or human has to be before a fall would kill it. Katie Haylor put this perilous pondering to physicist Stuart Higgins from Imperial College London…
Do lobsters feel pain? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 18.02.12
Switzerland has now banned boiling lobsters live. Do they experience pain; how do we know? Georgia Mills asked Professor Bob Elwood from Queen's University, Belfast, for his take on this hot topic.
Is it better to walk or run in the cold? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 18.02.05
Izzie Clarke's been chilling out with this Question of the Week from Trent…
Why does fresh pasta rise during cooking? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 18.01.29
Martin wanted to know why fresh pasta rises to the surface of the pot when it's ready. We asked Dr Chris Brock from London South Bank University.
Do fish yawn? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 17.12.18
The Waite family wanted to know if fish yawn, so Heather Wark spoke to Iain Barber from Nottingham Trent University, to find out.