Question of the Week

Could a space rocket be launched from a gun? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 17.12.11

Anthony wanted to know if firing space rockets out of giant guns would be a better way to blast off. Heather Wark spoke to Dr Stuart Grey of Strathclyde University to find out…

10 Dec 2017 3 min

Why do people pick their noses? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 17.11.20

This week we answered the sticky query, Why do people pick their noses?. Lewis Thomson put it to Liverpool GP Dr Laura Wark.

19 Nov 2017 3 min

What happens if your car is struck by lightning? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 17.11.06

Elizabeth wanted to know whether she'd be safe if her car was hit by lightning or whether the engine would cut out. Izzie Clarke spoke to Philip Garsed from Cambridge University to spark up the debate on this electrifying question.

5 Nov 2017 3 min

How long can we survive for without a head? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 17.10.30

In the 1940's there was a chicken who survived for 18 months without a head, how long can humans survive for without a head?

29 Oct 2017 3 min

Is it safe to live near a cell phone tower? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 17.10.23

Jayson wanted to know if living near a cell phone tower could be affecting his and his family's health. Stevie Bain spoke to physicist Tony Kent from the University of Nottingham to shed some light on the situation.

22 Oct 2017 3 min

Are flies easier to swat if you move slowly? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 17.10.09

Jon wanted to know whether approaching a fly slowly would make it easier to swat. With the help of animal vision specialist Kate Feller from Cambridge University, Michael Wheeler's been swotting up on swatting flies.

8 Oct 2017 3 min

How much alcohol does cooking remove? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 17.09.25

Zettie wanted to know how much alcohol stays behind in food when you cook with it. Alexandra Ashcroft asked Vayu Maini Rekdal, from Harvard University, to turn up the heat on this question…

24 Sep 2017 3 min

How smart is your pet dog? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 17.09.18

David wanted to know how our pet dogs compare to other animals, such as primates and dolphins, when it comes to intelligence. Stevie Bain spoke to Ben Ambridge from the University of Liverpool, and author of 'Are You Smarter than a Chimpanzee?', to find out more.

17 Sep 2017 3 min

Why do clothes dry below 100 degrees celsius? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 17.09.11

This week, we aired out Norm's question: if water is a solid, as ice, below 0 degrees Celsius, a gas above 100 degrees Celcius and a liquid between this range, why does washing dry when the air temperature is below 100 degrees Celsius. Alexandra Ashcroft asked Dr Thomas Ouldridge, from…

10 Sep 2017 4 min

This week, Mark has a conundrum about chloroplasts: If we could go green and harvest energy from the sun, like plants, how big would our skin need to be to sustain a normal level of activity? Georgia Mills recruited Christopher Mason, associate professor at Weill Cornell Medicine to shed some…

20 Aug 2017 4 min

Caitlin asked whether detergent residues left on crockery and cutlery could be bad for our health. Katie Haylor spoke to Rob Chilcott from the University of Hertfordshire to find out.

13 Aug 2017 4 min

Is it possible to create noise-cancelling headphones, but for an apartment?

25 Jun 2017 3 min

Jim asked whether being in a warm room - like in a hot yoga class - really does help your muscles to warm up quicker. Katie Haylor spoke to Christof Schweining from the University of Cambridge to find out.

11 Jun 2017 3 min

Like physical activity, can we exercise our brain to improve at difficult mental challenges? Izzie Clarke spoke to Duncan Astle from Cambridge University about this tiring task…

14 May 2017 4 min

Why does the same musical note sound different when played on different instruments? Why does, for example, an A-sharp on a piano sound different to an A-sharp on a trumpet?

7 May 2017 4 min

David wanted to know why the blue lights he saw in Christmas trees were often harder to make out. Izzie Clarke spoke to Dr George Dobre from Kent University to shed some light on the issue.

23 Apr 2017 3 min

Listener George wondered why, in films, missiles make a descending sound as they fall? And what would it sound like if it fell into a bottomless pit? Izzie Clarke asked Peter Main from King's College London to explain what actually happens…

9 Apr 2017 3 min

We investigate the most energy-efficient way to climb stairs: one or two at a time?

26 Mar 2017 4 min

Can mosquitoes transmit HIV from one person to another? Ricky Nathvani investigates…

19 Mar 2017 4 min

Ricky Navthani has been trying to shed some light of Philip's question, about when he should replace his old CFL lights for more efficient LEDs.

12 Mar 2017 3 min