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...
Why don't electrons fall into the atomic nucleus?
Why don't electrons crash into the centres of atoms?
Is size important?
Does a fly evolve faster than a toad? A whale slower than a barnacle? And if so, how does our bodies immune system keep up with bugs?
Do other animals sweat?
So sweat. Do the birds and bees do it? And even educated fleas? Or is sweating just limited to human…
Why do I overlook the obvious?
We find out how our thoughts get overloaded so that we experience visual cortex blindness and overlo…
Why can I squirt a jet of saliva from my mouth?
We find out why some humans squirt saliva from their mouth as a fine jet of spit.
Is it a good thing to raise your baby to be bilingual?
We find out if raising your baby to be bilingual is a good or bad thing for brain development.
Can superfoods protect against cancer?
We often see headlines that foods like red wine and veggie curry might decrease your likelihood of c…
Why do I fart after cottage pie?
Why do I fart after cottage pie? And what exactly is a fart? Do certain foods and cooking techniques…
Can your dog pass on your flu?
Could you pass the flu onto your pouch? Could your dog then sneeze over your Great Aunt Mildred? We …
Who's your Bonze Age Ancestor?
This week we dig into our pasts and uncover how related we are to Bronze Age locals.
How many people can Earth support?
We examine whether Earth can sustainably support this many humans.
Does a full moon affect my sleep?
Does the cycle of the moon affect your sleep patterns? We find out!
Is snuff safer than smoking?
What are the relative risks of e-cigarettes, nicotine patches and snuff?
Is sense of smell heightened during pregnancy?
Why is pregnancy associated with high sensitivity to smell?
Dropping a penny on your head from the tallest building in the world
Would it kill you to have a penny dropped on your head from the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai? We find out with Dr Hugh Hunt, Engineer at Cambridge University!
Why do we dream? And what are nightmares?
We find out what happens in our brains as we dream, why we have them, and what nightmares are all about.
Why does adding ice make fizzy drinks bubble over?
We find out why ice cubes can make fizzy drinks bubble over, by asking a French champagne specialist!
Could other planets make a substance like diamond?
Could other planets make a substance like diamond? We ask a deep space mining expert.
Do dark matter planets exist?
We find out if dark matter can clump together to form dark planets, dark suns, or dark moons.
How do cells know what they will be when they grow up?
5 yr old Georgia asks how did the cells in her mum's tummy know to make her brain cells? A Nobel Laureate provides the answer!