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...
Sweeties: suck or crunch?
We brush away at this question: is it better for your teeth to suck on, or chew, your sweets?
How does a baby safely stay upside down in the womb?
How do babies stay upside down in the womb for so long? We got summer intern Claudia Esftaphiou to do a headstand in the office to try to get to grips with the answer!
Power from Poo?
Can we get power from poo? We get excited over excrement!
Explode or Freeze first in Space?
Naked Physicist Dave Ansell tries to recreate Space in his garden, in order to get to grips with a listeners question…
Punching into free will
How does training affect conscious control? What happens to automatic movements as we age?
Why do I feel sick after exercise?
We find out what's going on if exercise is making you sick. Plus we ponder the existance of free will.
What is the physiology behind emotional breakdown?
What is the physiology behind emotional breakdown? Everybody has had the feeling in traumatic situations of getting all choked up, voice breaking and tears welling up.But why does it happen? We find out!
What is the highest possible mountain on Earth?
We find out if a mountain on Earth could ever reach 20 km high. Plus we ask, what is going on during an emotional breakdown?
Do street lights affect birds and plants?
We find out if street lights are affecting plants and birds. Plus we ask how high can a mountain be here on Earth?
How do plants grow upwards?
We find out what happens if you take a plant into space, and we ask how does street lighting affects nature?
What is wind?
We find out what is wind and why do we have it? Plus we ask, why and how do plants always grow upwards?
Are city dwellers more immune to bugs?
Is living in the big smoke better for your immune system in the long term as you are exposed to more people and their bugs? Plus we ask, what is wind and why do we have it?
How best to date ancient artefacts?
Naked Archeologist Diana O Carroll takes us on a trip of dating ancient artefacts. Plus we ask, is city living an immune booster?
Can gene therapy treat depression?
We find out if gene therapy could help beat depression, plus we ask are early risers more likely to be cheerful?
Can we acheive artificial photosynthesis?
We find out if we can mimic the power of plants to meet our energy demands. Plus we ask, could we use gene therapy for depression?
How long does it take for comets to melt?
We find out how long it takes for a comet to melt and we ask could we ever get a cometless sky? Plus we wonder the power of plants.
Could civilisation cope without computers?
We rely increasingly on computer networks. If a solar storm or malicious virus hit the network, could our current civilisation dependency on computer networks be damaged irreversibly? Plus we ask, will all the comets in the sky ever melt away?
Do other animals practice dental hygiene?
Are humans the only species that practice dental hygiene to retain their pearly nashers? Plus we ask, could we cope if computers conked?
Will a body wrap help me lose weight?
We find out if a body wrap will help you lose weight. Plus we ask are humans the only animals that practice dental hygiene?
Will our increasing human population cause a water shortage on Earth?
We find out if Earth's expanding human population will affect water supplies. Plus we ask, does the new anti-fat fad Shrinking Violet work?