Special Editions
Probing the weird, wacky and spectacular, the Naked Scientists Special Editions are special one-off scientific reports, investigations and interviews on cutting-edge topics by the Naked Scientists team.
15.07.24
Growing a human heart from a single cell may seem like science fiction, but scientists at the Gladstone Institute at the University of California San Francisco, have taken a huge step forward, by producing the first three-dimensional, beating, human heart chamber. Previously, it had been possible to produce a two…
15.07.17
Volcanic eruptions can be both beautiful and destructive at the same time, but now scientists have found evidence they may have also been linked to plagues, and even the fall of the Roman Empire. When a volcano erupts, chemicals are released into the atmosphere in huge quantities, which reflect light…
15.07.15
Marijuana has a reputation for helping people who are in pain. But achieving the analgesic effect comes at a cost: users of the drug complain of memory loss and mood disturbances. Now, by identifying the pathway in the brain that is responsible for these psychoactive side effects, University of East…
15.07.14
It's hard to miss the fact that bees are in trouble, with worrying news of colony collapse disorder devastating bee numbers, and concerns about the effects of pesticides on our most important pollinators. Now there's something else for our buzzing friends to worry about: climate change! Jeremy Kerr and his…
15.07.14
One of the key factors that makes the brain age has been uncovered by scientists in the US. Young mice infused with the blood of older animals developed a drop in their cognitive abilities. This is down to a chemical made by the immune system called beta2-microglobulin. Why it has…
15.07.13
How does being driven around in a robotic taxi grab you? Currently, cars contribute 13% to our greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. However, a new study has found that were we to switch to using a fleet of electrified, autonomous taxis - dubbed "robocabs" - we could reduce our emissions to…
15.07.13
More than a quarter of people are affected by anxiety or depression each year. But are some people more at risk than others? By studying groups of rhesus monkeys, Dr Ned Kalin from the University of Wisconsin in Madison found that individuals displaying a trait known as "anxious temperament" may…
15.07.04
It's an age-old debate, who feels more pain, men or women? Scientists at McGill University have taken us one step closer to answering this question with with a study using mice. Jeff Mogil and his team have discovered that the biological pathway that causes chronic pain is completely different in…
15.07.03
What do fish and aircraft have in common? Well, water and air are both fluids. And when fish move their tails and bodies from side to side, they push against the surrounding water and leave behind a mini whirlpool or vortex, which contains information about the drag forces experienced by…
Just give me a second...
Rejoice because at midnight tonight, a second will be added to clocks across the world. Seeing as you now have all of this extra time, here's Naked Scientist Tom Crawford with everything you need to know about the leap second…
ELife episode 20: Tinnitus and Mouse Ultrasound
Tinnitus, hyperacusis, salamanders, chemical harpoons and the role of ultrasound and song in the mating rituals of mice and flies go under the microcope in this edition of the eLife Podcast.
PPI's Increase Heart Attack Risk
One of the world's most widely-used classes of drugs could significantly increase your risk of suffering a heart attack; that's according to a new study by researchers at Stanford University, in California and published in PloS One this week. Nick Leeper and Nigam Shah used a computer programme to identify…
Hawkmoths Shadowy Existence Uncovered
Hawkmoths live a shadowy existence; they stick their tongues down the flowers' neck, all the while being tossed about in the wind. And as if that wasn't enough, they do it all in the pitch black. With tiny brains and even tinier eyes - they seem to defy what's physically…
Self-unrolling Brain Implant
Scientists in the US have developed a new brain implant that can be used to record information from nerve cells, and also to transmit signals into the nervous system, to stimulate parts of the brain. Unlike existing electrode devices, which can trigger a scar to form around the implant that…
75 million year-old Dinosaur Cells found
While Jurassic World may be wowing the crowds at the cinema, a new study from researchers at Imperial College has been making waves in the world of real-life dinosaurs. Although scientists have previously found evidence for soft tissues, such as blood, in very well-preserved dinosaur fossils, this has been controversial…
Exploring Saturn's Newest Ring
Saturn is one of the most well-known planets in the solar system, perhaps owing to its distinctive set of rings. The largest of these rings, the H-ring, was only discovered as recently as 2009 and cannot be seen from Earth. Now, using images taken by NASA's WISE spacecraft, scientists at…
Coffee staves off depression
Coffee is an essential part of life for many of us, but could it help to cut depression?
Ending Earthquakes With Water
Earthquakes occur at faults, or fractures, in the Earth's crust - where two big slabs of rock meet. Movement under the surface tries to push the rocks past each other but the rough edges get stuck together until enough stress builds up to jerk them past each other - and…
Sequencing Schizophrenia
The specific genes that cause schizophrenic symptoms have been found by researchers in Cardiff. A huge study of the DNA of over 10,000 schizophrenics and 15,000 controls helped identified the genes involved, and determine that they are in fact the cause rather than an effect. Chris Smith spoke to Michael…
Winter Immune Blues
The incidence of many diseases, including heart attacks and multiple sclerosis, peaks in winter time. Now it looks like this could be an unfortunate throw-back to our prehistoric origins. Cambridge University scientist John Todd has found that the immune system goes through annual cycles of activity, with peak levels of…