Brain fats cleared during sleep, and bird poo powered Peru

Loading player...
Today, how the brain harnesses immune cells to clear burned out fats during sleep: does this protect from Alzheimer's disease? Also, the nutrient-rich guano of seabirds that shaped society in ancient Peru, fast footage reveals how kangaroos hop faster at no extra energy cost, and how horses whinny! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
27 Feb English United Kingdom Science

Other recent episodes

Giant leaps in astronomy: the telescopes taking us further

Today, we are taking a journey through the evolution of space telescopes and observatories. They are continuing to drive our understanding of the Universe, and the latest iterations - the Vera Rubin Observatory and the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope - are hoping to go even further. But what are…
27 Apr 31 min

Microbiome links to Parkinson's, and a massive laser boost

This week scientists confirm the link between changes to the microbiome and later development of Parkinson's Disease, a super speedy microfluidic way to diagnose infection and probe antibiotic susceptibility, how many infections does daycare cause in your toddler, and the breakthrough capable of boosting laser power by orders of magnitude…
24 Apr 32 min

What is flooding? And how do we tackle it?

We dive into the science and impact of flooding and coastal change. In partnership with UK Research and Innovation, this podcast explores what flooding is, how we measure tides, the dangers flooding presents to people and places, and how computing and AI are helping us predict, manage, and reduce its…
20 Apr 28 min

Alzheimer's drugs & tackling HIV

This week, we look at UK Alzheimer's drugs and the latest debate over whether new treatments are a genuine breakthrough or overhyped, alongside a striking HIV case from Oslo that has raised fresh questions in medical research. We also explore new findings on gut health and its link to hormones…
16 Apr 30 min

Oil, gas & what comes next

This week, we are exploring the oil and gas industry, literally from the ground up: what's the geology of oil formation, how does a petrochemist go from crude to highly refined, can the UK solve its energy price problem by actually using the oil on its own doorstep, and what…
14 Apr 33 min