The Naked Scientists Podcast

The Naked Scientists

About

The Naked Scientists flagship science show brings you a lighthearted look at the latest scientific breakthroughs, interviews with the world's top scientists, answers to your science questions and science experiments to try at home.

Available on

Community

1004 episodes

Jet engines, hearts, and planets: the world of digital twins

In this episode of The Naked Scientists, we'll be taking a closer look at digital twins. What are they, and could they be the future of engineering, healthcare, and climate science? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists https://www.thenakedscientists.com/donate

28m
Nov 28
COVID inquiry revelations, and red wine headaches

This week on The Naked Scientists, A damning indictment of our politicians' grasp of science emerges from the Covid Inquiry. Also, we'll ask who is behind the high-profile cyber hacks on the British Library. And, how researchers got to the bottom of why some of us get red-wine headaches? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists https://www.thenakedscientists.com/donate

38m
Nov 24
Spinal stimuli and good vibrations: All about Parkinson's

This week - following the revelation that a man with debilitating Parkinson's Disease has been helped to walk again with a special implant that stimulates nerves in his spinal cord - that's what we're going to look at in this half hour. We'll be hearing from the surgeon who performed the operation, and other experts seeking to understand more about the condition... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists https://www.thenakedscientists.com/donate

35m
Nov 21
Chickenpox and weather bots

This week on the Naked Scientists; why, after many years, chickenpox vaccines for children finally look set to become the norm in the UK. Also, will artificial intelligence beat our weather forecasters? And can comets seed the biological building blocks of life to planets like Earth? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists https://www.thenakedscientists.com/donate

30m
Nov 17
Selective breeding: designing dogs, and conserving tigers

This week, we're taking a look at the genetics of selective breeding, how it might be dooming certain breeds of dog but saving certain endangered species. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists https://www.thenakedscientists.com/donate

29m
Nov 14
Breast cancer drug breakthrough, and hibernating hedgehogs

In this edition of The Naked Scientists, the drug called Anastrozole can help prevent thousands of cases of breast cancer among older women: but at what cost? Also, climate change expert Mark Maslin on what we need to know about the forthcoming COP28 summit kicking off soon in Dubai. And, how the UK's hedgehogs have been going through a rough patch... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists https://www.thenakedscientists.com/donate

34m
Nov 10
Faeces and phages: Moulding the microbiome

Today, we're helping you to get to know your microbiome, and hearing why a better understanding of it viewed by some as the next frontier in helping us to live longer, healthier lives. First, we explore the co-evolution of man and microbe, and the suite of modern techniques helping to clear up the remaining mysteries of the intestines. And, later on, how medicine is mobilsing the microbiome to ward of antibiotic resistant bacteria using faecal transplants and 'good' viruses... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists https://www.thenakedscientists.com/donate

31m
Nov 07
Flu vaccinations, and calls for AI regulation

As flu season starts to bite the Northern Hemisphere, we look into the efforts to develop the most effective vaccines. Also, an AI expert reviews the recent Safety Summit hosted at Bletchley Park, how chimps are demonstrating human battle tactics, why cockney accents are becoming less common amongst young people, and how one might go about bending a laser around the Moon... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists https://www.thenakedscientists.com/donate

34m
Nov 03
Halloween, and why you should love creepy creatures

This week, during the spookiest time of the year, we're going to look at the unfair portrayal that certain organisms get due to their reputation of being scary, dangerous, or gross, just like the ones above my head now. Instead, we will talk about what makes them great for both the planet and ourselves, as well as what we can do to protect them. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists https://www.thenakedscientists.com/donate

29m
Oct 31
Long COVID, and strengthening hurricanes

In this edition of The Naked Scientists, new analysis on the prevalence of long COVID. How widespread is it? Also, could climate change be causing hurricanes in the Atlantic to get stronger? And, we ask if scientists have finally established how bees decide which flower to forage from next... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists https://www.thenakedscientists.com/donate

29m
Oct 27
Time to ditch daylight saving?

As winter creeps over the Northern hemisphere, many of us will be turning time backwards by an hour in aid of daylight saving time. But why do we do this? In this episode, we weigh up whether there's really a robust rationale for changing the clocks depending on the time of year, hearing from scientists and historians... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists https://www.thenakedscientists.com/donate

28m
Oct 24
Head knocks and food system shocks

In the news pod, we speak to World Rugby's Chief Medical Officer to hear how they're making the professional game as safe as possible. Also, we explore the potential consequences of climate change on the world's stock of farmland, and hear why an increasing number of satellites means our atmosphere is filling up with potentially harmful chemicals. Then, we send a member of the team for an eye test, and find out whether swatting mosquitoes could impact selection pressures on the species... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists https://www.thenakedscientists.com/donate

30m
Oct 20
The James Webb Space Telescope

This week, the beginning of the universe and the search for extraterrestrial life. We look at the technological marvel that is the James Webb Space Telescope. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists https://www.thenakedscientists.com/donate

30m
Oct 17
Bedbugs, pig organ transplants, and 1918 flu deaths

This week on The Naked Scientists, the rise of the bedbugs. Leading bedbug expert, James Logan, will tell us all we need to know. Also, could genetically modified pig kidneys soon be transplanted into humans? the clinical trial is now awaiting approval. Plus, why it might be time for us to reappraise the impact of the 1918 flu pandemic. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists https://www.thenakedscientists.com/donate

29m
Oct 13
When not if: Preparing for the next pandemic

Medical professionals largely agree: the world is far more susceptible to a Covid level crisis than it ever has been. Mass urbanisation, political instability and climate change are among the factors contributing to an increased risk of diseases jumping from animals into people. We hear from scientists who demand action before the next coronavirus arises, likely to be within the decade... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists https://www.thenakedscientists.com/donate

36m
Oct 10
Malaria vaccine, Fukushima wastewater & Nobel prizes

In the news pod: the WHO have recommended the Oxford Covid jab for use - we talk to someone who helped design it. We also speak with the scientist who questions whether the Fukushima wastewater disposal plans are as controversial as some would have us believe, and there's a round up of this year's Nobel prizes... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists https://www.thenakedscientists.com/donate

33m
Oct 06
Titans of Science: Sally Davies

In this edition of The Naked Scientists, it's time for the conclusion of our summer series: Titans of Science. Chris Smith chats with England's former Chief Medical Officer and the current Master of Trinity College, Cambridge: Dame Sally Davies. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists https://www.thenakedscientists.com/donate

25m
Oct 03
COVID variant vaccines, and sinking antimatter

In this episode of The Naked Scientists, A future proof covid jab that combats variants that don't even exist yet. Reassuringly for theoretical physics, signs that antimatter does obey the rules of gravity, and why one doomsday scenario is predicting we'll all be wiped out in 250 million years time, when plate tectonics give us a new supercontinent. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists https://www.thenakedscientists.com/donate

27m
Sep 29
Titans of Science: Robert Winston

This week's guest is a pioneer of IVF, award-winning broadcaster, and member of the House of Lords, Robert Winston. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists https://www.thenakedscientists.com/donate

32m
Sep 26
Spinal injury repair, and embryo editing ethics

This week on The Naked Scientists: A breakthrough in treating spinal cord injuries, worrying news about red fire ants in Sicily, we look at what it means for us in the UK. Plus, NASA is sending a sample of an asteroid back to Earth - it arrives this weekend; find out what scientists are hoping to learn. All that and more on this week's show... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists https://www.thenakedscientists.com/donate

31m
Sep 22
Titans of Science: Anthony Fauci

Time for the next installment in Titans of Science! This week's very special guest is the former chief medical advisor to the White House during the pandemic, Dr Anthony Fauci. He tells Chris Smith his fascinating story, from a boyhood flair on the basketball court, his rise to prominence handling an HIV crisis, to what it was like working with Donald Trump... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists https://www.thenakedscientists.com/donate

30m
Sep 19
Ban on cheap vapes, and farewell to Dolly's 'father'

On the news pod, we ask whether an outright ban is the best way to deal with the health and environmental cost of sweet shop style vapes. Also on the programme; a new device for detecting Covid on patients' breath, the search for life elsewhere in the universe intensifies, and we pay tribute to Ian Wilmut, the 'father' of Dolly the sheep Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists https://www.thenakedscientists.com/donate

30m
Sep 15
Titans of Science: Helen Sharman - part 2

Part 2 of the extraordinary story of the first Briton in space. What was life like on a space station? How do you get back down? and what do you do afterwards? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists https://www.thenakedscientists.com/donate

29m
Sep 12
Concrete concerns, and pharaoh de toilette

In this edition, can civil engineers help rescue the UK's crumbling schools and hospitals? Also, new initiative that is hoping to improve the treatment of sepsis, and how the scent of ancient Egypt has been replicated in a Danish museum... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists https://www.thenakedscientists.com/donate

31m
Sep 08
Titans of science: Helen Sharman - part 1

Today's guest is Helen Sharman, the first Briton in space. Our conversation ranges from her early beginnings working in a chocolate factory - Mars, would you believe - to her run in with the then leader of the Soviet Union... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists https://www.thenakedscientists.com/donate

30m
Sep 05
London ULEZ emissions tax, and uterus transplants

This week, London's latest ULEZ expansion - will it make much difference to air quality? The concerning impacts of poaching, and not just to endangered species, and the curious case of a woman with a worm in her brain. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists https://www.thenakedscientists.com/donate

30m
Sep 01
Return to the Moon: Why now?

This week, we're casting our eyes towards the brightest and largest object in our night sky: the Moon. As India becomes the 4th nation to achieve a successful soft landing on our only natural sateillite, we saw a fantastic opportunity to chart the history of how the Moon was formed and the many billions worth of missions invested in finding out more about it... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists https://www.thenakedscientists.com/donate

28m
Aug 29
Serial killers, and sails on supertankers

In the news this week, how can we understand the motivations of serial killers? Also, we ask a dermatologist to outline the early signs of melanoma, and find out about the initiative to reduce carbon emissions from the shipping industry using aeroplane wings. Plus, water voles are being reintroduced in the Lake District - we hear from the site manager in charge. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists https://www.thenakedscientists.com/donate

30m
Aug 25
The perfect plate of food: seasonal and well seasoned

Eating. We all have to do it 3 times a day and there's a lot to consider every time we do: is what I'm eating good for me? Is it sustainable for the planet? Can I afford the time or the expense to prepare it? In this episode, we address all these concerns, but with a focus on why food brings us joy in the first place: taste and flavour! Join Chris as he embarks on a culinary challenge to achieve everything he wants from his dinner, without compromising on cooking something delicious. The adventure takes him to a top Cambridge restaurant, to hear how a local chef is making tasty dishes with... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists https://www.thenakedscientists.com/donate

29m
Aug 22
Elections in an AI age & smokers start with less grey matter

In the news this week, we start by asking whether we should start preparing to combat election interference in the wake of the breakthroughs in artificial intelligence. A study is out this week linking lower levels of grey matter in the brain's frontel cortex with an increased likelihood of taking up smoking - we speak to one of the authors. Will Russia's first mission to the moon in 50 years be a success? Plus, an analysis of the impacts of climate change on butterrfly numbers in the UK, and our Question of the Week relates to the states of matter and their relationships with each other... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists https://www.thenakedscientists.com/donate

26m
Aug 18