Ask the Naked Scientists

Dr Chris Smith

About

How many organs could you donate and remain alive? How many planet Earths could fit inside the Sun? How high is a giraffe's blood pressure? Why is the sea blue? To find out, Ask The Naked Scientists!

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683 episodes

Do farmers produce double yolk eggs on purpose?

Dr Chris answers more listener submitted questions including, Why is South Africa on the bottom of the world map? Why are countries interested in landing on the moon again? How do undersea cables work? What is the Square Kilometre Array? Why are my car keys better at unlocking my car than my TV remote is at controlling my TV? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists https://www.thenakedscientists.com/donate

18m
Mar 22
Why do we want to scratch our wounds?

Chris Smith answers science questions from the public. Does the rate of nail growth differ between men and women? What are the advantages of a nose swab over a mouth swab? What could improve the connectivity of my remote? Accounting for the rotation of Earth, does a plane flying from London to Cape Town fly in a straight line? How does a colour printer work? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists https://www.thenakedscientists.com/donate

20m
Mar 15
Could popping a pimple on your face kill you?

Do statins affect your Vitamin D production? Why do we have leap years? Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Could we live on the moon of Titan? Did COVID come from a lab? What aspects of science can we still now answer? Could popping a pimple on your face kill you? How does wireless charging work? Dr Chris Smith and Clarence Ford have all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists https://www.thenakedscientists.com/donate

21m
Mar 08
How much does the internet weigh?

Chris Smith answers another sample of enquiries from across the scientific spectrum: What might have caused my beetle infestation? Why do so many cultures describe an afterlife? What's the medical explanation for 'cracking the seal?' How do lions identify cubs that aren't theirs? If the Earth stopped rotating, would we feel it? Will hydrogen combustion engines be efficient? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists https://www.thenakedscientists.com/donate

22m
Mar 01
Can you die of fright?

What causes the noise in a lightning strike? How do astronauts' bodies change after a long time in space? Can you die of fright? Are we living in the past? Why don't insects get hurt when they fall? Dr Chris Smith and Relebogile Mabotja have all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists https://www.thenakedscientists.com/donate

14m
Feb 23
Does your life flash before your eyes when you die?

Why do birds stand on one leg? Which animals can we eat, and which can we not? Does your life flash before your eyes when you die? Does a plug's wiring orientation matter? Why does hearing water make you need the toilet? Does anything travel alongside the ISS? Dr Chris Smith and Relebogile Mabotja have all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists https://www.thenakedscientists.com/donate

17m
Feb 16
How much rainfall becomes groundwater?

Dr Chris Smith answers listener questions including, how can we communicate science better? How much distance do we travel through space each second? Why might I feel stomach pain when I'm hungry and I take a cold drink? What causes people to feel sleepy when they're near a pregnant woman? Why do we enter planes on the left rather than the right? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists https://www.thenakedscientists.com/donate

16m
Feb 09
How does the Sun transfer heat to the Earth?

Chris Smith takes on listener questions, including: How far out to sea do seagulls fly? How is the malaria vaccine rollout going? Why does hot weather make your muscles more tired? What is the hottest temperature humans can survive? How do vultures track their lunch? How do some people retain more information? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists https://www.thenakedscientists.com/donate

15m
Feb 02
What is ultra processed food?

Chris Smith takes on listener submitted questions including, why do people disagree so much on what temperature to set the heating? Where do swallows and swifts go in the winter? Is it true that parrots don't have taste buds? And, what is dry ice? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists https://www.thenakedscientists.com/donate

17m
Jan 26
Do mosquitoes prefer certain people?

Why might chilli cause an upset stomach? How does a boomerang work? What's the difference between 50Hz and 60Hz of energy? Why does Saturn have a hexagon? Are stars moving away from us? How do we know how large underground oil deposits are? Why aren't cameras as good as out eyes? Do mosquitoes prefer certain people? Dr Chris Smith and Clarence Ford have all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists https://www.thenakedscientists.com/donate

19m
Jan 19
Why doesn't the Earth make wind as it moves through space?

Why kind of gas is in a gas giant planet? Can you do anything about sleepwalking? What causes stutters and speech impediments? Does blowing out birthday candles spread germs onto the cake? Why don't we feel the wind from moving through space? What are shooting stars? Why don't we have strangers with identical DNA? Dr Chris Smith and Clarence Ford have all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists https://www.thenakedscientists.com/donate

20m
Jan 12
Where did Earth get its water from?

In the first Ask! of 2024, Dr Chris Smith tackles questions on UV rays, Fahrenheit vs Celsius, whether the Three Gorges Dam could be slowing down the Earth's rotation, what drives dictators to do bad things, whether neutrinos pose a threat to humans, and what happens to our bodies after we die? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists https://www.thenakedscientists.com/donate

19m
Jan 05
Are some wildfires beneficial?

Are some wildfires beneficial? What is the worst case scenario for climate change? What causes lactose intolerance? Does sunscreen cause a vitamin D defiency? Why do blind people still move their eyes around when thinking? Why do we scratch itches? Dr Chris Smith and Clarence Ford have all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists https://www.thenakedscientists.com/donate

22m
Dec 22, 2023
Does Mercury have a moon?

This week, a Christmas surprise in Dr Chris's tree that he'd rather not have brought home; should I drink water from aircon machines or even vehicle exhausts, will coffee make me live longer, is the flag planted during the Moon landing still there, what's the scientific basis of itching, which planets don't have a moon, and what makes mosquitoes prefer me to other people? Dr Chris and Talk Radio 702's Relebogile Mabotja take on your science questions... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists https://www.thenakedscientists.com/donate

18m
Dec 18, 2023
What is the science behind a midlife crisis?

What is the science of a midlife crisis? Can you store stainless steel in the fridge? Where do flies go in the winter? Could you make food directly from soil? Do the sun and the moon change positions in the winter? Why does the mouth generate saliva? How do worms get into your body? Dr Chris Smith and Relebogile Mabotja have all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists https://www.thenakedscientists.com/donate

14m
Dec 08, 2023
Are scientific discoveries becoming less groundbreaking?

Dr Chris and Clarence Ford take on listener questions. This time they include, is intelligence more nature or nurture? Is time travel possible? Could time travellers be walking among us? Are Tibetan monks really capable of levitating? Why do I feel down during the holidays? What are the differences between lab grown and mined diamonds? What are weeds and why do they always grow where they shouldn't? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists https://www.thenakedscientists.com/donate

24m
Dec 01, 2023
Will we be able to put the AI genie back in the bottle?

Should we ban AI from the military sphere? Does eating too much meat cause gout? What determines the shape of clouds? Are recycled tyres a safe material for roads? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists https://www.thenakedscientists.com/donate

18m
Nov 24, 2023
Should you sleep on your side or your back?

Does COVID damage your brain? Why do moths have 'dust' on their wings? Where did the oldest plants come from? Is it better to sleep on your side or your back? Who is the top dog in a pack when humans aren't around? What is your pineal gland for? Why would stomach ulcers cause headaches? Dr Chris Smith and Clarence Ford have all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists https://www.thenakedscientists.com/donate

21m
Nov 17, 2023
Does alcohol burn off in cooking, and is curiosity genetic?

Does alcohol burn off during cooking, why people put their principles in front of their own life and freedom, what causes ageing and can gene editing be used to reverse it, and is curiosity genetic across species? And does Dr Chris believe in God? Relebogile Mabotja and Dr Chris Smith have the answers to the questions you're asking! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists https://www.thenakedscientists.com/donate

16m
Nov 14, 2023
Why does music make me emotional?

Dr Chris takes more listener questions. This week, they include: Why do the sun and the moon appear the same size during a lunar eclipse? How long does it take bowel movements to return to normal after a colostomy? Can you prick a balloon without popping it? Is an enlarged heart dangerous? Do wild horses suffer without having their hooves maintained? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists https://www.thenakedscientists.com/donate

22m
Nov 10, 2023
How long do dreams actually last?

How does a boomerang work? Are windturbines harmful to birds? Which are smarter, dogs or cats? Can you breathe liquid air? How do racecar spoilers work? How long are dreams in real time? What affects systolic blood pressure? Dr Chris Smith and Clarence Ford have all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists https://www.thenakedscientists.com/donate

21m
Nov 03, 2023
What causes amnesia?

In this edition of Ask!, Dr Chris answers these questions and more: Do pineapples really eat you as you eat them? Do they have any health benefits? And why am I gaining weight as I go through the menopause? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists https://www.thenakedscientists.com/donate

17m
Oct 27, 2023
Why is cancer so hard to treat?

Can fasting help with gut health? Why is cancer so hard to treat? Does a change in the weather lead to joint pain? How do you deal with chronic constipation in children? Dr Chris Smith and Relebogile Mabotja have all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists https://www.thenakedscientists.com/donate

12m
Oct 20, 2023
Why are there 7 years in a dog year?

What is our water carbon footprint? Does microwaving food destroy the nutritional value? Why do golf balls have dimples? Should we be desalinating water? Why are breastfed babies less likely to become obese? How did we calculate a dog year? Why do we always look at something that we're told not to? What is intermittent fasting? Dr Chris Smith and Clarence Ford have all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists https://www.thenakedscientists.com/donate

23m
Oct 13, 2023
Does eating grapefruit affect taking medication?

Does prior infection or vaccine protect better against COVID? How do you know when something is wrong with your bowels? What is the difference between old and new vaccines? What effect does grapefruit have on taking mediaction? What are the chemical markers that someone is pregnant? Chris Smith and Relebogile Mabotja have all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists https://www.thenakedscientists.com/donate

17m
Oct 06, 2023
Will ChatGPT replace The Naked Scientists?

Why do animals dream? Why do weird dreams feel so normal? Do ovulating people have more vivid dreams? Why might someone stop dreaming? Will ChatGPT replace The Naked Scientists? What is deja vu? Why is so much money being invested into AI? Can sunflowers absorb radioactive waste? Is the Mexican alien real? Dr Chris Smith and Clarence Ford have all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists https://www.thenakedscientists.com/donate

20m
Sep 29, 2023
Is one apple a day enough?

Do skin care products live up to the hype? Is it cheaper to heat homes with electricity or gas? How does IVF work? How long will the sun continue to burn for? What is arthritis? What is the sensation of deja vu? Is there a cure for baldness? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists https://www.thenakedscientists.com/donate

25m
Sep 22, 2023
How do we know what other planets are made of?

How does colour blindness work? How do we know what other planets are made of? Why might a red dye suddenly disappear? Why don't you feel the velocity of a plane for the whole flight? Do mobile phones in crowded spaces expose us to anything dangerous? What causes testicular torsion? How do you avoid getting rats in your car? Where did humans come from? Dr Chris Smith and Clarence Ford have all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists https://www.thenakedscientists.com/donate

24m
Sep 15, 2023
What's the best way to stop signs of aging?

Do collagen skin treatments work? What exactly are teeth? Are DNA tests ever 100% accurate? Why do dead bodies float? Why doesn't the pole star move? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists https://www.thenakedscientists.com/donate

14m
Sep 08, 2023
Why do wires always end up in knots?

Why am I right footed, but left handed? Why are dogs' sense of smell so superior? Do people with bigger eyes have better peripheral vision? Why do guns recoil? What's the function of the black patterns on the peripheries of car windscreens? Why are yawns contagious? Why are nuclear bombs so deadly? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists https://www.thenakedscientists.com/donate

22m
Sep 01, 2023