Episodes

  • Why does cold water take your breath away?

    Why does cold water take your breath away?
    Jun 27 2025
    Why does cold water take your breath away? And why is it cold when you leave the cold water? What smells does an ant produce? Is there a psychological aspect to cramp? Are there any new asthma treatments in the pipeline? Are people getting vaccinated against cancer? Dr Chris Smith and Clarence Ford have all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
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    18 mins
  • Why can't you tickle yourself?

    Why can't you tickle yourself?
    Jun 20 2025
    Dr Chris answers listener questions including: what is the Higgs boson? How should I change my lifestyle to prevent diabetes? Why can you pass on yawns? Why does nerve pain/sciatica get worse when we're tired? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
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    21 mins
  • Naked Scientists SOS

    Naked Scientists SOS
    Jun 16 2025
    Cambridge University have informed us that, for cost cutting reasons, they intend to make Dr Chris Smith redundant. Naturally, this jeopardises the Naked Scientists programme, which is produced under his role. He will also lose his medical job. We regard this as a terrible decision and we intend to protest. Please listen to this short podcast to hear how you can help. Together we hope we can turn around this terrible decision... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
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    4 mins
  • Why does bleach claim to kill 99.9% of bacteria?

    Why does bleach claim to kill 99.9% of bacteria?
    Jun 13 2025
    Chris Smith answers listener science questions. They include, is it worth getting the flu vaccine? Is COVID still around? Is it possible to manufacture a car that runs on air? Why does the hair on our head keep growing, but not on our arms and legs? Is it good to finish a shower with a cold burst? Why are marathon runners thin? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
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    22 mins
  • Would a compass work on the Moon?

    Would a compass work on the Moon?
    Jun 6 2025
    Dr Chris with more answers to listener science questions: why was the discovery of the Higgs boson worthy of a Nobel Prize? Are birth rates falling around the world? How do we prevent HPV? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
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    19 mins
  • Can a person be cloned?

    Can a person be cloned?
    May 30 2025
    Dr Chris answers listener questions including, how effective is the flu shot? Is there anything doctors don't want their patients to know? Do our eyes stay the same size through our lives? Could working in a dusty cement environment lead to health problems? When someone has dementia, how long will they live? Will doctors prescribe remedies purely to induce a placebo effect? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
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    20 mins
  • When did life start evolving sex?

    When did life start evolving sex?
    May 23 2025
    Dr Chris answers questions on CapeTalk, including: how often should we wash our clothes? Is there a relationship between the Earth's gravity and magnetic field? Are the magnetic poles moving? Is there a distinction between North and South? Why don't adult teeth grow back like children's teeth? Can we reconcile science and spirituality? Why does my sister's car attract insects? What is the quickest way to lose weight in a short period of time? Is it true that our eyeballs stay the same size throughout our life? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
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    21 mins
  • What determines the speed of your internet?

    What determines the speed of your internet?
    May 16 2025
    Why is February only 28 days long? Is there a link between red meat, testosterone, and male violence? Is there a 'best' LLM? Can macular degeneration cause you to go blind? What do we know about the big bang? What determines the speed of your internet? Does an autoimmune system attack random parts of the body? Dr Chris Smith and Clarence Ford have all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
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    23 mins