Ask The Naked Scientists SA

Are bananas sterile inside?

What are the medical risks and benefits of silver? Is what I call a smell the same experience for you? And why do some things smell appealing, but not others? Does engine oil have a best-before date? And why do metal insulin needles have a use-by date? What makes body…

8 Nov 2019 24 min

Where would a bullet fired in space end up?

Does holding a car remote to your head really improve its range? What would happen to a bullet fired off the International Space Station? How did a marble make a hole smaller than itself in my window? Are mobile phone towers safe? Why does egg white go white when whipped?…

1 Nov 2019 25 min

Will salt make my pasta cook quicker?

Why is salt needed in an old-fashioned ice-cream maker? Are gravity and electromagnetism the same, and could we build a big enough electromagnet to repel the Moon? Are some stars no longer where we see them? Does salt make water boil hotter and hence will my pasta cook quicker? Why…

25 Oct 2019 21 min

What actually is a shooting star?

Is it ethical to grow a brain organoid in a dish? What's a shooting star? Do food preservatives build up in the body? What is cancer and why is it so tricky to treat? Why doe staring at a mobile phone screen cause car sickness on a long journey? Join…

21 Oct 2019 18 min

Can you suffocate under a duvet?

Why does alcohol affect different people differently? What's the difference between white and brown sugar, and is the brown form healthier? Can you suffocate under a blanket? Why have only 28 days in February? Why do wind turbines have long thin blades but room fans use shorter wide blades? Does…

17 Oct 2019 19 min

How does the brain work?

What will phenomics do for medicine? Is the limbic system in conflict with the brain's pre-frontal cortex? How does the brain actually work? And what is consciousness? Join Dr Chris and Talk Radio 702's Azana Mosaka to "Ask! The Naked Scientists" and answer your science questions... Like this podcast? Please…

4 Oct 2019 17 min

What does 2 degrees warming mean?

What makes a brain creative? How do viruses, and the flu, evolve? When did ancient civilisations realise there were 365 days in a year? Has the LHC discovered new dimensions yet? Why does 2 degrees of global warming matter? Can memory be improved? Join Dr Chris and Cape Talk's Kieno…

27 Sep 2019 20 min

Why won't vaseline melt in the microwave?

This week: plummeting bird populations; the global climate strike; whether blood-letting benefits high blood pressure; why vaseline won't melt in the microwave; how pilots land planes even though the Earth is spinning; how birds pattern their plumage; why your nose runs when you wake up; what causes morning breath, and…

20 Sep 2019 20 min

Why won't vaseline melt in the microwave?

This week: plummeting bird populations; the global climate strike; whether blood-letting benefits high blood pressure; why vaseline won't melt in the microwave; how pilots land planes even though the Earth is spinning; how birds pattern their plumage; why your nose runs when you wake up; what causes morning breath, and…

19 Sep 2019 21 min

Why am I addicted to eating toilet paper?

Is flying a threat to glaucoma? Do blood groups affect diet? Is 5G harmful to my health? Why do cats have vertical pupils? What is candida infection and how can I treat it? Does speaking quickly actually communicate more information? Why am I addicted to eating toilet paper? Is the…

10 Sep 2019 21 min

Do wild animals snore?

Chris Smith from the Naked Scientists takes on YOUR questions. What's the link between humidity and temperature? Is cooked meat or food healthier than the raw version? Why does the moon always have the same face pointing towards the Earth? Why do you feel like you're breathing in cold air…

5 Sep 2019 18 min

How does a body decompose?

Chris Smith from The Naked Scientists takes on YOUR questions with Azania Mosaka from Talk Radio 702. How does a body decompose? Why doesn't the body digest spinach? How can you find natural water sources? Can stem cells repair eye conditions? Does tolerance of temperatures change with race? For information…

29 Aug 2019 24 min

What is the Earth's murmur?

Chris Smith from the Naked Scientists takes on YOUR questions. Why do you sometimes see a half moon at sunrise? Why do some body hairs never go grey? Could a coin falling from the top of the Empire State Building kill you? What is the Earth's murmur? Why do effects…

22 Aug 2019 21 min

Are magnets a good source of electricity?

Chris Smith from the Naked Scientists takes on YOUR questions. Can you use magnets as a source of electricity? Does chemotherapy make you lose hair from other parts of your body alongside your head? Can your brain adjust to seeing upside down by flipping your vision? Does leaving your car…

15 Aug 2019 19 min

Why do birds swoop in front of cars?

Chris Smith from the Naked Scientists takes on YOUR questions. Why do men go bald on the tops of their heads first? Do we really share 50% of our DNA with bananas? Why do birds swoop down in front of cars? Is there such a thing as tuberculosis of the…

4 Aug 2019 16 min

Why do some dogs recognise their reflections?

Chris Smith from the Naked Scientists takes on YOUR questions. Why do some dogs recognise themselves in the mirror, or recognise other dogs on TV, while others don't? Why is the sky blue? Why doesn't mitochondrial DNA recombine like other DNA, and does it run into problems with natural selection?…

25 Jul 2019 20 min

Is the Moon a piece of planet Earth?

This week, on its 50th Anniversary, Dr Chris reflects on the Apollo 11 Moon landings, explores the basis of Bell's Palsy, explains the origins of an itch, and asks if wheat is bad for you. We also discuss the microbiome and food intolerance, why burned food tastes great but could…

18 Jul 2019 25 min

Are we really related to Neanderthals?

Chris Smith from the Naked Scientists takes on YOUR questions. Why might someone with diabetes lose a limb? How can you predict a dangerous solar flare? Are humans really related to Neanderthals? Do we love water because we evolved from the ocean? What percentage of our brains do we really…

11 Jul 2019 19 min

Can local honey cure hay fever?

Chris Smith from The Naked Scientists takes on YOUR questions on Cape Talk. Do we need an appendix? How does the Sun burn when there's no oxygen in space? How much water is lost in tinned goods? How can damaged fingertips grow back? Does bloodtype indicate whether a tattoo will…

4 Jul 2019 24 min

Why do humans have cannabis receptors?

Why do flies exist? Could sound propel a spaceship? Why do humans have receptors for tetrahydrocannabinol in their brains? How do cars calculate their fuel consumption? And is all life descended from bacteria? Plus, we report on the recent discovery of a plume of methane on Mars: what does this…

2 Jul 2019 19 min