Question of the Week
Each week we set out to solve one of the world's weirdest, wackiest, funniest and funkiest scientific puzzles. And along with the answer there's a brand new question to think about for next time...
Is there an evolutionary benefit to kissing? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 10.07.19
What is the point of kissing? Does it have any benefit for us or our progeny? Plus, we ask how much you'd have to fart in order to lift yourself off the ground!
Why didn't The Americas have what the Europeans had at the time of conquest? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 10.07.12
We ask why the New World wasn't technologically as advanced as the Old World. Is this a valid question? Plus, we ask what the benefits of kissing might be.
Why does an electric toothbrush affect my vision? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 10.07.05
When brushing one's dental equipment with an electric toothbrush one may notice a slight wobbling of the television images. Why does this happen? Plus, we ask why the Americas hadn't developed the same kinds of technologies as the Old World at the time of European contact.
Why is the nervous system crossed over? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 10.06.28
Why does one side of the brain control the other side of the body? Surely it would make more sense if the left half of the brain told the left side of the body what to do. We find out what the current thinking on this conundrum is. Plus, we…
Can dogs watch TV? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 10.06.21
Many a dog has been observed barking at the television - but can they see what's going on in 'One man and his Dog'? Can they see images better on LCD TVs rather than CRT? Plus, we ask why one side of our brain is wired up to control the…
What happens to light travelling at light speed? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 10.06.14
We work out what would happen if you shone a light whilst travelling at light speed. Would you see anything? Would an observer see anything? Plus, we ask if dogs really can watch TV.
Can genes carry our memories? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 10.06.07
In our quest for answers we discover how memories might be encoded in genes, though probably not the sort of memories you were expecting. Plus, we ask what would happen if you shine a light whilst travelling at light speed.
Why do some foods make our urine smell? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 10.06.01
What is it that sometimes makes micturating nasally irritating? Why does asparagus make your urine smell and why might some cereals do the same thing? Plus, we ask whether memories can be handed down through generations.
Sounds of the Stables - Why don't donkeys sound like horses? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 10.05.24
Why do horses go "neigh!" when donkeys "he-haw!"? And what noize do zebras make? Just because they look similar, should they sound the same? Plus, we ask how food alters the smell of your urine…
Why do we have different blood groups? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 10.05.17
We discover some likely explanations for the different blood groups seen in humans. Is there any reason for having one blood type over another? Do other animals have them too? Plus, we ask: why do horses, donkeys and zebras all make different noises?
Why haven't crocodiles changed? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 10.05.10
Crocodiles have been the same for millennia upon millennia. What's going on? Why are they so uneventful in terms of evolution? Plus, we ask why we have different blood types.
Does the Doppler shift affect radio? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 10.05.03
Do radio signals change as we move to and from the transmitter? Do our movements affect how a radio boradcast sounds? We find the answer in this question of the week. Plus, we ask why crocodiles haven't changed all that much in the last few million years.
Can you carbon date your granny? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 10.04.26
We find out if it's possible to put an age on someone without a birth certificate. Given that cells regularly regenerate in the body, can you carbon date your grandmother? Plus, we ask if radio shows get doppler shifted.
Who has the cleaner mouth, dog or human? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 10.03.29
We explore why a dog's mouth might be cleaner then a human's from the perspective of getting a bite from either. Who's got the worst oral bacteria? Plus, we ask how worms survive flooding of their soil-y burrows.
Do Worms Drown? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 10.04.12
This week's question endeavours to find the answer to the footpath conundrum - how do worms survive in the rain? What happens if the soil dries out? Plus, we ask if it's possible to carbon-date one's grandmother…
Are all the calories in food absorbed? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 10.03.22
This week's question is all about energy! Do our bodies manage to harvest all the energy from food or do we miss a few calories here and there? Plus, we ask whose bite is worse, dog or human?
Do subliminal learning CDs work? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 10.03.15
We find out if it's possible to revise for exams, become a mechanic or pick up a new language in your sleep! Do those CDs really work? Plus, we ask how many calories our bodies actually absorb from the food we eat.
How is money made? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 10.03.08
In this lucrative Question of the Week we find out how paper notes and metal coins are minted and printed in the money making factories of the UK. Plus, we ask if and how subliminal CDs work…
Why does white clothing become see-through when wet? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 10.03.01
We find out about the physics behind wet T-shirt competitions! Why is it that pale clothing becomes transparent with the addition of water? Plus, in a totally unrelated question, we ask how money is made…
Does ploughing snow cause global warming? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 10.02.22
In this seasonal Question of the Week we explore how removing the lovely white reflective stuff might cause the whole world to warm up. Plus, we ask how wet T-shirt competitions work (the science behind it, that is)!