Ask The Naked Scientists SA

Why is a cold called a cold?

Why do my eyes burn when raindrops run into them? Why can eye and hair colour change? Why do I cry when I go to the loo? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

9 Jun 2023 20 min

Why disinfectants kill only 99.9% of germs

How do flysprays work, and are they harmful for humans? What's "muscle memory" and where are these memories stored? Why do disinfectants "only" kill 99.9% of germs? How do I cleanse domestic rainwater tanks to kill microbes? How does freefall - as described by orbiting astronauts - work? If I…

2 Jun 2023 19 min

Why do my flowers only smell nice at night?

This week,?What makes an appendix burst? Why do we blush??Do carrots really improve our eyesight? What other foods can we eat to regenerate our organs? Can lions survive on seafood? Can studying the arts impact on my health? And why do some flowers only release their scents at night, a…

27 May 2023 19 min

Why do bright lights make spots in my vision?

What are hiccups and what's the medical term for the phenomenon? How far to the horizon and why does it always appear to be at eye-level? What are lectins and are they harmful? What is pulmonary fibrosis, why does it happen and can it be cured? Why do bright lights…

15 May 2023 22 min

Which came first, the chicken or the egg?

Why do we always find cockroaches on their back? How does medicine know where it hurts? Why do we dream? Why is the Earth still so hot? What came first, the chicken or the egg? Why did Chernobyl explode? How much energy does a seed need to grow? Can we…

13 May 2023 24 min

Is JWST disproving the big bang theory?

Why do I feel phantom pain? What is the sleep in my eyes constituted of? Why are things we drop into our eyes poisonous to ingest? What is fibromyalgia? What is aquamation? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

28 Apr 2023 23 min

Do we have two sets of DNA?

What makes the brain age? Why don't ice skaters get dizzy? Do we have two sets of DNA? Where does all of the burned fuel go? Do dogs get headaches? Why are dogs so good at pattern recognition? Does someone carrying a donor egg provide any of the child's DNA?…

21 Apr 2023 24 min

Can we control AI?

The dangers of mains electricity. Are computers helping or hindering our lives? What if I shine a torch while travelling at the speed of light? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

31 Mar 2023 20 min

Why do we cry when we laugh?

Why is TB so drug resistant? How do nature drugs fit the lock and key in our brains? Why are some family members less fussy eaters than others? Why do we cry when we laugh? Is a love of public speaking from nature or nurture? What's the point of going…

24 Mar 2023 20 min

Does red really make bulls angry?

How do we get a transplanted heart to start pumping in someone's body? Is it possible to have a stomach transplant? Is Earth's crust displacement likely to have occured in the past? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

17 Mar 2023 18 min

What would T-Rex taste like?

Can pain medicines go off? Why is mouldy cheese ok? What is the James Webb Space Telescope looking at? How long would it take someone to adapt to living in a different climate? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

17 Mar 2023 21 min

Can mosquitos get drunk off blood alcohol?

How can I bulk up my muscles? Where does candle wax disappear to? Why don't pigs eat onions? Do women take on male DNA when they're pregnant? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

3 Mar 2023 18 min

Can you sing one song to the tune of another?

Why do we teach kids nursery rhymes? How do we know how anatomically modern humans populated the world? What is cataract surgery, how is cataract surgery performed, and is there an upper age limit? Is most human behaviour innate, or learned? Why does water boiled in a microwave sometimes explode…

5 Feb 2023 18 min

Are mobile phone microwaves dangerous?

Why is earth's magnetic field changing direction? Why can I sense when someone is looking at me? How might the world come to an end? Why does time seem to be going past more quickly as I get older? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

27 Jan 2023 19 min

What would a solar flare do to Earth?

What would a large solar flare do to Earth? Why do stars appear to flicker, or move? Can animals experience regret? How does AI work? What are probiotics? Dr Chris Smith has all the answers for the listeners on Radio 702 and 567 CapeTalk... Like this podcast? Please help us…

20 Jan 2023 17 min

Is the carrot top safe to eat?

Do scientists know how many stars are in the galaxy? Why do some ailments only affect us at night? Should I get a petrol or diesel car? Are we drinking the same water as our ancient ancestors? What's the difference between intelligence and creativity? Like this podcast? Please help us…

13 Jan 2023 19 min

Are there any advantages to having a disease?

Does flash photography harm baby's eyesight? What is ocular myasthenia gravis? Can having a disease give you an advantage against another disease? Why are soldiers so prone to PTSD? Why is it so difficult to predict the weather? What does it mean to be double-jointed? Are we susceptible to certain…

6 Jan 2023 23 min

What is cellular data and what do we pay for?

Is carbonated water better for you than still water? Why are some dogs scared of fireworks, and being touched? Is there a cure for tinnitus? Do energy drinks actually give you energy? Why does the second cup of tea never taste as good as the first? What is electronic data?…

3 Jan 2023 24 min

Will identical twins die of the same thing?

Chris answers an eclectic crop of science questions including: why do we appear to have superhuman strength in high stress situations? Are science and religion at odds with one another? What's the cause of grid outages and blackouts? Will identical twins die of the same illness/disease? Why are manufactured goods…

16 Dec 2022 21 min

How does our brain coordinate our body?

What role do cockroaches play in our ecosystem? What would happen if all of Earth's gases combined? Why is the universe expanding? What is the most flammable gas? Why does the Earth look flat from the ground? How does the brain co-ordinate the body? How were the pyramids built so…

9 Dec 2022 24 min