Question of the Week, from the Naked Scientists
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...
- Update frequency
- every 6 days
- Average duration
- 4 minutes
- Episodes
- 629
- Years Active
- 2008 - 2025
Why does anxious sweat smell worse?
This week's question is a sweaty one! It comes to us from listener Margaret: "Why, why, why can I work in the yard and be covered in sweat for hours, and only stink a little; but reveal one personal …
00:03:56 |
Mon 28 Sep 2020
How would you measure time when in space?
This week we've been against the clock to get the answer to this question from David "What measurement of time would you use in travelling through space as a day, week, month or a year would become m…
00:03:40 |
Mon 21 Sep 2020
Why do I need to pee more nearer the loo?
This week we're flushing out the answer to this question from Charlie: "Maybe this is just me, but it dawned on me that whenever I have to hold in a pee, the need to go increases exponentially when I…
00:03:48 |
Mon 07 Sep 2020
Why do particles gather in a bucket's centre?
Six-year-old listener Jonathan asks: "when you stir a bucket of water, I know the water is pushed to the outside; however, why do any particles end up the centre after the water has finished spinning…
00:03:40 |
Mon 24 Aug 2020
Do our brains process sound or light faster?
Lionel got in touch to ask us about a curious phenomenon he's noticed since installing a new sensor, raising the question whether our brains process light or sound faster. Eva Higginbotham spoke with…
00:03:50 |
Mon 17 Aug 2020
Does burying paper sequester carbon?
Johnny asked us if burying paper counts towards carbon sequestration. To dig up an answer, Adam Murphy spoke to Shaun Fitzgerald, Royal Academy of Engineering Visiting Professor at the University of …
00:03:01 |
Mon 10 Aug 2020
Should you wash, rinse, and repeat?
Julie got in touch to ask whether there was any reason to wash, rinse and repeat, or if it was just marketing hype. Phil Sansom spoke to two hair specialists, Sally-Ann Tarver and Eva Proudman, about…
00:03:37 |
Mon 20 Jul 2020
Why do hospitals need so much PPE?
Carol got in touch to ask "The government has provided more than a billion items of PPE to hospitals. There have been 130,000 COVID cases in hospitals, about 10,000 items of PPE per patient. Can you …
00:03:42 |
Mon 13 Jul 2020
Why does coffee dissolve so fast?
Neerav wanted to know why some things dissolve faster than others, so we spoke to University of Cambridge chemist Ljiljana Fruk to find out... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Nake…
00:03:41 |
Mon 06 Jul 2020
How alike are the kids of identical twins?
Sam got in touch to ask: "If identical twin brothers marry identical twin sisters, and each of those couples has a child, will those two children be like twins?" Eva Higginbotham put the question to …
00:03:53 |
Mon 29 Jun 2020
Why aren't planes dimpled like golf balls?
Darren got in touch to ask us: "Golf balls are dimpled to disrupt the air around the ball. As far as I can gather, this reduces their drag and allows them to fly further than they would if they were …
00:03:33 |
Mon 15 Jun 2020
Could saponins help fight coronavirus?
We've been hunting down the answer to this questions from Denise: "There are plants that contain saponins and were used by Australian aboriginal people as bush medicine. Is there any research on the …
00:03:47 |
Mon 08 Jun 2020
Has life changed on the ISS due to COVID-19?
We're blasting off to the International Space Station to answer this question from listener Fady: "has life changed for astronauts on the ISS due to coronavirus, and are astronauts still allowed to b…
00:03:38 |
Mon 01 Jun 2020
How do electrons flow in electric current?
Rakesh got in touch with this question: "Typically when electrons flow for the electric current, do they come out from the atoms and flow as electric current? Is it not true that when electrons come …
00:03:33 |
Tue 26 May 2020
Do we all have the same skin sensitivity?
Matt got in touch with this question: "Do all humans have the same number of nerve endings in their skin, and if so, do those of us who are bigger, either taller or fatter, have reduced sensitivity i…
00:03:29 |
Tue 19 May 2020
How do C-section babies get their microbiome?
Pavel asked us "On one of the Naked Scientists programmes it was mentioned that a newborn baby has initially sterile intestines and gets most of its microbiome during the passage through the uterus a…
00:03:37 |
Mon 20 Apr 2020
Can frogs survive in a sealed terrarium?
Listener Jon sent us this question: "I just purchased some dart frogs which need to live in high humidity conditions. In order to attain this we basically sealed off the terrariums. The question is w…
00:03:52 |
Mon 06 Apr 2020
How much power can we get out of fusion?
Fusion could be the most sustainable source of energy in the future. But how much can we get out of it? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
00:03:47 |
Mon 16 Mar 2020
Are big dogs smarter than small dogs?
Dogs come in all sizes, from tiny Chihuahuas to giant Great Danes. Their head size is hugely different, as must be their brain size. Does this mean that a Great Dane is massively more intelligent tha…
00:03:39 |
Mon 02 Mar 2020
Should I be microwaving my kitchen sponges?
Is a kitchen sponge full of bacteria, and will a microwave kill them? We tested this at home and asked an expert! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
00:03:55 |
Mon 24 Feb 2020
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