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
Are there more stars in the sky or grains of sand on the earth?
Are there more grains of sand on Earth or stars in the sky, and who counted them? We search heaven and Earth to answer Jeff's question, recruiting astronomer Michael Merrifield from Nottingham Uni…
00:03:30 |
Sun 19 Aug 2018
How do Non-Stick Pans Work?
Martin asked us "What's the science behind non-stick pans? What prevents the sticking?"; To help out with this sticky situation, we spoke to Jess Wade, a materials scientist at Imperial College Londo…
00:03:33 |
Sun 05 Aug 2018
What is the minimum land area required to sustain one human being?
Charlie asked us to field the question, "what is the minimum area required to sustain one human being in terms of oxygen and food?" Marika Ottman brought this cultivation conundrum to Marco Springman…
00:03:50 |
Mon 30 Jul 2018
Brain Response to Audiobooks
Tuomo asks, "Does your brain respond differently when you're listening to an audiobook compared to when you're reading a book? And does this affect how much information you can retain?". Isabelle Coc…
00:03:35 |
Sun 15 Jul 2018
Why do humans get bored?
Theo and Simon Hall asked Why do humans get bored? And what is the evolutionary advantage of boredom? Adam Murphy put this question to Dr. Brian Little at the University of Cambridge to get his less …
00:03:44 |
Sun 01 Jul 2018
How do astronauts weigh things in space?
Chris Taylor wonders how astronauts can weigh things in space. Marika Ottman asks Michael Foale, a former NASA Astronaut and Commander of the International Space Station, to weigh in and assess the g…
00:03:47 |
Sun 24 Jun 2018
Could We Eat Alien Life?
Eamonn asked us to chew over this alien question: If some-day we managed to travel to another planet and discovered aliens, what is the likelihood that we could eat them?We turned to Gareth Corbett, …
00:03:12 |
Sun 03 Jun 2018
Why does my nose drip in cold weather?
Listener Mike asked us to sniff out an answer to cold conundrum... When I cycle my bike in cold weather my nose runs, it doesn't happen in warm weather and is their anything I can do to help with it?…
00:03:24 |
Sun 20 May 2018
How does size affect death from falling?
Matt asked how big an animal or human has to be before a fall would kill it. Katie Haylor put this perilous pondering to physicist Stuart Higgins from Imperial College London... Like this podcast? Pl…
00:04:20 |
Mon 05 Mar 2018
Do lobsters feel pain?
Switzerland has now banned boiling lobsters live. Do they experience pain; how do we know? Georgia Mills asked Professor Bob Elwood from Queen's University, Belfast, for his take on this hot topic. L…
00:03:48 |
Mon 12 Feb 2018
Is it better to walk or run in the cold?
Izzie Clarke's been chilling out with this Question of the Week from Trent... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
00:03:12 |
Mon 05 Feb 2018
Why does fresh pasta rise during cooking?
Martin wanted to know why fresh pasta rises to the surface of the pot when it's ready. We asked Dr Chris Brock from London South Bank University. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the N…
00:04:04 |
Mon 29 Jan 2018
Do fish yawn?
The Waite family wanted to know if fish yawn, so Heather Wark spoke to Iain Barber from Nottingham Trent University, to find out. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
00:03:37 |
Mon 18 Dec 2017
Could a space rocket be launched from a gun?
Anthony wanted to know if firing space rockets out of giant guns would be a better way to blast off. Heather Wark spoke to Dr Stuart Grey of Strathclyde University to find out... Like this podcast? P…
00:03:57 |
Mon 11 Dec 2017
Why do people pick their noses?
This week we answered the sticky query, Why do people pick their noses?. Lewis Thomson put it to Liverpool GP Dr Laura Wark. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
00:03:23 |
Mon 20 Nov 2017
What happens if your car is struck by lightning?
Elizabeth wanted to know whether she'd be safe if her car was hit by lightning or whether the engine would cut out. Izzie Clarke spoke to Philip Garsed from Cambridge University to spark up the debat…
00:03:47 |
Mon 06 Nov 2017
How long can we survive for without a head?
In the 1940's there was a chicken who survived for 18 months without a head, how long can humans survive for without a head? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
00:03:41 |
Mon 30 Oct 2017
Is it safe to live near a cell phone tower?
Jayson wanted to know if living near a cell phone tower could be affecting his and his family's health. Stevie Bain spoke to physicist Tony Kent from the University of Nottingham to shed some light o…
00:03:47 |
Sun 22 Oct 2017
Are flies easier to swat if you move slowly?
Jon wanted to know whether approaching a fly slowly would make it easier to swat. With the help of animal vision specialist Kate Feller from Cambridge University, Michael Wheeler's been swotting up o…
00:03:21 |
Sun 08 Oct 2017
Does cooking remove alcohol?
Zettie wanted to know how much alcohol stays behind in food when you cook with it. Alexandra Ashcroft asked Vayu Maini Rekdal, from Harvard University, to turn up the heat on this question... Like th…
00:03:53 |
Sun 24 Sep 2017
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are the property of Dr Chris Smith. This content is not affiliated with or endorsed by eachpod.com.