Podcast di The Naked Scientists

Surely a day doesn't go by without you using plastic. It's a marvel of material science. But hidden behind its convenience, plastic poses serious enviornmental challenges. Is this versatile and ubiquitous material contributing to the climate problem or helping us solve it? Plus, in the news this week: as Omicron spreads across the globe, we get the…

What finally made the Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland work? Is it now coming under threat? Should we think of peace as a continuing process rather than as a goal? The historian Niamh Gallagher and leader of the Alliance Party John Alderdice reflect on a complex situation... Like this podcast? Please help us by writing a review…

ESA's senior science advisor Mark McCaughrean joins Space Boffins Sue Nelson and Richard Hollingham to enthuse about the most powerful space telescope ever built. And NASA astronaut Jessica Meir discusses coming back from the ISS to a world in the grip of Covid-19, her first all women space walk, and her preparations as part of the Artemis astronau…

This week, Matt contacted us asking "With three space missions currently converging on Mars how do the nations avoid orbital collisions? Do they share data, do they have transponders or space traffic control etc?". Katie King spoke with Chris Bridges, academic at Surrey Space Centre in the University of Surrey to find out how we keep our spacecraft…

This week, what's the bottom line on sanitising surfaces against Covid-19? Why, wonders Lester, am I so sluggish for the first few hours of the day? And can you train your chronotype to be a better morning person? Does it make a difference if you sleep on your left or your right? Why is gambling addictive and is addiction a genetic trait? Can porno…

Audio-only games... how do they work, and are they fun? We talk to the man behind one called The Vale: Shadow of the Crown. There are finally lots of new games for next generation consoles: Deathloop, FIFA 22, Far Cry 6, Back 4 Blood to name just a few. Oh and the Switch has Metroid Dread, which is pretty darn good. Retro Revival this month examine…

As we strive for a transition to a green future, we're asking "would wood be good" to help us build everything from better buildings to more insulating windows, from steak-cutting knives to nano-engineered, biodegradable glitter. Plus, in the news: as Covid cases take off again in Europe, we review the situation here in the UK; also, making strawbe…

ESA's senior science advisor Mark McCaughrean joins Space Boffins Sue Nelson and Richard Hollingham to enthuse about the most powerful space telescope ever built. And NASA astronaut Jessica Meir discusses coming back from the ISS to a world in the grip of Covid-19, her first all women space walk, and her preparations as part of the Artemis astronau…

Dealing with climate change presents a huge challenge but we focus on one aspect of the problem. Tim Winter, Chair of the board of trustees of Cambridge Mosque and the architect Sam Turner discuss building more sustainably and more imaginatively... Like this podcast? Please help us by writing a review…

It's Q&A time! In this episode we'll be answering questions from you, our listeners, such as how close are we to developing a vaccine against the common cold, what's it like to live on Mars and what are the weirdest animals in Antarctica? That's right this week is dedicated to you. We're answering all your questions with the help of supernova scien…

It is Interfaith week in the UK and two practitioners, David Hampshire and Kitty O'Lone, talk about the principles of the movement which can range from high profile diplomacy to local get togethers... Like this podcast? Please help us by writing a reviewDi The Woolf Institute

The chemistry of fireworks, can I safely eat one year old Christmas cake, why we don't fall out of bed at night, what the Universe is expanding into, the reason we have to remove laptops from bags at airports, why the spinal cord won't spontanteously regenerate, sleep apps, and the science of forgetfulness all go under Lester and Dr Chris's microsc…

This week, listener Rob emailed us to ask "Is dark matter in large lumps or like grains of sand?" Iacopo Russo got some help from the Little Prince story, as well as from Physics professor Francesca Day at Durham University and physicist Jacques Pienaar from the University of Chicago, to find the answer... Like this podcast? Please help us by suppo…

This week we have the inside track on the COP-26 climate conference in Glasgow; why bird song at dawn sounds dramatically different to 20 years ago; and scientists uncover the secret to a successful blind date. And, as COP26 marches on, we reflect on how the climate crisis is destined to affect us all. Like this podcast? Please help us by supportin…

Rhetoric used to be a subject for study at schools and universities. These days, eloquence seems to be under threat from social media and the public can be suspicious of persuasive scientists and religious leaders. To mark the 100th edition of NAKED REFLECTIONS Rowan Williams and Chris Smith come together to discuss the merits and dangers of eloque…

To answer this juicy question, Julia Ravey asked environmental scientist at the University of York Samarthia Thankappan... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked ScientistsDi Dr Chris Smith

This week we join young learners at Christel House school who ask us about the duration of immunity to Covid-19 post-vaccine and post-infection. Also, menstrual synchrony and whether it's fact or fiction, craniofacial abnormalities and the developing baby, the threat humans face from Artificial Intelligence (AI), why we're conscious and why we slee…

We're wandering into the weird world of spiders! We'll be looking at spiders that can fly using little silk parachutes and the grisly and gruesome mating habits of black widow spiders. Plus in the news, as UK cases surge, should Covid precautions move to Plan B; how does raw sewage affect our waterways; and is your mobile phone damaging your finger…