Ask The Naked Scientists SA

Are the Covid-19 vaccines safe?

This week, Dr Chris and Kieno Kammies talk Covid-19 vaccinations, explore whether ivermectin might be a helpful coronavirus drug, explain how maggots get into wounds, unpick what's in the Covid-19 vaccine, and talk nanoparticles... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

25 Jan 2021 22 min

Am I a snake: my yawns spray saliva!

This week, journey times to Mars, how stars come by the matter inside them, why some people feel compelled to eat paper, how coronavirus antibody levels correlate with Covid-19 severity, whether water really goes down the drain in different directions on opposite sides of the Earth, and why a yawn…

22 Jan 2021 21 min

Can you swallow upside down?

This week, Aza catches coronavirus, Covid-19 vaccines, viral variants and where are the mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 genome, can you still swallow when you're upside down, how was Einstein proved right, and what causes cramp? Dr Chris Smith has the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the…

17 Jan 2021 20 min

Why do you float on the Dead Sea?

How do energy drinks give you a buzz? Why do planets orbit on a plane? Should we test for Covid-19 infection before we vaccinate? Do energy drinks cause diabetes? Why do you float on the Dead Sea? How does the Plimsoll Line on a boat work? When does Covid infectivity…

11 Jan 2021 27 min

Why car indicators flash at different rates

How do point of care tests for Covid-19 work? Are they any good? How infectious are people asymptomatically infected with Covid-19? Why do different car indicators flash at different rates? How do accents work and where do they come from? How many Earths could fit inside Jupiter, and what is…

18 Dec 2020 16 min

Why is it dark in space?

An update on the Pfizer vaccine for Covid-19, the lotto likelihood of sequential winning numbers, why swallows congregate around motorway bridges, the logistics of keeping the Covid-19 vaccine cold, and why is it dark in space? Also, why is there a Covid-19 vaccine in 10 months but no HIV vaccine…

8 Dec 2020 24 min

Why shave sheep in winter?

Why shear a sheep in winter when it's cold? And can animals count? Why do geese and turkeys chase people? Also, how does coronavirus infection alter our sense of smell and taste? How do artificial sweeteners work? And when it comes to survival of the fittest, what constitutes "the fittest"?…

4 Dec 2020 24 min

Can we taste through our fingers?

Why did touching something make me taste metal? Also, what's the best liver detox, why does listening to loud music stop a stammer, does music help attention deficit disorder and is sunrise to the south even in the southern hemisphere. We also wonder whether perpetual motion is possible, why the…

27 Nov 2020 21 min

Why does my Coke froth up when I add ice?

Why does my Coke froth up when I add ice? How is an oesophageal stricture treated? Does immunity to other coronaviruses confer immunity to Covid-19? Can cats smell things that are poisonous? Why do athletes place their hands on their hips after exercise? And how do fingers help with heat…

17 Nov 2020 16 min

Why fidgeters are less fat

This week, why teenagers can feel moody, what causes restless leg syndrome, fidgeting and obesity, Covid-19 genetic risk factors, whether potatoes can prevent night cramps and arthritis, and the effects of Epsom salts. Join Dr Chris Smith and 567 CapeTalk's Kieno Kammies for this week's crop of questions and answers…

6 Nov 2020 21 min

Do named painkiller brands work better?

What's the best way to avoid mosquito bites, and a suggestion that tomatoes ward the insects off. Also, why cookers heat some parts of pans better than others, the mind-over-bladder effect when you really need to go, why generic drugs are no different to named brands, why oil makes a…

4 Nov 2020 22 min

Why only use big dogs as sniffer dogs?

Vitamin D for coronavirus? Narcissism and the brain. Why use big dogs as sniffer dogs? Understanding conversations in noisy places, and why that gets harder as we age. Why does my hand itch before I receive money? Is the new coronavirus linked to type I diabetes in children? And attaching…

30 Oct 2020 24 min

Would a fat person last longer in a famine?

Can omnivores switch their diets to survive on whatever is available? Would a fat person last longer in a famine? How does serology help in the management of Covid-19? Could we use GM technology to develop a healthy form of tobacco? How and why do chameleons change colour? Why does…

25 Oct 2020 20 min

What would a brain transplant feel like?

The virtual reality system for visualising molecules, where Covid-19 came from, what would a brain transplanted individual experience, where did all the dust go when Beirut blew up recently, and why is smoking addictive? Join Dr Chris Smith and Talk Radio 702's Azania Mossaka as they delve into the answers…

19 Oct 2020 21 min

How does all that web fit inside a spider?

How a tiny spider can spin so much silk, how the moon's cycle affects human behaviour, the effect of body weight on bone mass, the reason people have consciences, and the way to become a scientist all get discussed this week. Join Dr Chris Smith and Kieno Kammies for the…

17 Oct 2020 18 min

How does body weight affect the skeleton?

Hyenas everywhere in the Kruger, but why so many? How does the human skeleton respond to changing body weight? Why remove and dump a whale carcass when it would rot down naturally? How long does the Covid-19 coronavirus remain viable in the body? Why is the sky blue? And is…

11 Oct 2020 20 min

Donald Trump diagnosed with Covid

Donald Trump diagnosed with Covid-19, SNP MP Margaret Ferrier takes two trains despite coronavirus infection, and the answers to why toddlers have potbellies? Can free-divers get the bends? How does sunscreen work? What's actually inside a black hole? And why do we itch, and what's the point? Join Dr Chris…

2 Oct 2020 25 min

Toilet bleach: what's best, thick or thin?

Would a baby exposed to 5 languages from birth learn all of them? Toilet bleach: what's best, thick or thin? Are new varieties of fruits equally good for you? What's the proof for absolute zero? How are radio and TV audiences measured? What causes high pitched sounds in the ear…

24 Sep 2020 22 min

How does alcohol in hand sanitiser work?

How do different tasks recruit different parts of the brain? What's the story of potential life on Venus? How long to boil the perfect egg? What's homocysteine and how much is a safe level in the blood? How does alcohol in hand sanitiser work? What's the most intelligent animal? Are…

20 Sep 2020 21 min

Covid-19: Has the world over-reacted?

What causes new infections, like Covid-19, to emerge in the first place? Why does the same temperature seem to feel colder in the day than it does at night? Why have we locked down the world for Covid-19 when it seems less serious than we first thought? We also talk…

13 Sep 2020 23 min