Ask The Naked Scientists SA

Would sea level rise if we all went swimming?

Why does sugar get onion smells off my skin? Are aluminium cooking pots harmful to health? Why don't hail stones make holes in leaves? What causes heart palpitations? If we all went swimming at the same time, by how much would the sea level rise? Why are covid swabs so…

7 Sep 2020 25 min

Asymptomatic Covid-19, and where space starts

At what temperature does the new coronavirus survive the best? Is there a tension between science and religion? Are food additives harmful? Why is covid aysymptomatic in some people, and when are we infectious? Where does the Earth stop and space begin, and do we switch off our sensation when…

4 Sep 2020 16 min

How animals eat venomous snakes and not die

Join Dr Chris and 567 CapeTalk's Kieno Kammies to hear why certain sounds make us shudder, whether you should sunbathe in winter, why Donald Trump is orange, what makes a crescent moon, why animals can eat venomous snakes and not be poisoned, the evidence that we really went to the…

31 Aug 2020 24 min

Why do I look upside down in a spoon?

This week climate records and snow in Australia. We also explain why reflections in a spoon are upside down? Would an astronaut adrift in space be fried, frozen, or both? How did the guy who invented a clock know the time? What links the ABCC11 gene and earwax? Why do…

24 Aug 2020 20 min

Will living next to a 5G mast harm my health?

How do induction loops in the road control traffic lights? Are there any health threats from 5G masts? Why do we yawn and why are yawns infectious? What guided ancient civilisations when they built landmark structures? What is tinnitus and can we treat it? Do birds fly in the rain?…

20 Aug 2020 27 min

What causes a dead leg?

What's happening when your arm or leg goes to sleep? What is the odds that ET exists elsewhere in the Universe? Is there a "right" way to sleep? What makes eyelids twitch? What is the D614G strain of Covid-19, and is it a threat? Why do children sleepwalk? Is space…

16 Aug 2020 21 min

How bacteria and viruses turn drug resistant

Why we love music, the reason that standing on one leg becomes a challenge with age, how bacteria and viruses become drug resistant, how plants swap chemicals underground, how old is ancient starlight, and why does Venus appear to rise so rapidly on the horizon? Join Dr Chris Smith on…

14 Aug 2020 22 min

Why does my barbecue smoke follow me around?

The science of explosions, including what happens when brake fluid and hypochlorite mix, and what blew up in Beirut, why lemons make you grimace, the reason that the smoke from the barbecue mysteriously seems to know where you are standing, what determines your IQ, how a fruit battery works, why…

7 Aug 2020 20 min

Can birds carry Covid-19?

How supermarkets ripen fruits and vegetables, how people knew space existed before they went there, whether Covid-19 can infect birds, the advent of space tourism, why flight paths are sometimes curved rather than straight, what causes goose bumps, and are aeroplanes Covid-safe? Join Talk Radio 702's Azania Mosaka and Dr…

2 Aug 2020 22 min

Can I catch Covid19 from a library book?

Evidence for Russian Covid-19 vaccine espionage, whether minicabs spread coronavirus infection, whether Covid-19 can cling to a library book, how to spot a male ant, can birds carry Covid-19, why vaccines take so long to make, and what causes my heart to suddenly begin to race? Join Dr Chris Smith…

27 Jul 2020 19 min

Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis

This week what is special about the word pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis, and, more importantly, what does it mean? Also, how do viruses and bacteria differ, does growing an Afro make you thin, how does body temperature vary across the day, does clipping hair and nails make them grow faster, and how do…

19 Jul 2020 22 min

Is time travel possible?

This week, how blood transfusions from individuals who exercise could take decades off the brain ages of recipients, the toenails that refuse to grow, what causes giddiness, do we need to Earth ourselves to tackle unhealthy charge imbalances, and can air purifiers use UV to remove infectious diseases? Join 567…

12 Jul 2020 21 min

Why is it easier to park a car in reverse?

This week, the intriguing question of how visible light, but not microwaves, can escape through the grille of a microwave oven, how far Earth and Mars are apart, the speed of a falling meteor, why parking a car in reverse is easier, the reason that oil and water won't mix,…

8 Jul 2020 19 min

How fast does a decapitated head stop seeing?

What causes phantom limb pain? How does the bladder control when it fills and empties? What the F are food E numbers? Where does medical oxygen come from and will we run out? How fast does the brain switch off after decapitation? Why don't bats suffer a rush of blood…

3 Jul 2020 21 min

How long am I infectious with COVID19?

This week, if something could move faster than light, how would we detect its speed? Also, why do we cry, and why do the experiences of others make my feet tingle? How far from Earth is Mars, why has smoking been banned in South Africa during Covid lockdown, why are…

1 Jul 2020 20 min

Does a mirror multiply light?

The UK eases the lockdown... a little bit, what makes our eyes move together, what makes Earth so special when it comes to supporting life, how long does a journey to Mars take, why can't I take my chemotherapy by mouth, does a mirror multiply light, and is climate change…

24 Jun 2020 21 min

Why don't birds get cold feet?

This week how birds keep warm in winter, how long to recover from ventilation for Covid-19, when do doctors need to ventilate a patient, seeing your own brain by MRI, why sunlight is warmer in summer, and can infrared light kill Covid? Join Dr Chris Smith and 567 CapeTalk's Kieno…

12 Jun 2020 18 min

101 ways to sterilise a facemask

How to sterilise a facemask: will zapping it in a microwave oven, or steaming it over a kettle work? What's the deal with UVC to kill coronaviruses? Are books returned to libraries an infection risk? And what about deliveries of flowers? Can garlic fend off infection? Why do fridges jolt…

6 Jun 2020 24 min

Where does methanol come from in home brew?

This week where methanol comes from in home brewing, 5G and the coronavirus conspiracies, why cut flowers still need water, rice behaving bizarrely in the microwave, whether wind blows away infections, exploding jugs of custard, safe alcohol consumption, why light has the speed it does, and why weather stops a…

1 Jun 2020 21 min

Are my muscles more efficient than a car?

Engine efficiency, what happens when the Earth's magnetic field flips, what is a solar minimum, why are some people shorter than others and what causes dwarfism, and how can I tell planets from stars? Join 702's Azania Mosaka and Dr Chris Smith for the answers... Like this podcast? Please help…

24 May 2020 18 min