Question of the Week
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...
How is eye colour passed down?
Teacher Ellie was recently asked a question by her Year 9 pupil in Manchester that she couldn't answer: "I have one blue eye and one brown eye, when I have kids, will they have one blue eye and one brown eye like me?" Eva Higginbotham put the question to eye…
Would a body left in space decompose?
Daniel has been dreaming of the stars, but his dreams have been rather eerie. Now, he's on a one way journey to gain some scientific insight. He got in touch to ask 'If a crew on a mission to mars had a death on board, and if that body was…
Why do we keep catching the same diseases?
This week, listener Rick emailed us to ask "Why do we acquire lifelong immunity against some pathogens but not others?" Sally Le Page asked author and infectious disease researcher at Imperial College, London, John Tregoning, to jog our memories... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Do frogs get itchy?
Margaret got in touch to ask The Naked Scientists: "Science has now identified actual nerve endings that humans and other mammals have that send that itchy feeling to the brain. Do snakes and other amphibians have these same nerve types? Have frogs been seen scratching an itch?"Harry Lewis dived deep…
What happens to light's lost energy?
Listener Mark was curious to know: "Since the Universe is expanding, and light coming across it stretches as it does so, becoming more red, what happens to the lost energy when the shorter wavelength, higher energy light towards the blue end of the spectrum is shifted into lower energy, red…
How long before the food I eat becomes 'me'?
Listener Martin wanted to know: "How long does it take the food I eat to become part of me?" Eva Higginbotham set off to find out the answer... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
What proportion of the brain stores memory?
Dave got in touch with The Naked Scientists to ask, "How much of the brain is memory?" This week Harrison Lewis only just remembered to get in touch with Amy Milton from the University of Cambridge. Thank goodness he did, as Amy has extensive experience wrapping her head around this…
Why do ladybirds have varying spot numbers?
Listener Ruomei wrote in to ask "Why do ladybugs have different numbers of spots on their backs?"Eva Higginbotham spoke with ladybird enthusiast Helen Roy from the Uk Centre for Ecology and Hydrology... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Is lava wet?
Listener Henk wrote in to ask "Is lava wet?" Sally Le Page spoke with magmanimous geologist Brooke Johnson from the University of Oxford... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Why don't dogs get hairballs when cats do?
Beth wrote in to ask "My dog is always licking her fur but never gets a hairball. Why don't dogs get hairballs?" Sally Le Page spoke to three animal aficionados: Nick Sutton, Science Communications Advisor at The Kennel Club; Justine Shotton, Junior Vice President at the British Veterinary Association; and…
If heat rises, why is it colder up mountains?
Wayne got in touch to ask: "We've always learned that heat rises but it's normally cooler in the mountains. Shouldn't their higher elevation make it warmer there?" Sally Le Page reached out to atmospheric physicist Simon Clark for the answer... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked…
Could bagpipes help you recover after Covid?
Paul got in touch to ask "If one is recovering or has recovered from covid, would playing bagpipes help to expand the lungs and be beneficial or detrimental?". Adam Murphy reached out to John Dickinson from the University of Kent and Michael Steiner from the University of Leicester for the…
Why do crocodiles have such bumpy skin?
Johan aged 5 got in touch to ask: "Why are crocodiles' skin so bumpy and not smooth?" Sally Le Page reached out to James Hennessy from Ireland's National Reptile Zoo for the answer... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Will a can in the ocean float or be crushed?
This week, Phil Sansom has been thinking deeply - or rather, sinking deeply - about this question from listener Richard. "Will a can of soda dropped in the ocean sink until it implodes, or float once it reaches equilibrium?" Here's the answer, with help from the Cambridge Science Centre's Mia…
Is every snowflake unique?
This week, Charlotte Birkmanis is chilling out, as she answers Alan's cool question: "I have heard it said many times that no two snowflakes are the same. Given the billions and billions of them that have fallen to Earth, this really does seem unlikely. Since nobody has looked at them…
Can overcooking junk food make it healthy
This week, we're turning up the heat, as Adam Murphy's been looking into Kelvin's question: "We are told not to overcook our vegetables because this kills the nutrients. Now if that's the case, why don't we just overcook the food we enjoy and not run the risk of putting on…
Can dog wee dissolve rubber tyres?
This week, urine for a treat - Phil Sansom tackles this question from listener Trent. "Every time I walk my dog, it pees on the tyre of a particular trailer. It got me thinking: urine contains uric acid. Is that strong enough to eat through the rubber of the tyre?…
Can flies survive the winter?
Jeffrey got in touch to ask: "We've had a cold and snowy winter, and I've had to shovel my driveway every few days. We had a fly in our house, and I was curious if it survived the cold somehow, or recently hatched?" Adam Murphy got in touch with Erica…
How do ZIP files work?
Listener Ellie wanted to know: "how do ZIP files work on my computer?" Phil Sansom unzipped the question - with an answer from research data scientist Peter Foster... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Why are electrons never in between orbitals?
Quantum hats on for this week's 'exciting' question! Listener Mejnun says: "I have learned at school that when an electron excites it jumps to another orbital around the nucleus. If an electron jumps an orbital you would expect that at that moment it can be found between the two orbitals…