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 do Non-Stick Pans Work? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 18.08.06
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 London, to get her take…
What is the minimum land area required to sustain one human being? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 18.07.31
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 Springmann, the Senior Researcher on Environmental Sustainability and Public Health at the University of Oxford…
How does the Brain Respond to Audiobooks? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 18.07.16
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 Cochrane put this to Dr Matt Davis, Programme Leader in Hearing Language at Cambridge's MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences…
How do astronauts weigh things in space? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 18.06.25
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 gravity of the situation…
Could we eat alien life? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 18.06.04
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, gastroenterologist at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge, to see if he had any food for thought…
Why does my nose drip cycling in cold weather? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 18.05.21
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?We took this snotty situation to Ears nose and throat specialist,…
How does size affect death from falling? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 18.03.05
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…
Do lobsters feel pain? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 18.02.12
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.
Is it better to walk or run in the cold? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 18.02.05
Izzie Clarke's been chilling out with this Question of the Week from Trent…
Why does fresh pasta rise during cooking? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 18.01.29
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.
Do fish yawn? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 17.12.18
The Waite family wanted to know if fish yawn, so Heather Wark spoke to Iain Barber from Nottingham Trent University, to find out.
Could a space rocket be launched from a gun? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 17.12.11
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…
Why do people pick their noses? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 17.11.20
This week we answered the sticky query, Why do people pick their noses?. Lewis Thomson put it to Liverpool GP Dr Laura Wark.
What happens if your car is struck by lightning? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 17.11.06
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 debate on this electrifying question.
How long can we survive for without a head? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 17.10.30
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?
Is it safe to live near a cell phone tower? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 17.10.23
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 on the situation.
Are flies easier to swat if you move slowly? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 17.10.09
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 on swatting flies.
How much alcohol does cooking remove? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 17.09.25
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…
How smart is your pet dog? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 17.09.18
David wanted to know how our pet dogs compare to other animals, such as primates and dolphins, when it comes to intelligence. Stevie Bain spoke to Ben Ambridge from the University of Liverpool, and author of 'Are You Smarter than a Chimpanzee?', to find out more.
Why do clothes dry below 100 degrees celsius? - Naked Scientists Question of the Week 17.09.11
This week, we aired out Norm's question: if water is a solid, as ice, below 0 degrees Celsius, a gas above 100 degrees Celcius and a liquid between this range, why does washing dry when the air temperature is below 100 degrees Celsius. Alexandra Ashcroft asked Dr Thomas Ouldridge, from…