The Naked Scientists Podcast - Stripping Down Science

How bad is the air we breathe?

Take a deep breath. Yes, literally. And ask yourself: what's in the air I just inhaled? It's almost certain, with our modern lives and built, busy environments, that it contains a range of harmful particles. Whether it stems from city traffic or wildfires, air pollution has many sources, it affects…

31 Mar 31 min

Pig liver transplant breakthrough, and weird early galaxies

In this edition of The Naked Scientists: the first transplant of a gene-modified pig liver into a human; also, the James Webb Space Telescope sees one of the first galaxies ever to exist, and it's very strange indeed; and scientists explain why we can't recall our early years... Like this…

28 Mar 37 min

AMR unleashed: the silent pandemic

In this edition of The Naked Scientists, Antimicrobial Resistance, or AMR, is going under our microscope. What is it, how does it happen, what's the scale of the threat, and how can we fight back? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

24 Mar 33 min

Stranded astronauts return, and the whale pee funnel

In this edition of The Naked Scientists: Stranded Nasa astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams come down to Earth with a splash and some awesome drone footage; also, Cambridge scientists are mapping where to find the world's rarest minerals; and the massively under-appreciated role that whales play transporting nutrients thousands…

20 Mar 33 min

The mounting misgivings over microplastics

In this edition of The Naked Scientists, what threat do microplastics pose to our health, and the health of the planet? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

17 Mar 30 min

North Sea ship crash, and super spuds

On this edition of the Naked Scientists Podcast, what are the potential environmental impacts of the ship crash in the North Sea? Also, we find out what's being done to reduce the risk from engineered pandemics, and reveal what's going on inside the best electric vehicle batteries on the market…

13 Mar 40 min

CRISPR, and the ethics of gene editing

In this edition of The Naked Scientists, we take a closer look at CRISPR gene editing. What is it? And what are the ethics involved in rewriting the human genome? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

11 Mar 30 min

New part of the immune system, and greedier labradors

In the news pod, scientists in Israel discover a new part of the immune system. We'll find out why it matters. Also, the Blue Ghost mission that just landed on the Moon and could change the way we conduct Lunar exploration. And greedy labradors: we find out why dogs (and…

6 Mar 34 min

Incoming: what happens when the next asteroid hits Earth?

This week, we're examining NEOs - near-Earth objects - asking whether any of them might be on a collision course with our biggest cities... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

3 Mar 31 min

Glucose monitor misinformation, and AI dairy farms

In this edition of The Naked Scientists: Continuous Glucose Monitors are increasingly popular. But are they feeding us dietary misinformation? Also ahead: the "sexome": scientists describe the genital microbiome, and how it might help with forensic investigations. And, we go to Wales to find out how artificial intelligence is helping…

28 Feb 35 min

What is mirror life?

We're taking you through the looking glass to explore 'mirror life': could we be about to flip biology on its head? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

25 Feb 32 min

Game-changing prostate cancer test, and magnetic turtles

In this edition of The Naked Scientists: A new screening test for prostate cancer that can, the inventors claim, accurately catch 96% of cases, and early. Also, why you might want to eschew artificial sweeteners: a new study suggests they can accelerate arterial disease. And, scientists show that turtles can…

20 Feb 33 min

Halting the progress of multiple sclerosis

In this edition of The Naked Scientists, we're looking into multiple sclerosis, following the progression of the condition from relapses to neurodegeneration, asking, can we halt the disease in its tracks? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

17 Feb 28 min

Record-breaking neutrinos, and quantum train travel

In this edition of The Naked Scientists: A particle with a record-breaking energy is discovered: but where did it come from? Also, damaged hearts healed using stem cell "patches" of tissue: human clinical trials are about to kick off. And, the project using quantum mechanics to revolutionise the London Underground…

13 Feb 36 min

From Russia with Love: The Science of Hybrid Warfare

In this edition of The Naked Scientists, we'll find out how Putin and his cadre in the Kremlin play a neverending game of technological cat and mouse... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

10 Feb 31 min

Mantis shrimp's punch, and low-methane rice

In this week's Naked Scientists Podcast: Uncovering the secret behind the mantis shrimp's giant punch. Also, developing a new strain of rice that produces a fraction of the methane, and shaking virus particles to hear their song. Plus, we profile NASA's new chief, Jared Isaacman... Like this podcast? Please help…

7 Feb 33 min

Can you grow a building?

This week on The Naked Scientists, we've teamed up with Cambridge University Press and specifically the team behind Research Directions, their suite of new, open access journals that are all about publishing research in a novel and exciting way.Science is, of course, all about asking questions and developing experiments to…

4 Feb 33 min

Asteroid Bennu's brine, and DeepSeek shocks Silicon Valley

In this edition of The Naked Scientists: Samples back from space reveal tantalising insights into where the life-linked chemicals that kick-started biology on Earth could have come from. Also, the impact of China's DeepSeek AI model on society, finance, and the global tech market. And why imported olive trees turn…

30 Jan 35 min

Titans of Science: Charlie Swanton

It's our final Titans of Science offering of this series, with world-leading cancer expert Charlie Swanton. We'll hear how the latest developments in our understanding of cancer's mechanisms are shaping treatments and preventative measures... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

27 Jan 31 min

Malaria infection trial, and weeing chimpanzees

On the Naked Scientists News show: a new UK trial seeks to infect healthy people with malaria in a bid to get to grips with the dormant stage of the infection. Then, we hear how T cells could be the key to ensuring more organ transplant successes, and should we…

23 Jan 34 min