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...
Latest episodes
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5 min
Is 10,000 steps a one-goal-fits-all?
John writes in wondering whether the 10,000 steps rule applies eqully to everyone, given the range of body types and fitness among the population. James Tytko wondered where the 10…
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6 min
Why can't I do that 11th press-up?
This time on Question of the Week, James Tytko is being given a mental work-out thanks to this listener question on muscle fatigue. We learn about the biological reactions which go…
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5 min
How does the UV filter in sun cream work?
Listener Krzysztof has written in to ask how skin is protected from potentially harmful UV radiation by sun cream products. To help him with the answer, James Tytko put in a call t…
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8 min
Will heat pumps make cities cooler?
Ian from Stockport has had a thought. If heat pumps transfer thermal energy from outside into our homes, will they counteract the relative heat of urban areas compared to the count…
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6 min
What leads a guided missile to its target?
Bhavesh wants to know how guided missiles find their target. James Tytko took on his question with help from Dr David Galvao Wall, Head of the Air Platforms and Weapons Group at Cr…
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6 min
How do gravitational waves keep their energy?
In response to our programme celebrating 10 years since the first detection of gravitational waves, listeners got in touch with fascinating questions. Here, James Tytko takes on a…
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6 min
Why do leaves change colour at different rates?
Trent wants to know why trees of the same species, in the same geography, seem to change the colour of their leaves at different rates. He's even noticed differences on branches of…
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5 min
Are snakes tamed by breast milk?
Sva writes in, asking whether stories of snakes being tamed by human milk have any grounding in science. James Tytko took on the question with the help of herpetologist Fortunate M…
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5 min
What happens to celebratory bullets?
In some parts of the world, some groups will fire guns directly into the air in celebration. Mike wants to know what happens to these bullets, and if they have the potential to be…
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5 min
What would you find at the centre of Saturn or Jupiter?
Maddie wants to know what a daring adventurer might find if they journeyed to the centre of one of our Solar System's gas giants: Juptier and Saturn. James Tytko took on her questi…
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6 min
Do recent experiments prove a quantum interpretation?
Iain wants to know whether recent experiments have gotten us any closer to deciding which interpretation of quantum mechanics is most likely. This branch of physics describes the a…
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7 min
Can a dog and a fox produce viable offspring?
Girts sends a question about which animals can mate to produce viable offspring. How is it that different breeds of dogs can come together to produce puppies, but add a different a…
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4 min
How are our cells different at the genetic level?
Jon wants to know, how do the cells in the human body, in all their variety, differ at the genetic level? James Tytko took his query on... Like this podcast? Please help us by supp…
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8 min
Will AI help to reduce environmental harms?
Geoff has written in asking whether AI will offset its vast energy appetite by facilitating environmentally conscious initiatives. James Tytko took on the challenge of finding out,…
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7 min
Can nuclear reactors power Mars missions and our towns?
Laurie writes in, wanting to know whether the nuclear reactions which power Mars rovers means small nuclear reactors could power our towns and cities. Diving into this atomic adven…
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5 min
How do you catch Lyme disease?
Leonard is asking how one acquires Lyme disease, and how doctors diagnose it. James Tytko asked Jack Lambert, Professor and Consultant in Infectious Diseases at Mater Misericordiae…
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4 min
Will green technology stop climate change?
Simon wants to know, since we saw a dip in greenhouse gas emissions during the pandemic, why haven't we seen climate change slow down? Is green technology part of the problem? Jame…
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5 min
How long does a lap of the water cycle take?
Thanks to Jess Neumann for the answer! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
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5 min
Why do clouds move in a different direction to the wind?
When Tony is cycling around, he notices that the clouds above him are not always moving in the same direction as he feels the wind blowing him down on the ground. Why might this be…
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4 min
Do photons have a size?
Donald wants to know, 'how big is a photon?' Marushka Soobben took on his query with help from Ben Allanach, professor of theoretical physics at the University of Cambridge... Like…