Ask the Naked Scientists

How is Gold formed? Could hydrogen be used in power plants? How small can an atomic bomb be? Could we reverse electrolysis to make water? We tackle these questions in this week's show as well as find out how the shrunken heads in Borneo are shrunk, why burnt toast goes black, and why white bread is white. Plus, we investigate if bullets can be made from custard and whether we can trap light to use as energy! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Can we re-set our body clocks? How can we ease the effects of jetlag? Do body clocks change with age? We look into these questions in this week's show as well as investigate whether lightning can occur without clouds, the effects of head injuries, why spacecrafts need to travel at high speeds and we discuss the optimum world population. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How can you measure how dark a place is? When do meteor showers occur and how can we see them? How do 'magic eye' paintings work? We reveal the answers to these mysteries in this week's show. We also find out whether the earth breathes, why car wheels appear to move backwards, and how DNA can narrow criminals down to a specific location. Plus, we investigate where all the hazelnuts have gone! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

What is snot? Why do we make saliva? How do babies have such sweet smelling breath? These, and other less bodily questions, get tackled in this Ask the Naked Scientists. We find out how a radio can consume batteries quickly, where to live to avoid floods and if a brain scan can spot criminal intent! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why are tomato skins so tough? Can you make fireworks from custard powder? What is the speed of dark? Join us as Dave Ansell takes on your science questions, explaining if satellites get dusty, how much damage the infamous Guy Fawkes' gunpowder plot would have done and why you can't see stars in footage shot in space! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Can venoms be used to treat disease? How deadly is the sting of an Irukandje jellyfish? Do all bees die when they sting? We tackle these buzzing questions on this week's show, as well as find out how our brains process pleasure, reveal where dust comes from, and investigate why cows are bad for our environment! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Is global warming natural as well as man-made? What effect will arctic melting have on our sea levels? Why have cars not evolved past piston engines and fossil fuels? Can sugars be used to fuel cars? We tackle these energy-related questions on this week's show as well as reveal how iron ships are kept buoyant, how inkjet printers work and how many wind turbines are needed to power the UK. Plus we investigate how much of our coastline is eroding each year and how old the water is that comes out of our taps! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, Dr Dominic Ford joins Dave Ansell to take on your questions about our universe. They reveal whether it's possible to live in outer space for years on end, if we can see the flames of the sun from here on Earth, discuss what dark matter is, and investigate what existed before the big bang! Plus, we find out why snakes aren't poisoned by their own venom and explore when the modern calendar was created. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why is our peripheral vision so good in the dark? Why do we have goosebumps? Do UFOs exist and is there life on other planets? We explore the answers to these questions as well as investigate how bacteria know where to infect us, how our TV screens work, why we set our clocks back in winter and reveal if covering our bodies in salt would make us shrivel up like a slug! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why do cameras use batteries so quickly? Why does warmth help a battery last longer? How do humans survive lightning strikes? We tackle these questions as well as reveal how steel ships protect themselves from erosion, whether stainless steel really is stainless, investigate the different types of salt and discover how lie detectors work! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists