Ask The Naked Scientists SA

Why do chilies burn my fingers? How dangerous are cell towers to your health? Who names cyclones? Do white and black people have different body temperatures? Why do hairs reach different lengths over the body? Why is gold precious?

16 Feb 2017 22 min

Why is it that wheels look like they're going backwards? Why does my car give me static shocks? If you move an ant will it find its way home? Can you cool something below absolute zero? Do pigeons get itchy? Why do humans get sick when they eat raw meat?

2 Feb 2017 24 min

Is the earth round or flat? Can you have two snowflakes that are alike? Would medicinal marijuana help with MS and Alzheimer's? Why does your mouth heal faster than your finger?

26 Jan 2017 21 min

What are the best foods to eat before and during exams? How do you get heavy metal poisoning? Why do you develop allergies? Why would soap help clean greasy pans? Plus, a robotic heart.

19 Jan 2017 18 min

Why are dreams so realistic? When should you move your babies onto solids? Can people predict their own deaths? Am I allergic to exercise? Plus, the world's smallest knot.

12 Jan 2017 24 min

Why can't I eat fruit? How well do polar bears smell, and how do we know? How does marijuana affect your brain? How does pepper spray work?

1 Dec 2016 23 min

How did speech evolve, why do you need bacteria and fish food for aquaponic systems, do growth factors in anti-ageing creams really work, what treatments are there for allergies and how do UV lights vaporise fat in commercial kitchens? Plus, delving into the secrets of sleeping sickness.

24 Nov 2016 22 min

Could the universe be more than a coincidence, what's causing a burning skin sensation, does milk cause breast cancer, are statins effective for high cholesterol, what impact would a nuclear war have and what risk does Donald Trump pose to climate change? Plus, the science behind the supermoon.

17 Nov 2016 23 min

Is the Earth flat, do microwaves kill nutrients, why do eggs have whites and yolks, what advancements are there in the treatment of tinnitus and what happens if you fire a gun on the Moon's surface? And also a new vaccine which controls HIV in monkeys.

10 Nov 2016 20 min

Why do other people's fart smell worse than your own, why do storms turn swimming pools green, how do we stop HIV spreading, what's the difference between antibiotics and probiotics, why does it feel like you're moving slowly when you're inside an aeroplane and why does the smell of shower…

3 Nov 2016 20 min

How can I find out about my biological age, how can you stop a panic attack, how can you treat Polymyalgia Rheumatica, are detoxing products just a marketing gag, can learned behaviours be passed on genetically, what would cause my brain to forget which way around to put on my…

28 Oct 2016 22 min

Are there increases in miscarriage rates, why are rats used in experiments, could we use developments in cartilage growth to treat scaphoid wrist fractures, is it safe to do strenuous exercise as you get older, where do children get their intelligence and what causes your stomach to flip when you…

20 Oct 2016 18 min

Why does the BCG vaccine cause swelling, where does moisturiser go when you put it on your face, what are the side effects of sickle-cell anaemia medication and is it true that we only use a small proportion of our brain? Plus, a gene editing technique that could provide a…

13 Oct 2016 17 min

Is autophagy linked to autoimmune diseases, what could cause unilateral spinal dysfunction, what is adrenal fatigue and how do we see distant stars? Plus, the low down on the Nobel prizes in medicine, physics and chemistry.

6 Oct 2016 18 min

How do we get bright images of planets, why do distant lights appear to blink, how does radiation escape black holes, what could cause a loss of smell and why does our stomach grumble when it's hungry? Plus, news of the Rosetta Mission's final hours.

29 Sep 2016 19 min

Could planet Earth be a living creature, how do they name medicines, what's the difference between a heart attack and a cardiomyopathy, how do HIV protective drugs work and how were the Egyptian pyramids built? Plus, news of a new gene that could screen for heart disease.

22 Sep 2016 20 min

Why are men hairier than women, how can a cockroach survive a microwave, why is our poo brown when we eat colourful food, why is the reflection on a spoon upside down, why do we close our eyes when we sneeze, do we produce saliva at night, can you make…

15 Sep 2016 20 min

How do birds sit on electric wires without getting hurt, why does hot weather cause nose bleeds, how do probiotics treat vaginal thrush, is there a cure for retinitis pigmentosa, are the any solutions to the problems caused by human activity and what can you do to lessen your asthma?…

1 Sep 2016 25 min

If the ice caps are made of freshwater, how did they form from a salt water ocean? How do baby lobsters eat jellyfish without getting stung? Why doesn't vodka freeze? Does putting a spoon into the neck of a champagne bottle stop it from going flat? What causes your eye…

25 Aug 2016 24 min

Why do we catch colds on holiday? If a fly takes off inside a car, why doesn't it get flung to the back? What are the latest treatments for macular degeneration? Is kidney infection linked to depression? Why am I choking on my saliva? Why do wheels sometimes appear to…

19 Aug 2016 19 min