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PODCAST

The Naked Scientists Podcast

The Naked Scientists

The Naked Scientists flagship science show brings you a lighthearted look at the latest scientific breakthroughs, interviews with the world"s top scientists, answers to your science questions and science experiments to try at home.

science life sciences

All Episodes

00:33:09

Cancer drug gene screen, and world's most powerful...

The Naked Scientists Podcast ·

2026/10/02

New CRISPR technology tool uncovers genes that have become resistant to chemotherapy drugs. We speak with the scientist behind the cancer discovery. Plus, how butterflies use their wing patterns to confuse and evade predators; why Fiji has declared HIV a national emergency; and how SpaceX's Starship rocket launch is fuelling the race back to the Moon. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

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00:32:21

What is heart disease, and how can it be tackled?

The Naked Scientists Podcast ·

2026/09/29

Today, in partnership with British Heart Foundation (BHF), we take on the world's biggest killer: heart disease. This episode features BHF's Ruth Goss on why this disease kills so many people; Will Watson at the Royal Papworth Hospital in Cambridge on what arterial disease looks like under a microscope; Cathy Shanahan at King's College London on attempts to stop blood vessels from becoming hard and stiff; and BHF's Sonya Babu-Narayan on risk management and heart disease treatment. Like this podcast

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00:31:38

Kent's meningitis outbreak, and heat-loving amoeba

The Naked Scientists Podcast ·

2026/09/25

Coming up, scientists discover why the UK's recent men B outbreak was so severe. How did they do it? Also ahead: an international study suggests that bats originated in Europe 65 million years ago; how a tiny single-celled organism can survive at high temperatures; and the search for the resting place of Egypt's heretic queen, Nefertiti. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

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00:37:00

The magic of mushrooms and the science of fungi

The Naked Scientists Podcast ·

2026/09/22

Coming up, we forage for mushrooms to unearth fascinating alternative uses for fungi, from cleaning up pollution and making building materials to treating mental health. This episode, produced by Laura Verdina at Queens' College, Cambridge, features Laura and Nathan Smith at Grantchester Meadows; Joni Wildman from the University of Bath on mycelium-based materials; Magnus Ivarsson at MycoMine; and David Nutt on psilocybin, a compound being studied to treat depression. Like this podcast? Please help

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00:31:53

AI poses biosecurity risk, and the ice that doesn't...

The Naked Scientists Podcast ·

2026/09/18

Coming up: lawmakers scramble to stop AI from being used to develop bioweapons. What has spooked the experts? Plus, we look at how childhood chemotherapy can leave genetic scars on organs, raising disease risk; why ultra-strong ice could soon be used as a construction material; and how researchers are tracking weather patterns on distant planets. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

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00:38:00

A super El Nino is on the way. What should we expect?

The Naked Scientists Podcast ·

2026/09/15

El Niño 2026 is predicted to be the strongest on record, and today we consider how the climate pattern can affect the weather, the economy, and our health. This episode features forecasting supremos Aidan McGivern and Peter Gibbs; leading economist Vicky Pryce on the impact on our wallets; and Rachel Tolhurst at Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and Teresa Zakaria at the WHO on public health. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

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00:37:34

World-first baby skull surgery, and could AI kill us?

The Naked Scientists Podcast ·

2026/09/11

Coming up, we hear from the scientists behind a world-first treatment to reshape the skull of a one-year-old boy. How did they do it? Also ahead, an Anthropic researcher warns that AI is advancing so quickly that it may, with a slight chance, "kill all humans" within the next decade; how narwhals are helping scientists collect data in Greenland's fjords; and a German startup launches the first commercial rocket to reach orbit from continental Europe. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting

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00:37:39

What you need to know about driverless vehicles

The Naked Scientists Podcast ·

2026/09/08

We've partnered with the Royal Institute of Navigation to explore driverless vehicles, also known as autonomous vehicles, or AVs. The Naked Scientists ride on a self-driving bus in Cambridge to see what makes them tick. We hear from 'driver' Nick Bailey, as well as Daniel Clarke from Greater Cambridge Partnership, Jamie Wilson from Alexander Dennis, Jim Hutchinson from Fusion Processing, Ramsey Faragher at the Royal Institute of Navigation, and Edward Cameron at Whippet Bus. Like this podcast

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00:31:25

Supersized El Nino strikes, and navigation app for...

The Naked Scientists Podcast ·

2026/09/04

Coming up: El Niño weather phenomenon will be 'exceptional' and last months, say forecasters. What should we know about it? We also hear from the team behind a successful at-home bladder cancer test, learn about the science behind the Nancy Grace Roman Telescope, and meet a Harvard researcher who has created an app to help visually impaired people get around. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

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00:33:55

How chemistry can make us healthier

The Naked Scientists Podcast ·

2026/09/01

Coming up: how chemistry is transforming 21st-century healthcare. Jeremy Nicholson from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology talks about phenomics. Gemma Sharp shares how the world's largest menstrual fluid biobank was created. David Nutt from Imperial College explains drug mechanisms, and Nobel Prize winner David Baker discusses the role of AI in treating diseases. Leilani Arrow-Smith, a chemistry student at the University of Cambridge, produced this episode. Like this podcast? Please

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00:31:48

Shingles vaccine and heart disease, and allergy...

The Naked Scientists Podcast ·

2026/08/28

Coming up, groundbreaking research suggests the shingles vaccine can greatly reduce the risk of heart attacks. What's the science behind it? Also ahead: the New Space Race between the US and China goes up a gear as Beijing unexpectedly delays the launch of its Chang'e 7 mission. Plus, the frozen 'poo pills' that scientists hope can help keep allergies at bay. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

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00:37:41

Incredible insects and their special skills

The Naked Scientists Podcast ·

2026/08/25

Today, we are exploring the lives of insects, and some of the incredible abilities they've evolved to enable them to thrive. Coming up, the fly larvae that can withstand huge pressures in some of the world's deepest lakes; the butterfly caterpillar that pretends it's an ant to blag free board, lodgings and even ant grubs to eat inside ant nests, and the remarkable visual systems of wasps that enables them to home-in unerringly on picnics. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked

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00:32:00

Salmonella outbreak, and Roman shipwreck discovery

The Naked Scientists Podcast ·

2026/08/21

Coming up, health agencies grapple with a Salmonella outbreak across Europe. What's behind it? Also, astronomers spot the fastest-moving star in the Milky Way, hurtling around the supermassive black hole at the heart of the galaxy; regulators in the United States have followed Europe's lead by approving an influenza vaccine that relies on mRNA technology; and we explore the remnants of Neapolitan wine on a 2,000-year-old shipwreck off the coast of Italy. Like this podcast? Please help us by

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00:33:12

How can chronic wounds cost more than cancer?

The Naked Scientists Podcast ·

2026/08/18

We have partnered with UK Research and Innovation to study wounds and their impact on healthcare. What challenges do wounds create, and how can we treat them? This episode features Mat Hardman at the Wound Innovation Institute; Ketan Dhatariya at the Association of British Clinical Diabetologists; and Holly Wilkinson at the University of Hull. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

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00:33:41

Malaria drug breakthrough, and space radiation vests

The Naked Scientists Podcast ·

2026/08/14

Coming up, Australian researchers have found a new way to help prevent malaria. How have they done it? Also, the UK is "leading the world" in efforts to eliminate hepatitis C, a designer vest that could protect our astronauts from space radiation, and how a new aerogel-based toothpaste can tackle tooth sensitivity. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

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00:31:59

Solar eclipse special

The Naked Scientists Podcast ·

2026/08/11

On August 12th, 2026, nearly one billion people could see a partial solar eclipse, and 15 million will see totality, when the Moon completely obscures the disc of the Sun. In this episode, Becky Smethurst explains solar eclipses; Stephen Price, from Bristol Astronomical Society, explains how best to observe one; astrophysicist Megan Argo documents what mankind made of eclipses in years gone by, and NASA's Nicki Rayl explains what eclipses can reveal about the workings of our closest star. Like this

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00:32:48

Breakthrough womb surgery, and the SpaceX Moon crash

The Naked Scientists Podcast ·

2026/08/07

Coming up, a team of doctors successfully conducts surgery on a baby still inside the womb. How did they do it? Also, what does SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket collision with the Moon mean for future space missions; how the bright lights and loud sounds of gambling machines promote higher risk-taking; and the deadly cyclosporiasis parasite that's causing bouts of explosive diarrhoea across the globe. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

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00:41:03

The food of the future

The Naked Scientists Podcast ·

2026/08/04

This week, we explore how the food industry uses science to develop new foods that are better for the environment, healthier, and still taste good. The show is produced by Petra Merzan, a student of the Norwich Research Park Biosciences Doctoral Training Partnership, which is funded by UKRI-BBSRC. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

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00:28:57

Chasing fire clouds, and nanoparticles blitz brain...

The Naked Scientists Podcast ·

2026/07/31

In this week's show, wildfires have now spread to Italy, Canada, and the wine-producing region of France, Bordeaux. These fires produce a peculiar cloud phenomenon called pyrocumulonimbus and scientists plan to fly a jet over these clouds to determine how they operate. Also, we hear how drug-packed nanoparticles can aid brain cancer treatment, the genetic evidence of smallpox in Incan mummies, and how the smell of dad affects infant brain activity... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting

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00:29:41

Titans of Science: Sara Wickstrom

The Naked Scientists Podcast ·

2026/07/28

This week, our Titan of Science is cell biologist Sara Wickstrom. Her work focuses on how cells communicate with one another to coordinate growth, development, and movement. These insights have just won Sara the Koerber European Science Prize, and, in this episode, she tells us how she will spend her million Euro winnings, and how her discoveries will inform future treatments for diseases like cancer. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

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