x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

Naked Scientists

Naked Scientists

The Naked Scientists are a media-savvy group of physicians and researchers from Cambridge University who use radio, live lectures, and the Internet to strip science down to its bare essentials, and promote it to the general public. Their award winning BBC weekly radio programme, The Naked Scientists, reaches a potential audience of 6 million listeners across the east of England, and also has an international following on the web.

All Episodes

28:06

Flu season starts early, and staving off hungry seagulls

Naked Scientists ·

2025/11/14

In the news show, flu season starts early in the Northern hemisphere due to pesky new strains, so will vaccines be effective? Also, the baby 'swim cap' which promises less invasive brain monitoring, and the European Space Agency's GPS powered satellites which are surveying the water cycle. Then, we find out the best way to shout at seagulls to stop them stealing our snacks... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

en

21:13

Will we find a cure for diabetes?

Naked Scientists ·

2025/11/14

In Ask! the Naked Scientists, Dr Chris Smith answers listeners' medical questions. This time, what causes a black eye? How can we alleviate the pain from a trapped nerve? How can you best stop severe bleeding? Why is sickle cell anaemia more common in Africa? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

en

31:34

80 years of nuclear weapons

Naked Scientists ·

2025/11/11

In this edition of The Naked Scientists, we go nuclear, and explore the science and politics of weapons of mass destruction... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

en

21:55

Is an elephant really related to a hyrax?

Naked Scientists ·

2025/11/07

Is an elephant really a close relative of a hyrax? What are blood groups? Is there really such a thing as a selfish gene? How did males and females evolve? What makes us feel sleepy? And how can chickenpox be lethal? Join Dr Chris and Clarence Ford as we ask the Naked Scientist! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

en

1:17:11

How to build a Moon lander, Eileen Collins, and space...

Naked Scientists ·

2025/11/05

Sue Nelson and Richard Hollingham get up-close with a Moon lander taking shape at Astrobotic in Pittsburgh. The first woman to pilot and command the Space Shuttle, Eileen Collins, discusses a new film about her life: Space Woman. Plus, two new space quilts, complete with UFOs, at the Royal Astronomical Society... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

en

31:34

Frozen Flora: 25 years of the Millennium Seed Bank

Naked Scientists ·

2025/10/21

As the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew celebrate the 25th Birthday of the Millenium Seed Bank in Sussex, James Tytko ventures into its giant underground vaults to learn why they are a crucial part of global plant conservation... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

en

22:47

For a short time, I forgot who I was. What happened?

Naked Scientists ·

2025/10/17

Why does La Nina cause more rainfall in South Africa? How can we keep our skin moist without buying products? Is it possible to be averse to iron in your diet? What causes hot flushes during the menopause? What could cause a potential iron taste in my mouth? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

en

4:47

How does the UV filter in sun cream work?

Naked Scientists ·

2025/10/17

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 to Antony Young, Emeritus Professor of Experimental Photobiology at King's College London... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

en

20:34

Are women really more nurturing?

Naked Scientists ·

2025/10/10

It's another jam-packed episode of Ask the Naked Scientist, illuminating listener questions - in all their usual, rich variety - with fascinating scientific explanations. What do we know about the latest interstellar objects to pass through our Solar System? Is having a great memory all upside? Why does eating pineapple hurt the inside of your mouth? Do waves really come in sets of seven? Does silver have antibiotic properties? Is there a limit to the number of pop songs that can be written? Like

en

5:41

Why do leaves change colour at different rates?

Naked Scientists ·

2025/09/19

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 the same tree! James Tytko sought to provide an answer, with help from Charles Shi, botanical horticulturalist at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

en

22:38

Why do we dislike the sound of our own voices?

Naked Scientists ·

2025/09/12

On Ask! the Naked Scientist this week: What led to the 'leopard spots' found on Mars? What is the purpose of finger and toe nails? How do bone conduction headphones work? Why do non-magnetic metals sometimes interact with magnetic objects? What role did our teeth play in our evolution? What's the cause of my unintended weight loss? Could astronauts create an environment for life on Mars? What's wrong with a pear shape? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

en

5:01

Are snakes tamed by breast milk?

Naked Scientists ·

2025/09/12

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 Mafeta Phaka, and Angela Julian of the Amphibian and Reptiles Group of the UK. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

en

35:10

Ancient Mars bacteria, and 'fugitive' methane leaks

Naked Scientists ·

2025/09/12

In this edition of The Naked Scientists, the strongest hint yet of life on Mars. Should we get excited? Or is it another red herring? Also ahead: The first new UK-wide study of babies in 25 years. We'll find out why it matters. Plus, an ancient lizard-like fossil is discovered on the coast of Devon. We'll uncover the significance... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

en

6:47

Keeping humans healthy in orbit

Naked Scientists ·

2025/09/10

With only a few walls between an astronaut and a rapid death, what do we know about the various dangers to the human body during space travel? Chris Smith spoke with Mark Shelhamer, a professor of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery at John Hopkins Medical School - about which space hazards are deemed most pressing for our up-and-coming astronauts... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

en

43:15

Ants doing gene therapy, and tadpole microbiomes

Naked Scientists ·

2025/09/08

This month, as the eLife Podcast hits its century, we hear how getting frog dads to cross-foster tadpoles has revealed the way in which some frogs come by their microbiomes, the ants that do gene therapy, signs that disease causes a breakdown in nutrient exchange between the elements of the microbiome, how fungi reprogram immune cells to cause over-reactions in sepsis, and new insights into how tapeworm larvae in the brain cause seizures... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked

en

15:02

How can you control your phobias?

Naked Scientists ·

2025/09/05

Is it dangerous to have floaters in your eye? Can you power a lamp with your mouth? Are nations in the global north more innovative than nations in the global south? How can you control your phobias? How do leap years come about? Dr Chris Smith and Relebogile Mabotja have all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

en

6:14

What happens to celebratory bullets?

Naked Scientists ·

2025/09/05

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 dangerous. To help answer this question, James Tytko spoke with neurologists Yousef Hayder and Luis Rafael Moscote-Salazar... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

en

1:07:46

Jim Lovell, space selfies and UK launch

Naked Scientists ·

2025/09/04

We celebrate Apollo legend Jim Lovell in this month's Space Boffins as we mine the archives to look back on his extraordinary space career. Sue Nelson and Richard Hollingham talk to Andy Saunders, NASA photography expert and author of Gemini and Mercury Remastered. We also hear from rival UK rocket companies Skyrora and Orbex, plus Emily Dineley from the UK Space Agency on plans for the first UK vertical launch. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

en

33:39

First pig lung transplant, and the origins of dark...

Naked Scientists ·

2025/08/29

Today on the Naked Scientists: a pig lung is transplanted into a man in China, but what was the outcome? Also, scientists have a theory for the origins of Dark Energy - and it makes sense that a black hole might be the source! And, why the dawn chorus is starting earlier and finishing later these days: what's getting into wildlife? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

en

32:45

What Niger's AMR outbreak means for the world

Naked Scientists ·

2025/08/19

In this edition of The Naked Scientists, why we need to pay closer attention to antimicrobial resistance in some of the world's poorest nations... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

en

361 results