The Naked Scientists Podcast

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1.302 afleveringen, van nieuw naar oud

  1. The UK infected blood scandal

    28 mei 2024 · 29 min

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    This episode of The Naked Scientists, as infected blood victims are finally promised compensation following the UK government's cover up of the scandal, we trace the story back to the very beginning, and hear from some of the victims who now have justice... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists Lees meer
  2. Breakthrough in low carbon cement, and static sensitive bugs

    24 mei 2024 · 30 min

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    In this edition of The Naked Scientists: How science can help cut the carbon footprint of concrete; designer antibodies to introduce cancers to immune assassins; and the caterpillars that sense static charge on wasp wings to beat a hasty retreat... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists Lees meer
  3. What does the future hold for AI?

    21 mei 2024 · 37 min

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    We're coming back to the topic of generative artificial intelligence, asking how this potentially gamechanging technology is going to be integrated into our society. We'll hear an explanation of neural networks from Geoff Hinton, one of the founding fathers of AI, and some of the most promising avenues for maximising the strengths of machine learning systems with tech journalist David McClelland. After a brief update on the debate around AI sentience from the foothills of the Himalayas from Nicky Clayton, we explore why chatbots might be about to stop advancing as rapidly as before, and how... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists Lees meer
  4. Caesarean stops measles jab response, and quantum navigation

    17 mei 2024 · 34 min

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    In the news pod, geneticist Henrik Salje tells us about the relative ineffectiveness of the measles vaccine for infants born via c-section. Also, the incredible memory-making abilities of Eurasian jays with Nicky Clayton, and Ramsey Faragher relates how quantum-based navigation can overcome the vulnerabilities of GPS. Then, Ulf Buntgen explains how tree rings have revealed that the summer of 2023 was the hottest in 2000 years in the northern hemisphere, and Toby Wiseman explains the marvel of our working theory of everything. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists Lees meer
  5. From sounds to syntax: The science of language

    14 mei 2024 · 33 min

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    Linguistics - the scientific study of language - is our topic for today. Chris Smith learns about the potential origins of human language with David Crystal, and how we assimilate vocal sounds into sentence structures with the University of Cambridge's Mirjana Boziv. Then, a fascinating finding about the way apes layer their communication is described by Adriano Lameira, before Cambridge's Regina Karousou Fokas gives Chris a lesson in Greek... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists Lees meer
  6. Vaccines, squirrels with leprosy, and exoplanet atmospheres

    10 mei 2024 · 33 min

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    In the news pod, the nanotechnology enabling the production of a new vaccine to immunise against future coronaviruses. Then, how we can use psychedelic treatments without giving patients an unwanted trip, and how it was discovered that squirrels and humans were both living with leprosy in medieval England. Plus, what does the latest exoplanet discovery tell us about how far the closest habitable planet might be? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists Lees meer
  7. AI and immunotherapy: The cutting edge of cancer research

    7 mei 2024 · 33 min

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    Today, we turn our attention to cancer. With several high profile cases in recent weeks, we look at the broader picture across the UK as of late. Then, the mechanisms by which cancer takes hold of its host, before we explore recent innovations helping to combat cancer: AI screening programmes and precision medicine show particular promise... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists Lees meer
  8. AstraZeneca Covid vaccine clots, and self eating plastic

    3 mei 2024 · 28 min

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    This episode of The Naked Scientists: AstraZeneca acknowledges its Covid vaccine is linked to a rare blood clotting side effect; also, whether scientists are getting closer to cracking nuclear fusion; and how adding bacteria to plastic could be the key to making the stuff break itself down! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists Lees meer
  9. How to survive in space

    30 april 2024 · 33 min

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    This episode of The Naked Scientists: as mankind seeks to colonise the Moon, Mars and beyond, we'll examine the impact of cosmic voyages on body and mind, and what we can do to keep spacefarers healthy and happy... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists Lees meer
  10. Regrowing brains, and China's sinking cities

    26 april 2024 · 33 min

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    This episode of The Naked Scientists: Scientists give mice a rat's sense of smell; we find out why some of China's biggest cities are sinking; and, 14 years after disaster struck in the Gulf of Mexico, might laser-treated cork be able to help us to clean up oil spills... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists Lees meer
  11. ADHD explained

    23 april 2024 · 36 min

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    This week on The Naked Scientists, we're going to take a closer look at attention deficit hyperactivity disorder - which is usually referred to by its acronym: ADHD. Globally, it's estimated that around 5% of children and adolescents are affected by ADHD. But those numbers vary from country to country and diagnoses are on the rise.... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists Lees meer
  12. Britain's smoking ban, and bumper sea beasts

    19 april 2024 · 30 min

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    In this edition of The Naked Scientists: MPs vote in favour of stricter smoking and vaping controls; but do we actually need this and will it work? Also, the remains of what's thought to be the largest reptile to have roamed our "Severn" seas are uncovered on the beach in Somerset. And a tribute to the BA pilot who saved his air passengers from a volcanic ash cloud, but why are volcanoes so disastrous for jet engines? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists Lees meer
  13. Hunting Higgs bosons: A tribute to Peter Higgs by Lyn Evans

    16 april 2024 · 27 min

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    This week, a special tribute to the revered British scientist, Peter Higgs, who died on the 8th of April, aged 94. His friend, Lyn Evans, tells us about the 40-year search for the eponymous Higgs boson: the God particle that provides some of the answers to life, the Universe and everything... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists Lees meer
  14. Artificial platelets, and angry primates

    12 april 2024 · 30 min

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    This week on The Naked Scientists: Scientists invent artificial platelets to help clot blood; why it might be time to reappraise the peace-loving nature of bonobos; and why the Moon may have turned itself inside out in the past... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists Lees meer
  15. Global warming vs global farming

    9 april 2024 · 31 min

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    This week, fresh off the back of the World Meteorological Organizations scathing report of the state of global climate 2023, we're taking a look at how the increasing trend of torrid weather extremes are affecting our relationship with food production. How do we reconcile our demand for food if the expansion of farmland will only exacerbate climate change's effects? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists Lees meer
  16. Stem cells for spinal injury, and breast cancer breakthrough

    5 april 2024 · 34 min

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    In the Naked Scientists News this week, stem cell treatment using cells from the bellies of those with spinal cord injuries restores movement and sensation in phase 1 clinical trials. Also, Cambridge scientists build an 'atlas' of breast cells to better understand how cancer develops, and new analysis into dinosaur fossils reveals when they began to develop rapid growth rates... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists Lees meer
  17. Nitazenes move the needle for drug death distress

    2 april 2024 · 29 min

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    Today we're investigating dangerous new drugs which have found their way onto the streets of the UK. Nitazenes are lab made opioids with similar effects for the user as heroin. Their relative strength, however, means it is much more difficult to take them safely and much more likely to result in a fatal overdose. With drug deaths in this country already at a record high, and devestation being wrought by similar substances in the US, we look at a range of solutions for preventing as much harm as possible... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists Lees meer
  18. Climate change slowing Earth's rotation, and hotels in space

    29 maart 2024 · 30 min

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    This week on The Naked Scientists: Check your watches: how climate change is making the Earth turn more slowly; we'll also hear from the Cambridge scientists investigating whether vaccines can combat bovine TB; and would you be prepared to shell out millions for a luxury trip to space? One company is optimistically planning an orbiting space hotel for the years ahead. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists Lees meer
  19. Alzheimer's: the fight back

    26 maart 2024 · 34 min

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    Thanks to Sannia Farrukh and the ICGEB for their support in making this show!It's thought that by the end of the decade, 78 million people around the world will have Alzheimer's disease. It's debilitating and progressive. It robs people of their personality, their independence, and their quality of life. And caring for people with the condition, which often goes on over many years, is extremely costly, both financially and emotionally. The biggest risk factor is age; and as the proportion of the population living into their 80s, when as many as a fifth of individuals can develop the condition,... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists Lees meer
  20. Whooping cough cases surge, and looking for life on Europa

    22 maart 2024 · 29 min

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    This week on The Naked Scientists: The spike in whooping cough cases occurring across Europe; what's behind it? Also, how scientists are set to look for life on an icy moon of Jupiter. And, the new artificially intelligent gadget to make roads safer for cyclists. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists Lees meer
  21. Tackling the uptick in ticks

    19 maart 2024 · 30 min

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    This week on The Naked Scientists, we're getting ticked off about the uptick in ticks, as we look at what they are, the problems they cause, and what we can do to tick them off our worry list. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists Lees meer
  22. COVID retrospective, space security, and car brake particles

    15 maart 2024 · 32 min

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    In the news pod, 4 years on from the outset of the COVID pandemic, what questions still need answering in the bid to avoid a similar emergency? Plus, why we need to start taking space security more seriously, how car brakes could be more polluting than exhaust fumes, and Paul Alexander - who lived inside an iron lung for 70 years - dies at the age of 78. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists Lees meer
  23. Should we stop calling it Long COVID?

    12 maart 2024 · 33 min

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    4 years since the WHO declared COVID-19 a pandemic officially, we take a look at the latest research guiding scientists towards the root causes of the debilitating symptoms some people suffer for many years after their initial infection with SARS-CoV-2... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists Lees meer
  24. Greedy labradors, a dead galaxy, and telepathic fish

    8 maart 2024 · 34 min

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    In the news pod, the greedy gene fuelling hungry labradors, AI assists prostate cancer prognosis, the galaxy which died 13 billion years ago, how birds are struggling to adapt to changing seasons, and fish that send each other electrical signals to help them see farther... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists Lees meer
  25. Cyber crimes in cyber times

    5 maart 2024 · 31 min

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    This week on The Naked Scientists, cyber crimes in cyber times. Off the back of cyber attacks on the British Library and our own Cambridge University, we'll be taking a look at the world of cyber attacks, from the state level down to the individual. How does it happen, and who is responsible, and how can we protect against them? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists Lees meer
  26. The UK rejoins Horizon programme, and how we lost our tails

    1 maart 2024 · 39 min

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    In this episode of The Naked Scientists: As the UK rejoins the EU Horizon research programme, we hear from the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology on what she sees as the benefits from this "new deal". Also, scientists discover a way to get lithium batteries charging faster, and performing better in the cold. And how, and why, did we humans lose our tails back in history?Michelle - Horizon isn't a EU exclusive scheme. What Horizon is, is it's the world's largest research collaboration program. So for the UK to reassociate is a big deal, not just for the scientific... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists Lees meer
  27. How pothole misery is driving a digital roads revolution

    27 februari 2024 · 27 min

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    Today's topic is sure to gain a lot of traction with our listeners, and that's because we're talking about the state of our roads. Potholes are so maddening, they can send the most mild mannered among us into full blown road rage, cracking windscreens and wrecking wheels. And the problem seems to be getting worse...Luckily researchers at Cambridge University are coming to the roaduser's rescue: with digital facsimiles of the road network to help spot problem areas sooner, new materials that make road repairs last longer, and even an autonomous robot that can track down and fix up potholes... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists Lees meer
  28. Blood clot breakthrough, and a fossil forgery

    23 februari 2024 · 29 min

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    In the news pod, a study into the DNA of ancient humans has found what are potentially the oldest examples of genetic diseases like Down syndrome. Also, new insights into whale song, a potential new treatment for blood clots, and lifting the lid on a phony fossil... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists Lees meer
  29. Microplastics and forever chemicals: here to stay?

    20 februari 2024 · 33 min

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    This week on The Naked Scientists: they're everywhere, from the bottom of the ocean to inside your bodies. We look at the pervasive topic of microplastics, and so called 'forever chemicals.' What do we know so far, and should we be concerned? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists Lees meer
  30. Dengue, decaying dead bodies, and a stone age deer trap

    16 februari 2024 · 28 min

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    In the news pod, as an outbreak of Dengue fever rips through Brazil, we ask, should we be worried in Europe? Also, scientists describe the microbes responsible for the decomposition of animal flesh, and a miraculous underwater archaelogical find sheds light on ancient hunting practices. Plus, could teasing behaviours in great apes be the origins of our own sense of humour? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists Lees meer
  31. Healing war wounds

    13 februari 2024 · 31 min

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    On this episode of The Naked Scientists, we'll examine the evolution of the role of medicine in conflict, with contributions from a retired general, a war wound pioneer and a trauma expert. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists Lees meer
  32. King Charles' cancer, and a new particle supercollider

    9 februari 2024 · 31 min

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    In this edition of The Naked Scientists: Why cancer waiting lists have lengthened, and the importance of catching the disease early; how pollution is blinding insects to plants they might otherwise want to pollinate: and how do blueberries come by their colour? It's not as simple as it sounds: squash one and you'll see they're not blue inside! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists Lees meer
  33. Is it time to change the law on assisted dying?

    6 februari 2024 · 28 min

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    Dame Esther Rantzen reignited the debate on assisted dying in the UK after she shared the news she had joined the physician assisted dying clinic Dignitas in Switzerland. The services offered by Dignitas are illegal here in the UK, but recently some countries have been relaxing their laws in this area. The argument goes, modern medicine has given many of us the gift of much longer lives, so should it also give us the option of a more dignified death? In this episode of the Naked Scientists, James Tytko speaks with those with a personal stake in this debate, medical professionals, and a legal... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists Lees meer
  34. Neuralink implant, and a brief history of spine

    2 februari 2024 · 29 min

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    In the news pod this week, Elon Musk's Neuralink chip is successfully implanted into a human brain, but what's the potential of computer brain interfaces? Also on the programme, an Imperial scientist reveals the reason for insects' attraction to street lights, and we hear about one of the health benefits of fasting. Plus, join us on a sneak preview of a Cambridge museum exhibit all about the evolution of the spine... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists Lees meer
  35. Decarbonising shipping, and the Ship of the Future

    30 januari 2024 · 29 min

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    This week, we are in Dover, south-east England, to meet the people trying to bring sustainable solutions to one of the world's most important sectors: shipping. In this episode, we look at the shipping industry as a case study to see just how much has to be taken into consideration on so many levels, in order to work towards a carbon neutral future. What are the enormous challenges currently being faced, and what goes into building the ship of the future? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists Lees meer
  36. Retinas reveal future health, and the first cells on Earth

    26 januari 2024 · 28 min

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    In this episode of The Naked Scientists: what the structure of your retina reveals about your risk of developing a range of diseases; have we finally cracked how the first biological cells appeared 4 billion years ago; and how pond skater insects survive potentially lethal run-ins with large raindrops. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists Lees meer
  37. Titans of Science: Julie Williams

    23 januari 2024 · 27 min

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    Julie Williams has dedicated much of her career to uncovering the genetic signposts for the most common cause of dementia: Alzheimer's disease. Chris Smith caught up with her to hear about influences she had growing up, how a revolution in genetics means we could be on the verge of key breakthroughs in fighting neurodegenerative conditions, and speaks about her time as Chief Scientific Advisor for Wales... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists Lees meer
  38. Plague in the population, and preventing potholes

    19 januari 2024 · 34 min

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    This week on the Naked Scientists, did the Black Death cause a change in our genes? Also, we'll be finding out whether smaller wine glasses could be key to reducing alcohol consumption in the population, and how scientists are plugging the potholes in our roads with science. Plus, a crucial piece of the puzzle in understanding long Covid... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists Lees meer
  39. Titans of Science: Martin Rees

    16 januari 2024 · 28 min

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    Titans of Science returns with another out-of-this-world guest: astronomer, astrophysicist and science populariser, Lord Martin Rees. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

  40. Depression drugs, deepfakes, and fingerprint discoveries

    12 januari 2024 · 34 min

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    On this week's edition of The Naked Scientists: Why dose of old drugs might be a new way to beat depression; with many countries gearing up for general elections, why AI-generated deepfakes have got politicians worried; And we look back at the life of the pioneering British transplant surgeon, Professor Sir Roy Calne.. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists Lees meer
  41. Titans of Science: Deborah Prentice

    9 januari 2024 · 27 min

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    This week in The Naked Scientists, Titans of Science is back, and today we hear from the University of Cambridge's new vice-chancellor, Deborah Prentice. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

  42. Measles outbreaks, and terrorist chatbots

    5 januari 2024 · 28 min

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    In this edition of The Naked Scientists, What can be done to reverse a dramatic rise in measles cases around the world? We'll also be exploring Japan's susceptibility to incredibly powerful earthquakes. Plus, what may have prompted early humans to adapt the way they communicated... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists Lees meer
  43. What science has in store for 2024

    2 januari 2024 · 31 min

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    Happy new year from The Naked Scientists! In this week's show, we're going to look ahead to what 2024 has in store - scientifically speaking - in a number of key areas in the months ahead. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists Lees meer
  44. The best of 2023!

    29 december 2023 · 55 min

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    This week's show is one of retrospection. We're taking a look back at the year that was 2023, and reliving some of the outstanding scientific stories that came out of it. Everything from AI in medicine to asteroid samples. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists Lees meer
  45. A Naked Gaming Christmas!

    26 december 2023 · 26 min

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    This episode, Naked Gaming has commandeered the programme, as Chris Berrow and Leigh Milner take us through a Christmas full of games! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

  46. Naked Christmas: Presents, plonk and a pliosaur

    22 december 2023 · 29 min

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    In this festive magazine show, join Chris Smith as he samples the BMJ's Christmas offerings, enjoys a glass or two of sparkling wine (in the name of science, of course), and previews the pliosaur discovery set to make waves on TV over the Christmas period... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists Lees meer
  47. Titans of Science: Mark Slack

    19 december 2023 · 31 min

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    For this edition of Titans of Science, Chris Smith sits down with Mark Slack, a doctor revolutionising the use of robots in medicine. They discuss his early years in apartheid South Africa, how he established himself as a surgical innovator in the UK, and what the future holds for the use of technology in the operating theatre... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists Lees meer
  48. The pregnancy sickness protein, and COP controversy

    15 december 2023 · 32 min

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    In the news this week, scientists identify the protein responsible for pregnancy sickness, what was settled on in the COP consensus, how honeyguides listen out for local language, and the special chemical which could hold the key to preserving a Rembrandt masterpiece. Plus, how many nukes would it take to destroy Jupiter? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists Lees meer
  49. Titans of Science: Chris Hadfield

    12 december 2023 · 33 min

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    This episode marks the return of Titans of Science: full of in depth interviews with some of science's greats. To start us off, the astronaut and rockstar, Chris Hadfield. The conversation covers his upbringing in rural Canada, his time as an elite test pilot in the US military - the inspiration for his latest thriller novel 'The Defector' - and his multiple missions into space, culminating in a stint as commander of the International Space Station. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists Lees meer
  50. Fentanyl, fenlands, and Boris Johnson's COVID defence

    8 december 2023 · 30 min

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    In this edition of The Naked Scientists, What did we learn from Boris Johnson's appearance at the COVID inquiry? Then, we'll hear from the team that's developing a new drug in the fight against the United States' fentanyl crisis. And, We'll hear about the discovery and fate of an ancient woodland. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists Lees meer