The Naked Scientists Podcast

In this edition of The Naked Scientists: HPV vaccination rates are waning. We examine the importance of the jab. Also ahead: why Africa is key to understanding the evolution of early humans. Plus, the reasons alcohol-free booze might actually not be all that good for us... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In the final installment of this season of Titans of Science, Chris Smith speaks with Sharon Peacock, one of the UK's leading voices in infectious disease research. She is best known for her work on whole genome sequencing of pathogens such as MRSA and SARS CoV-2, and studies of antimicrobial resistance... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Cambridge University have informed us that, for cost cutting reasons, they intend to make Dr Chris Smith redundant. Naturally, this jeopardises the Naked Scientists programme, which is produced under his role. He will also lose his medical job. We regard this as a terrible decision and we intend to protest. Please listen to this short podcast to hear how you can help. Together we hope we can turn around this terrible decision... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this edition of The Naked Scientists: the UK commits to building a new nuclear power station. But is it worth the hefty price tag? Also, how robots are revolutionising surgery. We'll ask what they can and can't do. And, how NASA's top scientists track rogue near-Earth objects with remarkable precision... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

The mental health of the young is reaching breaking point, globally. A recent analysis by a panel of leading researchers, young people, and policy experts, has warned that, without targeted action, by 2030, 42 million years of healthy life could be lost to mental illness or suicide; that's two million more than ten years ago. So today we're asking, why are so many young people suddenly afflicted by a decline in their mental health and wellbeing, and what are the solutions? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this edition of The Naked Scientists: African leaders hold emergency talks about deadly outbreaks of cholera on the continent. But why is this happening, and what can be done to curb the threat? The James Webb Space Telescope breaks another cosmic record spotting the oldest galaxy ever seen, dating from just 280 million years after the Big Bang. We explore the hidden workings of our natural history museums: what did they decide not to display, and why? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Today's programme is all about prostate cancer; exploring what the disease is, who gets it, and how it can be treated. We'll explore the game-changing test from a Cambridge based firm, and question whether sometimes the best approach is to leave the cancer alone... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this edition of The Naked Scientists: The UK announces a 1 billion pound budget for a cyber army: but what will these keyboard warriors be doing? Also, a vaccine for norovirus that is just one pill. And, physicists at CERN turn lead into gold, albeit briefly! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this edition of The Naked Scientists, Titans of Science continues with Autism research pioneer, Simon Baron-Cohen... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this edition of The Naked Scientists: The new drug that cures mosquitoes of malaria. Intrigued? You'll see why scientists have done this, in just a minute. Also, the Microsoft AI system set to revolutionise weather forecasting, so you can plan that barbecue with impunity in future! And, 150 years of the metre, kilo and second: how science finally agreed on a definition for some of our most important units... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This episode of The Naked Scientists was brought to you in partnership with the health foundation Wellcome.In this edition of The Naked Scientists, we return to the world of fungi and why this is one of the most serious health threats you haven't heard of... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this edition of The Naked Scientists: New DNA evidence helps free a British man after 38 years in prison. Also, Cambridge scientists push up breast cancer survival rates and cut side effects with a new treatment regimen. And, why the near and the far side of the Moon are world's apart in appearance: it's all down to temperature differences inside, scientists say... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Sarah Parcak was born in Bangor, Maine on the 23rd of November 1978. She attended Bangor High School before reading Egyptology and Archaeology at Yale University. She then studied here in Cambridge under the supervision of the world-renowned Egyptologist Barry Kemp. After that, she was a teacher at Swansea University and then also at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.She pioneered the use of tech to advance archaeology, including the use of detailed satellite images, which has earned her the nickname "The Space Archaeologist". Sarah's discovered literally thousands of forgotten... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this edition of The Naked Scientists: A landmark report that outlines the generational impact of climate change; also, the man bitten by snakes and even injected with venom hundreds of times has provided the key to a powerful new antivenom; and a breakthrough in oven technology that's helping to cook up a revolution in industrial baking... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This episode of The Naked Scientists was brought to you in partnership with the health foundation Wellcome. This week, the first in a two-part series on the hidden world of fungi. What we do - and don't - know about them, and how the fungal landscape is set to shift as our climate changes. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this edition of The Naked Scientists: Will - and could - India switch off the water supply to Pakistan amid mounting tensions over Kashmir? Also, how a transmissible canine cancer from 8000 years ago is shedding fresh light on tumour biology - and how cancers can steal foreign genes, today. And, testing out a virtual reality tool designed to help us confront our fears of speaking in public... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Today's Titan is former chair of the UK's Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, and a key figure in the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine which rolled out during the Covid pandemic. Andrew Pollard tells Chris Smith how vaccines work, how public health bodies decide what to protect us against, and how current technology will shape the future of immunisation... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this edition of The Naked Scientists: World Malaria Day, and why overseas aid cuts in the US are threatening to cause a crisis; the carnivorous caterpillar dubbed the "bone collector" that steals from spiders; and the biotechnologist attempting to feed astronauts better in space... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this edition of The Naked Scientists, Titans of Science continues with planetary scientist charged with analysing rock samples brought in from outer space, Sara Russell... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this edition of The Naked Scientists: Evidence of a carbon cycle on Mars has been unearthed by the Curiosity rover. What does it mean for the red planet's past habitability? Also, the cannabis-based painkiller as powerful as an opioid, but without the side effects. And, could fashion sense and a primitive sunscreen have been the deciding 'factor 50' which allowed us humans to outlast the Neanderthals... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Titans of Science series is back for another run. And to kick us off, marine biologist Richard Thompson, who first brought to the world's attention 20 years ago the problem that is micro - and now nano - plastic pollution... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In the News podcast: the first baby is born in the UK to a woman with a transplanted uterus, and we speak to the surgeons responsible. Also, the best evidence yet the shingles vaccine can help reduce the risk of developing dementia; a drug that could make human blood deadly to mosquitoes. Then, we travel back in time 8,500 years to hear about the sea voyage of hunter gatherers to the Mediterranean island of Malta... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this edition of The Naked Scientists, what's behind a sharp rise in measles cases? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In today's news podcast, a study shows a reduced effectiveness of vaccinations in babies who have antibiotics treatments early in life. Also, the world's smallest, light-powered pacemaker, and we learn the secrets of the broadclub cuttlefish's crab-catching colour display. Then, we follow the journey of miso paste up to the ISS and back to Earth again, and hear what it tastes like! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Take a deep breath. Yes, literally. And ask yourself: what's in the air I just inhaled? It's almost certain, with our modern lives and built, busy environments, that it contains a range of harmful particles. Whether it stems from city traffic or wildfires, air pollution has many sources, it affects all of us, and it has the potential to become much worse. So today, we're examining what constitutes a bad air day, the biggest producers of pollution, how we monitor the problem, and what can be done to improve matters. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this edition of The Naked Scientists: the first transplant of a gene-modified pig liver into a human; also, the James Webb Space Telescope sees one of the first galaxies ever to exist, and it's very strange indeed; and scientists explain why we can't recall our early years... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this edition of The Naked Scientists, Antimicrobial Resistance, or AMR, is going under our microscope. What is it, how does it happen, what's the scale of the threat, and how can we fight back? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this edition of The Naked Scientists: Stranded Nasa astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams come down to Earth with a splash and some awesome drone footage; also, Cambridge scientists are mapping where to find the world's rarest minerals; and the massively under-appreciated role that whales play transporting nutrients thousands of miles...using their urine. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this edition of The Naked Scientists, what threat do microplastics pose to our health, and the health of the planet? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

On this edition of the Naked Scientists Podcast, what are the potential environmental impacts of the ship crash in the North Sea? Also, we find out what's being done to reduce the risk from engineered pandemics, and reveal what's going on inside the best electric vehicle batteries on the market. Then, it's off to Lincolnshire to profile the bruise-resistant, quicker-cooking potatoes of the future... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this edition of The Naked Scientists, we take a closer look at CRISPR gene editing. What is it? And what are the ethics involved in rewriting the human genome? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In the news pod, scientists in Israel discover a new part of the immune system. We'll find out why it matters. Also, the Blue Ghost mission that just landed on the Moon and could change the way we conduct Lunar exploration. And greedy labradors: we find out why dogs (and their owners) are prone to putting on weight. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, we're examining NEOs - near-Earth objects - asking whether any of them might be on a collision course with our biggest cities... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this edition of The Naked Scientists: Continuous Glucose Monitors are increasingly popular. But are they feeding us dietary misinformation? Also ahead: the "sexome": scientists describe the genital microbiome, and how it might help with forensic investigations. And, we go to Wales to find out how artificial intelligence is helping dairy farmers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We're taking you through the looking glass to explore 'mirror life': could we be about to flip biology on its head? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this edition of The Naked Scientists: A new screening test for prostate cancer that can, the inventors claim, accurately catch 96% of cases, and early. Also, why you might want to eschew artificial sweeteners: a new study suggests they can accelerate arterial disease. And, scientists show that turtles can sense magnetic fields to find their way around... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this edition of The Naked Scientists, we're looking into multiple sclerosis, following the progression of the condition from relapses to neurodegeneration, asking, can we halt the disease in its tracks? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this edition of The Naked Scientists: A particle with a record-breaking energy is discovered: but where did it come from? Also, damaged hearts healed using stem cell "patches" of tissue: human clinical trials are about to kick off. And, the project using quantum mechanics to revolutionise the London Underground... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this edition of The Naked Scientists, we'll find out how Putin and his cadre in the Kremlin play a neverending game of technological cat and mouse... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this week's Naked Scientists Podcast: Uncovering the secret behind the mantis shrimp's giant punch. Also, developing a new strain of rice that produces a fraction of the methane, and shaking virus particles to hear their song. Plus, we profile NASA's new chief, Jared Isaacman... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week on The Naked Scientists, we've teamed up with Cambridge University Press and specifically the team behind Research Directions, their suite of new, open access journals that are all about publishing research in a novel and exciting way.Science is, of course, all about asking questions and developing experiments to test hypotheses. But only rarely does a topic have a single facet. Instead, one key question invariably leads to many others; and the answers to these can, as the Research Directions team put it, "assemble into chains of collaborative work".They're asking really important... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this edition of The Naked Scientists: Samples back from space reveal tantalising insights into where the life-linked chemicals that kick-started biology on Earth could have come from. Also, the impact of China's DeepSeek AI model on society, finance, and the global tech market. And why imported olive trees turn out to be the perfect cover for stowaway snakes and insects... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

It's our final Titans of Science offering of this series, with world-leading cancer expert Charlie Swanton. We'll hear how the latest developments in our understanding of cancer's mechanisms are shaping treatments and preventative measures... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

On the Naked Scientists News show: a new UK trial seeks to infect healthy people with malaria in a bid to get to grips with the dormant stage of the infection. Then, we hear how T cells could be the key to ensuring more organ transplant successes, and should we all be taking fewer flights? Also, some curious observations regarding chimpanzees and their communal toilet routines... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this special episode of The Naked Scientists, join Chris Smith on a journey from farm to whisky tumbler, as he witnesses the intricate processes behind producing high quality Scotch. Richard Broadbent leads a tour of Bairds Malt's site in Witham, explaining how British barley is prepared for its transformation into the delicious spirit, before Alistair McDonald of the Clydeside Distillery in Glasgow walks us through the five hundred year old craft of distilling malt whisky... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this edition of The Naked Scientists: It's 5 years since COVID began and the WHO hosted their first press conference. But how much have we learned and are we prepared for the next pandemic? Also, a report from the UK House of Lords points to a rapidly closing window of opportunity to capitalise on "engineering biology" - but what is that? And, is there a hidden planet lurking out past Pluto? A new telescope will soon enable astronomers to find out... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Titans of Science continues with the microbiologist who discovered how an extraordinary relationship between two methane-eating seafloor species has shaped the world we know today. To explain that and much more is the ocean aficionado Antje Boetius... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In the news podcast this week, the first human death from bird flu in the US has made virologists vigilant about its potential threat. Also, we learn about the potentially billions of tonnes of sequestered hydrogen on Earth that could be used for clean energy, and hear of the promising results in animals for new drugs for treatment resistant prostate cancer. Then, the unintended cognitive consequences of lead mining in the Roman empire, and question of the week takes us back to a time when all the continents were clumped together... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Titans of Science continues, where we talk to some of the major movers and shakers leading the way in their respective fields. This time we're hearing from Cambridge neuroscientist, and expert on obsessive compulsive disorder - OCD - Trevor Robbins... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this edition of The Naked Scientists, a look ahead to 2025. We ask experts in the field of health, AI, astronomy, marine science, and archaeology what we should look forward to over the next 12 months... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this edition of Titans of Science, Chris Smith chats with co-founder of Annals of Improbable Research, and the master of ceremonies for the Ig Nobel prize, Marc Abrahams... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this edition of The Naked Scientists, we ask leading experts in the fields of health, AI, space, marine biology, and archaeology about the moments that defined 2024... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this edition of The Naked Scientists, we look back at another brilliant year of science and select some of our favourite stories to come out of it... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Our Titans of Science season continues with the man who used AI to create an unprecedented number of custom proteins: Nobel Prize winning biochemist David Baker... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In the news pod, Chris van Tulleken tells us what he's got planned for this years Royal Institution Christmas Lectures. Then we hear about the innovation to harness energy from radioactive carbon-14 atoms, and learn more about when humans and Neanderthals got to know each other. Then, we look skyward, where astronomers have described a series of mysterious near-Earth objects similar to the famous Oumuamua... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Titans of Science returns with Jocelyn Bell Burnell who discovered radio pulsars as a postgraduate student at Cambridge. Her work not only revolutionised the field of astrophysics, but inspired one of the most famous pieces of music artwork too... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In the News pod, Google DeepMind's weather forecasting AI model outperforms traditional tools. Also, new data from volcanoes on Venus dampen theories it was once a watery world, and is this double action weight loss drug the successor to Ozempic and Mounjaro? Then, we hear the proof that crustaceans can feel pain, and will seek drugs to relieve it... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Obsessive compulsive disorder - OCD - is a mental health condition where intrusive, unwanted thoughts can become all consuming. Some people report anxieties over something terrible happening to them or someone they love for example, and, in some cases, in a bid to alleviate these fears, they may carry out compulsive actions repetitively to the point they become extremely disruptive to their lives.Due to pervasive misconceptions around this serious psychiatric condition, a lot of people suffer with their symptoms for a long time before getting help. It's also complicated to unpick the... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In the news, a potentially game-changing new injection to ease the suffering caused by asthma attacks shows success. Also, who should fix the gas leak on the International Space Station? Then, fossilised footsteps fuel speculation over interactions between early human ancestors, and we find out what the presence of amber in Antarctica reveals about the history of this now desloate land... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this edition of The Naked Scientists, how much of a part do innovations in nuclear energy production, like SMRs and microreactors, have to play in our nuclear future? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this animal-themed edition of the news: What prompted scientists to put vampire bats on a treadmill? Also ahead: why medicinal leeches are returning to the UK's waterways. Plus, the spiders that know what kind of food will satisfy their dietary needs. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

On today's programme, we are going to examine attempts to end HIV/AIDS as a public health threat by the end of the decade.The AIDS pandemic is unarguably the worst health threat to confront the population in the modern era. We believe close to 100 million people have died of the disease so far since it first emerged in the early 1900s.It's proved a very tough nut to crack; when I first went to medical school in 1993, a patient with advanced AIDS and just weeks away from dying came to speak to us.That rarely happens in first world countries these days thanks to breakthrough scientific... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This episode of The Naked Scientists: what's at stake at this year's UN climate summit in Azerbaijan? Also, the 80 million-year-old fossil revealing how birds came by their big brains; and why the UK's oldest satellite has wandered off over the Americas... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this edition of The Naked Scientists, could weight loss jabs help shrink the size of the global obesity crisis... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

New NICE guidance urges HRT as a first-line treatment for menopause symptoms, the enormous black hole that doesn't obey our existing laws of physics, and what DNA analysis is revealing about the people who inhabited Pompeii... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Initially, the upside to children having access to a supercomputer in their pockets seemed obvious: immediate access to the reams of educational information on the internet, seamless communications with their friends, a source of constant entertainment. But as mental ill health amongst our youngsters continues to rise, many are pointing to smartphones, and particularly the social media platforms on them, as mainly to blame.Today, we'll hear what the screen age is doing to our stone age brains, how adolescents and adults differ in their social media activity, and discuss what the evidence says... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this edition of The Naked Scientists: The UK detects its first case of the new Mpox variant, but some are saying what took us so long; also the discovery of a lost city beneath the jungle canopy in Mexico; and the robots helping Cambridge scientists understand the evolution of fish... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

The US election between Democratic nominee Kamala Harris and Republican nominee Donald Trump is going down to the wire. Indeed, this has been described by many as the closest presidential election ever seen. Inevitably, with tensions so high on either side, the cry of electoral interference is a common one. But just how is today's technology being used to sway voter opinion, and by how much? That's what we seek to uncover on this week's programme... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this edition of The Naked Scientists: Sir Chris Hoy goes public with his terminal prostate cancer diagnosis; the World Health Organization has declared Egypt malaria-free; also, it's time to change the clocks in some countries. But what impact does it have on our perception of time? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this edition of The Naked Scientists, as NASA's Europa Clipper mission successfully blasts off towards Jupiter's moon, we look at how it leads the search for life in our solar system... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this edition of The Naked Scientists: The new form of insulin that switches itself off before blood sugar falls too low; also, scientists suss out the origins of most of the meteors that fall to Earth; and why the longest lived patch of snow in the Scottish Highlands finally looks set to melt away... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this edition of The Naked Scientists, what science has to say about whether a vegan diet is a healthy diet... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In the news pod, how electrically conductive stitches can speed up wound healing. Scientists find the DNA of human victims embedded in the teeth of two African lions shot in the 1800's. And the Nobel Prizes explained: who's won what, and what for? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Today, we're going in depth on traumatic brain injuries. James Tytko speaks with Dawn Astle, daughter of former England striker Jeff Astle, about the finding that his death was linked to head trauma sustained during his playing career. Also, Prof Peter Hutchinson gives an overview of head injuries, and Adel Helmy talks about changing the rules of some sports to reduce risk. Then, Alexis Joannides describes one of many new technological innovations to support medical staff dealing with TBIs, before Prof David Menon describes the path towards better drug treatments and diagnostic tools. If you... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this edition of The Naked Scientists: Diabetes fixed with stem cells: scientists reprogramme a patient's fat cells to produce insulin; also why some security specialists are worried Chinese-made electric cars could pose a threat; and our interview with world-famous stargazer and physicist Brian Cox... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Four and a half years ago many countries told their inhabitants they had to stay at home for weeks at a time to control the coronavirus pandemic. Many countries had never resorted to any such measure - which deprived citizens of their civil liberties to such an extent - in recorded history. And while it was successful at slowing the spread of the disease, at least initially, as the world has emerged from the pandemic, it's become obvious that there's a less than positive legacy of these lockdowns. So what have we learned, and what can we do, if anything, to prevent history repeating itself? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this edition of The Naked Scientists: Signs that fruity vapes paralyse the immune system in your lungs; the world's oldest cheese: but why was the nearly 4000 year old dairy product smeared all over an ancient Chinese mummy? And, why it might be a giant leap to suggest that we're getting an extra moon, at least for a while! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Recently, doctors announced some extremely encouraging news about a jab for people with advanced forms of several types of malignancy, including melanoma, lung cancer and other solid organ tumours. The vaccine is called mRNA-4359 and has been developed by the pharmaceutical company Moderna, of Covid vaccine fame. The trials have been conducted here in the UK, and we'll hear from the man running the study. Also, the success of the HPV vaccine in preventing cervical cancer, and how a Lynch syndrome vaccine could prevent a variety of malginancies... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this edition of The Naked Scientists: what do we know about the pagers and walkie-talkies used to attack Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon? Also the landmark study on the impact of pregnancy on the human brain. And how scientists in Israel have grown a one thousand-year-old seed that might fill in a missing link in the Bible... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this edition of The Naked Scientists, how engineers are using novel concepts and ideas to attempt to tackle the climate crisis... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this edition of The Naked Scientists: How COVID-19 lockdowns affected the brain development of teenagers; how best to dispose of dangerous nuclear waste; and why the UK's puffin population is thriving despite a rise in avian flu. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this edition of The Naked Scientists, we take a fresh look at the appendix. Despite its historical reputation of being a useless part of the body, have new studies shone a light on the pivotal functions that the appendix may have? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this edition of The Naked Scientists: Scientists uncover a way to help amputees toughen up their skin to make prostheses more comfortable; Covid mRNA jab pharmaceutical company Moderna turn their attention to vaccines for mpox; and the Astronomer Royal, Martin Rees, on whether ET is really out there... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this edition of The Naked Scientists, teaching an old mine new tricks: how old mines are being repurposed in the name of science... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this edition of The Naked Scientists: How the UK looks set to take the world's toughest line on smoking; the new study showing that last year's Canadian wildfires pumped more CO2 into the atmosphere than most countries worldwide; and why are those astronauts still stranded on the International Space Station? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this episode of The Naked Scientists, we are looking at the outbreak of monkeypox - mPox - in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and fears that it could spread internationally... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this edition of The Naked Scientists: the regulator says the Alzheimer's drug lecanemab is safe, but NICE say we can't afford it; also, the UK MOD launches its first Earth-imaging satellite. We talk to the makers; and the BBC's Frank Gardner on why the UK's butterflies need our help... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Human pursuit of body perfection and ideal aesthetics means that we're increasingly resorting to cosmetic interventions to achieve the look we're after. But evidence is mounting that some of these cosmetic and hygiene enhancements might come with a hidden health cost: many have never been subject to rigorous appraisals of the chemicals they contain, meaning that as more people embrace them, some concerning trends are beginning to emerge... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In the news, we speak to the WHO about the rise in cases of the new variant of Mpox. Also, the final piece of Stonehenge is traced back to its origin, and Nasa's InSight lander finds evidence of liquid water on Mars. Plus, how horses almost deceived scientists into believing they were less sharp than goldfish... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This episode of Titans of Science features body clock guru Russell Foster, who talks all about our body's circadian rhythm, and how paying attention to it is crucial for a healthier and happier life... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In the news podcast, could Chinese scientists have found the mechanism that gives ketamine its antidepressant effect? Also, how a Cambridge researcher has laid the foundations for eliminating a form of blindness in English Shepherd dogs, and how bees find their way about with remarkable efficiency. Plus, the big questions in the search for extraterrestrials... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this edition of Titans of Science, the man who co-discovered the accelerating expansion of the Universe and gave us dark energy; the Nobel laureate Brian Schmidt... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this edition of The Naked Scientists: A meeting of minds: scientists show that when two people talk, their brains really do sync up. Also, bird flu is now spreading among cattle via their milk. What are the implications? And, a new scientific twist for better, more efficient fog harvesting to keep arid areas watered... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In the first half of the last Century, scientists realised that there must be more to space than meets the eye: without some invisible force hanging on to them, clusters of stars rotating around galaxies ought to be being flung out into space like children letting go on a playground roundabout. That force, they knew, must be gravity, but its origin - where it was coming from - no one knew.A popular theory at the time was that millions of small stars we couldn't see were lending their mass to the equation, but by carefully logging what was out there in our own Milky Way Galaxy, Gerry Gilmore... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

On the Naked Scientists news podcast, 'muscles on chips' provide microgravity researchers new opportunities to study ageing. Also in the show, the machine learning models overhauling weather forecasting, and scientists unpick how the placebo effect reduces pain by discovering the brain network responsible. Then, we speak to a doctor on how to protect yourself from skin cancer in the summer, and we find out what it is we can smell when it rains and where you are most likely to smell it. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

To mark the start of the Olympics, we're hosting our own science themed opening ceremony, centred on sporting extremes. We'll learn about potentially dangerously high temperatures at this year's Games and how athletes are reckoning with them. Then, we'll find out whether (really) cold therapy is the key to recovery, and what the mindset of a successful athlete should be. Then, it's the turn of a sport nutritionist to provide some tips on how to keep your body in with a chance of crossing the line in first place. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this edition of The Naked Scientists: Self-test kits to help doctors bear down on cervical cancer; the 'jelly' batteries that could be used in wearable tech devices; and why seagulls keep trying to steal your chips, and how to stop them: science has the solution! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Today's Titans interview is with the key figure in one of science's modern triumphs. Susan Solomon and her team were the first to theorise and prove what was causing the hole in the ozone layer above the Antarctic, and why it was growing: chlorofluorocarbon pollutants humans were emitting. What followed is a testament to what can be achieved in the face of significant challenges with international collaboration. What lessons does it hold for how we tackle climate change? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

On the Naked Scientists news pod: data released from the UK's Covid tracing app provides intriguing insights on how the virus spread. Then, we hear whether extreme weather is the new normal, and we profile Patrick Vallance, the UK's new science minister. Also, what does having AI assistance do to our creative writing skills? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists