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Naked Scientists, In Short Special Editions Podcast — Life Sciences
Naked Scientists, In Short Special Editions Podcast

Probing the weird, wacky and spectacular, the Naked Scientists Special Editions are special one-off scientific reports, investigations and interviews on cutting-edge topics by the Naked Scientists team.

Copyright: © The Naked Scientists

Latest Episodes:

Tree growth extended in urban jungles Dec 13, 2021

Show notes

Cities have been found to be warming at faster rates than the rest of the planet due to the materials used such as concrete absorbing heat more readily than organic materials. This is known as the "urban heat island" effect. One antidote, scientists have found, is to plant trees. But flipping the issue around for a moment, what do the trees make of these urban jungles? According to Lin Meng, at the University of California, Berkeley, tree growth in urban locations is different, as she explained to Verner Viisainen, based on research published in PNAS... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

The science of hugs Dec 09, 2021

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As we near Christmas, we will be subjected to a fair few more hugs than usual! Some of them can be great, and others... just downright awkward. But what makes a bad hug? What makes a good hug? New research has been published investigating the most pleasant hugging style. Katie King spoke to Anna-Lena Duren to find out why hugs are an important area to study. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Sleep schedules & healthier hearts Dec 06, 2021

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We know that sleep is critical for our physical and mental wellbeing, but as it turns out, the answer doesn't simply lie in the number of hours we spend unconscious each night. New research from digital healthcare company, Huma, suggests that a goldilocks bedtime between 10-11PM is linked with a lower risk of heart disease. Katie King spoke to Dr David Plans, Head of Research from Huma to find out why we all need a bedtime... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Omicron, variant of concern. What do we know? Dec 04, 2021

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Virologist Chris Smith talks with Radio New Zealand National's Kim Hill on Saturday 27th November as the world contemplates the discovery of the Covid-19 variant that the WHO has dubbed "Omicron" and labelled as a "variant of concern". How will scientists investigate this agent, and how are policymakers responding? Will the vaccines rolled out internationally continue to work, or do they need to be updated? Is the apparent benign nature of Omicron actually a blessing in disguise? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Whales eat (and poop) more than we thought Dec 03, 2021

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Earth's largest animals, whales, need a lot of food... that goes without saying. But, new research from a team at Stanford University have found that whales need 10-20 tonnes of food on a feeding day, which is up to three times more than initially thought. Of course that means three times more poop... and as whale poop drives nutrient recycling in the oceans, this could have a big impact on marine ecosystems. Katie King found out more from the lead author Matthew Savoca... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

NASA's planetary defence test Dec 02, 2021

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Now this might have flown under your radar, but last Wednesday NASA launched the DART mission, a spacecraft on a one-way collision course with an asteroid, in the world's first full-scale planetary defence test. Tricia Smith asked Space Author Colin Stuart, if life as we know it is in danger... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Covid Surges in Europe Nov 29, 2021

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Covid cases in many European countries are suddenly substantially up. But in a dramatic role reversal, the UK has gone from the standout Covid-19 bad boy of Europe to one of the better performers in terms of daily cases and hospitalisations. According to the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine's Lloyd Chapman, vaccination is the linchpin, and that's where the UK stands out... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why does Covid-19 vaccine protection wane? Nov 20, 2021

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Covid is surging across Europe, but what's causing it, and will the UK follow suit, or are Europe hot on our heels? Should vaccines be mandatory, and would vaccine passports work? Why does Covid-19 vaccine protection wane with time, and are we looking at a relentless cycle of boosters indefinitely, or will one be sufficient? Dr Chris Smith joins RNZ's Kim Hill for a catch-up all about the current state of Covid-19... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Fusion experiment yields new record energy Nov 17, 2021

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When two atoms join together, the laws of physics tell us that a large amount of energy will be released, but the experiments performed so far by scientists to achieve nuclear fusion have always yielded a lot less energy than the inputs. This week, the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California, which uses an approach called 'inertial confinement fusion', announced that they achieved a huge improvement in the record energy yield from a fusion experiment. Iacopo Russo heard from Debbie Callahan, a lead researcher on the project. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Dogs can pick out words from speech Nov 16, 2021

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The first part of understanding a new language is working out where one word stops and the next word starts out of a string of syllables. Researchers at ELTE University in Hungary have been looking at how dogs' brains respond to language to figure out if they can recognise words, as Sally Le Page found out from author Marianna Boros... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

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