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Question of the Week, from the Naked Scientists — Natural Sciences
Question of the Week, from the Naked Scientists

Each week we set out to solve one of the world’s weirdest, wackiest, funniest and funkiest scientific puzzles. And along with the answer there’s a brand new question to think about for next time…

Latest Episodes:

Why don't women's bodies reject sperm? Jan 20, 2020

Show notes

Jure asked us "Why doesn't a woman's body reject sperm as a foreign object?" Phil Sansom sought out the answer, by speaking to doctor and sexual health consultant Graham McKinnon... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

QotW - Why does my phone coverage vary? Jan 13, 2020

Show notes

Listener Derek got in touch with this question - "I can sit at my work desk, with my phone by my side, and the signal strength display goes from saying "no service" to 4 bars out of 5, within a couple of minutes, for no obvious reason. It varies like this all day, every day. I can understand why some places have good coverage, and others have bad coverage, but why should it vary so much in one place?" We asked signal expert Ramsey Faragher from Focal Point Positioning and Cambridge University to dial up an answer to Derek's question about wandering mobile phone bars... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

What is the best way to heat my home? Dec 16, 2019

Show notes

Tim says: "The experts at the Energy Saving Trust and British Gas say it's cheaper to heat your home only when you need it. But my heating control panel says that it uses less energy to keep a background temperature when the room is unoccupied, than it does to allow the dwelling to chill too much. I'm confused! Which advice is correct?" We put Tim's question to Mike Childs, head of science, policy and research at Friends of the Earth. Also helping us out is Lewis Tyronney, an engineer with British Gas... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

QotW - Do hairs grow out grey, or turn grey? Dec 09, 2019

Show notes

Elizabeth got in touch to ask: "do hairs grow out grey, or do hairs that have colour eventually turn grey?" We asked hair expert Desmond Tobin, director of the Charles Institute of Dermatology, University College Dublin... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why isn't sea level rise the same worldwide? Nov 25, 2019

Show notes

Listener Geoff asks, "How is it that there are rising sea levels impacting some island nations such as the Maldives and Kiribati, yet 1000 kilometres in any direction there is no discernible sea level change at all?". To answer this question, Nadeem Gabbani spoke to Dr. Rob Larter of the British Antarctic Survey... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Do mosquitoes prefer certain blood types? Nov 18, 2019

Show notes

Vinny asked us: "I have read mosquitos have a preference for blood type and prefer people with Type O blood over those with Type B, or prefer Type B over Type A. Is this true, and how do they know the difference between types?" To seek out an answer to this one, Adam Murphy got in touch with Immo Hansen, from New Mexico State University to find out... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why does my watery windscreen turn to ice? Oct 28, 2019

Show notes

Mike got in touch to say: "When the outside temperature is hovering around the freezing mark, the condensation or dew on my automobile windshield is in a liquid state. But if I wipe the windshield, the liquid water changes to ice. Why is that?" To help, Adam Murphy spoke to Liz Thomas from the British Antarctic Survey... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Could you eat a dinosaur? Oct 21, 2019

Show notes

Dan got in touch to ask whether most animals are edible, including dinosaurs! Mariana tucked into this question.... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Will SpaceX's satellites clog up the sky? Oct 14, 2019

Show notes

Listener Pete asks, "SpaceX has launched the first 60 of what is to be a mesh of some 12,000 satellites. Two questions: how will this completed mesh impact 1) ground based optical and microwave astronomical observations, and 2) the ability of future space missions, manned and otherwise, to navigate through the cloud of objects?" To answer this question, Phil Sansom got in touch with two experts: UCL's Ingo Waldmann, and ESA's Holger Krag... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

When should you refrigerate cooked chicken? Sep 30, 2019

Show notes

Julie wrote in with this question for us: "I have received such conflicting advice from TV food cooks. Some say that cooked chicken should be allowed to cool down to room temperature before refrigeration whilst others say to put the hot cooked chicken into the refrigerator immediately. Which is right?" Mariana Marasoiu nibbled away at this question with Paul Wigley from the University of Liverpool... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

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