The Naked Scientists Podcast

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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