The Naked Scientists Podcast

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The Naked Scientists flagship science show, includes the latest science news, interviews with top scientists, hands-on science experiments and answers to your science questions.

The Naked Scientists


    • Oct 31, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • weekdays NEW EPISODES
    • 49m AVG DURATION
    • 1,206 EPISODES

    4.6 from 532 ratings Listeners of The Naked Scientists Podcast that love the show mention: best science podcasts, chris smith, chris and dr, one of the best science, naked, cattle, british accents, favorite science podcast, fun science, questions from listeners, science show, great science podcast, carbon, scientific topics, science news, scientists, experiments, discoveries, billion, astronomy.


    Ivy Insights

    The Naked Scientists Podcast is a remarkable podcast that offers a diverse range of topics and a consolidated view of scientific areas. Each episode covers different subjects, allowing listeners to explore various aspects of science in an accessible and engaging manner. The podcast stands out for its ability to present complex scientific concepts in a way that is understandable for everyone, making it a valuable resource for individuals who are interested in expanding their knowledge about the world of science. One of the best aspects of this podcast is the quality of the content and the delivery. The hosts provide fascinating discussions about scientific discoveries and present information in an engaging and informative manner. They have a knack for selecting interesting topics and finding authentic guests who genuinely care about being positive forces in the world through their contributions to science. This dedication shines through in every episode, making it a truly mind-blowing experience to listen to the insights they bring to bear. Furthermore, each episode offers something new and valuable, ensuring that listeners gain knowledge from every episode they listen to. The length of each episode, which is just under 60 minutes, is perfect as it does not feel overwhelming or too short. The analysis provided is objective and dives into the right depth necessary for understanding complex scientific concepts without overwhelming the audience. Overall, The Naked Scientists Podcast impresses with its commitment to providing high-quality content on a wide range of scientific topics.

    While there are many positives about The Naked Scientists Podcast, one minor drawback could be its emphasis on COVID-related material. While it is an essential topic, some listeners may feel overwhelmed or tired with constant coverage of COVID-related material due to its omnipresence in today's world. However, this critique can be subjective as it depends on individual preferences and circumstances.

    In conclusion, The Naked Scientists Podcast is an excellent podcast that delivers fascinating discussions on various scientific topics while maintaining accessibility for all audiences. It consistently provides valuable insights into significant discoveries and developments within the field of science. Listeners are guaranteed to learn something new from each episode, making it a must-listen for anyone who wants to stay up-to-date with scientific advances. The outstanding delivery, intelligent analysis, and engaging presentation ensure that this podcast remains one of the top choices in the realm of science podcasts.



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    Latest episodes from The Naked Scientists Podcast

    Hurricane Melissa's wake, and alcohol-free beer with a buzz

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 31, 2025 35:47


    In this edition of The Naked Scientists: How the latest science helped the Caribbean prepare for Hurricane Melissa. Also ahead, the alcohol-free beers providing a 'buzz' without the hangover. And, why a German warehouse is simulating a European Moon landing... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

    Proteomics promises a revolution in preventative medicine

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 28, 2025 29:27


    Today, in association with Proteomics International, we're hearing about a new era in medicine where we can tell people not what diseases they've got, but what ones they will have in ten years' time, giving them a chance to turn things around... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

    Eye implant restores vision, and corvids follow human calls

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 24, 2025 34:44


    In the news podcast, a new retinal implant - just two millimetres wide - that is helping restore sight to blind people; a 'pristine' star that gives us a glimpse of the workings of the early Universe; and we'll be finding out how wild rooks can master human commands. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

    Frozen Flora: 25 years of the Millennium Seed Bank

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 21, 2025 31:34


    As the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew celebrate the 25th Birthday of the Millenium Seed Bank in Sussex, James Tytko ventures into its giant underground vaults to learn why they are a crucial part of global plant conservation... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

    Talc linked to cancer, and improving yoghurt with ants

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 17, 2025 34:06


    In this edition of The Naked Scientists: Whether talc-based products - like baby powder - can cause ovarian cancer. Also ahead, the "Sword Dragon of Dorset" found on England's Jurassic Coast. Plus, we'll be finding out about the 'double comet' visible in the night sky... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

    Hearing loss, and what we can do about it

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 14, 2025 32:18


    In this edition of The Naked Scientists, why we lose our hearing and what we can do about it... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

    Top athlete reveals MND diagnosis, and 2025's Nobel Prizes

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 10, 2025 41:21


    In this edition of The Naked Scientists: Is elite level sport linked with Motor Neurone Disease? We examine the evidence as another top player announces his diagnosis. Also, cages that can sieve out molecules, the immune system peacekeepers; and the quantum realm: we look at this year's Nobel Prizes for science. And, how did birds react to the Great American Eclipse last year? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

    Has COVID-19 weakened our immunity?

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 7, 2025 30:39


    You've probably heard of Omicron, but what about Nimbus and Stratus? These are the latest COVID strains spreading around the world, and for most people they'll amount to a heavy cold at worst, lasting just a few days. Or will they? Are these coronaviruses doing more to our immune systems than meets the eye? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

    Embryos made from skin cells, and remembering Jane Goodall

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 3, 2025 34:08


    In this edition of The Naked Scientists: US scientists have turned skin cells into human embryos for the very first time. We unpack the significance. Also ahead, the legacy of the primatologist and conservationist, Jane Goodall, who has died at the age of 91. Plus, we hear from a chemist who believes he has cracked the mystery of ghostly lights we call will-o'-the-wisps... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

    Painting: where art meets science

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 30, 2025 31:11


    Today, we're picking up a brush, and probing the science of paint. Where does chemistry stop, and the art take over? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

    Huntington's treatment, and the High Seas Treaty

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 26, 2025 37:42


    On today's show:, scientists successfully treat Huntington's disease for the first time, slowing the disease by at least 75%: we hear how they've done it. Also, the High Seas Treaty takes a step closer to protecting the world's oceans. And the Earth-sized planet not that far away that might have conditions suitable for life. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

    Lung cancer: looking at the latest developments

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 23, 2025 32:46


    Lung cancer is one of the world's biggest killers. Today, we explore why, and how medical research into this disease is seeing the development of better diagnostic tools, cancer treatments and even a vaccine to prevent tumours from taking hold in the first place... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

    US-UK nuclear deal, and forensics for plastic pollution

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 19, 2025 33:50


    In the news podcast, the US and the UK have forged a long-term nuclear alliance - but what will it really deliver? We also examine a new study on whether smoking cannabis makes it harder to get pregnant. And we'll be hearing from a forensic scientist who is using detective work to rid our oceans of plastic. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

    A decade of detecting gravitational waves

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 16, 2025 35:54


    To celebrate 10 years since they were first detected, we're examining gravitational waves. What are they? And how do we find them? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

    Ancient Mars bacteria, and 'fugitive' methane leaks

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 12, 2025 35:10


    In this edition of The Naked Scientists, the strongest hint yet of life on Mars. Should we get excited? Or is it another red herring? Also ahead: The first new UK-wide study of babies in 25 years. We'll find out why it matters. Plus, an ancient lizard-like fossil is discovered on the coast of Devon. We'll uncover the significance... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

    Made in orbit: How to sustain life in space

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 9, 2025 34:33


    What does it take to build a society in space? Today on the Naked Scientists, we explore efforts to make microgravity amenable to humans; including how to harvest energy, make fresh food, and even birth the next generation of space explorers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

    Energy drinks curb, and biting back against beetles

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 5, 2025 35:23


    In this edition of The Naked Scientists: A new test to detect Alzheimer's disease long before symptoms first appear. Also, the study showing Earth can sequester only a tenth of the carbon we thought it could. And, how drones, traps and sniffer dogs are protecting the UK's timber industry from beetle attack... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

    Is AI changing the way we think?

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 2, 2025 34:27


    In this edition of The Naked Scientists, from bogus scientific papers and misleading made-up "facts", to potentially curtailing our critical thinking, we look at the effect that mass adoption of AI might be having on the way we think, the decisions we make and the information we learn and act on... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

    First pig lung transplant, and the origins of dark energy

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 29, 2025 33:39


    Today on the Naked Scientists: a pig lung is transplanted into a man in China, but what was the outcome? Also, scientists have a theory for the origins of Dark Energy - and it makes sense that a black hole might be the source! And, why the dawn chorus is starting earlier and finishing later these days: what's getting into wildlife? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

    What can we do about hair loss?

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 26, 2025 36:32


    In this edition of The Naked Scientists, we look at the science of hair, why we suffer hair loss, treatments that can slow hair loss, whether wigs are any good, and what happens during a hair transplant? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

    Apple wins privacy row, and microbes dictate chocolate taste

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 22, 2025 34:40


    In this edition of The Naked Scientists, Apple locked horns with the UK government who were demanding a security back door through the company's encryption. What was the outcome? Also, scientists discover the secret to the tastiest chocolate - it's all down to microbes. And, archaeologists uncover the earliest evidence yet of our ancestors using stone tools... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

    What Niger's AMR outbreak means for the world

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 19, 2025 31:03


    In this edition of The Naked Scientists, why we need to pay closer attention to antimicrobial resistance in some of the world's poorest nations... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

    Decoding our inner voice, and hunting for life on Mars

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 15, 2025 36:35


    In this edition of The Naked Scientists: the scientists who think they can decode the thoughts we hear in our heads. Also ahead: do ultra-processed foods make it much harder to lose weight? Plus, we hear from the PhD student who is aiding the search for life on Mars... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

    'Three-parent babies' prevent inherited genetic condition

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 12, 2025 26:56


    James Tytko explores the science behind 'three-parent' embryos: the incredible medical procedure that prevents children from inheriting incurable mitochondrial diseases. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

    Medicinal microbes for kidney stones, and musky mice

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 8, 2025 31:26


    In the news, why a dose of bacteria might be the solution to combating kidney stones. What tooth enamel tells us about the lives and diets of dinosaurs. And what the world's most abundant insects can teach robots... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

    A 21st century guide to hunting dinosaur fossils

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 5, 2025 33:05


    In this edition of The Naked Scientists, we are on the hunt for dinosaurs as we explore how cutting edge tech, chisels, and canoes go hand in hand when changing the way we view our prehistoric past... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

    Old drug new tricks, and a sensational bionic leg

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 1, 2025 31:53


    In the news, an old drug heralds a new treatment for the gut parasite Cryptosporidium; the bionic-knee that anticipates where amputees want to go to make movements much more natural; and why we're spotting more Near-Earth Objects, and whether one may hit us. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

    The science of modern warfare

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 29, 2025 30:08


    In this edition of The Naked Scientists, how is science helping to shape the future of warfare? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

    Malaria bites back, and the lunar base race

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 25, 2025 38:27


    In the news podcast, what's causing the uptick in malaria cases in Africa? Also, scientists show statistically that the sex of a baby at birth is not random, and South Korea joins the throng in the race for settling on the Moon. Then, we hear how computer scientists are programming ethical AI to explain its decision making, and, sticking with AI, what are some of the environmentally friendly projects seeking to offset machine learning's vast energy consumption? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

    Vivaldi: The data revolution coming to care homes

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 22, 2025 30:11


    There are more than sixteen thousand care homes across the UK, housing around half a million people. Staggering numbers. They are meant to be places of safety, support, and quiet, relaxed companionship for the people who live and work in them. But when COVID-19 arrived, they became one of the pandemic's deadliest frontlines. In a bid to see what might be possible, the Vivaldi Study - a nationwide effort to gather data from inside care homes - was launched. Can better data improve the lives of people in care homes? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

    Ancient Antarctic ice cores & is a sense of humour genetic?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 18, 2025 40:23


    In this edition of The Naked Scientists: Scientists get their hands on the oldest ice on Earth, and we've been to see it, but what's it going to reveal? Also, measles is on the up, again; we find out why. And, is humour genetic? We talk to the scientist who has studied hundreds of pairs of twins to find out! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

    25 years of the Human Genome Project

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 15, 2025 31:18


    In this edition of The Naked Scientists, we look at 25 years of the Human Genome Project. What is it? And what has it achieved? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

    Fitter fat cells, and Earth spins slightly faster

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 11, 2025 41:40


    This week, the cells that vanish when we slim down: are these the link between obesity and health problems like diabetes? Also, the bacteria that might be able to shield us from the "forever chemicals" we're all eating. Plus, why will 3 days over the next month be a millisecond shorter than they should be? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

    Can genetics grow a better garden?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 8, 2025 29:14


    In this edition of The Naked Scientists, we pay a visit to Cambridge University Botanic Garden to ask 'can genetics help grow a better garden?' Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

    The "Nanny Plate" debate, and the Neanderthal fat factory

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 4, 2025 33:32


    In the news, counting the calories: The UK government want shops to help us put 100 fewer calories in our baskets to beat obesity. So will it work? Also, archaeologists uncover the world's oldest fat factory - it turns out that Neanderthals were processing bones for their grease 125,000 years ago, but why? And on Mars the Curiosity rover captures close-up images of spiderweb-like patterns on the planet surface, but what made them? Listeners are also wondering whether green initiatives really do help to save the planet... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

    Why proteins matter

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 1, 2025 29:30


    This episode of was produced and presented by Dr Marushka Soobben, a scientist from South Africa who's been taking part in an internship here at the Naked Scientists. And this week, a journey into the world of proteins. What are they? why do they matter? And why did predicting their shapes win a recent Nobel prize? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

    Weight loss jab concerns, and crafty bribing caterpillars

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 27, 2025 35:31


    In this edition of The Naked Scientists, weight loss jabs being prescribed by GPs in England, but do we know enough about the side effects? Also, a new simple test to replace endoscopies for patients with Barrett's oesophagus. And we hear from one of the engineers at the Vera Rubin Observatory, which is shedding new light on the cosmos... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

    On thin ice: The race to save Antarctica

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 24, 2025 32:31


    In this edition of The Naked Scientists, we speak to the Cambridge scientists who have made it their mission to understand climate change in one of the world's most inhospitable regions... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

    HPV vaccine uptake wanes, and boozeless beer health concerns

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 20, 2025 33:25


    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

    Titans of Science: Sharon Peacock

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 17, 2025 30:56


    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

    Naked Scientists SOS

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 16, 2025 3:30


    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

    UK commits to new nuclear plant, and robot surgery

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 13, 2025 31:24


    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

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