The Naked Scientists Podcast
Science & Ideas
About
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.
Episodes
- Should we be concerned about Ebola?
In this episode, we explore the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighbouring Uganda - including the origins of Ebola and how it is transmitted; how an outbreak is modelled; how we treat and manage Ebola with drugs an…
- Rising melanoma rates, and artificial bird's eggs
In today's episode, the rising rates of melanoma skin cancer in the UK - why is this happening? Also, evidence that pregnancy induces epigenetic changes to brain gene expression, researchers produce the world's first artificial bird egg to…
- The future of AI
Today, we unpack artificial intelligence. What does it do well? And how is it advancing science? This episode features the BBC's Zoe Kleinman, Oxford University's Mike Wooldridge, Raj Jena, the UK's first clinical professor of AI in radiat…
- Ebola outbreak in the DRC, and Artemis III preparation
Coming up, we explore an outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighbouring Uganda. How is it being managed? Plus, NASA announces preparations for Artemis III, whether nuclear power plants are susceptible to attacks fro…
- Dealing with depression
Today, the basis of depression and how science is helping in its management. Neuroscientist Trevor Robbins defines this condition; GP Munro Stewart tells us how it might be diagnosed and managed through medication; Jackie Rogers at the Bri…
- Virologists on hantavirus, and extreme heat at the World Cup
The Naked Scientists discuss hantavirus, new research mapping nasal smell receptors, and strategies for footballers dealing with extreme heat during the FIFA World Cup. The episode also touches on the release of UFO files by the Trump admi…
- Hantavirus outbreak: cruising for a biological bruising
This episode of The Naked Scientists Podcast covers a hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius, featuring virologist Colin Crump, Boghuma Titanji, Amesh Adalja, and Maria van Kerkhove discussing the disease's causes, effects, transmission, an…
- Hantavirus outbreak, and salmon on cocaine
This episode covers the hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius, the influence of potatoes on Indigenous Andean gene selection, and the effects of cocaine on salmon in polluted rivers. It also touches on newly discovered molecules providing…
- Meningitis under the microscope
This episode of The Naked Scientists Podcast discusses meningitis. Robin May explains the condition and incident response, Kat Sharrocks details associated symptoms, and Andrew Pollard covers vaccine protection.
- Chernobyl 40 years on, and countering ash dieback disease
The Naked Scientists podcast discusses the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster, including radioactive fallout and nuclear risk. It also covers research on repeated head impacts in sports and their potential link to dementia, alongsi…
- Giant leaps in astronomy: the telescopes taking us further
Today, we are taking a journey through the evolution of space telescopes and observatories. They are continuing to drive our understanding of the Universe, and the latest iterations - the Vera Rubin Observatory and the Nancy Grace Roman Sp…
- Microbiome links to Parkinson's, and a massive laser boost
This week scientists confirm the link between changes to the microbiome and later development of Parkinson's Disease, a super speedy microfluidic way to diagnose infection and probe antibiotic susceptibility, how many infections does dayca…
- What is flooding? And how do we tackle it?
We dive into the science and impact of flooding and coastal change. In partnership with UK Research and Innovation, this podcast explores what flooding is, how we measure tides, the dangers flooding presents to people and places, and how c…
- Alzheimer's drugs & tackling HIV
This week, we look at UK Alzheimer's drugs and the latest debate over whether new treatments are a genuine breakthrough or overhyped, alongside a striking HIV case from Oslo that has raised fresh questions in medical research. We also expl…
- Oil, gas & what comes next
This week, we are exploring the oil and gas industry, literally from the ground up: what's the geology of oil formation, how does a petrochemist go from crude to highly refined, can the UK solve its energy price problem by actually using t…
- Space travel alters the body, and chronic pain on the mind
This week, we find out how space travel is likely to affect the bodies of the Artemis II astronauts. Plus, how conflict and other adverse events during childhood influence young lives, what is the link between chronic pain, stress and the…
- What is time?
Time waits for no one, but what exactly is it? Is it just a human construct, or something far deeper, flowing through our minds and bodies? In this episode, we examine the very fabric of time: how we created it, how we perceive it, the hid…
- Artemis II launch, and tackling physical inactivity
Artemis II begins its mission to take humans farther into space than ever before, scientists in London unveil the first lab-grown oesophagus, the dangers of physical inactivity and why we urgently need to tackle it, and brain cells on a ch…
- Nature frozen in time
Across our planet, natural archives preserve the biological footprints of species long gone, from woolly mammoths at the macro scale, through plants and seeds, to dormant bacteria and viruses at the micro end of the spectrum. And one envir…
- Social media addiction, and the famous honeybee dance
This week: social media's role in user harm and the plausibility of app addiction, a sunken Soviet sub revealing how nuclear materials behave deep underwater, a hidden "magnetic shadow" on the Moon that could improve space travel safety, a…
- Return to the Moon
Coming up, we explore the race back to the Moon. Why are we going? How will we get there? Can we live and work on its surface? And what can we grow when we get there? We explore the science, the engineering, and the possibilities of humani…
- Meningitis in Kent, and sonic hedgehogs
Coming up, we explore an outbreak of meningitis in the English county of Kent. Will a targeted vaccination campaign bring it under control? Plus, a fast diagnostic swab test that may help diagnose schizophrenia, how thousands of old tumour…
- Understanding endometriosis
For Endometriosis Awareness Month, we explore a condition which affects 10% of women around the world. Cells that form the lining of the uterus crop up in other parts of the pelvis, and elsewhere in the body. It prevents many patients from…
- War and the environment, and Neanderthal-human interbreeding
Coming up, we assess the environmental and health impact of conflict in the Middle East. Plus, the gene variants that affect how heavily someone smokes, a medication called ruxolitinib that could help the vitiligo community, and a fascinat…
- Eradicating polio
This week, we're exploring polio: a highly infectious viral disease that can attack the nervous system and cause paralysis, mainly in young children. Polio has been pushed to the brink of elimination thanks to global vaccination efforts -…
- Immune reprogramming for cancer, and squeaky shoe science
Coming up, we explore how CAR-T cell therapy is revolutionising personalised cancer treatment. Plus, how NASA's DART mission tested Earth's asteroid defence, what we are learning about the benefits of breastfeeding for mother and baby heal…
- Titans of Science: Mike Wooldridge
Our Titans of Science series continues with Mike Wooldridge, Ashall Professor of Foundations of Artificial Intelligence at the University of Oxford. He has conducted extensive work in the field of agentic AI, systems comprising multiple in…
- Brain fats cleared during sleep, and bird poo powered Peru
Today, how the brain harnesses immune cells to clear burned out fats during sleep: does this protect from Alzheimer's disease? Also, the nutrient-rich guano of seabirds that shaped society in ancient Peru, fast footage reveals how kangaroo…
- Titans of Science: Jane Carlton
Our Titan of Science this week is leading light in the field of malaria, Jane Carlton. The first to sequence the genome of malaria parasite Plasmodium vivax, she also helped sequence the deadlier Plasmodium falciparum. Jane tells Chris Smi…
- Navalny's dart frog poisoning, and cat cancer genomics
This week, we look into the science behind Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny's death, caused by dart frog poison, and why Russia resorted to such an exotic means of dispatch at all. Also, how cat cancer genomics can provide new insi…
- Heart failure: can you mend a broken heart?
This week, in partnership with British Heart Foundation, we explore heart failure. Leading experts from the UK's largest independent funder of cardiovascular research tell us about the condition, the symptoms to look out for, what happens…
- A nasal spray for flu, and is this how life began on Earth?
This week, we discuss a new antibody-based nasal spray that protects against the flu: how does it work? Plus, the tiny self-replicating molecule that may give clues to the origins of life on Earth, whether we should regulate "mirror life"…
- The mosquito: the world's deadliest animal
Coming up, we explore the tremendous impact mosquitoes have had throughout their evolution. In this episode, we break down what mosquitoes are, how they track down a meal, the diseases they carry, and the strategies that scientists are cur…
- Shingles vaccine delays dementia, and chatting AI bots
This week, we examine a herpes zoster vaccination that can reduce or delay dementia diagnosis. How does it work? Plus, the BBC's Zoe Kleinman explains a social media site for AI chatbots, the discovery of microplastics in remote parts of t…
- Motor neurone disease: what does the science say?
Today, we take a closer look at motor neurone disease (MND), a progressive neurodegenerative disorder affecting the motor neurones that control voluntary muscle movement. This programme explores the clinical features of MND, what it is lik…
- Cracking cancer's code, and the cow that scratches its back
Coming up, a world-first gene cancer database is launched. How might it help us gain a better understanding of how disease develops? Plus, the link between vitamin D deficiency and respiratory infections, Austria's back-scratching cow, and…
- Titans of Science: John Zarnecki
Titans of Science is back with John Zarnecki, a towering figure in the UK's space community. He has played a crucial role in designing instruments for groundbreaking space missions, and has also helped shape Europe's planetary science prog…
- Alzheimer's fingerprick test, and space debris sonic booms
This week, a blood finger-prick test has been developed to detect Alzheimer's disease before symptoms arise. But how accurate is it? Plus, tracking space debris reentry from their sonic booms with earthquake-detecting seismometers, what ha…
- Generation New Era: The UK's new birth cohort study
This week, we're looking at a major study that is following the development of children born in the UK in 2026. It's called Generation New Era, and in this episode we hear from the team leading the research: how they plan to run it, what e…
- China's new London embassy, and screen-time retards speech
This week, China's attempts to build a new "mega-embassy" in London, but are there security risks? Plus, the UK plans to build a record number of offshore wind farms for cleaner energy, the impact of TV screens and tablets on speech develo…
- Science leads the way at Davos
This week, we've partnered with Frontiers as they aim to push science to the top of the agenda at the World Economic Forum in Davos. It comes as the publisher's Frontiers Science House prepares to welcome some of the most influential voice…
- Chickenpox jab UK rollout, and how the US grabbed Maduro
This week, the UK begins the rollout of the chickenpox vaccine to younger children. But why is it only being offered now? Plus, the high-level technological plan to capture Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro, what the latest research says a…
- Titans of Science: Ed Wild & Sarah Tabrizi
In this episode, we hear from not one, but two Titans of Science, together. And that's because Ed Wild and Sarah Tabrizi are neuroscientists, neurologists and long-time collaborators both based at University College London. They've devoted…
- Best Science Stories of 2025
In this episode, we're revisiting some of the most magical moments and scientific milestones of 2025 - including the incredible legacy of Dame Jane Goodall, the brain-wave reading bionic-knee, why labradors are so greedy, and the beer that…
- MI6 pushes cyber security, and WHO warns of fat jab shortage
This week, defence analyst, Michael Clarke, explains the significance of the MI6 agency's scientific shift. Will it help counter Russia's technological threat? Plus, the University of Glasgow's Naveed Sattar tells us why weight loss medici…
- What's a white Christmas, and will we get one this year?
Today, in partnership with UK Research and Innovation, we are asking whether it will snow on the 25th of December. It's frequently called a white Christmas and - at this time of year - weather forecasters and the bookies are busy weighing…
- New monkeypox virus strain, and Chernobyl's dome damaged
On this week's news podcast, Emory University's Boghuma Titanji on the discovery of a new strain of monkeypox in the UK, and efforts to curb the virus with a breakthrough vaccine. Plus, the drone damage to the shield preventing radiation l…
- Titans of Science: Paul Davies
Titans of Science is all about showcasing science superstars making huge breakthroughs and giant leaps foward in their scientific realms. In this episode, we turn the telescope around around to consider the extremely strange effects that k…
- Facial recognition tech, and Russia destroys launchpad
Coming up, we explore the UK's plans to rollout facial recognition technology. Is it a bold move to catch violent criminals, or scientific and ethical overreach? Also, why volcanic eruptions may have aided the spread of the second wave of…
- Titans of Science: Georgina Long
The Naked Scientists welcome the return of a new series of Titans of Science, where the world's scientific, medical, and technological pioneers tell us about the significance of their work. Today's episode features Georgina Long, the direc…